Attendant console from start to finish

What it is for

This chapter takes you through the setup of an attendant console with Cisco phones in the right order. At the end, someone calls the main number, hears the greeting, an attendant answers and transfers the call safely to an extension.

Technically, the following chain is created: The main number is a CTI route point. EasyUC answers the call on a CTI port and holds it there for the entire duration. EasyUC sets up separate connections to the attendant and to the transfer destination and joins them with the caller. This is why the console can retrieve a call when the destination does not answer.

Prerequisites

• Licence with the modules cucm and acd.
• An administrative user with ROLE_APP_ADMIN, or with ROLE_APP_ACD_WORKSPACE and the area permissions for scripts, Call Control Groups, phonebook and attendant console, each with _EDIT.
• A configured CUCM connection with Cisco AXL Web Service and Cisco CTIManager running.
• One Cisco phone with its own line per attendant, assigned to a user in CUCM.
• A free main number and a free number block for the CTI ports.
• Network clearance for RTP between the phones and the EasyUC server, and G.711 in the region of the CTI ports.

Step by step: 1. Prepare CUCM

1. In CUCM, switch on "Allow Control of Device from CTI" on the phones of the attendants and on their lines.
2. On the lines of the attendants, make sure that no call forward on no answer to voicemail takes effect before the offer time of the console expires.
3. Define which Calling Search Space reaches all internal transfer destinations. It becomes the line CSS of the CTI ports.

Step by step: 2. CTI Application User and CTI ports

1. Open Calling Features → Calls → Call Control Groups.
2. Create the CTI Application User with Create in CUCM.
3. Create a Call Control Group with New group. Plan two ports for each simultaneous call (caller and attendant) plus a few spare ports.
4. In CUCM, set Maximum Number of Calls to at least 2 and Busy Trigger to 1 on the lines of the CTI ports.
5. Check the status in CUCM, roles and devices complete and the counters of the group. Details: chapter "Call Control Groups and CTI ports".

Step by step: 3. Main number as a script

1. Open Calling Features → Calls → Calling Features and click Create IVR.
2. Enter the Name Zentrale, select the main number through Number plan, select Language, Voice and the Call Control Group and click Save.
3. Open the Call flow, place Connect Call and Queue, connect the two, leave Agents (numbers) empty and click Save flow.
4. Check the state registered in the script list. Details: chapters "Create a script with a number" and "Call flow: all blocks".

Step by step: 4. Phonebook and line status

1. Open Calling Features → Calls → Phonebook, create a phonebook and add CUCM with your CUCM connection as a source.
2. Click Synchronise now and check the Entries tab.
3. Open Calling Features → Calls → Active Calls, click Setup and switch on live monitoring with Monitor all devices. Details: chapter "Active calls and live monitoring".

Step by step: 5. Create the console with the wizard

1. Open Calling Features → Calls → Attendant Console and click New console.
2. Step 1: Name of the console, CUCM connection, a queue Zentrale with the script Zentrale, Calls from CUCM, Greeting for the attendant. Save and continue.
3. Step 2: At least two people with New attendant login or Add an existing agent. One person receives the role Lead. Assign the phone for each person with Suggest devices. Save and continue.
4. Step 3: Tick the phonebook, Suggest keys by department and Apply. Save and continue.
5. Step 4: Opening hours with the template Mon to Fri 8:00 to 17:00. Save and continue.
6. Step 5: Check the greeting and the waiting announcement, give Overflow and Night action a destination. Finish setup.
7. Note down the credentials, which are displayed only once, and pass them on. Details: chapter "Set up the attendant console: overview and wizard" and the chapters on the individual tabs.

Step by step: 6. Checklist and test call

1. Work through all red items on the Checklist tab. For the devices, click Assign device and then Check devices now.
2. On the Attendants & devices tab, run a Test call for each device.
3. On the Behaviour tab, adjust delivery, Offer time (s), Recall after (s) and the auto-pause.

Step by step: 7. First transferred call

1. Log in as an attendant at https://<server>/admin/attendant, select the phone and click Start.
2. Call the main number from another phone. The caller hears the greeting, and the call card appears in the Queue in the console.
3. Press F2. The phone of the attendant rings or connects.
4. Type the name of an extension, highlight the match and press Enter.
5. If the extension answers, the call is transferred. In a second attempt, let it ring: After the recall time, the call is back in the console.
6. In the administration, switch to Night for one hour and check the night action with another call.

Fields and options

Check the result and narrow down errors

• Success: The checklist shows Everything is ready, the test call reaches the queue, answering with F2 and transferring with Enter work, and an unanswered call is recalled.
• The call does not appear in the queue: Check the checklist items Script routes callers into the queue and CUCM number reaches the queue. If the console is set to night, calls go to the night action.
• F2 reports Please answer on your phone.: The device does not allow CTI control or is not assigned to the CTI user.
• Answering fails with Kein freier CTI-Port. (No free CTI port.): The Call Control Group is too small or its ports are not registered.
• The transfer fails immediately: The line CSS of the CTI ports does not reach the destination.
• The call comes back as Forwarded at … (call forward or voicemail): A forward takes effect at the destination before the recall time. Shorten the recall time or lengthen the forward.
• Keys show no status: Live monitoring for all devices is missing.
• Check paths with Teams devices or Teams callers separately in the overview and the checklist before you put them into operation.