Conferencing a VDN

[avgindyguy]

Our call center wants the ability to conference in a caller to our IVR. I have missed around with this in the past and have never gotten it to work. Basically the CSR will answer the call, place a conference call to the IVR, and then teach the caller how to use IVR. Problem is the phone system will not allow this. We use converse step in the vectors to get calls to the IVR and I think the problem lies within the vector. Any help or advice would be appreciated. I have already checked COR's and other restricted options and everything looks fine.

 

[Phoneman2]

Instead of going to the vdn try dialing the same number the caller dialed. Come in the same way. Wisdom is Knowledge
that is Shared

Thanks All Phoneman2

 

[ctr999]

What exactly is the phone system not allowing? Can the agent not complete the conference call? Is the IVR not responding after conferencing?

 

[avgindyguy]

Well first, we cannot dial the same number the caller does. It is a toll free number and it will tie up two trunk lines if we do it that way. However, it does work if we go that route. But the call must be conferenced internally to the VDN or other method. What is happening is this: caller calls toll free number and is routed immediately to the IVR, caller than chooses to speak to a CSR by pressing zero, CSR answers the call via a different VDN number (converse vector step route to digits), CSR then explains to the caller that the IVR must be used to check insurance claims, CSR then tells caller that she will conference the IVR with herself and the caller, CSR then explains to the caller and performs all of the actions necessary in the IVR to check status. In other words, the call center wants to be able to teach callers how to use the IVR. As stated previously we have not previously been able to get this to work, switch is a G3R V11, Call Center Elite package.

 

[ctr999]

I would think your toll-free number has to be associated with a VDN on the PBX. You should be able to dial that VDN internally and the call should behave exactly like someone dialing the toll-free number.

If you are using a different VDN then the one associated with your toll-free, I believe, and I am sure I am simplifying this a bit, there is a lookup table of VDNs on the IVR that tells it what application to use for what VDN. If the VDN you are using for the conference is not in that table, you will probably get nothing when called or it will take a really long time for the IVR to answer.

Hope that makes some sense.

 

[avgindyguy]

Yes the toll free number has an associated DNIS or VDN. And it is the same one that the CSR will use when they try and conference the call. I think the real problem is that when you use a converse step in a vector the call is not really connecting in a normal fashion as a phone to phone call would be. And I believe the conference feature must detect some type of ringing or connection before it allows the conference to happen. We do put a step in the vector to play 2 seconds of ringing but I dont think it is the same type of ringing that the conference feature needs. Thanks, any more assistance would be helpful, until then I will continue to hack away at the switch to see if I can get it to work.

 

[mike144]

sounds like you need to service observe not conference. a Observer can listen-only, or listen and talk to an extension a VDN or a logical agent ID.

 

[avgindyguy]

Service observing would be great. But with the size of the IVR and the call center observing a VDN would be next to impossible. Not that we could not do it, we actually do it quite often. But the chances of us getting the caller that needs help in the IVR when we listen are very slim. Trust me I wish it were as simple as service observing. Problem is that they used to be able to do it with our old IVR but we did not use converse vectoring with that one.

 

[SF0751]

On our system, the IVR has specific agent ID's for each IVR port. Could you conference directly to an IVR port or IVR agent?

Susan
Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer. - Mark Twain

 

[avgindyguy]

I thought of that however we have a slight problem. I have to pass certain digits to the IVR to get the correct application to start. With converse vectoring I can pass digits however if I allow a straight conference to an agent ID or station (T-1 line side), I cannot send the necessary digits and the IVR will just kick the call out immediately.

 

[SF0751]

Unfortunetly, I'm not familer with converse vectoring at all. Maybe if you write a new, seperate vector for this situation?

Best of luck to you. Susan
Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer. - Mark Twain

 

[mattk24]

Did you ever find a solution to this that worked for you or are you still looking? Did you try a phantom number w/ a new cov path to the vdn that your calls are coming in on?

M

 

[FoneFun]

Are you using a conversant with voice@work?
If yes, in your conversant application, can you not initiate a conference to the vdn / agent?

This should initiate a converence with the IVR, the caller and the agent. Then in your conversant application, send the call to a special loop whereby it's in an endless loop with a prompt & collect step, let's say waiting for a digit 5. Until it gets the digit 5, or the call is disconnected it will keep looping.

You agent finally gets the call, the caller is asking stuff and the agent says let me walk you through the IVR.
The agent hits 5. Your IVR script then fires you to the beginning of your IVR script and your agent can walk the caller through.


A second cheezer solution, is to assing a local DID that points to your IVR's VDN, and have your agent conference this.
I do this a lot to get around the Definity not wanting to allow conference's in some circomstances(ie when you are service observing, getting more than 6 ppl in 1 conf call, etc)

 

[avgindyguy]

Thanks FoneFun. Unfortunately we do not have a conversant IVR. We are trying to find a solution where we do have to tie up two trunk line. The DID method would cause this. I am about ready to just give up, it seems no matter what I tell the call center they just do not accept it. We used to have an older periphonics IVR and they could conference that in with no problem. However, that system did not require the switch to send any digits in order to launch the correct app. The new one we have utilizes converse vectoring so I can pass four digits to it.