Aux Reason Code Drama 1

[harryhoudini66]

Hello everyone,

I need your guidance once again. We have been using Aux Codes for a few months now. We had been using from 0-9. We could enter the code after pressing the Aux Work button and then pressing one of the digits. I recently told our Telecom person we wanted to use additional codes. I had read that we could go up to 100 Aux Reason Codes with our setup (CMS13 and CM3).

When he enabled this capability, we now had to enter the code using two digits. That is not a problem. Now I asked him to enable codes 10 & 11 so we could use them. They do not work. When I checked the CMS Dictionary, it looks like he added 10 & 11 as Work Codes instead of Aux Reason Codes. Now that I told him it does not work, he indicates he needs to open a ticket. It’s been about four days and still no ticket. Any ideas what the problem could be? Seams anything that needs to be done on the ACD requires opening a ticket.

 

[dfalken]

You need CM 3.0 and CMS 13 for it to work. I assume you have these so don't know why it didn't work. Simple to add just type change reason-code-names on the PBX then just edit the CMS Dictionary for AUX Reason Codes.

 

[harryhoudini66]

Thanks for the info. That is what I recall. We do happen to have these two things. The only thing is that I just saw an old post here that says you need to have R13/14 to use Expanded Reason Codes. We have version 13.0.HC.05. I am wondering if this version is the problem.

Also, I dont know if he added them on the PBX since he is so defensive about it and wont even let me look at it. On the dictionary he added them as a Work Code instead of Aux Reason Code. I tried myself to add them on the Dictionary but it looks like the app only allows us to enter 1 digit in the dictionary.

 

[dfalken]

This Avaya website implies that it was available after version 13

http://www.avayaglobalconnect.com/Pillar.aspx?Level1ID=2&Level5leaf=1&Level=2/19/97/69/23

I'm on 12 so I can't really help you too much.
If you can gain console access to cms and log in as root password cms500 and type cmssvc option 1 it will show you what features you have purchased.

 

[harryhoudini66]

Thanks. Unfortunately, I do not have access to that. Our Telecom guy is very very defensive and wont event let us look at the most basic stuff. I have always had a hunch that he does this because he does not know what he is doing.

Last time I had two Avaya Experts (Consultants) and even then, he would not let me look at the PBX or access things on CMS. He also indicated it is not possible to view Aux Reason Codes on VuStats. Quick search on these forums tells me differently.

 

[justinsm2]

My understanding is there are two products, CMS Standard and CMS Expanded Aux. Without a RTU for CMS Expanded Aux you may run into the issue where you cannot use over 10 aux reason codes.

 

[lopes1211]

I can understand why he/she would be defensive if an end user was doing research intending to contradict and/or undermine their job performance/knowledge. These forums are helpful for other professionals to help each other out with specific problems assuming they are the admins with full rights to the systems. I know I would have a few choice words if one of my call center contacts asked to "see the PBX programming themselves" because of your knowledge or something you read on the internet.

I understand your motivation is to get your problem working but it would be very easy and perhaps likely to receive answers here which contradict your telecom people. Your telecom people may however be in the right as you will only get generic configuration answers here without knowing the entire system setup and policies as a whole.

Back to your specific problem, read the link dfalken posted. Only the CMS R13 Expanded Aux Version supports more than 10 codes. CMS R13 Standard does not. Dictionary definitions are never required for any feature, agent ID, vector, aux code, etc, etc to work. Defining the Aux codes in the PBX is also just another dictionary/labling nicety. There isn't any programming for the PBX to make codes work other than the flag to determine if you are using them at all, or the single digit vs 2 digit aux codes. In my opinion, changing to a 2 digit code your CMS does not support is probbaly the issue. More important, it may screw up the data storage of what were the working single digit codes. I would change it back and consult Avaya as your telecom person orginally suggested.

-CL

 

[justinsm2]

I agree with lopes1211 as you can make your data difficult to work with in a historical manner. If you had a Right to Use for Expanded Aux it would have likely already been turned on when the PBX and CMS was installed.
Assuming that harryhoudini66 is on the Operations side of the game and not IT, there is an assumption that just because we have certain hardware and software that we have a right to use all of its features.
The reality is that there are a lot of features that you have to pay extra for and adding features can get very expensive and do involve working with Avaya or a Business Partner to obtain appropriate licensing and software loads.

 

[Toni269]

Talk about drama... my call center manager wanted SIXTEEN AUX reason codes all on hard coded buttons added to a new expansion module with color coded labels!!! When I gave him a simple "no" they come back with "What's Avaya's phone number?"

Defensiveness turned to scarcasim from me telling him:
#1 You have no available power outlet to power the expansion modeules
#2 With the number of phones this would cost $30k just in hardware
#3 Your CMS report would be 20 feet wide landscape mode
#4 Agents are going to press the same button every time anway
#5 What and why are you trying to get out of this micromanaging?
#6 I'll give you 0-9 user types it in, no buttons, you give me the list of "reason names" after you agree with the other managers what the different reasons are.

A year later....No one got back to me guess it wasn't even important. Total waste of time.

 

[dfalken]

Aux reason codes give managers the feeling that the phone system is a time management system which it is not. One manager asker me for auto-in reason codes. They want to know what the agents are doing when they are available. I felt like saying you're their manager shouldn't you know what they do.

 

[harryhoudini66]

I hear what you guys are saying but without getting too much off topic, this does not apply to this guy. He cannot answer some of the simplest questions i.e. what does ACW mean. He told us we could only do 5 traces at a time, could never use Aux Reason Codes or RONA. After enough pushing and showing him that, it said so in the manual he would do it. He never monitors the trunks or lets us view the vectors. I swear each time he does something on the switch it goes down and we have to get Avaya on the phone. He just bs his way out and since nobody else knows anything about the switch, they believe him.

We have also had highly paid Avaya consultants over and they contradict this guy or have mentioned that he needs big time training. Other times he pointed out, we had paid for certain privileges and were not taking advantage of them. One of them was the guy that setup our switch. Another one laughed at some of the defensive responses he gave on some questions. Our switch would go down if he gave me “read & write” access to the Dictionary on CMS. Also, our business is made up of some old telephone employees, some of which were high ups. Among them, they know this guy does not know what he is doing but since it does not impact them, they don’t care. I am in the call center so it affects me a lot. I have read the Avaya manual (wow so many pages) and taken a few courses and what I learned has proven him wrong. It is hard to describe what I do and what my function is but I would compare it to a business systems analyst. Anything related to tech they throw at me to fix or see if someone might be bs’ing us. It just happens that I have been assigned the task related to the switch recently. Believe me, I know where you are coming from but it does not relate to this guy. End user that think they know more than they do give me a lot of head aches. Sometimes they are more dangerous than someone who does not know.

Your info in vary valuable and we are currently checking with Avaya. I just dont see why it takes 4 days to just open a ticket when I found the answer here with you guys so quickly. If I had not been so lazy I could have even found it with a search.

 

[harryhoudini66]

I hear you about the manager. I have a couple myself that ask me to setup the dumbest things. Just because you can do something does not mean you have too. They want me to record all the calls. Then when I look at our database, not once have they even heard one. They also asked me to build a website, I built it and put a good two months worth of work and they don’t even use it. People ask for things just because they can.

 

[harryhoudini66]

In our case, we are using the Aux Reason Codes in conjunction with Witness Blue Pumpkin. We need it for Adherence purposes and it is very helpful. They also save us time big time. Before agents logged in and out the entire day or would abuse ACW. Now we can measure other things.

 

[Toni269]

I have replaced every single part of my phone system from the LD & Local T1 network to the processors to every single phone station card and implemented just about every single adjunct and feature that Avaya sells including bi-weekly firmware upgrades at multiple sites across the state. I have a 24x7 ER call center with no maintenance window and I never call Avaya. In 8 years my phone system went down a total of 1 time and it's because some idiot unplugged it! (on purpose!)

Houdini, you need a new Avaya tech pronto. There should be no reason for downtime like that. Your tech should be focused on maximizing the potential of the system and maintaining it's reliability as well as recommending and implementing solutions that work, increase productivity and save money. Hire one of your consultants and you be his boss.

 

[harryhoudini66]

Tell me about it. The last time he messed up the switch he called in a panic and told us we needed to re record all the messages. We started doing it and then an hour later he sends an e-mail saying all was well. Apparently he had Avaya on the phone and they walked him through on how to restore the back-up. The dude did not have the decency to call us back and say thanks for the work but it is not needed.

Somehow VAL Cards become loose and other crap like that when the switch goes down. He knows how to sell his BS. We still record our messages using a phone and do them as they come. I just pray that his vector works if and when the day comes that we have a bomb threat.

 

[lopes1211]

Again, about 1/3 of what you describe points to a pontentially questionable support person. Most of the other stuff has legitimate reasons for refusing the requests (limited answer from me without knowing 100% of the business case for the request). Some of these excuses are the "easy" and perhaps incorrect excuses given by this guy to escape giving a 3 hour lesson in undocumented val firmware bugs, capacities, cpu thresholds, etc. It still doesn't mean the guy is full of sh*t or incompetent.

I'm not defending your telecom guy "in general", I simply see a lot of similarities between your questions, statements, and complaints that are mostly explainable. They are common questions and concerns and unfortunately many cannot be satisfied without a 2 hour lesson on PBX architecture, bugs, licensing, and/or probability/statistics. It looks like the classic case of looking for a yes/no answer to very complex questions. I wish you guys luck in finding the solutions to your other issues since this one apppears to be identified. Just understand these are complex systems and NOTHING is neither finite nor unlimited such as "number of traced agents". It is all system specific based on licensing, release, options, traffic, occupancy, etc........

-CL

 

[harryhoudini66]

Lopes, I am not going to try to convince you this guy is questionable as it is a mute case. It is real hard to summarize on an internet post the I have seen, heard in the few years I have worked with him. I mean in the end it is not going to resolve my issue any quicker than just simply stating my question. I guess at the time I wrote the posts I was pissed. I appreciate your help very much.
Toni, in the five years I have worked with this guy, the switch has gone down about four times. One time it was down for over five hours. Other times, it was just a couple. When he upgraded our CMS from 8 to 13 supervisors could no longer login. He had been working on it for an hour. I come in and within 5 minutes figured out the problem (had to specify the server version on the configuration pane). Then when supervisor asked what happened to their scripts, he said they had to be done again. I go to the old version folder, copy the script to the new one and wallah. I am telling you this guy scares me.

 

[Toni269]

I'd be scared too. Even scared-er if I was the Telco guy. I'd be jaw dropping and floored if an end user resolved problems for me, while I'm left standing there like an idiot, all my dignity and self respect would be gone! I'd be pissed too (at myself) for not being able to fix it and pissed again for being showed up. I wish there was a perfect world where the two of you could work together, you mentor him on how to plan/design/implement a smooth project and use resources for quick trouble resolution, and he starts using all this new info to become a great tech for you. There is no way in HECK you should have that type of downtime, on the other end, no way end users should be involved at the level you are (but sounds like you HAVE to be)... I'm SO glad I'm not in either of your shoes right now! Lopez is right, I agree with him 100%. It's 2007 and just about anything is possible given enough money and skill to do it...

 

[AuraPS]

dont like to state the obvious but why dont you change your telecoms guy/company, i'm sure there are plenty of companies out there who would like to take on your maintenance.

A decent engineer would, with a little time be able to find his way around your system and figure out your config.

good luck