Handle calls in 8x8 Contact Center for ServiceNow

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

  • Be a member of the call queue to which the call is routed.
  • Be in the Available status in the 8x8 Contact Center integration app.

What happens when I receive a call?

With your ServiceNow dashboard and 8x8 Contact Center for ServiceNow open, the Phone tab blinks red, indicating an inbound interaction. When you click to answer the phone, the caller’s historical ServiceNow incident record opens in a new browser tab. Otherwise, for a new inbound caller, a new incident opens in separate browser tab at the conclusion of the call. The incident features a transaction ID, call initiation time, call termination time, call duration, and more of your personal observations during the call.

What is the typical inbound call flow?

For an incoming call, if there is a matching user record for the caller in ServiceNow, the record displays so you can preview the customer’s historical ServiceNow user details and prepare for the conversation.
Otherwise, for a new inbound caller, a new incident opens in separate browser tab at the conclusion of the call.

To receive a call:

  1. Answer the incoming call.
  2. After completing the phone conversation, you can process notes in the existing or new incident associated with the inbound caller.

    When you click Save, your notes are saved in the ServiceNow database and associated with the caller.
  3. If applicable, click End Post Processing or wait for the call to terminate.
  4. Click Work Offline if you need more time to complete any post-processing task.

What is the screen pop behavior for a phone call?

If enabled by your administrator, you can receive a screen pop during an inbound call. A screen pop searches the caller’s phone number and shows you whether there is a matching record in the ServiceNow database. Upon finding a matching record, it presents the record for you to preview and prepare for the call you have received. With 8x8 Contact Center for ServiceNow, the screen pop occurs when an interaction is connected for inbound calls or when an outbound call is offered.

The search may return:

  • A single match: The matching record is presented in a new browser tab. Upon the termination of the call, an incident is automatically generated. The incident includes information on the transaction ID, call initiation time, call termination time, call duration, and so on. Optional information added by you or another agent is also displayed.
  • Multiple matches: In the event of multiple matching ServiceNow users, 8x8 Contact Center lists all matches in the Search tab. By default, the call log is associated with the top matching record in the list. You can select another record in the list to associate the call with and view the existing call log (incident) details. Click the Search icon next to the desired record to view the details.
  • No match: In the absence of matching records, a new incident report opens up for you to update. After the call ends, a call log (incident) is created and associated with the caller.

How do I place outbound calls?

You can place outbound calls to agents and ServiceNow users using either the 8x8 Contact Center integration app or click-to-dial. If your 8x8 Contact Center administrator has set up phone codes, you must also select the correct code to apply the right calling line ID to your outbound calls.

  • Making calls using the 8x8 Contact Center integration app: You can make outbound calls from the 8x8 Contact Center integration app by entering the desired number in the Phone tab and clicking Dial.

    The 8x8 Contact Center integration app uses a two-step process to dial an outbound call:
    1. Your agent telephone rings first. Answer the call.
    2. The call is then directed to the destination. Your external phone number rings next.

      If the phone number is linked to a user, the user record pops after the call connects. A task page appears after the call is terminated with a call log attached to that page.

      Note: If the off-hook connection is enabled by the administrator and the agent in the agent's 8x8 Contact Center profile, the offered calls are instantly connected. You can hear 8x8 Contact Center ringing the ServiceNow user for the outbound calls without the need to connect the agent’s workplace phone for every handled call. For details, see the Agent Console Guide. Additionally, confirm your 8x8 Contact Center outbound call policies with your supervisor.

  • Making calls using click-to-dial: If configured by your administrator, you are able to click and dial phone numbers from records from within the ServiceNow platform.

How do I select outbound phone codes?

If your 8x8 Contact Center administrator has set up phone codes, you have to select the appropriate codes to apply the right calling line ID to your outbound calls.

To select outbound phone codes:

  1. Dial a number to call, and then click Dial in the 8x8 Contact Center integration app.
    The outbound phone code list displays.
  2. Select a code from the list and click Dial.
    The calling line ID associated with the code is used to process the outbound call.

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.

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.