Agents Show Multiple Simultaneous Call Status in ContactNow

Symptom

Agents appear to have the multiple call statuses simultaneously in the administrative Status page.

Applies To

ContactNow agent status, displayed on the administrative Status page.

Cause

This typically happens when the agent handles inbound queue calls as well as Third Party Transfer (TPT) calls.

Calls that originate external to ContactNow, and which are transferred to a third party external to ContactNow, remain bridged through the ContactNow service until such calls terminate.

This is not something which can be changed.

Resolution

This is done to maintain call record details within ContactNow.

When an agent is on a call, they are placed in a call channel to flow voice communication under their agent name. That original channel remains open for the entire call, even after that call has been transferred away from the agent using Third Party Transfer (TPT).

When transferring a call, the agent dials out on a second channel to the third party. Once answered, the ContactNow service bridges both channels to allow transferee and third party to remain connected.

The reason for this process is that phone companies cannot initiate outbound calls from another phone company's phones. The alternative would be to inform the caller to contact the third party directly, and then end the original call.

Example

In the image below:

• Incoming Calls: The same agent has handled three inbound calls, listed under Incoming Calls. The agent transferred all of those calls, which are still actively connected. They will all continue to be associated with the original agent until those calls are fully terminated.
• Agent status: The same agent is currently connected on a new outbound call, so the agent is actually associated with four calls at this point.

Only the call under Agent status displays the agent's current real call activity.