Scripting Specifics in a Packaged CCE Environment

Call Priority

When a call is queued to a skill group because there are no agents available, the Queue to Skill Group node sets the call's priority. The Queue Priority node can then promote the call's priority based on time the caller has waited. The call can be queued to multiple skill groups with the same or different priorities.

If there are calls in the agent's skill group queues when an agent becomes available, the agent is presented with the highest priority (1-20 with 1 being the highest priority) call that has waited the longest within the skill group(s) that the agent is assigned to.

Check for Available Agents

A script that routes to Packaged CCE agents needs to check for an available agent within a skill group. If an agent is not available, then the script should use a Queue to Skill Group node. The script execution ends when an agent becomes available or when the caller disconnects.

Scripts for Precision Queues

To implement Precision Routing in your contact center, you must create scripts.

You can create and use configured (static) and dynamic precision queue nodes in your scripts.

  • Static precision queue nodes target a single, configured precision queue. When the script utilizes a single precision queue, use static precision queues.

  • Dynamic precision queue nodes are used to target one or more previously configured precision queues. Use dynamic precision queues when you want a single routing script for multiple precision queues (for example, when the overall call treatment does not vary from one precision queue to another). Dynamic precision queues can simplify and reduce the overall number of routing scripts in the system.

Precision Queue Script Node

Use the Precision Queue script node to queue a call based on caller requirements until an agent with desired proficiency become available. This node contains multiple agent selection criteria which are separated into steps.

A single call can be queued on multiple precision queues. If an agent becomes available in one of the precision queues, the call is routed to that resource. You cannot reference multiple precision queues with a single Precision Queue node. However, you can execute multiple Precision Queue nodes sequentially to achieve this.

The Precision Queue node includes a Priority field, which sets the initial queuing priority for the calls processed through this node versus other calls queued to the other targets using different nodes. The priority is expressed as an integer from 1 (top priority) to 10 (least priority). The default value is 5.

If more than one call is queued to a precision queue when an agent becomes available, the queued call with the lowest priority number is routed to the target first. For example, assume an agent in a precision queue becomes available and two calls are queued to that precision queue. If one call has priority 3 and the other has priority 5, the call with priority 3, the lower value, is routed to the precision queue while the other call continues to wait. If the priorities of the two calls are same, then the call queued first is routed first.

VRU (voice response unit) script instructions are not sent to the VRU. If a call enters the precision queue node and no resource is available, the call is queued to the precision queue and the node transfers the call to the default VRU, if the call is not already on a VRU. The script flow then exits immediately through the success branch. The script should then continue with a run external script node to instruct the VRU what to do while holding the call until an agent becomes available. Typically, this invokes a network VRU script that plays music-on-hold, possibly interrupted on a regular basis with an announcement. The script flow can also use other queuing nodes to queue the same call to other targets, for example, Queue to Skill Group and Queue to Agent.

Configure a Static Precision Queue

Procedure

Step 1

In the Precision Queue Properties dialog box, select the Statically option.

Step 2

From the list, select a precision queue to which to route all calls that enter this node.

Step 3

In the Priority selection box, select the initial queuing priority for calls processed through this node. You can select from 1 - 10. The default is 5.

Step 4

Check the Enable target requery check box to enable the requery feature for calls processed through this node.

Step 5

Check the Wait if Agents Not Logged In check box.

If this check box is selected and the agents associated with this step are not logged in, then the router waits for the time that is configured for that step. Whereas, if this check box is not selected, the router does not wait on any step.
Note 
The router waits indefinitely on the last step, irrespective of the selection of this check box.
Step 6

To edit a precision queue, select a precision queue from the list, and then click Edit Precision Queue.

Configure a Dynamic Precision Queue

Procedure

Step 1

In the Precision Queue Properties dialog box, select the Dynamically option.

Step 2

In the Priority selection section, select the initial queuing priority for calls processed through this node. You can select from 1 - 10. The default is 5.

Step 3

Check the Enable target requery check box to enable the requery feature for calls processed through this node.

Step 4

Check the Wait if Agents Not Logged In check box.

If this check box is selected and the agents associated with this step are not logged in, then the router waits for the time that is configured for that step. Whereas, if this check box is not selected, the router does not wait on any step.
Note 
The router waits indefinitely on the last step, irrespective of the selection of this check box.
Step 5

Select a queue option:

  • To dynamically route calls that enter this node to a precision queue name, select the Precision Queue Name option.
  • To dynamically route calls that enter this node to a precision queue ID, select the Precision Queue ID option.
Step 6

Click Formula Editor to create a formula that determines the precision queue name or ID to which to route calls.

Queuing Behavior of the Precision Queue Node

Precision queues internally are configured with one or more time-based steps, each with a configured wait time. After a call is queued, the first step begins and the timer starts. This occurs although the execution path of the script exited the success node and a new node may be targeted (for example, Run Ext. Script).

If the timer for the first step expires, control moves to the second step (assuming one exists), and so on. As long as the call remains in queue and there are steps left to execute, the call internally continues to move between steps regardless of the path the call takes after it leaves the precision queue node. If a call is queued to two or more precision queues, the call internally walks through the steps for each precision queue in parallel. After the call reaches the last step on a precision queue, it remains queued on that step until the call is routed, abandoned, or ended.

If there is an update to the precision queue definition, then all queued calls in the precision queue are re-evaluated and the execution begins again from the first step.

For example, consider the wait time for an ongoing call at step 1 to be 1080 seconds, of which 1000 seconds has already elapsed. Now, suppose the wait time is changed to 900 seconds, then the wait time for this call is also reset to 900 seconds, even though only 80 more seconds are left to move to the next step.

Cancel Queuing Node

If the call needs to be taken out of a skill group, then use the Cancel Queuing node. The Cancel Queuing node takes the call out of all the skill groups it is queued to.

End Node

The End node either tries default routing, or if there is no default label, it sends an error (dialog fail) to the routing client.

Agent to Agent Node

You can use the Agent to Agent node for agent to agent transfers; the router checks agent availability before sending the call to the agent. If the agent is not available, the script queues the call to a skill group. You can also use the Agent to Agent node to send a call to the agent: the "caller" is not required to be an agent.

For a transfer to a specific target agent, the initiating agent enters the target agent ID. The DNP entry matching the dialed number (agent ID) must have a DNP type of PBX. For this DNP type, the PIM enters the dialed number (agent ID) into the Caller-Entered Digits (CED) field while sending the route request to the Router. To have the Router handle the call properly, specify the CED field as the location of the agent ID in the Agent to Agent node.

Agent IDs must not match any of the extensions on the Unified Communications Manager cluster. If you make all agent IDs of the same length and begin with the same number, a generic wildcard string can match all agent IDs. With that wildcard string, you need only one entry in the DNP for agent-to-agent routing.

The agent-to-agent node requires that you specify the PIM. If your environment has multiple PIMs, use an agent ID number plan to determine which PIM contains an agent. Agent IDs are associated with a specific PIM and are not unique by themselves. You can set up a consistent agent ID assignment plan (such as, all agent IDs on PIM 1 begin with 1, and so on). That pattern enables you not to repeat agent IDs across the enterprise. Then, you can parse the CED field in the script editor to determine which PIM contains a specific agent.

Unified CVP as a queue point

Packaged CCE relies on the Unified CVP to queue the call while it is waiting for an available agent.

The Packaged CCE sends the call to the Unified CVP port for queuing:

  • To provide the call with a termination point that allows the VoIP Gateway to return the correct signals or messages back to the PSTN.

  • Provide announcements or music or expected wait time or initial position in queue to the caller while they are waiting for an agent. Allow the caller an option to leave a message if the caller does not want to wait for an agent.

  • To obtain further information from the caller that is not sent from the network

The Unified CVP lets Packaged CCE know when the caller disconnects through the Event Report Message with an Event Type of either DISCONNECT or ABANDON. When an agent becomes available, Packaged CCE automatically instructs Unified CVP to route the call to the agent through the Connect message.

Interruptible vs. Non-interruptible

If the VRU script is collecting digits from the customer to ascertain information regarding the caller that is crucial for a screen pop or call routing, put the VRU script in a non-interruptible mode.

If a call was queued to a skill group through a Queue to Skill Group node and then sent to VRU to hear a non-interruptible VRU script, if during the time that the caller is interacting and listening to the non-interruptible VRU script, an agent becomes available, the call will not be connected to the agent. The Packaged CCE only looks for available agents for that call when the VRU script is finished and the call executes an interruptible node such as a Wait node or a Run External Script node for a VRU script that is interruptible. The call does, however, maintain its place in the queue so when the call does become available for an agent, it is answered before calls that came in afterward it (assuming the same priority).

For announcement and music type of treatments, put the VRU Scripts in interruptible mode. This allows the call to be connected to the first available agent even while the caller is listening to a VRU script.

You set the interruptibility of a VRU script through the Network VRU Scripts gadget in the Unified CCE Administration Web tool. Neither the VRU or the Packaged CCE script can overwrite this setting.