Contact Centers, CRM Customer Engagement

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a one-touch or very-low-touch way for the Telecom admin staff to forward two extensions to a rotating employee each week. The rotating employee is not an agent, so we don't want to build an ACD queue for this.

Ext 1 and ext 2 do not live on desk phones, but are configured as 9611's. Each week, we want all calls to Exts 1 and 2 to ring directly to a different employee. The employee has a desk phone, but is only onsite a couple of days a week, and likely using EC500 when they are offsite. A bridged appearance of Ext 2 on Ext 1 doesn't seem to follow the Ext 1 forwarding or the employee's EC500. Ext 1 works fine. 

I know I can use Console Permissions to forward both extensions to the employee every week, but I was looking for a one-touch or lower-touch method for our team. I created a VDN and Vector, but I don't know how to tell the vector to forward a phone or unforward it.

Ideas?

OK, this is what I came up with. I haven't messed around with vectors and variables in quite a while, but I remember how powerful they are. I set a doy (day of year) variable and built this test vector around it and it seems to work. So my plan would be to turn my Ext 1 and Ext 2 stations into VDN's and point them to this vector. I'll populate the steps from 73 onward with the employees' real extension numbers (it's only about 10 people). The tough part will be filling out that WC variable for all the Mondays of the year, and it will need to be redone every year at the end of the calendar year. But I'm thinking this will be easier than having to do the forwarding commands every single Monday morning forever.

A problem I see is when they'll inevitably want to shift the schedule. I'll have to tinker with those route-to steps to match the covering employee to the variable.

Does it seem overly complicated? Am I missing an easier way to "set it and forget it" (-ish)? Am I missing important basic vector commands?

    Number: NNN              Name: Fwd Test Vector
Multimedia? n      Attendant Vectoring? n    Meet-me Conf? n           Lock? n
     Basic? y   EAS? y   G3V4 Enhanced? y   ANI/II-Digits? y   ASAI Routing? y
 Prompting? y   LAI? y  G3V4 Adv Route? y   CINFO? y   BSR? y   Holidays? y
 Variables? y   3.0 Enhanced? y

01 wait-time    1   secs hearing ringback
02 goto step    73            if WC ##day of year##               <      204 ##Sunday, July 23##
03 goto step    74            if WC                                          <      211 ##Sunday, July 30, etc.##
04 goto step    75            if WC                                          <      218
05 ##etc...##

73 route-to     number 5500 ##Employee 1##         cov y if unconditionally
74 route-to     number 5501 ##Employee 2, etc.## cov y if unconditionally
75 route-to     number 5502                                     cov y if unconditionally
76 ##etc.##

91 stop
92 disconnect   after announcement none

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a one-touch or very-low-touch way for the Telecom admin staff to forward two extensions to a rotating employee each week. The rotating employee is not an agent, so we don't want to build an ACD queue for this.

Ext 1 and ext 2 do not live on desk phones, but are configured as 9611's. Each week, we want all calls to Exts 1 and 2 to ring directly to a different employee. The employee has a desk phone, but is only onsite a couple of days a week, and likely using EC500 when they are offsite. A bridged appearance of Ext 2 on Ext 1 doesn't seem to follow the Ext 1 forwarding or the employee's EC500. Ext 1 works fine. 

I know I can use Console Permissions to forward both extensions to the employee every week, but I was looking for a one-touch or lower-touch method for our team. I created a VDN and Vector, but I don't know how to tell the vector to forward a phone or unforward it.

Ideas?

Hi

I setup something similar, a team wanted to be able to switch the on-call person when they wanted.

I setup 2 vdn's and 2 vectors.   One VDN is for the manager to set the variable (T) for the on call engineer the second is to call the on-call engineer. 

The the manager calls to set the on-call engineer with (VEC A) when the manager calls they hear a message to enter the digit assigned to the engineer and the call is then disconnected.

VEC A

01 wait-time    2   secs hearing ringback
02 collect      1    digits after announcement ######  for T
03 wait-time    2   secs hearing music
04 disconnect   after announcement none     

When the second number is called it checks the variable and calls the number assigned to that variable

01 wait-time    2   secs hearing ringback
02 announcement #######
03 goto step    6             if T                =      1
04 goto step    8             if T                =      2
05 stop
06 route-to     number #########     with cov y if unconditionally
07 stop
08 route-to     number #######      with cov y if unconditionally
09 stop            

OK, this is what I came up with. I haven't messed around with vectors and variables in quite a while, but I remember how powerful they are. I set a doy (day of year) variable and built this test vector around it and it seems to work. So my plan would be to turn my Ext 1 and Ext 2 stations into VDN's and point them to this vector. I'll populate the steps from 73 onward with the employees' real extension numbers (it's only about 10 people). The tough part will be filling out that WC variable for all the Mondays of the year, and it will need to be redone every year at the end of the calendar year. But I'm thinking this will be easier than having to do the forwarding commands every single Monday morning forever.

A problem I see is when they'll inevitably want to shift the schedule. I'll have to tinker with those route-to steps to match the covering employee to the variable.

Does it seem overly complicated? Am I missing an easier way to "set it and forget it" (-ish)? Am I missing important basic vector commands?

    Number: NNN              Name: Fwd Test Vector
Multimedia? n      Attendant Vectoring? n    Meet-me Conf? n           Lock? n
     Basic? y   EAS? y   G3V4 Enhanced? y   ANI/II-Digits? y   ASAI Routing? y
 Prompting? y   LAI? y  G3V4 Adv Route? y   CINFO? y   BSR? y   Holidays? y
 Variables? y   3.0 Enhanced? y

01 wait-time    1   secs hearing ringback
02 goto step    73            if WC ##day of year##               <      204 ##Sunday, July 23##
03 goto step    74            if WC                                          <      211 ##Sunday, July 30, etc.##
04 goto step    75            if WC                                          <      218
05 ##etc...##

73 route-to     number 5500 ##Employee 1##         cov y if unconditionally
74 route-to     number 5501 ##Employee 2, etc.## cov y if unconditionally
75 route-to     number 5502                                     cov y if unconditionally
76 ##etc.##

91 stop
92 disconnect   after announcement none

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a one-touch or very-low-touch way for the Telecom admin staff to forward two extensions to a rotating employee each week. The rotating employee is not an agent, so we don't want to build an ACD queue for this.

Ext 1 and ext 2 do not live on desk phones, but are configured as 9611's. Each week, we want all calls to Exts 1 and 2 to ring directly to a different employee. The employee has a desk phone, but is only onsite a couple of days a week, and likely using EC500 when they are offsite. A bridged appearance of Ext 2 on Ext 1 doesn't seem to follow the Ext 1 forwarding or the employee's EC500. Ext 1 works fine. 

I know I can use Console Permissions to forward both extensions to the employee every week, but I was looking for a one-touch or lower-touch method for our team. I created a VDN and Vector, but I don't know how to tell the vector to forward a phone or unforward it.

Ideas?

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a one-touch or very-low-touch way for the Telecom admin staff to forward two extensions to a rotating employee each week. The rotating employee is not an agent, so we don't want to build an ACD queue for this.

Ext 1 and ext 2 do not live on desk phones, but are configured as 9611's. Each week, we want all calls to Exts 1 and 2 to ring directly to a different employee. The employee has a desk phone, but is only onsite a couple of days a week, and likely using EC500 when they are offsite. A bridged appearance of Ext 2 on Ext 1 doesn't seem to follow the Ext 1 forwarding or the employee's EC500. Ext 1 works fine. 

I know I can use Console Permissions to forward both extensions to the employee every week, but I was looking for a one-touch or lower-touch method for our team. I created a VDN and Vector, but I don't know how to tell the vector to forward a phone or unforward it.

Ideas?

With No-Touch as a requirement, Holiday tables would be the way to go.  It is A LOT easier to change a holiday table than a vector.<o:p></o:p>

You may want to build a fail safe Holiday table in there.  So, 1 table for Bill 1 table for Joe, 1 table for exceptions.  Always check the exception table first.  Goto step X if holiday in table 3 / Have step X be a route to.  That way you don't have to mess with the Bill or Joe table if one of them is out sick or on vacation.  It would really be the only touch your team would need to make.<o:p></o:p>

If it is a Bill week but he needs Wednesday off – Just put that Wednesday date in the exception table and have it route to Joe that one day.  Bill's table wouldn't get checked because Wednesday was in the first check.  The rest of the week wouldn't be so it would fall through to the Bill check.  That way you can build out the Bill and Joe tables for the year and only need to modify the exception.<o:p></o:p>

CODE --><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

change holiday-table 1                                          Page   1 of   1<o:p></o:p>

                                 HOLIDAY TABLE<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

    Number: 1              Name: Bill's Weeks<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

    ______START_______     _______END________<o:p></o:p>

    Month Day Hour Min     Month Day Hour Min     Description<o:p></o:p>

    07    03  00   00      07    07  23   59      Week 1<o:p></o:p>

    07    31  00   00      08    04  23   59      Week 2<o:p></o:p>

... <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Then your Vector would go to the correct number based on the Holiday Table:<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

CODE --><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

12 goto step    25            if holiday          in     table 3<o:p></o:p>

13 goto step    20            if holiday          in     table 1<o:p></o:p>

14 goto step    22            if holiday          in     table 2<o:p></o:p>

...<o:p></o:p>

20 #    Route to Bill<o:p></o:p>

21 route-to     number 5000                     cov y if unconditionally<o:p></o:p>

22 #    Route to Joe<o:p></o:p>

23 route-to     number 5001                     cov y if unconditionally<o:p></o:p>

24<o:p></o:p>

25 route- to     number xxxx<o:p></o:p>

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a one-touch or very-low-touch way for the Telecom admin staff to forward two extensions to a rotating employee each week. The rotating employee is not an agent, so we don't want to build an ACD queue for this.

Ext 1 and ext 2 do not live on desk phones, but are configured as 9611's. Each week, we want all calls to Exts 1 and 2 to ring directly to a different employee. The employee has a desk phone, but is only onsite a couple of days a week, and likely using EC500 when they are offsite. A bridged appearance of Ext 2 on Ext 1 doesn't seem to follow the Ext 1 forwarding or the employee's EC500. Ext 1 works fine. 

I know I can use Console Permissions to forward both extensions to the employee every week, but I was looking for a one-touch or lower-touch method for our team. I created a VDN and Vector, but I don't know how to tell the vector to forward a phone or unforward it.

Ideas?

Yes, thank you Mary! I'm going to add a voicemail failsafe in there too, in case one of us messes up the table, the caller will at least go to voicemail, which will send an email to the group, and that should alert us something is wrong, and they'll get their message too.

Original Message:
Sent: 07-19-2023 07:02 AM
From: Mary Doran
Subject: One-touch forwarding of 2 exts to rotating hybrid staff

With No-Touch as a requirement, Holiday tables would be the way to go.  It is A LOT easier to change a holiday table than a vector.<o:p></o:p>

You may want to build a fail safe Holiday table in there.  So, 1 table for Bill 1 table for Joe, 1 table for exceptions.  Always check the exception table first.  Goto step X if holiday in table 3 / Have step X be a route to.  That way you don't have to mess with the Bill or Joe table if one of them is out sick or on vacation.  It would really be the only touch your team would need to make.<o:p></o:p>

If it is a Bill week but he needs Wednesday off – Just put that Wednesday date in the exception table and have it route to Joe that one day.  Bill's table wouldn't get checked because Wednesday was in the first check.  The rest of the week wouldn't be so it would fall through to the Bill check.  That way you can build out the Bill and Joe tables for the year and only need to modify the exception.<o:p></o:p>

CODE --><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

change holiday-table 1                                          Page   1 of   1<o:p></o:p>

                                 HOLIDAY TABLE<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

    Number: 1              Name: Bill's Weeks<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

    ______START_______     _______END________<o:p></o:p>

    Month Day Hour Min     Month Day Hour Min     Description<o:p></o:p>

    07    03  00   00      07    07  23   59      Week 1<o:p></o:p>

    07    31  00   00      08    04  23   59      Week 2<o:p></o:p>

... <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Then your Vector would go to the correct number based on the Holiday Table:<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

CODE --><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

12 goto step    25            if holiday          in     table 3<o:p></o:p>

13 goto step    20            if holiday          in     table 1<o:p></o:p>

14 goto step    22            if holiday          in     table 2<o:p></o:p>

...<o:p></o:p>

20 #    Route to Bill<o:p></o:p>

21 route-to     number 5000                     cov y if unconditionally<o:p></o:p>

22 #    Route to Joe<o:p></o:p>

23 route-to     number 5001                     cov y if unconditionally<o:p></o:p>

24<o:p></o:p>

25 route- to     number xxxx<o:p></o:p>

------------------------------
Mary Doran
Lead Telecom Analyst
Cartus
Danbury CT

Original Message:
Sent: 07-17-2023 10:39 AM
From: Chip Powell
Subject: One-touch forwarding of 2 exts to rotating hybrid staff

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a one-touch or very-low-touch way for the Telecom admin staff to forward two extensions to a rotating employee each week. The rotating employee is not an agent, so we don't want to build an ACD queue for this.

Ext 1 and ext 2 do not live on desk phones, but are configured as 9611's. Each week, we want all calls to Exts 1 and 2 to ring directly to a different employee. The employee has a desk phone, but is only onsite a couple of days a week, and likely using EC500 when they are offsite. A bridged appearance of Ext 2 on Ext 1 doesn't seem to follow the Ext 1 forwarding or the employee's EC500. Ext 1 works fine. 

I know I can use Console Permissions to forward both extensions to the employee every week, but I was looking for a one-touch or lower-touch method for our team. I created a VDN and Vector, but I don't know how to tell the vector to forward a phone or unforward it.

Ideas?

Hi Chip.  I haven't had time to mock this idea up, but give it a read and see if it holds any water.  

•  Set a global variable ('dw') to a 1 digit long value, for instance, 9 to begin with since we don't have a day of the week equal to 9 (0-6 are valid day numbers)
• When a call arrives, check if 'dw' is equal to the day of the week.
• Goto step xx if they are not equal.  This indicates the day has changed, and incidentally this is the first call of the day.
• set 'dw' = today's dow value.  When the next call arrives the above will fail. and you'd presumably route to the extension number held in 'oc'
• If this is a Monday (DOW = 1), then change a global variable (oc) indicating the extension number of the new on call representative.  (How, exactly?)
      * Increment another variable (on), but only if DOW = 1)
      * Check if 'on' > max value.  If so, set it back to base value (start of rotation 0?)
• Based on value of 'on', set global variable oc = extension number of OC
• The extension numbers can even be held in VDN variables if the OC rotation has 9 or fewer members, which would allow this vector to be used by multiple on call rotations.

Again, this is completely untested, but this is where your problem took me.

------------------------------
Tom Lynn
Forum Moderator

Original Message:
Sent: 07-19-2023 05:32 PM
From: Chip Powell
Subject: One-touch forwarding of 2 exts to rotating hybrid staff

Yes, thank you Mary! I'm going to add a voicemail failsafe in there too, in case one of us messes up the table, the caller will at least go to voicemail, which will send an email to the group, and that should alert us something is wrong, and they'll get their message too.

Original Message:
Sent: 07-19-2023 07:02 AM
From: Mary Doran
Subject: One-touch forwarding of 2 exts to rotating hybrid staff

With No-Touch as a requirement, Holiday tables would be the way to go.  It is A LOT easier to change a holiday table than a vector.<o:p></o:p>

You may want to build a fail safe Holiday table in there.  So, 1 table for Bill 1 table for Joe, 1 table for exceptions.  Always check the exception table first.  Goto step X if holiday in table 3 / Have step X be a route to.  That way you don't have to mess with the Bill or Joe table if one of them is out sick or on vacation.  It would really be the only touch your team would need to make.<o:p></o:p>

If it is a Bill week but he needs Wednesday off – Just put that Wednesday date in the exception table and have it route to Joe that one day.  Bill's table wouldn't get checked because Wednesday was in the first check.  The rest of the week wouldn't be so it would fall through to the Bill check.  That way you can build out the Bill and Joe tables for the year and only need to modify the exception.<o:p></o:p>

CODE --><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

change holiday-table 1                                          Page   1 of   1<o:p></o:p>

                                 HOLIDAY TABLE<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

    Number: 1              Name: Bill's Weeks<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

    ______START_______     _______END________<o:p></o:p>

    Month Day Hour Min     Month Day Hour Min     Description<o:p></o:p>

    07    03  00   00      07    07  23   59      Week 1<o:p></o:p>

    07    31  00   00      08    04  23   59      Week 2<o:p></o:p>

... <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Then your Vector would go to the correct number based on the Holiday Table:<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

CODE --><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

12 goto step    25            if holiday          in     table 3<o:p></o:p>

13 goto step    20            if holiday          in     table 1<o:p></o:p>

14 goto step    22            if holiday          in     table 2<o:p></o:p>

...<o:p></o:p>

20 #    Route to Bill<o:p></o:p>

21 route-to     number 5000                     cov y if unconditionally<o:p></o:p>

22 #    Route to Joe<o:p></o:p>

23 route-to     number 5001                     cov y if unconditionally<o:p></o:p>

24<o:p></o:p>

25 route- to     number xxxx<o:p></o:p>

------------------------------
Mary Doran
Lead Telecom Analyst
Cartus
Danbury CT

Original Message:
Sent: 07-17-2023 10:39 AM
From: Chip Powell
Subject: One-touch forwarding of 2 exts to rotating hybrid staff

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a one-touch or very-low-touch way for the Telecom admin staff to forward two extensions to a rotating employee each week. The rotating employee is not an agent, so we don't want to build an ACD queue for this.

Ext 1 and ext 2 do not live on desk phones, but are configured as 9611's. Each week, we want all calls to Exts 1 and 2 to ring directly to a different employee. The employee has a desk phone, but is only onsite a couple of days a week, and likely using EC500 when they are offsite. A bridged appearance of Ext 2 on Ext 1 doesn't seem to follow the Ext 1 forwarding or the employee's EC500. Ext 1 works fine. 

I know I can use Console Permissions to forward both extensions to the employee every week, but I was looking for a one-touch or lower-touch method for our team. I created a VDN and Vector, but I don't know how to tell the vector to forward a phone or unforward it.

Ideas?

That's awesome, thanks Tom! The holiday table method is still working for now, but this is a good idea too.

Hi Chip.  I haven't had time to mock this idea up, but give it a read and see if it holds any water.  

•  Set a global variable ('dw') to a 1 digit long value, for instance, 9 to begin with since we don't have a day of the week equal to 9 (0-6 are valid day numbers)
• When a call arrives, check if 'dw' is equal to the day of the week.
• Goto step xx if they are not equal.  This indicates the day has changed, and incidentally this is the first call of the day.
• set 'dw' = today's dow value.  When the next call arrives the above will fail. and you'd presumably route to the extension number held in 'oc'
• If this is a Monday (DOW = 1), then change a global variable (oc) indicating the extension number of the new on call representative.  (How, exactly?)
      * Increment another variable (on), but only if DOW = 1)
      * Check if 'on' > max value.  If so, set it back to base value (start of rotation 0?)
• Based on value of 'on', set global variable oc = extension number of OC
• The extension numbers can even be held in VDN variables if the OC rotation has 9 or fewer members, which would allow this vector to be used by multiple on call rotations.

Again, this is completely untested, but this is where your problem took me.

------------------------------
Tom Lynn
Forum Moderator

Original Message:
Sent: 07-19-2023 05:32 PM
From: Chip Powell
Subject: One-touch forwarding of 2 exts to rotating hybrid staff

Yes, thank you Mary! I'm going to add a voicemail failsafe in there too, in case one of us messes up the table, the caller will at least go to voicemail, which will send an email to the group, and that should alert us something is wrong, and they'll get their message too.

Original Message:
Sent: 07-19-2023 07:02 AM
From: Mary Doran
Subject: One-touch forwarding of 2 exts to rotating hybrid staff

With No-Touch as a requirement, Holiday tables would be the way to go.  It is A LOT easier to change a holiday table than a vector.<o:p></o:p>

You may want to build a fail safe Holiday table in there.  So, 1 table for Bill 1 table for Joe, 1 table for exceptions.  Always check the exception table first.  Goto step X if holiday in table 3 / Have step X be a route to.  That way you don't have to mess with the Bill or Joe table if one of them is out sick or on vacation.  It would really be the only touch your team would need to make.<o:p></o:p>

If it is a Bill week but he needs Wednesday off – Just put that Wednesday date in the exception table and have it route to Joe that one day.  Bill's table wouldn't get checked because Wednesday was in the first check.  The rest of the week wouldn't be so it would fall through to the Bill check.  That way you can build out the Bill and Joe tables for the year and only need to modify the exception.<o:p></o:p>

CODE --><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

change holiday-table 1                                          Page   1 of   1<o:p></o:p>

                                 HOLIDAY TABLE<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

    Number: 1              Name: Bill's Weeks<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

    ______START_______     _______END________<o:p></o:p>

    Month Day Hour Min     Month Day Hour Min     Description<o:p></o:p>

    07    03  00   00      07    07  23   59      Week 1<o:p></o:p>

    07    31  00   00      08    04  23   59      Week 2<o:p></o:p>

... <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Then your Vector would go to the correct number based on the Holiday Table:<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

CODE --><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

12 goto step    25            if holiday          in     table 3<o:p></o:p>

13 goto step    20            if holiday          in     table 1<o:p></o:p>

14 goto step    22            if holiday          in     table 2<o:p></o:p>

...<o:p></o:p>

20 #    Route to Bill<o:p></o:p>

21 route-to     number 5000                     cov y if unconditionally<o:p></o:p>

22 #    Route to Joe<o:p></o:p>

23 route-to     number 5001                     cov y if unconditionally<o:p></o:p>

24<o:p></o:p>

25 route- to     number xxxx<o:p></o:p>

------------------------------
Mary Doran
Lead Telecom Analyst
Cartus
Danbury CT

Original Message:
Sent: 07-17-2023 10:39 AM
From: Chip Powell
Subject: One-touch forwarding of 2 exts to rotating hybrid staff

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a one-touch or very-low-touch way for the Telecom admin staff to forward two extensions to a rotating employee each week. The rotating employee is not an agent, so we don't want to build an ACD queue for this.

Ext 1 and ext 2 do not live on desk phones, but are configured as 9611's. Each week, we want all calls to Exts 1 and 2 to ring directly to a different employee. The employee has a desk phone, but is only onsite a couple of days a week, and likely using EC500 when they are offsite. A bridged appearance of Ext 2 on Ext 1 doesn't seem to follow the Ext 1 forwarding or the employee's EC500. Ext 1 works fine. 

I know I can use Console Permissions to forward both extensions to the employee every week, but I was looking for a one-touch or lower-touch method for our team. I created a VDN and Vector, but I don't know how to tell the vector to forward a phone or unforward it.

Ideas?