Voice Features
Softphone
Softphone is essentially a software-based phone that mimic the functionalities of a desk phone by presenting a phone interface in the Agent Application, complete with a dial pad and call handling features such as Mute, Hold, and Call Transfer. This feature enables the agents to answer calls in queues from their computer rather than a traditional landline or a mobile phone.
Softphone uses WebRTC technology to transfer the conversation's audio using the agent's Internet browser and Internet connection as a carrier. The audio is handled through a headset and microphone connected to the agent's computer.
Agents can choose between logging on with Softphone or an external phone. Puzzel Softphone is only supported on the Chrome Internet browser, and requires agents to have stable and sufficient Internet access.
For more details on Softphone, download the product sheet here:
IVR
An IVR Menu lets the caller choose which department or person they want to talk to. The menu is customised to each organisation's needs, and comes with two or more options. It is recommended you do not use more than 4-6 options in a menu, so to accommodate further options you may use sub-menus for each main menu option.
The menu can also be used to confirm values entered by the caller. For example, when the caller needs to enter a membership number, the menu module can read the value entered back to the caller and request confirmation from the caller, commonly with a # (hash).
The IVR is setup using the Call flow tool configuration. For more details read this article.
Information message in an IVR
This product enables an organisation to leave messages for callers in the IVR. This may be for example welcome messages or announcements. After playing the voice message, the call can be routed to a different part of the IVR, another telephone number, to Puzzel, or it could be ended.
Information messages are often used in combination with the time module. For instance, a welcome message (e.g. "Welcome to the Company help line...") will play during opening hours, while a closing message (e.g. "Our opening hours are Monday to Friday 8-16") can be played during closing hours.
Information messages can be recorded by the organisation and uploaded and managed using the Audio functionality in the Admin Portal of Puzzel Contact Centre solution.
Callout
Agents can make an outbound call to a phone number, possibly from the catalog or by directly entering the phone number. This feature increases the agent's efficiency as call outs can now be done from the Agent Application itself using the Softphone facility or the phone number used to login.
Audio Management
Puzzel provides the ability to record, upload, and manage your sound files. You can record files from your phone or computer and upload them in the Admin Portal.
For more details, see Audio
Access number
An access number is the number that routes the caller to the Puzzel solution. Normally, this is the number dialled by the caller. However, in some cases callers may be routed to this number through an access number managed by another operator.
A typical access number for a Puzzel solution is national and has no geographic location (often referred to as an ‘NGN’, non-geographical number). The price of an access number to the customer is irrespective of whether the number is national or international.
Silent monitoring
Silent monitoring gives selected users (supervisors) the ability to listen in on conversations between callers and agents, using the agent's phone number (landline or mobile) or softphone. Neither the caller nor the agent will hear the supervisor during the call.
Puzzel can be configured to notify the agent in the Agent Application by showing them a headset icon when someone is monitoring their ongoing call. However, this notification can be turned off, in which case the agent will never be aware that they were monitored.
For more information, read this article.
Callback
Callback in Puzzel is flexible, with easily definable rules regarding priorities relative to other enquiries. It allows end customers to avoid the frustration of waiting in queue, and customers can offer callers callback from queue, from the web, or via SMS.
Callback can be configured in two main ways:
Call agent first
Call customer first
In the first case, the first ready agent is called when the customer’s number reaches the front of the queue, and the customer is then called automatically once the agent is on the line. This eliminates the waiting time for customers, but may lead to the agent waiting for the customer.
In the second case, the customer is called when their number reaches the front of the queue, and will then be connected to the first ready agent. This may not eliminate waiting time, as it could take time for an agent to become available, but it eliminates waiting time for the agent.
In either case, the callback will only be attempted three times, and for each failed attempt the call is moved to the back of the queue.
Callback from a phone queue
Callbacks are commonly offered when the client first arrives in the queue, but only if there are e.g. more than 20 callers in the queue (a modifiable variable). Callbacks can also be offered when the caller has been waiting for more than a given number of seconds or minutes in a queue without a reply, or if the estimated wait time exceeds a given value.
Callbacks are offered through the IVR, for example by asking the caller to press a certain key to be called back, after which the customer will either enter the number on which they want to be called back or they may just confirm they want to be called back on the number they are calling from.
Agents can also schedule callbacks to a customer.
Callback from a website
Customers can install a "Call Me" button on their websites, which can be customized to fit the needs of the the organisation. A very simple button would only ask for the caller's phone number, while a more advanced one could ask the caller for more information, such as the subject of the request, a post code, etc. The page the caller is on when the button is pressed can also be passed as a parameter.
Once a caller has pressed the button, a queue tag is entered into the Puzzel queue. The callback takes place when this tag comes first in line.
Agents can also schedule callbacks to a customer.
SMS Callback
A Callback can be ordered by the end-user, sending a SMS using a SMS keyword. The SMS Keyword is set up to route the end-users request to the relevant callback queue. The end-user is called based on the configuration set for the callback queue. Several SMS keywords can be configured for one queue or several queues in the solution. E.g. for marketing campaigns several SMS Keywords can be setup for the same queue in order to measure the actual response for each marketing channel.
Puzzel offers various SMS access options for SMS Callback, typical a SMS short code (shared or dedicated) or longnumber.
Scheduled Callback
When a scheduled callback/task is ordered (e.g. at 08:58) with a scheduled time (e.g. 12:00), this call/task is put in the queues 'waiting room' and is shown in column Scheduled until the scheduled time, and then its moved into queue and shown as in queue. The scheduled time can be max 14 days in the future for calls, and max 60 days in the future for tasks. The default max number of requests in a queues 'waiting room' is 1000.
For more details on Schedule Calls, read here.
Voice recording
Puzzel can be configured to record conversations. This can be done by setting up the solution to record conversations from a queue, or manually by the agent. We caution that both callers and agents should be notified that they will be recorded.
When the solution is set up to record enquiries, the recording will start the moment the agent answers a call, and will end when the agent hangs up. The record button is easily available for the agent, who can stop and resume the recording at any time during the conversation. A scramble button is also available to allow the agent to easily censor parts of the recording, such as credit card information, for privacy and information protection purposes.
Voice recordings can be stored on and accessed via Puzzel's FTP server and the Media Archive. If the customer wants the recording files to be encrypted, we offer secure encryption based on X.509 certificates. The Media Archive lets the supervisor retrieve, listen to, save, and send call recordings. With the search tools, recordings can be searched for using a number of criteria, such as agent name, time of call, caller's number, queue name, etc. Moreover, the call's history is displayed, including how long the caller waited in queue, and to which agent they spoke. Default storage for recordings is one month.
For more details, read this article on Call Recording.
Extra recording storage
By default, the voice recordings are stored for a period of one month. You can then subscribe to two packages as stated below:
- Extended storage time, up to 6 months
- Extended storage time, up to 12 months