ATT DEFINITY Generic 3 Call Vectoring/Expert Agent Instructions Manual

							Customer Service Center
Issue  4   September 1995
11-3
Figure 11-1. Example 1:  Customer Service Center
First, let’s assume that a priority customer places a call. In such a case, if the 
correct number is dialed, vector 22 is accessed.  The first two steps of this vector 
determine if the c all arrives during nonbusiness hours.  If the call arrives between 
5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. on any given day, Step  1 routes the call to Vector 29.  
Step 2 d oes the same if the c all arrives d uring the weekend (that is, b etween 5:00 
p.m. Friday and 8:00 a.m. Monday).  If vector 29 is accessed, the caller is given 
the appropriate announcement twice (Steps 1 and 3) and is then disconnected 
(St e p  3).
If the call is placed during business hours, Step 3 of vector 22 determines if the 
number of calls queued in the main split exceeds 10.  If so, c ontrol is sent to Ste p 
12, which routes the call to the attendant. If not, the call is queued to the main 
split (Step 4).  Thereafter, if necessary, the appropriate announcement is 
provided (Step 5), followed by a wait period (Step 6).
If the c all is not answered b y this time, Steps 7 and 8 attempt to queue the call to 
a backup split (
2 and 3, respectively). The call is queued to either split if the 
oldest call therein has been waiting fewer than 20 seconds.  Whether or not the 
VDN (extension=1021  name=‘‘Customer Serv’’  vector=21)
Vector 21:
      1. goto vector 29 if time-of-day is all 17:00 to all 08:00
      2. goto vector 29 if time-of-day is fri 17:00 to mon 08:00
      3. goto step 10 if calls-queued in split 1 pri l > 10
      4. queue-to main split 1 pri m
      5. wait-time 10 seconds hearing ringback
      6. announcement 3521
      7. wait-time 50 seconds hearing music
      8. announcement 3522
      9. goto step 7 if unconditionally
     10. busy
VDN (extension=1022  name=‘‘Priority Cust’’  vector=22)
Vector 22:
      1. goto vector 29 if time-of-day is all 17:00 to all 08:00
      2. goto vector 29 if time-of-day is fri 17:00 to mon 08:00
      3. goto step 12 if calls-queued in split 1 pri h > 10
      4. queue-to main split 1 pri h
5. announcement 3521
      6. wait-time 10 seconds hearing music
      7. check-backup split 2 pri h if oldest-call-wait < 20
      8. check-backup split 3 pri h if oldest-call-wait < 20
      9. announcement 3522
     10. wait-time 60 seconds hearing music
     11. goto step 7 if unconditionally
     12. route-to number 0 with cov n if unconditionally
No VDN
Vector 29:
      1. announcement extension 3529
      2. wait-time 10 seconds hearing silence
      3. disconnect after announcement 3529 
						

							Call Vectoring Applications
11-4Issue  4   Septem ber 1995
call is queued, Steps 9 through 11 imp lement an announcement-wait cycle that 
continues until an agent answers the call, or until the caller abandons the call.
A call placed by a nonpriority customer is processed by vector 21. Vector 21 
provides a treatment similar to that provided by vector 22. The three differences 
are that: the nonpriority customer’s call is not given the chance to be queued to 
more than one split; the priority customer’s call is given a higher priority in the 
queue; and the priority customer’s call routes to an operator when there are too 
many calls queued whereas the nonpriority customer routes to a busy signal.
Automated Attendant
Examp le 2 illustrates Automated Attendant, which is one of the applications that 
can b e supported by the Call Prompting feature. Automate d Attendant allows the 
caller to enter the extension of the p arty the caller would like to reach.  
Depending upon the parameters established, the user can enter u p to 16 digits 
from a touch-tone p hone.
Automated Attendant is usually used for customers without DID trunks whose 
callers know the extension of the p eople they are calling.  Because it reduces the 
need for ‘‘live attendants,’’ Automated Attendant allows the customer to reduce 
costs.
Here’s an example of a vector that imp lements Automate d Attendant:
Figure 11-2. Example 2:  Automated Attendant
Step 1 of this vector contains the 
wait-time c ommand, which is placed before the 
collect digits command in Step 2 to provide the caller with ringback in the event 
that a TTR is not imme diately available.  (Recall that a TTR must be connected in 
order for the 
c ollect digits command to take effect.)  Once a TTR is connected, 
the caller is prompted to enter the destination extension of the party he or she 
would like to reach (Step 2). The 
collect digits command in Step 2 collects the 
d i gits. Thereafter, the 
route-to digits c ommand in Step 3 attemp ts to route the call 
to the destination.
      1. wait-time 0 seconds hearing ringback
      2. collect 5 digits after announcement 30001
         (‘‘You have reached Ridel Publications in Greenbrook.
         Please dial a 5-digit extension or wait for the
         attendant.’’)
      3. route-to digits with coverage y
      4. route-to number 0 with cov n if unconditionally
      5. stop 
						

							DIVA and Data/Message Collection
Issue  4   September 1995
11-5
If the route-to digits command fails (because the caller fails to enter any  digits, or 
because the digits entered do not comprise a valid extension), the 
route-to 
number
 c ommand in Ste p 4 routes the c all to the attendant.  However, as long as 
the destination is a valid extension, the 
route-to digits command succeeds, 
coverage applies, and vector processing terminates. (Even if the destination is 
busy, vector processing terminates because coverage call processing takes 
effect.)
DIVA and Data/Message Collection
Examp le 3 involves a mutual fund company that is o pen 24 hours a day, seven 
days a week.  All incoming calls are directed to a single VDN extension that 
maps to a main vector.  The main vector p resents a menu of o ptions to the calling 
party, and it uses Call Prompting to determine the desired service. Three 
services are offered, and they are identified and described as follows:
nNew accounts enables the customer to open a new account.
nAccount inquiries enables the customer to make inquiries concerning his 
or her account.
nNet asset values enables the customer to hear information concerning the 
net asset values of company’s funds.
If the caller selects ‘‘account inquiries,’’ he or she is prompted to input his or her 
account number before being answered by an agent. The agent can display this 
number via use of the CALLR-INFO button, if the button is available and needed.
NOTE:
If the agent has two-line disp lay sup ported by the system, the account 
numb er is automatically displayed on the second line. The sup ported 
disp lay terminals include: 7404, 7407, 7444, 8434 and CALLMASTER.
NOTE:
CALLMASTER sets are unable to display CALLR-INFO information for a 
ringing call.  However, this information is displayed once the call is 
answered.
This example uses three other applications that can be supported by the Call 
Promp ting feature. These applications are described as follows:
nData In/Voice Answer (DIVA) allows a caller to receive information on a 
topic selected at the promp t.  The caller selects the desired topic by 
entering the appropriate digit(s).
nData Collection provides a method of collecting digits from a caller.  The 
digits requested comprise an official number of some sort (for example, 
Social Security Number), and they help the Call Center process the call 
more efficiently. 
						

							Call Vectoring Applications
11-6Issue  4   Septem ber 1995
nMessage Collection allows the c aller to leave a recorded message for the 
customer in lieu of waiting for the customer to answer his or her call.
The following four vectors illustrate how the mutual fund company handles 
telephone calls.
Figure 11-3. Example 3:  DIVA and Data/Message Collection
VDN (extension=1030  name=‘‘ABC Inv’’  vector=30  display override=‘‘y’’)
Vector 30
      1. wait-time 0 secs hearing ringback
      2. collect 1 digits after announcement 3531
         (‘‘Thank you for calling ABC Investments. If
         you wish to open a new account, please dial 1.  If
         you wish to make an account inquiry, please dial 2.
         If you wish to know the current net asset values of
         our funds, please dial 3.’’)
      3. route-to number 1031 with cov y if digit = 1
      4. route-to number 1032 with cov y if digit = 2
      5. route-to number 1033 with cov y if digit = 3
      6. route-to number 0 with cov n if unconditionally
      7. disconnect after announcement none
VDN (extension=1031  name=‘‘New Account’’  vector=31)
Vector 31
      1. queue-to main split 1 pri t
      2. announcement 3535
      3. wait-time 10 secs hearing music
      4. collect 1 digits after announcement 4020
         (‘‘We’re sorry.  All of our operators are busy at
         the moment.  If you’d like to leave your name and
         telephone number so that we can get back to you,
         dial 1.’’)
      5. goto step 9 if digit = 1
      6. announcement 3537
      7. wait time 50 secs hearing music
      8. goto step 6 if unconditionally
      9. messaging split 5 for extension 4000
     10. announcement 3538 (‘‘We’re sorry, we cannot take
         your message at this time.  You may continue to hold, or
         you can call back later.’’)
     11. goto step 6 if unconditionally
VDN (extension=1032  name=‘‘Account Enq’’  vector=32)
Vector 32:
      1. wait-time 0 secs hearing ringback
2. collect 6 digits after announcement 3533
         (‘‘Please enter your 6-digit account number.’’)
3. queue-to main split 1 pri m
4. announcement 3535
5. wait-time 60 secs hearing music
6. goto step 4 if unconditionally
VDN (extension=1033  Name=‘‘Net Asset Val’’  Vector=33)
Vector 33:
      1. disconnect after announcement 3534
         (‘‘The net asset values of our funds at the close
         of the market on Wednesday, May 15 were as follows:
ABC Growth.....33.21.....up 33 cents; ABC
         High Yield.....11.48.....down 3 cents.’’) 
						

							DIVA and Data/Message Collection
Issue  4   September 1995
11-7
When the call is placed, vector processing begins in vector 30, which is the main 
vector.  Step 1 of the vector contains the 
wait-time command, which is placed 
before the 
collect digits command in Step 2 to p rovide the caller with feedback in 
the event a TTR is not immediately available. Once a TTR is connected, the 
collect digits command  provides an announcement requesting the c aller to enter 
1, 2, or 3, depending upon the service desired.  If the caller enters a d i git other 
than one of the three mentioned, or if the caller fails to enter any d i gits within 10 
seconds, the command fails, and the call is routed to the attendant (Step 6).  On 
the other hand, if the caller enters 
1, 2, or 3 within 10 seconds, the call is routed 
to the ve ctor specified in the appropriate 
route-to number command, which 
a p pears in Steps 3, 4, and 5.
Let’s say that, when prompted, the caller enters 
3 because he or she wants to 
learn about the net asset values of the company’s funds. In such a case, the 
route-to number commands in Step 3 and in Step 4 fail because, in each case, 
the d igit tested for in the condition portion of the c ommand is not 
3. However, the 
route-to number command in Step 5 succeeds because the digit tested for 
matches the one entered by the caller.  Ac cordingly, the call is routed to VDN 
extension 1033, and vector processing continues in vector 33.
The 
announcement command in Step 1 of vector 33 provides the caller with the 
information on net asset values and then disconnects the call.
The process just described, whereby the caller receives information as a result of 
making a request at the prompt, is an example of the 
Data In/Voice Answer 
(DIV A)
 application.
Returning to the main vector, suppose another caller wants to make an enquiry 
into his or her account and the caller enters 
2 when promp ted.  In such a case, 
Step 3 fails, but Step 4 succeeds.  Accordingly, the call is route d to VDN 
extension 1032, and vector processing continues in vector 32.
The 
c ollect digits command in Step 1 of vector 32 first requests the caller to enter 
his or her 6-d igit account number.  The command then collects the d igits entered 
by the caller.  Whether or not the caller correctly enters the d i gits, the 
q ueue-to 
main split
 command in Step 2 queues the call.  If an agent does not immediately 
answer the call, the standard announcement is provided in Step 3 and, if 
necessary, a delay is provided in Step 4. The 
g oto ste p command in Step 5 
returns call control back to Step 3, thus ensuring that the announcement-wait 
cycle will continue until the a gent answers the call, or until the caller abandons 
the call.
The process just described, whereby the caller, when prompted, enters digits 
that comprise an official number (an account number, in this case), is an 
example of the Data Collection application. If the agent has a CALLR-INFO 
button or a two-line display, the agent can see the d igits entered b y the caller. As 
a result, the a gent need not request the account number from the caller. 
						

							Call Vectoring Applications
11-8Issue  4   Septem ber 1995
Finally, suppose a third caller wants to o pen an account and that he or she enters 
1 when p rompted in the main vector.  In such a case, Ste p 3 of the main vector is 
successful.  Accordingly, the call is routed to VDN extension 1031, and vector 
processing continues in vector 31.
In Step 1 of vector 31, the call is queued to the main split. Thereafter, if 
necessary, Step 2 provides the appropriate announcement, and Step 3 provides 
a delay period.  The announcement in Step 4 provides the caller with the option 
of leaving a recorded message for the mutual fund company instead of having 
his or her call wait in queue. (This is an example of the Message Collection 
application.) The caller is instructed to enter 
1 if he or she wishes to leave a 
recorded message.  If the caller does not enter 
1, the goto step command in 
Step 5 fails, and an announcement-wait c yc le is implemented by Steps 6, 7, and 
8 until the call is answered or abandoned.  If the caller does enter 
1 within 10 
seconds, Step 5 passes control to Step  9. The 
messaging split command in Step 
9 attempts to connect the caller to an AUDIX or Message Center split so that the 
caller can leave a message.  If the connection is ma de, the caller first hears 
ringback and can then leave a message.  If the connection is not made, the step 
is unsuccessful, and Step 10 provides an announcement indicating that a 
connection could not be made. Thereafter, the 
goto step command in Step 11 
sends call control b ack to Step 6, which is the first step of the aforementioned 
announcement-wait cycle.
Distributed Call Centers
Examp le 4 involves two distributed call centers, one in New York and the other in 
Denver. Calls to the New York call center are queued to up to two splits. If calls 
remain unanswered for a period of time, a Look-Ahead Interflow call attempt is 
made to the Denver call center. If there are 10 or fewer queued calls in Denver, 
the Look-Ahead call attemp t is accepted and serviced there. Otherwise, the call 
is denied and remains in queue in New York until an agent becomes available. 
The following two vectors illustrate this procedure. 
						

							Distributed Call Centers
Issue  4   September 1995
11-9
Figure 11-4. Example 4:  Distributed Call Centers
In this example, vector 80 is on the sending switch from a call center in New 
York, while vector 81 is on the receiving switch at a call center in Denver.
In the sending switch, the call is queued to split 1 at a medium priority (Step 2) if 
the condition in Step 1 is met. If the condition is not met, the call is routed to b usy 
in Step 11.
If the call is queued but not immediately answered, an announcement (Step 3) 
and music (Step 4) are p rovid e d. If the c all is still not answered at this p oint, Step 
5 places a Look-Ahead Interflow call attempt to the receiving switch, on which 
vector 81 resides.
Step 1 in the receiving switch determines whether the call can be serviced in 
Denver.  If the number of calls queued at any priority in split 3 is greater than 10, 
vector 81 cannot service the call.  In such a case, control is passed to Step 7, 
which rejects the Lookahead Interflow call attempt. However, if the test in Step 1 
succeeds, the call is queued by the receiving switch in split 3 at a high priority 
(Step 3).  This results in the Lookahead Interflow call attempt being accepted.  
SENDING SWITCH:
VDN (extension=1080  name=‘‘New York Office’’  vector=80)
Vector 80:
       1. goto step 11 if calls-queued in split 1 pri m > 5 
       2. queue-to main split 1 pri m
       3. announcement 3580 (‘‘All of our agents
          are busy.  Please hold and you will be answered
          by the first available agent.’’)
       4. wait-time 6 seconds hearing music
       5. route-to number 913035661081 with cov n if unconditionally
       6. check-backup split 2 pri m if calls-queued < 5
       7. wait-time 6 seconds hearing music
       8. announcement 3581 (‘‘All of our agents
          are still busy.  Please hold and you will be
          serviced by the first available agent.’’)
       9. wait-time 60 seconds hearing music
      10. goto step 5 if unconditionally
      11. busy
RECEIVING SWITCH:
VDN (extension=1081 Name=‘‘Denver Inflow’’ Vector=81)
Vector 81:
       1. goto step 7 if calls-queued in split 3 pri l > 10
2. wait-time 0 seconds hearing music
       3. queue-to main split 3 pri h
       4. announcement 3582 (‘‘We apologize
          for the delay.  Please hold and you will be
          serviced by the first available agent.’’)
       5. wait-time 60 seconds hearing music
       6. goto step 5 if unconditionally
       7. disconnect after announcement none 
						

							Call Vectoring Applications
11-10Issue  4   September 1995
Accordingly, the call is removed from the main split queue in New York, and 
control is passed to the Denver switch, where vector processing continues at 
Step 4.
If the receiving switch does not accept the Look-Ahead Interflow call attempt, 
control is passed to Ste p 6 of the sending vector. This ste p then queues the call 
to split 2 at a medium priority, p rovid e d that there are fewer than five calls 
queued in that split.  Thereafter, the customary announcement-wait sequence is 
implemented (Steps 7, 8,  and 9). Finally, if necessary, Step  10  sends  control 
back to Step 5, which makes another Look-Ahead Interflow attempt, and the 
cycle is repeated.
NOTE:
To avoid confusing the caller, the treatment provided at the receiving 
switch should be consistent with the treatment provid e d at the sending 
switch. In Example 4, note that the caller hears music (and never ringback 
or silence) at the sending switch.  Accordingly, music should be (and, in 
our example, is) featured at the receiving switch.
Help Desk
Examp le 5 involves a help desk at a computer firm.  The help desk is configured 
into three groups. One group handles hardware problems, the second group 
handles software problems, and the third group handles general problems.  For 
this application, the information provided in the ASAI Route request (that is, 
calling party number, called number, collected digits) is use d to route the call to 
the most a ppropriate agent.  Such an agent might be the one that last serviced 
the caller, or it might be the next available agent for the specific caller.  Also, 
based on switch traffic conditions and the caller-entered digit, the call can be 
diverted to other destinations, such as other ACD splits, announcements, or 
switches/PBXs.
The following vector illustrates the help desk application:
Figure 11-5. Example 5:  Help Desk
      1. collect 1 digits after announcement 4704
         (‘‘Welcome to the TidyBits Computer Corporation help desk.
         If you have a question about hardware, please dial 1.
         If you have a question about software, please dial 2.
         If you have a general question, please dial 3.’’)
      2. adjunct routing link 2400
      3. wait-time 4 seconds hearing ringback
      4. route-to number 3710 with cov y if digit = 1
      5. route-to number 3720 with cov y if digit = 2
      6. route-to number 3730 with cov y if digit = 3
      7. route-to number 0 with cov n if unconditionally
      8. stop 
						

							Insurance Agency/Service Agenc y
Issue  4   September 1995
11-11
In Step 1 of this vector, the caller is instructed to enter 1, 2, or 3, depending upon 
the service (hardware, software, general) he or she desires.  Thereafter, the 
adjunct routing command in Step 2 instructs the switch to send a Route request 
to the adjunct processor, which is connected to extension 2400.  The Route 
request contains the c alled party numb er, the c alling party number, and the digit 
collected in Step 1, along with the other pertinent information for a djunct routing 
(see Chapter 9). If one of these digits is not entered, and if the adjunct does not 
return a route, the call is eventually routed to the attendant (Step 7).
If the 
adjunct routing command in Step 2 succeeds, the a djunct uses the 
information included in the Route request to select the appropriate route for the 
call. Let’s assume the caller enters 
1 and the adjunct routing command 
succeeds.  In such a case, if the caller is judged to be a ‘‘prime’’ hard ware 
customer, the c all mi ght be routed to one of a handful of specific agents who are 
assigned to handle such customers.  On the other hand, if the caller is judged to 
be a ‘‘casual’’ hardware customer, the call might be routed to a larger g roup of 
ACD agents before b eing q ueued, or to an appropriate announcement.
Finally, let’s assume that the caller enters 
1 and that the adjunct routing 
command fails.  In such a case, the call is routed by the 
route-to number 
command in Step 4, probably to a vector that queues the call or provides an 
appropriate announcement.
Insurance Agency/Service Agency
Examp le 6 is an insurance company Call Center. It handles calls from: 
independent field agents;  policy holders with claims; policy holders needing 
customer service; and several general service agency type 800 numb er client 
accounts. Each of the different typ es of calls has its own 800 number that routes 
the calls to associated VDNs. The following list d escribes the Call Center 
requirements.
nThe independent field agents require fast service. They call the company 
to find out the latest rates for specific clients, to setup  policies, to make 
adjustments, and so on. Often their clients are waiting as they call. 
Therefore the insurance company wants to maintain an Average Speed of 
Answer (rolling-ASA) of 30 seconds or less for field agent calls. These are 
the most imp ortant  calls and are given high priority in queues.
nThe calls to claims must b e separated by area code. The claims agents 
receive different training based on the area of the country for the claim. A 
particular group of agents can b e given training for more than one area 
code. Therefore, area c odes do not need to b e tested individually and can 
be grouped in Vector Routing Tables.
nThe insurance company wants to g ive customer service callers an 
announcement indicating how long they can exp ect to wait for service. 
						

							Call Vectoring Applications
11-12Issue  4   September 1995
nThe insurance agency is also selling spare call center capacity to client 
accounts. The account contracts are provided on the basis that only so 
many calls to a particular account will be accepted at any given time.
In this example, rolling ASA Routing is used to maintain the rolling ASA objective 
of 30 seconds or less for field agent calls. ANI Routing is used to partition calls 
based on area code and route the call to the a ppropriate claims agents. EWT 
Routing is used to notify customer service callers of their expected wait time if it 
is longer than 60 seconds. VDN  Calls Routing is used to regulate the number of 
calls to service agency clients.
The following table shows the VDNs and vectors associated with each type of 
call.
NOTE:
To clearly demonstrate the features described in this example, the sample 
vectors do not include tests for unstaffed or full queues, out of hours 
operation and so on.
The following vector could be used to maintain a rolling ASA of 30 seconds for 
field agent calls.
Figure 11-6. Example 6: Field Agent Vector
Table 11-2. VDN Table for Insurance/Service Agency
Type of Service VDN Number Vector Number
Field  A gents 1001 1
Claims 1002 2
Customer Service 1003 3
Client 1 1004 4
Client 2 1005 5
      VDN 1001 -- Field Agent Calls
1. queue-to main split 10 pri h
      2. goto step 6 if rolling-asa for split 10