Handle calls in 8x8 Contact Center for Zoho

To receive or place calls using the 8x8 Contact Center app, 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 Zoho 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 Zoho 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 or lead 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 Zoho 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 Zoho 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 or lead and assign 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, the 8x8 Contact Center app generates a call log. The call log typically includes information on the transaction ID, call initiation time, call termination time, call duration, tenant ID, and more.

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

  • No matching records: In the absence of a matching record, when the call ends, a call log displays, allowing you to create a new record or link it to an existing record.
  • A single matching record: If there is a matching record, at the end of call, a call log is created and associated with the record.
  • Multiple matching records: If there are multiple matching records, at the end of the call, a call log displays and is associated with the record selected or, by default, with the first record in the list.

How to place outbound calls?

You can place outbound calls to agents and customers using the Contact Center app or, if click-to-dial is set up, by clicking the number of a Contact, Lead, Account, or Vendor in your Zoho CRM. If your contact center administrator has set up phone codes, when you call a number, you are prompted to select a dialing reason for placing the outbound 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.

You can make an outbound call using one click by clicking on a pre-configured click-to-dial button for a Contact, Lead, Account, or Vendor.

Note: The click-to-dial feature is only available if set up by your administrator.

To use click-to-dial in Zoho:

  1. Click Contacts or another object such as Leads or Accounts from the navigation bar.
  2. Click to open the desired contact, lead, account, or vendor.
  3. With the record open, select the pre-configured click-to-dial button. If the admin configured multiple custom buttons, click the arrow next to it and select the relevant option from the drop-down list.

    4. Note: The contact, lead, account, or vendor must have a phone number listed in the record for the click-to-dial button to work.

  4. If configured by the admin, from the 8x8 Contact Center app, select a dialing reason for placing the outbound call, then click Confirm and dial.
  5. If the phone number is linked to a contact, the customer record pops.
  6. Your agent phone rings first. Answer the call.

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

  7. The call is then directed to the destination.