Consulting on and transferring interactions in Agent Workspace

While on an interaction, you can consult with another contact about the interaction or transfer the interaction to another contact in various ways. For information about consults and transfers, see Consults and transfers in Agent Workspace. Currently, you can consult on and transfer only calls.

Consulting with, and optionally transferring (warm) to, another contact

A consult is when you attempt to connect another participant to an active interaction. If the consult successfully connects, you and the consulted participant are connected, while all other participants are excluded from the communication; in the case of a phone call, other participants are placed on hold.

A warm transfer is a type of transfer in which you consult with another participant and then transfer the interaction to that participant. The original and consulted participants continue the interaction without you.

To consult with another contact, select the interaction you want to consult on in the conversation log. This interaction must be a call. The interaction details appear in the conversation window.

At the top of the window, alongside the existing participant's name, click the consult/transfer icon . The consult/transfer panel which contains the address book and keypad, appears. You can use either the address book or the keypad to identify the VCC agent, external contact, interaction plan, short code, or other type of contact, you want to consult with. For information about using the address book and keypad, see Using the address book and keypad in Agent Workspace.

• Using the address book, when you have located the entry you want to consult with, if the entry is available, hover over their entry. 
  
  As you hover, the entry is highlighted and two icons appear. To initiate the consult, click the consult or warm transfer icon:
  
• Using the keypad, when you have entered a number, click Consult.
  

As soon as you click to consult, the existing participant is placed on hold and you wait to be connected to your chosen VCC agent, external contact, interaction plan, short code, or other type of contact. When you are connected, the new participant (with telephone number +449876543210) appears above the original participant (with telephone number +441234567890) in the call bar. The original participant remains on hold.

Switching contacts

While you are connected to two participants, you can alternate who you are communicating with. To do so, click the consult actions menu icon  alongside either of the participants in the call bar and click Switch contacts. The original participant who was on hold is taken off hold and the consulted participant is placed on hold. You can switch contacts as many times as you like.

Merging contacts (conference call)

While you are connected to two participants, you can take both participants off hold, initiating a conference call. To do so, click the conference call icon  in the call bar.

All three participants can communicate with each other.

Releasing contact

While you are connected to two participants, you can disconnect from either participant. To do so, click the consult actions menu icon  alongside either of the participants in the call bar and click Release contact.

If you release the consulted participant, you will remain connected to the original participant and can continue the call with just that participant.
If you release the original participant, you will remain connected to the consulted participant and can continue the call with just that participant.  

Transferring to consulted participant (warm transfer)

While you are connected to two participants, you can transfer the call to the consulted participant. To do so, click the transfer icon .

The call is transferred to the consulted participant and you are no longer involved in this call. The original and consulted participants continue the call without you. The Log the conversation dialog box appears and you can add a disposition code or notes about the call and your involvement in it. For information about logging an interaction, see Logging an interaction in Agent Workspace.

Transferring (cold) to another contact

A cold transfer is a type of transfer in which you transfer an interaction directly to a contact without communicating with them first. A cold transfer can be assured or unassured depending on the type of contact you are transferring to. Transfers directly to VCC agents, short codes, and external numbers are assured, while transfers to interaction plans and integrated systems —  such as Microsoft Teams and VBC — are unassured.

To transfer directly to another contact, select the interaction you want to transfer in the conversation log. This interaction must be a call. The interaction details appear in the conversation window.

At the top of the window, alongside the existing participant's name, click the consult/transfer icon . The consult/transfer panel which contains the address book and keypad, appears. You can use either the address book or the keypad to identify the VCC agent, external contact, interaction plan, short code, or other type of contact, you want to transfer to. For information about using the address book or keypad, see Using the address book and keypad in Agent Workspace. When you have identified the contact to transfer to, click Transfer in either the address book entry or in the keypad:

• Address book:
  
• Keypad:
  

What happens when you click to transfer depends on whether the transfer is assured or unassured:

• Assured. You are disconnected from the interaction when the recipient connects.
• Unassured. You are disconnected from the interaction immediately.