Web Agent Console

From the administrative website, click Dashboard on the main menu bar to view the Clarity Connect Console, which contains both the Dashboard view and Agent Console view. The Agent Console view gives users control over voice and instant messaging sessions.

Purpose

The Agent Console view allows agents to control voice and instant messaging sessions in the browser window.

Agents have access to both the Agent Console and the Dashboard when accepting sessions, giving them the ability to monitor call center activity, manage presence, and answer and control calls and instant messages.

As incoming sessions are received by the system, callers navigate through the call flow (see Call Flows for more information) and make selections before eventually being connected with an agent. Clarity Connect uses skills-based routing to assign calls to agents with the appropriate expertise rather than simply choosing the next available agent.

When a call is routed to an agent, a visual alert displays on the Dashboard along with an audible ring. The agent can then either accept or ignore the incoming call. Once a call has been accepted, the Agent Console view replaces the standard Dashboard view, giving the agent access to call controls and details about the call.

In addition to call controls, the Agent Console view displays session duration, URI information, details from third party platforms (if applicable), session history, customer history, the path the caller took through the IVR, and more.

When the call ends, the agent has the option to perform after call work, which allows the agent to enter notes about the conversation and tag the session with keywords. When after call work is complete, the agent may be routed new sessions.

Actions

Navigate Dashboard View

The following actions are available (Figure 1):

• Click the Menu icon (1) to hide the sidebar if it is already visible. Click the Menu icon a second time to display the sidebar.
• Enter a phone number, SIP address, or contact name in the direct outbound dial search box (2). A direct outbound dial may be placed to the selected result. A Cancel button allows the agent to stop the direct outbound dial. This feature is only available for agents signed into Skype for Business with Proxy Direct Calls? selected on the Agent Profiles page.
• Turn on Suspend All Calls (3) to set the logged on agent to Unavailable and prevent the agent from receiving calls. Turn off Suspend All Calls to set the logged on agent to Available, allowing the agent to receive calls.
• A session tile (4) appears for each active session the agent is handling. During an active session, it displays the agent’s name, the number of participants, the caller’s phone number or SIP URI, the session modality, the number of participants, and the duration of the session. Agents can click the session tile to navigate back to the Agent Console view after viewing queue and team tiles. The session tile displays a loading visual after the agent accepts the session but before the session is fully connected.
• Click the Queues filter (5) to display queue tiles in the sidebar. Click Filter (8) to modify the queues that display in the sidebar.
• Click the Teams filter (6) to display team tiles in the sidebar. Click Filter (8) to modify the teams that display in the sidebar.
• Click any combination of dashboard modality filters (7) to display those metrics on the Dashboard view. The Phone icon displays metrics for audio sessions, the Chat icon displays metrics for instant messaging sessions, and the Envelope icon displays metrics for email sessions.
• Click Filter (8) to display the Filter view, which allows users to select the queue and team tiles that display in the sidebar. For more information, see Dashboard.
• Click a queue or team tile (9) to display a Dashboard view with metrics specific to that queue or team. For more information on Queue and Team Dashboard views, see Dashboard.
• Use the Agent Console view (A) to control calls and instant messages, monitor session duration, view caller and session information, and view any third-party integration details.
• Click the Alerts icon (B) to view KPI alerts. For more information, see Alerts.
• Click the Audio Device icon (C) to configure an audio device. This icon only displays in Internet Explorer.
• Click the agent name (D) to view the Agent Summary Card. For more information, see Dashboard.

Figure 1 Clarity Connect Console

Accept Session

When a session is routed to an agent, a visual alert displays on the Dashboard along with an audible ring. The agent may then either accept or ignore the incoming session.

Once a session has been accepted, the Agent Console view replaces the Dashboard view, giving the agent access to call controls and details about the call. If it is an instant message session, the chat window will also display. The session tile (Figure 1, bubble 4) displays a loading visual and then populates with information when the session is connected.

The agent has access to session duration, URI information, details from third party platforms (if applicable), session history, customer history, the path the session took through the IVR, and more via the Agent Console.

When the session ends, the agent has the option to perform after call work, which allows the agent to enter notes about the conversation and tag the session with keywords. When after call work is complete, the agent is marked available to accept a new session.

For more details, see Perform Session Control Actions below.

View Session Information

Reference Figure 2 to view labeled session information on the Agent Console view.

Figure 2 Agent Console View

Session ID and System Messages (1)

This is the unique ID assigned to the session. The session’s queue, start date, and start time are included. System messages describing the state of the session display under the session ID. To view additional system messages, hover the pointer above the current system message. The last few messages will appear when hovering over the current message. See Appendix: System Messages to view a complete list of system messages.

Incoming Phone Number or Contact Name (2)

This is the incoming phone number, SIP URI, or contact name of the audio or IM session.

Call Duration (3)

This is the total time the caller or IM session participant spent speaking with the current agent. If the session is transferred to an agent, queue, or contact, the Call Duration timer resets.

Session Duration (4)

This is the total duration of the session, including the time the caller or IM session participant spent speaking with an agent and any time spent waiting to speak with an agent. If the session is transferred to an agent, queue, or contact, the Session Duration timer does not reset.

Links (5)

When an integration package is enabled, the Agent Console pulls information from the third-party platform and presents it during a session. Depending on the integration, different information may display here.

In addition, one custom URL can be displayed here using the Set Screen Pop URL node. For more information on the Set Screen Pop URL node, see Call Flows.

Queue (6)

This is the name of the queue the session came in through.

URI (7)

This is the URI of the session.

Perform Session Control Actions

When an agent accepts a session, the Agent Console view replaces the Dashboard view. The icons in Figure 3 allow users to control sessions. Depending on the configuration and state of the session, different icons may display here.

Figure 3 Session Controls

Add Disposition and Sub-Disposition

Disposition and Sub-Disposition (1)

Click the Disposition icon to assign a primary keyword to the session. Click the Sub-Disposition icon to assign a secondary keyword to the session. Dispositions and sub-dispositions can be added during or after a session. Select Require Disposition on the Agent Profiles page to require a specific agent to select dispositions for each session.

Place Session On Hold

Hold (2)

Click the Hold icon to place the caller on hold with music or place the IM session on hold with messages. Click this a second time to take the caller or IM session participant off hold.

While the audio or IM session is on hold, the Hold icon turns yellow and a timer displays the number of seconds the session has been on hold. If the session is on hold longer than the preset threshold, the Hold icon flashes red. Hold thresholds can be configured on the Queues page.

Mute Session

Mute (3)

Click the Mute icon to mute the session and prevent the caller from hearing the agent. Click the Mute icon a second time to unmute the session.

Transfer Session

Transfer (4)

Click the Transfer icon to transfer the call to another agent within your organization, consult with another agent while the customer is on the line, or bring an additional agent into the call with the customer. Agents that receive a call this way will have access to the full Agent Console, and their time spent on the call will be included in Clarity Connect call metrics.

A search box will appear after clicking the Transfer icon. Use this search box to find agents, contacts, or queues. Click the Pin icon to save agents, contacts, or queues. Agents' Skype for Business statuses are reflected in searches and pinned items. A refresh button above the pinned contacts will update the contacts' presence. Pinned items appear under the search box (but not while performing a search) in all future sessions until unpinned or until the browser cache is cleared.

Four types of user transfers are available:

• Transfer allows the call to be transferred to the new agent if he or she is available to take the call. The current agent will remain on the call with the customer until the new agent answers.
• Invite brings the new agent into the conversation with the customer, after which the current agent can either eject or transfer the call to the new agent.
• Consult allows the two agents to speak alone while the caller is placed on hold before either bringing the other agent into the call with the customer, transferring the call to the new agent, or returning to the call with the customer without the new agent.
• VM transfers the call immediately to the new agent’s voice mail without ringing the agent. VM is not available for external phone numbers or for agents or contacts that do not have voice mail configured.

Two types of queue transfers are available:

• Transfer immediately ejects the current agent from the call and places the customer in line for the new queue in the position the customer would be in had he or she initially been in that queue upon connecting.
• Consult finds an available agent with the necessary skills for the selected queue and allows the current agent to speak with the new agent (if desired) before either bringing the other agent into the call with a customer, transferring the call to the new agent, or returning to the call with the customer without the new agent.

Send Instant Messages

Instant Message

Click the Instant Message icon to display the chat window. When the chat window is not open, the session tile chat icon flashes to indicate a new instant message.

IM Prompts (5)

An IM prompt is pre-configured text that an agent can send to an IM session. Click the IM Prompt icon and select a prompt to insert into the chat window. Prompts may be edited before sending. See IM Prompt Maintenance for information on how to configure IM prompts.

Chat Window (6)

Enter text in the chat window to send instant messages. To view chat transcripts from previous sessions with the customer, click Load More at the top of the chat window.

To send a transcript to an email target, click the Ellipsis icon at the top of the chat window. Enter an email address in the field and then select Send Transcript. Transcripts will only be sent after a session has ended.

 

Escalate IM Session to Voice Session

Escalate (7)

Click the Ellipsis icon to display additional call controls, including the Escalate icon. Click the Escalate icon to escalate an IM session to an audio session.

Record Session

Record (7)

Click the Ellipsis icon to display additional call controls, including the Record icon. Click the Record icon to start recording the current session. If the session is already being recorded, clicking the Record icon will stop recording the current call. The Record icon can be hidden on a per agent basis. This can be configured via the Agent Profiles

 

Clarity Connect has several levels of recording rules:

• Calls in IVR
  • IVR level: always record or never record calls in the IVR. See Configuration Settings for information on managing this setting.
  • Node level: Use the Set Block Recording node to start or stop recording as a caller traverses through the call flow. This rule takes precedence over the IVR level recording rule. See Call Flows for information on using this node.
• Calls in Queue
  • Portal level: record a set percentage of all incoming calls to the portal. See Configuration Settings for information on managing this setting.
  • Queue level: always record or never record a queue. This rule takes precedence over the portal level recording rule. See Queues for information on managing this setting.
  • Agent level: always record or never record a specific agent’s calls. This rule takes precedence over the portal level and queue level recording rules. See Agent Profiles for information on managing this setting.
  • Agent Console level: if the Record and Stop Recording buttons are visible on the Agent Console, the agent can control his or her call recordings as desired. This takes precedence over the portal level, queue level, and agent level recording rules. The Record and Stop Recording buttons can be hidden from the Agent Console if supervisors do not want their agents to have access to them.

End Session

Hang Up (8)

Click the Hang Up icon to end the current session and begin after call work.

Perform Supervisor Session Control Actions

Supervisors, as well as certain additional Clarity Connect roles, can manage sessions from the Active tab in the Queue or Team Dashboard view (Figure 4).

Figure 4 Active tab with supervisor controls

From the active session card, click the Session ID to navigate to the Session Search page.

Supervisors have access to Silent and Whisper join from the active session card. Clicking either of these options opens the supervisor Agent Console view while either silent or whisper joining the selected session (Figure 5). If they have the necessary permissions, supervisors can also control session recordings from the active session card.

Figure 5Supervisor controls during Silent Join

Whisper Join (1)

Click the Whisper Join icon to be heard only by the agent upon joining the call. The agent will be notified when a supervisor whisper joins so he or she won’t be surprised when hearing a new voice on the line or seeing the supervisor’s IMs. The supervisor will also be listed as a participant in the call on the session tile in the sidebar; silently joined supervisors will not be listed here.

Barge In (2)

Click the Barge In icon to notify all conversation participants the supervisor has joined the call. The supervisor will be seen (in a chat session) or heard (in an audio session) when this icon is selected.

Take Over (3)

Click the Take Over icon to join the call as a full participant and session owner. After taking over the session, the Eject Agent icon appears. Click the Eject Agent icon to remove the agent from the session. Because the supervisor owns the session, clicking the Hang Up icon will end the session and disconnect the caller. As a session owner, the supervisor also has the ability to transfer the session to a different agent or queue.

Mute (4)

Click the Mute icon to mute the session and prevent the caller from hearing the agent. Click the Mute icon a second time to unmute the session. The Mute icon only appears during audio sessions.

Hang Up (5)

Click the Hang Up icon to disconnect from the current session. Unless the Take Over functionality is used during the entire session, Hang Up will only disconnect the supervisor from the session. It will not end the session between the agent and caller.

Instant Message (6)

Click the Instant Message icon to display or hide the chat window.

View Context Tabs

The Agent Console view contains three expandable context tabs.

Customer History (9)

The Customer History tab displays past session details on the caller, if applicable:

• Detail Time indicates the start time of the session.
• Details include notes from past sessions.

Session History (9)

The Session History tab contains details about the session and allows the agent to add notes to the call:

• Detail Time indicates the time the session status was updated.
• Details include all available information about the previous session, including any dispositions and notes, if applicable.
• Click Notes to enter session details in the notes box. Notes are saved with the call in Clarity Connect and appear when searching past sessions. Notes can also be added during after call work. Select Require Call Notes on the Agent Profiles page to require a specific agent to enter session details for each session.

Flow (9)

The Flow tab contains details on the path the caller took through the IVR menu before being connected to an agent:

• Node Name indicates the name of the node the session traversed through.
• Duration indicates how long the session spent in that particular node.
• Notes detail selections the caller made in that particular node.

Perform After Call Work

After a session ends, the Dashboard displays the After Call Work view, which allows the agent to modify the disposition and sub-disposition, add notes on the session, and review any session details (Figure 6) before being marked available to accept the next session.

Figure 6 After Call Work view

After Call Work Timer (1)

This timer follows a pre-configured after call work period and counts down to the next potential session.

Disposition and Sub-Disposition (2)

Click the Disposition icon to assign a primary keyword to the session. Click the Sub-Disposition icon to assign a secondary keyword to the session. Dispositions and sub-dispositions can be added during or after a session. Select Require Disposition on the Agent Profiles page to require a specific agent to select dispositions for each session.

Notes (3)

Click the Notes icon and enter any session details in the notes box. Notes are saved with the call in Clarity Connect and appear when searching past sessions. Select Require Call Notes on the Agent Profiles page to require a specific agent to enter session details for each session.

Hourglass (4)

Click the Hourglass icon to extend after call work. Clicking this places the agent in manual after call time and changes the agent’s presence to Busy.

Finished (5)

Click the Finished icon to complete manual after call work and return to an Available state.

Appendix: Four Party Call Behavior

During a four party call, the Transfer and Remove Participant controls are located in the session tile. Clarity Connect detects a four party call when a customer, agent, invited or consulted party, and a supervisor are simultaneously connected to a session.

The following are possible four party call scenarios and their behaviors:

• If a supervisor is whisper joined to a four party call, the agent (primary session owner) can transfer or eject the consulted party.
• If a supervisor is silent joined to a four party call, only the supervisor will see the four party call. The agent (primary session owner) and invitee will not see the four party call.
• If a supervisor barges into a session, making it a four party call, the agent (primary session owner) has the ability to transfer to the supervisor or the consulted party.
• If a supervisor whisper joins or barges into a session, making it a four party call, the agent will not have the ability to remove them.
• If a supervisor is whisper joined or silent joined to a four party call, the supervisor will see a list of participants in the session tile on the side bar and will have access to standard call controls. If the supervisor uses the Take Over functionality in this scenario, the former primary session owner (agent) will be disconnected if the supervisor performs an invite or consult.

Appendix: System Messages

Scenario	Notification Type	Title Text	Body Text	Buttons	Notes
Incoming Session	Info	<CustomerName>	Incoming session from + <customer> + via the + <queueName>	Accept & Decline
Escalation	Info	<CustomerName>	Session + <sessionId> + is being escalated to Audio	Accept & Ignore
RONA	Error	RONA Notifier	<CurrentDateTime> - You have missed a Call. Toggle your presence back to available to begin receiving calls again.	Okay	For RONA notifications Connect will present a notice to both the Dashboard and the Skype client.
Transfer Failure	Error	Transfer Failed	Transfer was not completed successfully. Please try again.	Okay
Consult Failure	Error	Consult Failed	Consult was not completed successfully. Please try again.	Okay
Invite Failure	Error	Invite Failed	Invite was not completed successfully. Please try again.	Okay
Escalation Failure	Error	Escalation Failed	Escalation was not completed successfully. Please try again.	Okay
Call Control Request Failure	Error	Error Processing Action	Unable to process requested action: + <Requested CallControl>	Okay
Transfer to VM Failure	Error	Invite Failed	Invite went to Voicemail. Please try again.	Okay
Cancel Transfer Failure	Error	Failed to Remove Participant	A failure occurred when removing a participant from the session.  Please try again.	Okay
Default Error Notify	Error	An Error has Occurred	NONE	Okay	This is the catch all error message and should only be presented if something severe or unexpected happened.
Participant Did not Answer or Declined (Invite/Consult/Warm Transfer)	Info	Participant Unavailable	The requested participant is not available at this time.  Please try again later.	Okay	This is the message that occurs when a VM is not available.
Default Warn Notify	Info	An Error has Occurred	NONE	Okay	This is the catch all info message and should only be presented if something less severe than an error occurred (a transfer doesn't connect because it's unanswered)
Agent Disconnected From Skype (not from clicking sign out)	Error	You Are Now Signed Out	You have been signed out of Skype for Business.	Sign In & Ignore
Error Connecting Session (possibly because customer disconnected as Agent answered)	Error	An Error has Occurred	An Error has occurred in trying to connect you to the customer, ending session	Okay
DOD Declined or Unanswered	Error	Direct Outbound Dial	Direct Outbound Declined	Okay
Start DOD	Info	Direct Outbound Dial	Placing direct outbound call.	Okay & Cancel (ends DOD)
DOD Ringing	Info	Direct Outbound Dial	Direct outbound call is ringing.	Okay
DOD Error Occurred	Error	Direct Outbound Dial	An error has occurred placing the direct outbound call	Okay
Error Starting Video	Error	Video Error	There was an error starting video	Okay
Error Stopping Video	Error	Video Error	There was an error stopping video	Okay
Escalation to voice routed through Skype client	Info	Escalate to Voice	Audio is not being routed through the browser. Please perform all audio call controls using the Skype client	Okay	This will occur if the caller escalates the call and the agent answers the escalation in Skype