With the June 15th release of Manitou 1.5.3, MediaGateway also welcomed a new, exciting component - the PBXAssistant. Already recognized as an industry-changing module at ESX 2010, the PBXAssistant is a vital asset to your Central Station.

Use the PBX Assistant to..

• Route incoming calls to free Operators or Agents.
• Place incoming callers into a specific call queue based on Caller ID.
• Play hold messages to encourage callers to stay on the line.
• Route queued callers to free agents.

How PBXAssistant Works

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) is a type of method used for handling incoming calls. The PBXAssistant uses ACD to recognize ana answer incoming calls by searching its database for call routing instructions in MediaGateway using an ACD Queue menu. It will then send the call to an operator (or agent) according to the instructions for that call. The MediaGateway can organize calls coming into the system into queues where operators or agents can be placed. The mechanism that calls are routed by can vary depending on the queue, such as skill-based or round robin routing.

Sample Scenario

John Doe accidentally sets off his alarm and calls into the Central Station to cancel the alarm. After dialing in, the PBXAssistant prompts the customer whether he would like "Customer Services" or "Alarm Handling." The customer chooses Alarm  Handling, and the system identifies who he is by his Caller ID. However, four other customers are in the call queue in front of him, as all operators who handle alarms are assisting other customers. The PBXAssistant then notifies Mr. Doe that operators will be available shortly and keeps him on hold while informing him of his expected wait time. When an operator finishes with another call, the customer is then routed to the first available operator, where the alarm signal associated with his account is also routed. Since the system automatically prioritizes the customer over others in the Alarm Handling queue, the relevant alarm is connected with the operator handling Mr. Doe's call.

Main Form Overview

The PBXAssistant form is made up for five different panes:

1. The main ACD Queue, where you can view, edit and add agents to different queues;
2. The Agent Queue Status form, a read-only form that displays the status of each agent including their availability, extension and the time and date of their last finished call;
3. The Call Session Status form, which displays calls that are currently in the queuel
4. The Agent Pool, which is used to add agents to different queues; and
5. The Agent Status form, another read-only form that is used to summarize how many agents are in each ACD queue and the calls they are currently handling.

If you want the PBXAssistant to improve your call handling quality, increase revenue and boost your customer service, contact Bold at sales@boldgroup.com, or 719-593-2329.