Lucent Technologies DEFINITY Enterprise Communications Server Release 8 Guide To ACD Call Centers

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-107 Look-Ahead Interflow 
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nTrunk-to-Trunk Transfer
Interflowed calls may be transferred by a receiving switch to another trunk 
connection.
nVDN Override
The name of the active VDN for a call is displayed at the remote answering agent. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-108 Multiple Call Handling 
3
Multiple Call Handling  
Multiple Call Handling (MCH) allows agents to receive an ACD call while other types of 
calls are alerting, active, or on hold.
How to Administer MCH 
The MCH column on the List Hunt Group form contains the value that you enter in 
Multiple Call Handling.
Detailed Description
Applications
Use Multiple Call Handling in applications where you want agents to take additional calls 
without dropping the active call. Examples of applications include:
nAn agent and a caller may need to wait on a call for information. MCH allows the 
agent to put the call on hold and handle other ACD calls until information is 
available.
nACD calls may be more important to your business than non-ACD calls. Use 
MCH to interrupt agents on non-ACD calls with an ACD call.
nIn an EAS environment, calls from one skill may be more important than calls 
from another skill. Use MCH to interrupt an agent who has a call from the 
less-important skill with a call from the more-important skill.
You can use MCH in an Expert Agent Selection (EAS) or non-EAS environment. 
nWith EAS, you can administer any combination of MCH and non-MCH skills for 
an agent. If an EAS agent is a member of both MCH and non-MCH skills, he or 
she can handle multiple simultaneous ACD or Direct Agent Calls only in the MCH 
skills.
nWithout EAS, agents can be logged into only one split if it is an MCH split. 
Similarly, am agent logged in to a non-MCH split cannot log into an MCH split.
Table 3-29. Required Forms
Form Field
Hunt GroupnACD
nMultiple Call Handling 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-109 Multiple Call Handling 
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MCH Settings 
On Request
In on-request splits or skills, the following is true.
nIf an agent goes into Auto-In or Manual-In work mode, but there are no calls in the 
queue, the agent is placed at the bottom of the MIA queue or at the bottom of their 
skill level in the EAD queue, or is made available in the DDC queue.
nAgents must select Auto-In or Manual-In work mode for each new ACD call they 
take while a call is on hold.
nThe agent can take additional ACD calls as long as there is an available line 
appearance.
Use on-request MCH in conjunction with a feature such as VuStats, which agents can use 
to see when the split queue is getting full and take additional calls.
One Forced
An agent who is idle or active on a non-ACD call is automatically interrupted with an 
ACD call from this split or skill when no other ACD call for any of the agent’s splits or 
skills are alerting, active, or held. In addition, the following must also be true:
nThe agent is in Manual-In or Auto-In work mode.
nThe agent is the most idle or next available.
nAn unrestricted line appearance is available.
nAUX work or Move from CMS are not pending.
As long as an ACD call is active or held, the agent does not automatically receive an 
additional call from the one-forced split or skill. An agent in a one-forced split/skill in 
Auto-In or Manual-In work mode is unavailable for that split/skill from the time that an 
ACD call rings until all ACD calls are abandoned, redirected, or dropped. However, the 
agent can request another ACD call from a one-forced split or skill by placing the active 
call on hold and selecting Manual-In or Auto-In work mode.
If an agent with multiple skills is active on an ACD call for a group with one-forced MCH, 
the agent could be forced to take an ACD call for one of his or her other skills, depending 
on that skill’s MCH settings.
Because one-forced MCH forces an ACD call to alert an agent who is not on an ACD call, 
use it when you want ACD calls to take precedence over other calls. 
One per Skill
You must have EAS to use one-per-skill MCH. An agent with no ACD calls for this skill is 
automatically interrupted with a single ACD call from this skill under the same conditions 
listed for one-forced. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-110 Multiple Call Handling 
3
If a one-per-skill call is active or held, the agent does not automatically receive additional 
calls from that skill. However, the agent can request another ACD call from a one-per-skill 
in the usual way.
If an agent with multiple skills is active on an ACD call for a one-per-skill group, the 
agent could be forced an ACD call for one of his or her other skills if those skills are 
many-forced or one-per-skill MCH. 
Use one-per-skill MCH when calls from one skill are higher priority than other ACD calls.
Many Forced
Agents are automatically interrupted with an ACD call under the same conditions listed 
for one-forced. As soon as an agent answers an alerting ACD call, the agent immediately 
becomes available to receive another ACD call from a many-forced split or skill.
Agents in many-forced groups in Auto-In or Manual-In work mode are unavailable only 
when an ACD call is ringing.
Use many-forced MCH when agents must answer important or urgent calls, even when 
they must put equally important calls on hold. It can also be used to force Direct Agent 
calls to an agent.
MCH Example
In this example, an agent is logged into 4 skills, each with a different MCH option. Ta b l e  
3-30 shows how calls are delivered when an unrestricted-line appearance is available and 
the agent is in Auto-In or Manual-In work mode (AUX work mode is not pending).  
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-111 Multiple Call Handling 
3
Agents and supervisors in on-request MCH splits/skills can use Queue Status, VuStats, 
and BCMS/CMS reports to determine if a waiting call must be answered immediately.
Considerations
nAgents can receive multiple calls only when in Auto-In or Manual-In work mode. 
All forced MCH calls are delivered with ringing at the agent’s station, not with zip 
tone. Requested MCH calls are delivered with ringing or zip tone.
nAgents can toggle between Auto-In and Manual-In work mode. 
nIf an agent selects ACW or AUX work mode with calls on hold, the work mode is 
pending until all calls complete or until an Manual-In call completes. New ACD 
calls are not delivered when AUX work is pending. When an ACD or Direct Agent 
call with pending ACW completes, the agent enters ACW. When an agent is active 
on a non-ACD call with ACW pending, the agent can receive forced MCH calls.
nIf an agent is either in Auto-In work mode and active on an ACD or Direct Agent 
call, or in Auto-In or Manual-In work mode and active on a non-ACD call and a 
Manual-In ACD or Direct Agent call abandons from hold, the agent is pending for 
ACW work mode and the after-call button lamp flashes. 
nIf an agent reconnects to an ACD or Direct Agent call on hold, his or her work 
mode changes to the call’s work mode (Auto-In or Manual-In). 
nDo not use forced MCH with DDC distribution because the first agent continues to 
receive calls until all line appearances are busy.
Table 3-30. MCH Call Delivery Example
Calls Delivered?
 Condition 
Skill 1 
(MCH=on-
request)Skill 2 
(MCH=one-
forced) Skill 3 
(MCH=one-
 per-skill) Skill 4 
(MCH=many
-forced) 
No calls on set yes yes yes yes
One active extn call no yes yes yes
Skill 1 call active no yes yes yes
Skill 2 or 4 call active no no yes yes
Skill 3 call active no no no yes
Extn call held, no other action no yes yes yes
Skill 1, 2, or 4 call held, no other action no no yes yes
Skill 3 call held, no other action no no no yes
Extn call held, then AI/MI selected yes yes yes yes
Skill 1,2,3, or 4 call held, then AI/MI selected yes yes yes yes 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-112 Multiple Call Handling 
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Interactions
nAutomatic Hold
To answer a ringing ACD call, an agent in a many-forced, one-forced, or 
one-per-skill split/skill pushes the line-appearance button. If automatic hold is 
administered, the active call is automatically placed on hold. Otherwise, the agent 
must first push hold.
nCall Work Codes and Stroke Counts
Agents handle multiple ACD calls simultaneously with MCH can enter CWCs and 
Stroke Counts. When an agent does so with multiple calls on the station, the 
code/count is associated with the last call the agent handled. If an agent enters a 
code/count during an active call with calls on hold, the code/count is associated 
with the active call. 
If an agent with on-request MCH is active on a call that requires forced entry of 
CWC or stroke counts and places the call on hold without entering a code/count, 
he or she cannot request another call.
If agents with many-forced MCH are in a split/skill with forced entry of CWC or 
stroke counts, they are forced to handle an ACD call even if they have not entered 
a code/count.
nDirect Agent Calling
Agents can handle multiple Direct Agent calls if their direct agent skills have 
MCH. The queue-status indicator is not lit when a Direct Agent call queues to a 
split/skill. Agents are notified that calls are waiting with a ring ping and a flashing 
current-work-mode lamp.
nMove Agent While Staffed
An agent with a move pending can place a call on hold and request another ACD 
call. All calls and ACW must complete before the pending move occurs.
nNon-ACD calls
If an agent activates Auto-In or Manual-In work mode with calls on hold, he or she 
can answer or originate a non-ACD call. With on-request MCH, the agent is 
temporarily unavailable for ACD or Direct Agent calls. With forced MCH, a call 
can be delivered. If an agent in ACW reconnects to an AUXIN/AUXOUT call, the 
agent remains in ACW.
nQueueing
When an agent is available, the agent is placed at the end of the queue for Uniform 
Call Distribution (UCD) hunt groups or at the bottom of the skill type for Expert 
Agent Distribution (EAD) hunt groups, or is made available for Direct Department 
Calling (DDC) hunt groups. When the agent becomes the most available according 
to group type (UCD, EAD, or DDC), he or she receives a queued ACD or Direct 
Agent call. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-113 Multiple Call Handling 
3
If the last agent on a forced MCH split is pending for AUX work mode in a 
nonvector-controlled split, the agent must empty the queue before going to AUX 
work mode. The agent continues receiving ACD calls until the queue is emptied.
nRedirection on No Answer
If an agent has a call active or on hold and the RONA timer expires for another 
ringing ACD call, RONA redirects the alerting call back to the split/skill or 
administered VDN. The agent is not taken out of service when the call redirects, 
but is placed at the bottom of the Most Idle Agent (MIA) or Expert Agent 
Distribution (EAD) queue.
nRestricted line appearance
If you administer last-available line appearance as Restricted Last Appearance for 
an agent’s terminal, the agent does not receive additional ACD calls because the 
appearance is reserved for making conference or transfer calls.  
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-114 Queue Status Indications 
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Queue Status Indications
Queue Status Indications allows you to assign queue-status indicators for Automatic Call 
Distribution (ACD) calls based on the number of calls queued and time in queue. You can 
assign these indications to lamps on agent, supervisor, or attendant terminals or consoles 
to help users monitor queue activity. 
In addition, you can define auxiliary queue warning lamps to track queue status. On 
phones and consoles with displays, you can display the number of calls queued and time in 
queue of a split’s oldest call.
How to Administer Queue Status Indications
Table 3-31. Required Forms
Form Field
Hunt GroupsnQueue Length
nCalls Warning Threshold (per split or attendant group)
nTime Warning Threshold (per split or attendant group)
nTime Warning Port (per split)
nCalls Warning Port (per split)
Station 
(multi-appearance)nButton/Feature Button Assignments 
— q-calls
— q-time
Attendant ConsolenFeature Button Assignments
— atd-qcalls
— atd-qtime
— q-calls
— q-time
System CapacitynQueue Status Buttons 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-115 Queue Status Indications 
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Detailed Description 
There are two types of Queue Status Indications:
nNumber of queued calls (NQC)
The system report the total number of calls, excluding direct agent calls (DACs), 
in queue at a hunt group. 
nOldest queued time (OQT)
The system reports the time in queue of the oldest call in a split queue. 
You can also use auxiliary queue warning lamps to provide both types of indications. 
Install the lamps at any location convenient to split agents. 
If a queue status threshold is reached, the lamp next to the associated button flashes. If 
calls are queued but the threshold is not reached, the lamp lights steadily. If no calls are 
queued, the lamp goes dark.
If agents at phones and consoles with displays press either the OQT or NQC button, the 
following information is briefly displayed:
nSplit name (or extension, if name is not assigned) 
nOldest queued time
nNumber of queued calls 
You can use Queue Status Indications to provide status information for attendant groups or 
other hunt group types (DDC and UCD). With attendant groups, the button names (AQT 
and AQC) are different than for split queues, the display shows OPERATOR instead of 
split name or extension, and all status information applies to the attendant group queue. 
If you need to know how many queue status buttons you’ve administered, or how many 
your system will allow you to administer, check page 5 of the System Capacity form.
Interactions
nAttendant and Phone Displays Timer
The timer and the queue status information can be displayed at the same time. On 
1-line displays, the timer is displayed in the last eight display positions and the 
number of queued calls is not displayed. On 2-line displays, the timer is displayed 
on the first line and the queue status information is displayed on the second line.
nCMS
When you use CMS to move an agent from one split to another, all buttons 
associated with the first split, including NQC and OQT buttons, become associated 
with the second split. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-116 Reason Codes 
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Reason Codes
Reason Codes allows agents to enter a numeric code that describes their reason for 
entering Auxiliary (AUX) work mode or for logging out of the system. Reason codes give 
call center managers detailed information about how agents spend their time. Use this data 
to develop more precise staffing forecasting models or use it with schedule-adherence 
packages to ensure that agents are performing scheduled activities at the scheduled time. 
You can administer the codes so that entry is forced or optional. Ten reason codes are 
available, including a default code. You can assign two system-wide names to each code 
— one for entering AUX work mode and one for logging out. 
You can use VuStats to display the reason code name or number. Use VuStats or CMS to 
gather historical and real-time reason-codes statistics. 
You must have Expert Agent Selection (EAS) enabled to use reason codes.
How to Administer Reason Codes
Table 3-32. Required Forms
Form Field
System Parameters 
Customer-Options nACD
nEAS
nReason Codes
Attendant ConsolenRC
Feature-Related System 
ParametersnEAS
nAux Work Reason Code Type
nLogout Reason Code Type
nCMS Release (Release 5 and later configurations, or 
none)
Feature Access Code (FAC) 
(optional)nAux Work Reason Code Type 
nLogout Reason Code Type 
Language TranslationsnLine 49
Reason Code NamesnAll
StationnRC