Handle calls in 8x8 Contact Center for Zendesk

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

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

Call flow

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 the caller is an existing customer, the end-user record opens in a browser tab as soon as the call is offered, allowing you to preview the customer details and prepare to greet accordingly.

To accept a call:

1. When a call is offered, your phone rings, and a call panel displays.
2. Answer the call.
3. The system searches the Zendesk CRM for a matching customer record. Depending on the situation, the search may return:
   • No matching records: The search yields no results and at the end of the call the CRM screen pops a call log in a new browser tab.
   • A single matching record: The search yields a single matching record and pops the customer record in a new browser tab.
   • 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 and, after answering, in the customer’s avatar. Click the avatar and manually select the record to which to link the call log. By default, the call log is associated with the first record in the list.
4. To add your notes for the interaction, select Notes under the call controls.
5. In the Zendesk section, add information in the agent-injected data fields, such as Ticket Type, Priority Type, Ticket Status, and Privacy.
   
6. Click Hang up to end the call. The post-processing time initiates.
   

Note: Your administrator sets the post-processing timer. If the post-processing countdown interval reaches zero, the 8x8 Contact Center app automatically sets your status to Available.

7. If required, select a disposition code.
8. Click Wrap up. The wrap-up notes you entered appear in the call log.

   Note: Wrap-up fields can only be populated from the 8x8 integration during an active interaction.

9. At the termination of the call, a call log is automatically generated and pops in a new browser tab. The call log typically includes information on the transaction ID, call initiation time, call termination time, call duration, and more. If the call is recorded, and Add CC Call Recording to Auto Call log is enabled in My Profile > Integrations > Advanced, the recording is accessible via a URL in the call log.
10. From the bottom-right corner of the screen, click to submit the log as Open, Pending, or Solved by indicating the caller name and agent’s name.
    

About screen pop

A screen pop is presented when an inbound call is offered or an outbound call is connected. The screen pop searches the caller’s name, email ID, and phone number, and shows you whether there is a matching record in the Zendesk database. Upon finding a matching record, the integration presents the record for you to preview and prepare for the call you have received. The search may return:

• Single match: When the call is offered, the matching record is presented in a new browser tab for your preview. The match is also listed when clicking the customer's avatar in the 8x8 Contact Center app. Upon the termination of the call, a call log is automatically generated. The optional information added by you or another agent is also displayed in the call log.
  
• Multiple matches: In the event of multiple matching contacts, the 8x8 Contact Center for Zendesk lists all matches in the in the customer’s avatar. Click the avatar and manually select the record to which to link the call log. By default, the call log is associated with the first record in the list. You can associate the call with another record in the list or simply search for another record. Click next to the desired record to view the details.
  
• No match: In the absence of matching records, no record is presented. A call log is created after the call ends. While the call is active, the agent can click the customer's avatar and use the search bar to match the call to a customer. At the end of the call, you can add the agent-injected data in the Zendesk section of the integration app. This data is saved and presented in the call log after the call is ended.
  

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.

Call log behavior

Upon terminating a call, 8x8 Contact Center for Zendesk generates a call log. The call log includes information such as the 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. The ticket type, priority, and status can be indicated by agents while the call is active. For details, see our content on Call Ticket Wrap-Up Fields.

The call log also includes a link to the recorded call. To access the recorded call, you need the API token by your administrator. You can change the status of the activity to Complete or any desired state.

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

• 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 as a ticket.

Use call ticket wrap-up fields

During a call, call ticket wrap-up fields appear within the Search tab of 8x8 Contact Center for Zendesk. These fields are used to generate information within the call ticket. Follow the steps below to understand how to select the fields and save the information with the call ticket generated from that call.

Note: Wrap-up fields can only be populated from the 8x8 integration during an active interaction.

To use call ticket wrap-up fields:

1. During a call navigate to the Disposition tab within the 8x8 Contact Center app.
2. In the Zendesk section, you can add agent injected data or wrap-up fields which are used to save call ticket information, as well as the number and contact information.
3. Click each field —Ticket Type, Priority Type, Ticket Status and Privacy—to access the options for the wrap-up field, select a values. Click the arrow in front of the header to go back to the main options on the Disposition tab. A green check mark indicates that you've selected a value for that field and displays the value under the header. If you don't add any value for any of these fields, the aidFields is not included in the call log upon terminating the call.
   
   

Assign ticket type

Ticket types are used to define the type of call. The ticket types available are generated through Zendesk, and are selected by the agent either during the call or once the call has finished. Some examples of ticket types may include Question, Incident, Problem, or Task.

Assign priority type

The priority type field indicates the priority of the ticket once it has been created. This can help determine the urgency of the ticket. Priority types are set up by Zendesk and selected by the agent during the call, or once the call has finished. Some examples of priority types may include Low, Medium, High, or Urgent.

Assign ticket status

Every ticket has a status, and the status helps define whether the ticket requires action or has been solved. Ticket statuses are set up by Zendesk and selected by the agent during or after a call. Some examples of ticket statuses include Open, Pending, or Solved.

Assign privacy

There are two types of privacy levels which can be set; Private Comment and Public Comment. A Private Comment is visible only to internal agents, whereas a Public Comment is visible to internal agents as well as the contact linked to the ticket. When a Public Comment is made, the linked contact is notified.

Create and assign ticket tags

In addition to the Ticket Type, Priority Type, Ticket Status, and Privacy fields, ticket tags are an additional field which only displays if set up. Ticket tags can be created by the agent.

To create ticket tags:

1. In the 8x8 Contact Center app, go to Change status > My profile.
2. In the window that displays, click the Integrations tab.
3. In the Ticket Tags field, enter the names of each ticket tag separated by a semicolon.
   

A new Ticket Tag field appears in the Disposition tab during or after a call. This information feeds into the call ticket in the same way as other wrap-up fields.

Place outbound calls

You can place outbound calls using the 8x8 Contact Center app. It allows you to make outbound phone calls to:

• Customers
• Agents

The 8x8 Contact Center app uses a two-step process to dial an outbound call.