The call center - it is as stressful as it is crucial. So, what's wrong with that?
Well, call center agents don't necessarily thrive on stress, which means they may sign up
with and then sign off from your call center with alarming alacrity. And yet, as much as
we may sympathize with the plight of call center agents, hardly anyone is prepared to
reduce agent stress by doing anything as radical as sacrificing productivity. Which is why
innovations that promise to reduce stress are also designed to enhance (not compromise)
productivity.
Typically, stress-reducing and productivity-enhancing innovations attack tedium.
Tedium, it is felt, betokens both dreariness and inefficiency. Thus, anything that
eliminates tedium makes life more cheerful and productive. Which explains why tedium
reducers are so popular. Examples include interactive voice response (IVR) systems,
predictive dialers, screen pops, and automatic call routing systems.
All of these innovations have one thing in common: They eliminate tedium within the
call center. Fine. But how about a really radical idea? How about eliminating tedium
outside the call center? Well, if you want to reduce overall stress, consider attacking
collateral stress, that is, sources of stress indirectly related to work, even if they
happen off-site. And here's a good place to start: the daily commute.
Few things contribute more to overall stress than fighting one's way to work, and
perhaps the best way to attack this source of stress is to implement some sort of
telecommuting solution. Telecommuting is an attractive option to both call centers and
call center agents. It helps reduce infrastructure costs, improve morale, and reduce
employee turnover.
One telecommuting solution, Teltone's OfficeLink 2000, allows call center agents to
access all the features and functionality of the corporate PBX from a remote location. For
the telecommuter, access to features such as DNIS (Dialed Number Identification Service),
ANI (Automatic Number Identification), conference, transfer, speed dial, visual message
waiting, and supervisor notification will be no different than they are in the office.
Products that project PBX features to remote locations are often called remote voice
products. Currently, such products are enjoying wide deployment as call centers go
"virtual," coordinating the efforts of agents located in geographically
disparate regions.
The OfficeLink 2000 achieves remote voice capabilities by utilizing a server that takes
the combined voice and call control data from a digital port on a PBX/ACD, and separates
the voice and call control into two distinct parts. The voice portion is transmitted via a
standard dial-in voice connection to a voice port on the OfficeLink 2000 server. The call
control data is transmitted between the remote agent (Office Link 2000 client) and the
server via a TCP/IP network.
The client side runs a software application which simulates the functionality of an
actual digital phone set. Thus, dialing, receiving calls, transferring calls, and other
call control functions are accomplished from a graphical user interface. Special features
such as login to the ACD queue, logout, "go available," and "go
unavailable," can be mapped to buttons on the OfficeLink client interface. In the
office, supervisors can track telecommuters' PBX/ACD statistics and call information, the
same way they track the information for workers on site.
When we decided to test the OfficeLink 2000, we learned that we needed several pieces
of expensive hardware, including PBXs, emulation cards (from Voice Technologies Group),
and specialty voice boards (from Natural MicroSystems). For convenient access to all this
hardware, we visited Teltone's headquarters, in Bothell, Washington. In fact, all of our
work with the OfficeLink 2000 was accomplished at the Teltone site.
INSTALLATION/DOCUMENTATION
The OfficeLink 2000 installation demanded an impressive array of hardware. We needed to
install an AG-8 board (from Natural MicroSystems), a digital emulation board (from Voice
Technologies Group), and the OfficeLink 2000 software onto a Trenton industrial backplane
PC. Fortunately, the OfficeLink 2000 installation included the NMS and VTG drivers; thus,
we had to run only one setup.exe file, which automatically ran the NMS driver setup and
the VTG driver setup.
Overall, the server installation was exceptionally easy - with respect to both hardware
and software. When we completed the server installation, we moved on, connecting the
OfficeLink 2000 server to a Lucent Definity PBX. At this point, we installed a couple of
clients. The client installation occasioned no difficulties, that is, nothing more
difficult than a simple setup.exe file and a few configuration settings.
Overall, we were impressed that the OfficeLink 2000 presented such a simple
installation process, even though the product calls upon an array of complex hardware. We
had no choice but to give the OfficeLink 2000 a perfect 5 rating for installation.
DOCUMENTATION
Teltone documented the hardware installation in excruciating detail. Within the
administrator manual, Teltone includes charts which indicate where you should install the
NMS AG-8 (or AG-T1) cards and the VTG digital set emulation cards. Depending on the number
of each card and type of each card, as well as the total number of ISA slots available in
the chassis, the chart tells you exactly where to place each of the NMS and VTG cards.
Although installation was thoroughly documented, the user's manual was very brief.
Indeed, we'd have liked to have seen more detail here. There's only so much you can fit on
a single sheet, even if you print on both sides.
The double-sided, single-sheet approach was also used for the client documentation. In
this case, however, it sufficed. Here, a quick reference guide explained how to perform
all of the main functions, such as logging in and out, taking a call, and using speed dial
The printed documentation for the client, while brief, was adequate because the
application was so intuitive. In addition, the online help provided a lot of useful
information.
The first screen of the client-side online help featured a clean interface with
colorful icons. On subsequent pages, most of the help pages featured gray boxes beside
features of interest. Click on the gray box, get more detailed help. Though this was
sufficient, we would have preferred another method. We'd have rather clicked on an area of
a captured screenshot to call up more detailed help for whatever feature might pertain to
that area.
FEATURES
- SNMP monitoring.
- DDE compliance. (Useful for screen pops to GoldMine, Act!, etc.)
- Support for PBX/ACD systems manufactured by AT&T/Lucent, Siemens, and Nortel.
- Accelerator keys. (It's possible to define keyboard shortcuts to enhance speed and
productivity.)
- Two call appearances.
Some features visible to the remote agent:
- Mapping of the digital phone set's LCD display to the client's screen.
- ACD queue statistics.
- Caller ID.
- Agent ready/not ready.
- After call work.
- Voice mail waiting indicator.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
After installing the software and hardware, and configuring the settings, we tested the
usability of the OfficeLink 2000. Specifically, we checked out the GUI and the
administrative features, we routed a call through a PBX to a remote agent, and we
experimented with the different connectivity types, as well as a few miscellaneous
features.
Main GUI
The main GUI, a thin, rectangular window, looked like a floating toolbar. Yet, while
unobtrusive, the GUI was versatile. It consisted of several icons, including keys to logon
to the ACD queue, a stop light (indicating whether you are available or unavailable), a
phone icon that changes color and goes off hook depending on your phone's status (ringing,
on-hook, off-hook), a wrap-up button, a voice mail indicator, an options icon, and the
help icon.
This low-profile GUI could also be expanded. In its expanded state, the GUI displayed a
touchtone interface for dialing, speed dial buttons, and call control functions, as well
as special buttons that could be programmed to permit access to queue time or other
information.
Routing Calls
We called a remote agent to evaluate the product's overall performance. Our call, which we
dialed into a PBX, was automatically transferred by the PBX to what it thought was a
digital phone set. The call, however, actually went to a VTG digital station emulation
port on the OfficeLink 2000 server. This server in turn transmitted the voice over the
analog connection between the remote agent and the OfficeLink 2000's NMS analog (or T1)
boards.
To transmit the data that is normally displayed on the LCD display of a digital phone
set, as well as the call control information, OfficeLink 2000 supports any TCP/IP
connection, usually a second analog line. Thus, the OfficeLink 2000 is a two-line
solution, although you could use a single ISDN line, using one 64-kbps channel for voice,
and the other 64-kbps channel for the data.
After we placed the call, the phone icon on the remote agent side changed color, and
the handset became animated, indicating an incoming call. To take the call, we simply
clicked on the phone icon or one of the "Line" indicators, and we were able to
have a conversation.
Within the yellow display area of the main GUI, caller ID may be displayed (if
available). In addition, this area can display any other typical phone LCD display
information, such as average hold time, longest caller in queue, and other call center,
PBX, or ACD statistics. Whatever information can be displayed on a standard digital phone
set can also be displayed through OfficeLink's software, which emulates a digital
phoneset, including the phoneset's LCD display. In fact, to the PBX, the ports running
into the PBX from the OfficeLink server appear as regular digital phone sets. The PBX
doesn't know the difference.
In summary, our phone call was routed from the PBX to the OfficeLink, then over analog
POTS to the remote agent's standard analog phone, all quite seamlessly and rapidly. There
was no perceptible delay in making the call and hearing the phone ring, nor was there any
delay in displaying call information on the "soft phone" (main GUI), which
utilized a data connection over a TCP/IP network.
Connection Types
OfficeLink 2000 features two types of connections, depending on your needs. With the
product's Continuous Connection, the OfficeLink 2000 client remains connected to the
OfficeLink 2000 server continuously after login, and incoming calls are routed directly to
the agent. This permits incoming calls to be answered rapidly since the server does not
need to dial-out to the remote agent for each call.
With the product's Per Call Connection, incoming calls are received by the agent after
logging in, and only when the server establishes a voice connection for each individual
incoming or outbound call. Thus, there is a slight delay while the OfficeLink 2000 dials
the remote agent to connect the incoming call or allow an outbound call through the
OfficeLink server. This type of connection is best used for an agent who receives few
calls. The advantage is that it does not require the phone connection to be established
until an incoming call is received, or until an agent initiates an outbound call.
Administration
The OfficeLink 2000 was easy to manage and maintain. We were able to access a centralized
GUI, and use it to configure general settings, configure the switch and PSTN settings,
setup agents, monitor the agents, configure alerts, and perform testing.
The task of setting up agents was particularly straightforward. A well-organized screen
helped us define or review each agent's vital statistics: unique ID, agent name, port
assignment on the OfficeLink server, PSTN assignment, phone number, and extension.
The only drawback we found is hardly worth mentioning. (All right, we'll mention it:
The grid control used to display information couldn't be resized to create a view capable
of displaying more information.)
One last thing: We ran Windows NT's built-in Performance Monitor. Doing so gave us a
convenient way to track "Server Logins" and "Agents on Calls".
Other
We logged in and logged out of the ACD queue, and then we tried going
"available" and "unavailable." We also tried out the wrap-up button on
the client's GUI. (This button, which excuses the agent from taking incoming calls, allows
the agent to finish taking notes or entering data about a call before taking another one.)
In every instance, everything worked fine.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Sounds Good, But Could Sound Bettter
You can set the internal computer speaker to alert you to an incoming call by playing a
.WAV file. However, your choices are limited to the one .WAV file that is included with
the product. We'd like a wider range of choices. We'd like to choose any .WAV file we
might happen to have on hand.
Looks Good, But Could Look Better
While the top half of the GUI is colorful, the bottom half is a bit dull, with black
lettering on a gray background. We'd like to be able to customize the foreground and
background colors, as well as assign different colors for each of the buttons.
Pending Improvements
According to Teltone, a couple of the changes we'd like to see are already on their way.
The first of these involves the ANI display, which disappears from the OfficeLink client
screen after a couple of seconds. We'd like the GUI to display the ANI information longer
than that. In fact, Teltone personnel tell us a more persistent ANI display will be
available in the product's next version (1.4).
Another pending improvement concerns the client GUI. We thought the client GUI should
let the user specify the phone number at which the user is located. Such a capability
would be convenient if a client were to change location or phone number. According to
Teltone, this capability will be available in the product's next version.
Finally, CompactPCI for hot-swappable capabilities would be a nice touch, particularly
for those corporations that demand 100 percent uptime. We're told Teltone is waiting on
NMS's CompactPCI boards before they implement this capability.
Other Improvements
We'd like to avoid having to logout of OfficeLink 2000 whenever we change an option. (For
instance, when we activated auto-answer, OfficeLink 2000 didn't auto-answer until we
exited and reloaded the client application.) Also, we'd like the product to support more
call appearances. (Currently, OfficeLink 2000 supports just two call appearances.)
Finally, we'd like to see support for DHCP. (DHCP support would aid administration.)
CONCLUSION
While we started out emphasizing reasons a company would implement telecommuting
voluntarily, we should also point out that companies may not have the luxury of choice.
That is, they may be obliged to implement telecommuting. The fact is, many states now
mandate some form of telecommuting. And telecommuting requirements may grow more stringent
as environmental concerns grow more pressing.
Whether telecommuting is, in any instance, a choice or an obligation, Teltone's
OfficeLink 2000 is a fantastic solution for corporations looking to expand their
telecommuting options. Since the OfficeLink 2000 server supports up to 48 telecommuters
per OfficeLink server, scalability isn't an issue. And, since the product works with
analog lines, which are available in nearly all homes, corporations needn't implement
costly ISDN lines in each telecommuter's home.
We were extremely impressed at OfficeLink's ease of installation, simple to use GUI,
client-server architecture, and excellent price point. As such, TMC Labs highly recommends
Teltone's OfficeLink 2000 to solve corporate telecommuting needs.
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