I am looking for your opinions on what the best way i could tackle a hold function before transferring to a external number on a IVR call flow.
Previously i would place a message advising of high call volume but this would only delay the transfer by 10 seconds.

I have since created a loop task that delays by 4 minutes in alignment with avg wait times to the external number. External parties do not use Purecloud and as our IVR does not direct to a Purecloud Queue the in-queue hold doesn't seem to be an option (i might be wrong)

I would be needing to place inbound calls into a holding pattern before it exits to a transfer to number action.
But i would also need to make this a quick and seamless experience for the administrator who would be activating such a task as its not a regular occurrence.

Upon creating the loop on a temporary flow i added it to the call routing path and activated an Emergency. This did the trick but it leaves us to be on standby when it reaches close period and we want to stop the calls from transferring. So we need to action it before the close schedule activates otherwise customers will continue to be transferred after the closure time. 

I am thinking a data table maybe but as there are no clear definitive training modules on data tables, we may need to continue doing it the way we have created for now.

Is there a way we can make this happen, open to your suggestions

thanks
#ArchitectureandDesign
#Routing(ACD/IVR)
#Self-Service
#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Darryn Chang
Stuff Limited
New Zealand
2 Years Purecloud
------------------------------

I'll give an opinion :-)

First question, though, before you go on to the rest of this...what happens on the other end (external party) when a call gets transferred there? Does it go into a queue and wait however long the usual wait time is before routing to an agent on that end? If so, then you can't have the call sit on hold in PureCloud for that 4 minutes or whatever in a loop, then transfer over--then the caller would end up on hold for 8 minutes, since the call was not waiting in queue that whole time. 

It depends on how you want to trigger going to the transfer functionality--automatically, based on something you can query from the PureCloud Data Integrations action, or manually (like flipping a value in a Data Table and following the behavior there).

Also, I'm wondering if the external party happens to have an API you could query with a Web Services Data Action integration action...maybe find out the estimated wait time from them to set the hold time on your side?

Anyway, with a manual setting I'd probably use a Data Table and have a value to pull back of, say, "TransferExternal" and let it be set as either "true" or "false" (or "yes" / "no").

Query that in the main Inbound Call flow, and if true then use a Transfer to ACD action to put it in a special queue that has no active/available agents which will send the call into the associated In-Queue Call flow. In the In-Queue Call Flow you can set up to play your audio prompts to let the caller know of unusual wait times, estimated wait time, etc. The Hold Music action lets you Play for duration, so you can set how long the caller hears hold music before it moves on the the Transfer to number. (Keep in mind, the call is not in the other system, so any hold time here is in addition to the hold time at the other end outside of PureCloud).

So, I'll place the caveat again...I'm thinking the way you have it worded to wait on hold in PureCloud the normal amount of wait time in external queue will just double the wait time and not achieve what you really want.

I'm not sure I've helped you much, but it gives you some options, maybe.


------------------------------
George Ganahl CCXP, GCP
Principal Technology Consultant
Genesys
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-19-2019 20:12
From: Darryn Chang
Subject: IVR Call flow Hold before transfer - suggestions

I am looking for your opinions on what the best way i could tackle a hold function before transferring to a external number on a IVR call flow.
Previously i would place a message advising of high call volume but this would only delay the transfer by 10 seconds.

I have since created a loop task that delays by 4 minutes in alignment with avg wait times to the external number. External parties do not use Purecloud and as our IVR does not direct to a Purecloud Queue the in-queue hold doesn't seem to be an option (i might be wrong)

I would be needing to place inbound calls into a holding pattern before it exits to a transfer to number action.
But i would also need to make this a quick and seamless experience for the administrator who would be activating such a task as its not a regular occurrence.

Upon creating the loop on a temporary flow i added it to the call routing path and activated an Emergency. This did the trick but it leaves us to be on standby when it reaches close period and we want to stop the calls from transferring. So we need to action it before the close schedule activates otherwise customers will continue to be transferred after the closure time.

I am thinking a data table maybe but as there are no clear definitive training modules on data tables, we may need to continue doing it the way we have created for now.

Is there a way we can make this happen, open to your suggestions

thanks
#ArchitectureandDesign
#Routing(ACD/IVR)
#Self-Service
#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Darryn Chang
Stuff Limited
New Zealand
2 Years Purecloud
------------------------------

Thanks George, it was helpful. Logically when writing a post and completing the practical it sounds like a good idea. Its the aftermath once its been played that you relise that maybe i could of done this differently or what factors didn't i consider in the first round that I can include next time around. So yes your opinion has opened some train of thoughts to take into consideration.

In response to your first question: It does reach another queue, while it has the capability to place callers on hold and repeat the same function. It doesn't have the ability to do this for an extended period of time. Once the call leaves the IVR they queue up on the external number in turn affecting operational measures to the external party.

I ended up running a loop, re-recorded the hold music and broke it down to smaller intervals with verbal audio prompts to alert the callers of high volume.

------------------------------
Darryn Chang
Stuff Limited
New Zealand
2 Years Purecloud
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-22-2019 09:52
From: George Ganahl
Subject: IVR Call flow Hold before transfer - suggestions

I'll give an opinion :-)

First question, though, before you go on to the rest of this...what happens on the other end (external party) when a call gets transferred there? Does it go into a queue and wait however long the usual wait time is before routing to an agent on that end? If so, then you can't have the call sit on hold in PureCloud for that 4 minutes or whatever in a loop, then transfer over--then the caller would end up on hold for 8 minutes, since the call was not waiting in queue that whole time.

It depends on how you want to trigger going to the transfer functionality--automatically, based on something you can query from the PureCloud Data Integrations action, or manually (like flipping a value in a Data Table and following the behavior there).

Also, I'm wondering if the external party happens to have an API you could query with a Web Services Data Action integration action...maybe find out the estimated wait time from them to set the hold time on your side?

Anyway, with a manual setting I'd probably use a Data Table and have a value to pull back of, say, "TransferExternal" and let it be set as either "true" or "false" (or "yes" / "no").

Query that in the main Inbound Call flow, and if true then use a Transfer to ACD action to put it in a special queue that has no active/available agents which will send the call into the associated In-Queue Call flow. In the In-Queue Call Flow you can set up to play your audio prompts to let the caller know of unusual wait times, estimated wait time, etc. The Hold Music action lets you Play for duration, so you can set how long the caller hears hold music before it moves on the the Transfer to number. (Keep in mind, the call is not in the other system, so any hold time here is in addition to the hold time at the other end outside of PureCloud).

So, I'll place the caveat again...I'm thinking the way you have it worded to wait on hold in PureCloud the normal amount of wait time in external queue will just double the wait time and not achieve what you really want.

I'm not sure I've helped you much, but it gives you some options, maybe.


------------------------------
George Ganahl CCXP, GCP
Principal Technology Consultant
Genesys

Original Message:
Sent: 07-19-2019 20:12
From: Darryn Chang
Subject: IVR Call flow Hold before transfer - suggestions

I am looking for your opinions on what the best way i could tackle a hold function before transferring to a external number on a IVR call flow.
Previously i would place a message advising of high call volume but this would only delay the transfer by 10 seconds.

I have since created a loop task that delays by 4 minutes in alignment with avg wait times to the external number. External parties do not use Purecloud and as our IVR does not direct to a Purecloud Queue the in-queue hold doesn't seem to be an option (i might be wrong)

I would be needing to place inbound calls into a holding pattern before it exits to a transfer to number action.
But i would also need to make this a quick and seamless experience for the administrator who would be activating such a task as its not a regular occurrence.

Upon creating the loop on a temporary flow i added it to the call routing path and activated an Emergency. This did the trick but it leaves us to be on standby when it reaches close period and we want to stop the calls from transferring. So we need to action it before the close schedule activates otherwise customers will continue to be transferred after the closure time.

I am thinking a data table maybe but as there are no clear definitive training modules on data tables, we may need to continue doing it the way we have created for now.

Is there a way we can make this happen, open to your suggestions

thanks
#ArchitectureandDesign
#Routing(ACD/IVR)
#Self-Service
#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Darryn Chang
Stuff Limited
New Zealand
2 Years Purecloud
------------------------------