Internal Call Transfers

Callmedia 5.0 will introduce a feature call Expert Collaboration, which will enable users to select a user or queue and transfer a call, together with full cradle-to-grave reporting of calls throughout the contact centre. If you need to see how many calls your users transferred to a queue today, there are two methods you can use measure the number of transfers:

1. Create Transfer Queues
Advantages: You can transfer calls internally to a queue specifically set up for transfers. Because there's a seperate queue for these calls, they will automatically be reported on seperately. You could even treat them differently, ie: presented at far higher priority. Transfers can target a particular agent by skill. Cold transfers can present different queuing messages so that the customer is aware they are in a priority queue. The user who answers the call will know it’s been transferred by the queue name.
Disadvantages: You may need to set up a lot of queues to make this work. Also, there are only 250 queues maximum, and some larger sites are getting close to this limit. Also, to effectively see total queue traffic, you will need to add these internal transfers on, in real time and in historical reporting.

2. Create Alpha Tags
Advantages: It’s like this is what they were designed for! Making an alpha tag with the Queue point number as the DDI and ‘Internal Transfer to Sales’ as the tag means that the agents simply transfer the call to the queue they want it to go to. It’s reportable on its own, but still appears in the total queue stats. The user will see it’s been internally transferred, too, which is nice. Finally: no new queues or trigger points.
Disadvantages: You can’t ramp up priority on internal transfers. Transfers can’t go to targeted users by skill. You can’t give cold transfers transfer-specific messages.

Alpha Tags vs Queues

Alpha Tags in Callmedia (first appearing in 4.2) allow you to assign a name to a DDI, so that users can answer a call with a different salutation, even if they come from the same queue. Historical reports can also report on calls by DDI (and if an Alpha-tag is defined for the DDI, the reports shows the name of the DDI). As a result, there are two ways of defining services into the contact centre:

1. Define a Queue for each DDI

Advantages: Each queue is a unique skill, has its own SLA and Priority. Each Trigger Point is usually unique (but doesn't need to be on ACM), allowing the customer to have different messaging/routing for each DDI. This is the easiest to explain and understand: each number goes into one Trigger Point goes into one Queue.

Disadvantages: Larger sites with many queues become more difficult to manage. There is a system-wide limit of 250 queues on Callmedia systems up to version 4.4. Because this applies to all queues, larger installations - particularly those using ad-hoc tasks and Router queues can find themselves running out (in Callmedia 5.0 we're changing the limit to apply to Managed Queues only, which will make life easier). Each managed queue uses 2 unique VDNs/HCIs/Departments for its basic routing, so maintaining the telephone system configuration becomes more onerous. Also, because each queue is a unique skill, if you have a generic team that answers everything, that’s 250 ticks in 250 boxes.

2. Define a Queue for multiple DDIs (using one Trigger point), and use Alpha-tags to give each DDI a name.

Advantages: The switch routes all DDIs to the same entry point. The advantage is it’s simple to set up, both for Callmedia and the switch engineer, and it's simple to keep track of - so easier to maintain. It reduces the number of managed queues required, which makes it easier to fit inside the limit of 250 queues. Users get to see the alpha-tag in their toolbar when they receive a call, so they can handle the call appropriately. Most of our larger customers use this configuration for some of their DDIs.
Disadvantages: Very little config = little flexibility. You only have one skill for multiple DDIs, you also one have one in queue messaging scenario. All calls are treated the same, regardless of their importance. From Callmedia 4.2, you have DDI reports (and from 4.3, Alpha-tag reporting). On Mitel and Cisco, the caller experience can't be configured for each DDI (you can do this on Avaya CM).

One other thing to bear in mind: Alpha Tags are only visible in historical reports and via Desktops (for the agent). They can't be used in Real-time Statistics or Webview.