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 
3-167 VDN in a Coverage Path 
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nTerminating Extension Groups
A VDN may be assigned as the last point in the coverage path for a Terminating 
Extension Group.
nTransfer
Calls may be transferred to extensions that cover to a VDN. Users who receive a 
covered call may transfer it to a VDN. If a transfer attempt goes to coverage and 
covers to a VDN, the user at the answering station can complete the transfer by 
pushing the Transfer button (or by flashing the switchhook on an analog station).
Calls that cover to a VDN may be subsequently transferred to AUDIX. Calls may 
also be transferred out of AUDIX to a VDN.
nPhone Display
Calls covering to a VDN and then directed to an agent in a split or hunt group by a 
queue-to, check, converse, or rout e-to command display the following information 
to the agent:
In this example, station A called station B. Station B was busy, and the call 
covered to a VDN.
a=EXT 3174   to   EXT 3077     b 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
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VDN of Origin Announcement
VDN of Origin Announcement (VOA) provides agents with a short message about a 
caller’s city of origin or requested service based on the VDN used to process the call.
Use VOA messages to help agents to respond appropriately to callers. For example, if you 
have two 800 numbers, one for placing orders and one for technical support, you can 
administer two VDNs to route calls to the same set of agents. When an incoming call is 
routed to a VDN with a VOA assigned (for example, “new order” or “tech help”), the 
VDN routes the call to a vector, which can place the call in an agent queue. When an agent 
answers the call, he or she hears the VOA message and can respond appropriately to the 
caller’s request.
How to Administer VOA
nAnnouncements/Audio Sources — Assign each VOA you want to use. You can 
administer aux-trunk types with queue, without queue, and with barge-in. You can 
administer integrated types with queue and without queue. Do not administer 
analog and integrated repeating announcement types as VOAs.
The VDN for which you are administering a VOA must be in a vector command line. 
Detailed Description
The agent cannot hear the caller while the VOA message is playing. The caller is not 
connected to the agent until after the message completes and cannot hear the message or 
the agent during the message. The caller hears ringback while the agent is listening to the 
VOA.
Agents logged in at multiline terminals see the call-appearance button for an incoming call 
flash until after the VOA completes. An agent can press the flashing call-appearance 
button to stop the VOA. 
Table 3-50. Required Forms
Form Field
Attendant ConsolenFeature Button Assignments
— VOA Repeat
Class of Restriction (COR)nVDN of Origin Announcements
Feature-Related System ParametersnHear Zip Tone Following VOA?
 Announcements/Audio SourcesnAll
Vector Directory NumbernVDN of Origin Annc. Extension
PhonesnFeature Button Assignments
— VOA Repeat 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-169 VDN of Origin Announcement 
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To repeat the VOA, an agent presses the VOA Repeat button. The VOA Repeat button 
lamp lights during the VOA. The VOA Repeat button lamp remains lit if the repeat 
request is queued. If an agent presses the VOA Repeat button while the lamp is lit, the 
VOA is stopped. If an agent presses the VOA Repeat button but there is no VOA or the 
system cannot play the VOA within three seconds, the lamp flutters. 
You assign VOAs for each VDN. However, the VOA applies to a COR, so you must 
administer a COR for agents who will receive VOAs. 
You can set up VOAs in four ways:
nAgents can hear a unique announcement based on the dialed number identification 
service (DNIS) received from the service office or carrier switch. Assign each 
DNIS as the VDN of a vector. Set up the VOA to announce the services associated 
with the DNIS.
NOTE:
The announcement associated with the current VDN only plays if the VDN 
Override for the previous VDN is set to y. If VDN Override for the previous 
VDN is set to n, the VOA associated with that VDN plays.
nUse vector steps, an integrated prompting, or converse-on step to route calls to a 
VDN. Set up the VOA to announce the service the caller requested or to announce 
a condition that caused the call to route-to the VDN.
nYou can route calls to a voice response system, directly or through a vector. Use 
voice prompting to direct the caller to enter a touchtone response, and route the 
call to a specific VDN based on the caller’s response. Set up the VOA to indicate 
the service the caller selected.
nIf agents require a caller’s city of origin, assign the trunk group to a particular 
VDN. Set up the VOA to provide the location of the origin of the trunk group. 
Subsequent VDNs can be used to handle the call, or multiple VDNs can be 
assigned to a single vector.
NOTE:
VDN Override applies to VOA in the same way that VDN Override applies 
to display information. If a VDN with a VOA has VDN Override enabled, 
the system overrides the original VOA with VOAs in subsequent VDNs to 
which the call is routed.
Considerations
nBecause callers are kept waiting while a VOA plays, messages should be kept very 
brief — no more than 1.5 seconds in length. Agents should use a speakerphone or 
headset, so they do not miss the VOA while they are picking up the handset. If 
agents cannot use a speakerphone or headset, administer phones with a VOA 
Repeat button. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
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nIf you have multiple announcement boards, you should place shorter VOAs on one 
board and longer recorded announcements on the other to avoid delaying delivery 
of VOAs. If you have only one announcement board, place VOAs on the 
integrated board and consider installing an auxiliary announcement device for 
longer announcements.
nAgents must be on the same switch as the VOA.
nA VOA can be assigned to multiple VDNs, but a VDN can have only one VOA.
nIf you use the TN750 circuit board for integrated announcements, the system 
maintains a separate logical queue for VOAs. If the VOA cannot be delivered to 
the agent within 1 second because of traffic or inoperative equipment, the system 
does not provide the announcement. VOAs are higher priority than other 
announcements on the TN750. A burst of VOAs can delay other announcements. 
Therefore, record non-VDN of Origin Announcements as auxiliary or analog.
nAuxiliary announcements are connected for a duration of 1 to 2 seconds on a 
barge-in basis, immediately after the agent answers (or is assigned the call for 
auto-answer) and the incoming call is extended to the agent. Integrated and 
non-barge-in auxiliary announcements are connected for the duration of the 
announcement. The switch does not ensure that the integrated announcement is 
shorter than the allowed playback time.
nVOA supports Auxiliary Trunks (aux-trunk) with barge-in, queue, or without 
queue. For aux-trunk with or without queue, when the trunk is idle, a VDN call 
seizes the trunk to start the VOA and the system plays the entire announcement 
(not just 1 to 2 seconds). However, if the announcement is busy and if aux-trunk 
has barge-in, the call does not queue but bridges onto the announcement for 1 to 2 
seconds. When the VOA completes, the trunk is released along with the listeners, 
and the next call requiring the VOA starts the process over again. For this reason, 
your aux-trunk announcements should consist of one short announcement that 
repeats during the full announcement time. For example, you might want to record 
“New Order” as many times as possible, so that when a call bridges to the 
announcement, the agent hears “New Order” no matter where the agent bridges 
into the announcement.
nIf you use aux-trunk or integrated announcement without queue and a port is busy 
when a VDN call comes in, the system cannot play an announcement. If you use 
aux-trunk or integrated announcement with queue, the system plays the current 
announcement for an agent and then connects the next agent in the queue. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
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December 1999
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Interactions
nAgent Call Handling (Answering Options)
— Automatic Answer
ACD agents at phones in Auto Answer mode hear a zip tone, then the 
VOA. You can also administer a zip tone after the VOA completes, to alert 
agents that an announcement is complete and a caller is connected. 
Non-ACD agents can receive a VOA if a call is routed to them via vector 
processing. When non-ACD agents at phones in Automatic Answer mode 
receive calls, they hear a call ID tone then the VOA. Agents hear a second 
zip tone after the VOA indicating connection to the caller.
— Manual Answer
When non-ACD agents at phones in Manual Answer mode receive calls 
they hear ringing, answer the call, and hear the VOA. 
nASAI Adjunct Routing
If a vector step includes Adjunct Routing, the VOA is played for the agent to 
whom the call is routed.
nAuto-Available Split (AAS)
AAS is intended to be used for splits containing only nonhuman adjuncts such as 
AUDIX or Conversant; however, VOAs can be directed to Auto-Available splits.
nCall Forwarding
VOAs apply to forwarded calls, including those forwarded to a hunt group. The 
answering station must be on the same switch. If a VOA is forwarded, the message 
is played only if the destination extension is administered with a COR that allows 
VOA.
nCall Pickup
Call Pickup allows an agent to pick up a ringing call on another extension. If the 
pick-up extension has COR permissions for VOA, the agent can receive a VOA.
nConference
If an agent receives a call and then conferences in additional stations, any station 
on the connection can use VOA Repeat button to replay the VOA. Only the person 
using the button can hear the VOA unless the call is being service observed. 
nConverse-on split
A converse-on split is one used in a converse-on vector step. When a converse-on 
vector step is executed, a VOA is not applied. After returning to the vector, the call 
can be routed to a station or VDN where the answering agent receives the VOA (as 
if the converse-on step had not been processed).
nCoverage
VOA applies to coverage paths. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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nData Restriction
Data Restriction prevents tones from being applied to line or trunk circuits during 
a data call. VOAs are not played for data-restricted calls.
nDirect Agent Calling
Direct Agent Calling allows a vector to route a call to particular ACD agent and 
have the call treated as an ACD call. The VOA only applies to direct agent calls if 
the calls reach an agent through vector processing. Direct agent calls from a phone 
on a switch are not vector-processed and cannot cause a VOA to be played.
nEnhanced Automatic Wake-up
If you are using enhancements to Automatic Wake-up with integrated 
announcements, there can be contention for integrated announcement ports. VOAs 
have priority over Automatic Wake-Up announcements.
nExpert Agent Selection (EAS)
When you are using EAS, the logical agent COR definition determines the 
assignment of VOAs for each extension. EAS uses the COR of the logical agent 
instead of the COR for the terminal being used by the agent.
nHold
Agents cannot use the VOA Repeat button if their calls are all on hold. The VOA 
Repeat button only applies to active calls.
nHome Agent
You can assign an initial VOA to a home-agent port on the switch. However, home 
agents cannot use a VOA Repeat button because home agents need a dial access 
code (DAC) to reach features and VOA replay does not use a DAC.
nHunt Groups
VOAs apply to calls routed to a hunt group. The COR for the answering station’s 
extension determines whether the station can receive a VOA.
nLookahead Interflow
VOAs apply only to the switch where the VDN is defined. If a call interflows to 
another switch, the VOA is lost. You can have the interflow to another switch 
access a VDN with the same VOA message as on the original switch.
nRedirection on No Answer (RONA)
If a call re-queues to a split or skill because the RONA timer expired, the VOA 
applies to the call when an agent answers the call.
nService Observing
The system handles Service Observing calls as conference connections. If the 
observer presses the VOA Repeat button only he or she hears the announcement. 
However, if another party on the call presses the VOA Repeat button, the user and 
the observer hear the VOA. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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nSupervisor Assist
If an agent requests supervisor assistance and conferences the supervisor into a 
call, either the agent or the supervisor can use their VOA Repeat button to replay 
the VOA, but only the person who presses the button hears the VOA.
nTransfers
If an agent receives a VDN call and transfers the call, the answering party can use 
the VOA Repeat button to replay the message.
nVOA distribution
If you use long VOAs or multiple VOAs, there may be a delay between the zip 
tone and the announcement. The system provides multiple announcement circuit 
packs to help prevent announcement delays. Contact your Lucent representative 
for more information. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
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Voice Response Integration
Voice Response Integration (VRI) integrates Call Vectoring with the capabilities of voice 
response units (VRUs) such as the Lucent Technologies Conversant Voice Information 
System (CVIS). With VRI, you can:
nRun a VRU script while retaining control of a call in vector processing
nRun a VRU script while a call is queued, retaining its position in the queue
nPool Conversant ports for multiple applications
nUse a VRU as a flexible external-announcement device
nPass data between the system and a VRU
nTandem VRU data through a switch to an ASAI host
The converse-on command, which is part of Basic Call Vectoring, provides these 
capabilities. Use a converse-on call-vector step to integrate a VRU with Automatic Call 
Distribution (ACD). VRI allows you to use VRU capabilities while controlling a call in 
ACD.
Include VRUs with vector processing to take advantage of the following:
nAccess to local and host databases
nValidation of caller information
nText-to-speech capabilities
nSpeech recognition
nIncreased recorded announcement capacity
nAudiotex applications
nInteractive voice-response (IVR) applications
nTransaction-processing applications
VRI allows users to make productive use of queuing time. For example, while a call is 
queued, a caller can listen to product information via an audiotex application or can 
complete an interactive voice-response transaction. It may be possible to resolve the 
caller’s questions while the call is queued, which helps reduce queuing time for other 
callers during peak times.
For more information on VRI and the converse-on command, see the DEFINITY
® 
Enterprise Communications Server Call Vectoring/EAS Guide (555-230-521).
How to Administer VRI 
Enable Call Prompting to allow the system to collect digits from the caller and Conversant 
to return data. You must have Call Prompting to administer the Converse Data Return 
Code and use the digits keyword for the  or  fields on the converse-on 
command. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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Detailed Description
A call queued to an ACD split retains position in the queue while a VRU script is being 
run. When an agent becomes available, the line to the VRU is dropped and the caller 
connects to the agent.
The converse-on command delivers a call to a predetermined converse split (skill). A 
converse split is administered and operates exactly like other splits. Nonconverse splits are 
ACD splits accessed by queue-to and check vector steps.
Members of a converse split are the ports connected to the VRU. If all VRU ports are 
busy, a call queues to the converse split with the administered priority. After the VRU 
answers the call, the converse-on command may pass up to 2 data items to the VRU, 
depending on command parameters specified. You can pass data required by a VRU script 
or data that selects the VRU script to be run.
Whether or not you pass data, a caller is connected to the VRU, which runs the VRU 
script. Audible feedback provided by the vector is not heard and no further vector steps are 
run until the VRU script completes. The VRU may return data to the system and then 
drops the line to the system. Vector processing continues at the step following the 
converse-on command.
If the call was queued to a nonconverse split before the converse-on command was run, 
the call retains its queue position. If an agent becomes available while the VRU script 
runs, the system drops the line to the VRU and connects the caller to the agent. The VRU 
detects the disconnect and terminates the VRU script. For converse-on command syntax, 
see the DEFINITY
® Enterprise Communications Server Call Vectoring/EAS Guide 
(555-230-521).
Call Prompting allows you to collect and use digits that the VRU returns. These digits are 
handled as dial-ahead digits. Rules for collecting and processing VRU digits are the same 
as for Call Prompting.
Table 3-51. Required Forms
Form Field
System Parameters 
Customer-OptionsnCall Prompting
Feature Access Code (FAC)nConverse Data Return Code
Feature-Related System ParametersnConverse Delay Data1/Data2
nConverse Signaling Tone/Pause
Call VectornAll 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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You can use digits returned from the VRU in the following ways:
nTo display for the answering agent’s (automatically for 2-line displays or with the 
CALLR-INFO button for other displays)
nAs an extension in a route-to digits vector step. For example:
converse-on split. . . . (VRU returns 4 digits)
collect 4 digits after announcement none
route-to digits coverage y
nFor vector-conditional branching in an if digits equals vector step. For example:
converse-on split . . . (VRU returns 1 digit)
collect 1 digit after announcement none
goto vector 101 if digits = 1
goto vector 102 if digits = 2
goto vector 103 if unconditionally 
nTandemed to an ASAI host
Collected digits are passed to ASAI hosts in Call Offered to Domain Event reports 
and in 
route request 
messages, thus caller digits or database information 
returned from the VRU can be tandemed through the system to ASAI hosts. For 
example:
converse-on split ... (VRU returns 9 digits)
collect 9 digits after announcement none
adjunct route link Y
In this vector, the digits returned from the VRU are forwarded to the ASAI host in the 
adjunct routing route request message.
!SECURITY ALERT:
When you use a VRU application that returns data for a collect-digits step, the 
opportunity for toll fraud exists when the VRU application does not return any data. 
Take the following precautions:
nIf the collected digits are used to route calls internally, ensure that the Class 
of Restriction (COR) for the vector directory number (VDN) does not 
allow calls to route externally.
nIf the collected digits are used to route calls externally, use a password to 
verify that the collected digits have been passed by the VRU application. 
For example, in the following vector, the VRU application returns a 3-digit 
password followed by the 8-digit external number. The vector routes calls 
without the correct password to a vector 23.
converse-on split 10 pri m passing none and none (VRU returns 
11 digits)
collect 3 digits after announcement none
goto vector 23 if digits  234
collect 8 digits after announcement none
route-to digits with coverage n