The main purpose of outbound calls is to establish contact with potential «cold» and «warm» customers, for example, for telephone surveys, sales or information. Despite the current capabilities of automating customer calls, operators still regularly need to make outbound calls manually. Unfortunately, operators cannot be automated, so there is no insurance against their mistakes and abuses, but they can be minimized. This requires a competent setting of outgoing calls and Oki-Toki has something to offer its customers!
The article refers to the «For Operators» tool.
Set a schedule for outgoing calls
In Queue settings, there is an «Operator’s station» tab, where you can configure the operator’s capabilities in the work interface for each queue of the project.
Set the appropriate outgoing call mode for the operator. For example, according to the schedule – with the choice / creation of a specific period for outgoing calls.
This is useful when the schedule for manual calls is strictly regulated and different from the general work time. That is, you can choose a period of time during the day when operators can make calls themselves.
Examples for outgoing call mode «Scheduled»:
- If you need to prohibit operators from calling customers before 8 am.
- If, from 7:00, employees should only receive calls, and they can start calling customers after lunch.
- If the operators cannot call each other during the incoming line or dialer period, so as not to miss an important call, etc.
You can create a schedule in the Project Resources section.
Disable outbound communication for queued agents
You can prevent operators from making outgoing calls by selecting the «Denied option» in the operator seat settings.
The ban on outgoing calls in the call center will find application in companies or projects with strict regulations for the operator.
How to set up the Blacklist
There is now a separate section for incoming and outgoing calls in the Queue settings! (new). In it, we have collected all the settings on the Black List.
In the new section, you can select the Black list for outgoing calls so that the operator does not call an unwanted number. The list is activated by the power button and, when making a call, the system will check the dialed number with the selected black list. 
- The «Add to Black List» button for operators is also activated here. That is, being in the operator’s place during the call, the operator can send the number to the Black List (most likely at the request of the client). The option works if the Blacklist is specified in the queue settings.
- For incoming calls, verification of numbers with the Black List is enabled by default in the Call Scenarios, Start cube.
There is a separate article on the blog about the Black List of Numbers .
Prevent operators from ending the call first
Also in the Queue settings in the «Operator position» tab there is an additional option «End call». Using this setting, you can allow or disallow agents to end calls first in this queue.
The End Call feature is useful for companies that need the customer to end the call first. For example, projects involved in sales. The golden rule of a sales manager is «Keep talking until the customer hangs up!».
Additionally
- For outgoing calls, you can set the definition of the Time Zone and take into account the «schedule» of the client. For example, if the time zones are different, the operator does not call the client during his working hours, who is now at night.
- In the «Number conversion» field, specify the format of called numbers. This is necessary so that the reporting contains a single format of telephone numbers (usually, they tend to the international standard). And also to avoid telephony routing problems when the operator uses a prefix that is not listed as possible for this queue.
- There is a separate article on the blog about the format and Converting numbers for outgoing calls.
- Pay attention to the «Create webhook» buttons, they can be used to identify KPI non-compliance. With one click, you can set up a webhook to monitor a possible disciplinary violation. For example, set up sending an email or telegram message if the operator did not answer an incoming call, interrupted an outgoing call, forgot the client on hold, etc.
- There are separate articles on the blog about how many outgoing calls the operator should make and how to set up the work of the operator.
Ilona Chernyakova
