Handle calls in 8x8 Contact Center for HubSpot

To receive or place calls using 8x8 Contact Center for HubSpot, you must:

  • Be a member of the call queue to which the call is routed.
  • Set your status to Available.

What happens when I am offered a call?

If the application is open and your status is Available, when a call is offered, your phone rings and a call panel displays, indicating an incoming interaction. You can preview the caller info from the call panel. Answer the call. If there is a matching record for the caller in the HubSpot CRM, the customer record pops. This process is referred to as screen pop.

Note: If the call times out, the 8x8 Contact Center app changes your status to on Break.

What is a typical inbound call flow?

  1. When a call is offered, your phone rings and a call panel displays.
  2. Answer the call.
  3. The system searches the HubSpot CRM for a matching customer record. Depending on the situation, the search may return:
    • No matching records: The search yields no results for the customer. At the end of the call, the CRM screen pops a log in a new tab allowing you to create a new contact and assign the log to it.
    • A single matching record: The search yields a single matching record and pops the customer record for previewing.
    • Multiple matching records: The search yields multiple search results but the CRM does not generate a screen pop. The number of matches displays on the call panel. Click the avatar and manually select the record you want to link the call log to.

    Note: By default, the CRM matches the case to the first match in the list.

  1. To add your notes for the interaction, while on the call, select Notes under the call controls. Type the relevant notes in the 8x8 Call Center section, or scroll down to add your notes to the HubSpot CRM. The notes display in the comments section of the call log generated post wrap up.
  2. Click Hang up to end the call. The post-processing time initiates.
  3. If required, select a disposition code.
  4. Click Wrap up.
  5. A call log is automatically generated. It typically includes information on the transaction ID, call initiation time, call termination time, call duration, tenant ID, and more.

What is the screen pop behavior for a phone call?

Depending on your integration settings, you may receive a screen pop when receiving a call. During an inbound call, the 8x8 Contact Center application searches the HubSpot CRM for a matching customer record. On finding a matching record, it presents the record for you to preview and prepare for the call. This process is referred to as screen pop.

The CRM search may return:

  • No matching records: At the end of the call, the CRM screen pops a log in a new tab allowing you to create a new contact and link the log to it.
  • A single matching record: The search yields a single matching record and pops the customer record for previewing. At the end of the call, the CRM screen pops a log associated with the customer.
  • Multiple matching records: The search yields multiple search results but the CRM does not generate a screen pop. The number of matches displays on the call panel. Click the avatar and manually select the record you want to link the call log to. At the end of the call, the CRM screen pops a log associated with the selected matching record.

Note: By default, the CRM matches the case to the first match in the list

What is the call log behavior?

Upon terminating a call, 8x8 Contact Center for HubSpot generates a call log. The call log includes information such as transaction ID, the time the call was answered, and the duration of the call. A call log is created for inbound and outbound interactions and automatically saved as a ticket in HubSpot. You can change the status of the ticket to complete or any desired state.

Depending on the number of matches, a call log can be linked to the end-user record as follows:

  • A single match: If there is a matching record, the call log is created and associated as a ticket to the record.
  • Multiple matches: In the event of multiple matching contacts, there will be no screen pop. The call log is created and associated as a ticket to the first record in the list.
  • No match: In the absence of a matching record, a message indicates the lack of a matching record. The call is logged.

How do I place an outbound call?

Via a two-step process, 8x8 Contact Center for HubSpot allows you to make outbound phone calls to:

  • Customers
  • Agents

To place a call:

  1. Enter the phone number in the Make a call field.
    -OR-
    Click Add interaction > Call and use the dial pad to enter the phone number.

    2. Note: If the number has been dialed before, it displays in the call history list; when you see the correct phone number, select it.

  2. Click the phone icon to initiate the call.
  3. If configured by the admin, you may be prompted to select a reason for the call. Select a reason, then click Confirm and dial.

    4. Note: The system remembers your selection when making other outbound calls. If you wish to change the reason for calling, click Change.

  4. If the phone number is linked to a contact, the customer record pops.
  5. Your agent telephone rings first. Answer the call.

    6. Note: If you are using the embedded 8x8 Agent Workspace softphone, the call is dialed directly without requiring you to answer an initial ring.

  6. The call is then directed to the destination.

Transfer calls

Warm and cold call transfers between agents is now supported. This new integrated functionality aims to increase efficiency in communication and improve customer experience.

Let’s say as an agent, you receive a call from a customer with questions that are best suited for a more experienced agent. You can now transfer the call to the agent that can provide a solution to the customer. While on a call, click the transfer icon, and select:

  • Warm Transfer: Implies notifying the agent you wish to transfer the call to before transferring the call. The customer is placed on hold while you are connected with the other agent. After briefing the agent, you can complete the transfer.
  • Cold Transfer (blind transfer): The call is transferred without notifying the other agent. The agent receiving the call transfer will not see which agent transferred the call. If the second agent does not answer the phone, and the agent does not have 8x8 Contact Center voicemail set up, the call is dropped after the timeout period. For information about your contact center's timeout interval, contact your contact center administrator

Notes:
- A warm/cold transfer can only be performed if the agent you are transferring the call to has the status set to Available.
- The agent receiving the warm/cold transfer via an agent/queue/direct agent routing is presented with a screen pop with the customer information if a record of the customer already exists in the CRM. If the search does not yield a matching record, the system pops a new record entry screen.
- The call context such as the reason for the call, the reason for the call transfer, the agent's notes, etc., is not transferred.