Courtesy Callback reduces the time callers have to physically wait on hold or in a queue. The feature enables your system to offer callers (who meet your criteria) the option to receive a courtesy callback by the system instead of waiting on the phone for an agent. The caller who has been queued by Unified CVP can hang up and subsequently be called back when an agent is close to becoming available (preemptive callback).

Preemptive callback does not change the time a customer must wait to be connected to an agent, but rather enables the caller to hang up and not be required to remain in queue listening to music. Callers who have remained in queue or have undergone the callback treatment appears the same to agents answering the call.

If the caller decides to be called back by the system, they leave their name and phone number. Their request remains in the system and when the system determines that an agent will be available soon (or is available), then the system places a call back to the caller. The caller answers the call and confirms that they are the original caller and the system connects the caller to the agent after a brief wait.

In the event that the caller cannot be reached after a configurable max number and frequency of retries, the callback is aborted and the database status is updated appropriately. You can run reports to determine if any manual callbacks are necessary based on your business rules.

Note that you cannot schedule a callback for a specific time.

Note	There are a number of prerequisites and design considerations for using this feature. See the Cisco Unified Customer Voice Portal Release Solution Reference Network Design (SRND) guide.

Note	The Cisco Unified Customer Voice Portal Release Solution Reference Network Design (SRND) guide also describes how the system determines customer wait time and when to call the customer for the callback.

In your callback script, you can establish criteria for offering a caller a courtesy callback. Examples of callback criteria include:

• Number of minutes a customer is expected to be waiting in queue that exceeds a maximum number of minutes (based on your average call handling time per customer)

  Note	The included example scripts use this method for determining callback eligibility.

• Assigned status of a customer (gold customers may be offered the opportunity to be called back instead of remaining on the line)

• The service a customer has requested (sales calls, or system upgrades, for example, may be established as callback criteria)

The courtesy callback feature is implemented using Unified CCE scripts. The installation provides a set of modifiable example CCE scripts, call studio scripts, and audio files to get you started. You can use these scripts in your implementation after making a few required changes.

For more information, see CCE Script for Courtesy Callback.

If the caller decides to be called back by the system, they leave their name and phone number. Their request remains in the system and the EWT fires when the system places a callback to the caller. The caller answers the call and confirms that they are the original caller, and the system connects the caller to the agent after a short wait.

Note	Courtesy Callback is supported for IP originated calls as well.

A typical use of the Courtesy Callback feature follows this pattern:

1. The caller arrives at Unified CVP and the call is treated in the normal IVR environment.

2. The Call Studio and Packaged CCE Courtesy Callback scripts determine if the caller is eligible for a callback based on the rules of your organization (such as in the prior list of conditions).

3. If a courtesy callback can be offered, the system tells the caller the approximate wait time and offers to call the customer back when an agent is available.

4. If the caller chooses not to use the callback feature, queuing continues as normal.

   Otherwise, the call continues as indicated in the remaining steps.

5. If the caller chooses to receive a callback, the system prompts the caller to record their name and to key in their phone number.

6. The system writes a database record to log the callback information.

   Note	If the database is not accessible, then the caller is not offered a callback and they are placed in queue.

7. The caller is disconnected from the TDM side of the call. However, the IP side of the call in Unified CVP and Packaged CCE is still active. This keeps the call in the same queue position. No queue music is played, so Voice XML gateway resources used during this time are less than if the caller had actually been in queue.

8. When an agent in the service/skill category the caller is waiting for is close to being available (as determined by your callback scripts), then the system calls the person back. The recorded name is announced when the callback is made to insure the correct person accepts the call.

9. The system asks the caller, through an IVR session, to confirm that they are the person who was waiting for the call and that they are ready for the callback.

   If the system cannot reach the callback number provided by the caller (for example, the line is busy, RNA, network problems, etc.) or if the caller do not confirm they are the caller, then the call is not sent to an agent. The agent is always guaranteed that someone is there waiting when they take the call. The system assumes that the caller is already on the line by the time the agent gets the call.

   This feature is called preemptive callback as the system assumes that the caller is already on the line by the time the agent gets the call and that the caller has to wait minimal time in queue before speaking to an agent.

10. The system presents the call context on the agent screen-pop, as normal.

In the event that the caller cannot be reached after a configurable maximum number and frequency of retries, the callback is aborted and the database status is updated appropriately. You can run reports to determine if any manual callbacks are necessary based on your business rules.

See the Configuration and Administration Guide for Cisco Unified Customer Voice Portal http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/custcosw/ps1006/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html guide which provides a call flow description of the function of the scripts that provide the Courtesy Callback feature.

The Courtesy Callback feature must be configured on the following servers/gateways:

• Ingress Gateway (IOS configuration)

• Virtualized Voice Browser (no special configuration is required if you use VVB instead of VXML Gateway)

• Reporting Server (through the Packaged CCE Administration Tool)

• Media Server (upload of Courtesy Callback media files)

• Unified CVP VXML Server (upload of Call Studio Scripts)

• Packaged CCE

The following discussion provides an overview of the scripts used for the courtesy callback feature. There are nine numbered blocks, or sets of blocks, identified in the following figure.

Note	In the following example, the yellow comment blocks describe first the value being set and then the place where the value is being sent.

The following bullets provide descriptions for the numbered blocks in the preceding graphic:

• Block 1: Enable callback or shut it off.

• Block 2: Compute average wait time. Once the caller is in queue, calculate the Estimated Wait Time (EWT) for that queue and place the value in ToExtVXML[0].

  If there is poor statistical sampling because of sparse queues and the wait time cannot be calculated in the VXML Server, use the ICM-calculated estimated wait time.

  One method of calculating EWT (the method used in this example) is:

  
                              ValidValue(((SkillGroup.%1%.RouterCallsQNow+1)
                              *
                              (ValidValue(SkillGroup.%1%.AvgHandledCallsTimeTo5,20))
                              /max(
                              SkillGroup.%1%.Ready,
                              (SkillGroup.%1%.TalkingIn
                              +
                              SkillGroup.%1%.TalkingOut
                              +
                              SkillGroup.%1%.TalkingOther))
                              ),100)
  
                                  

  Modify this method if you are looking at multiple skill groups (when queuing to multiple skills).

• Block 3: Set up parameters to be passed.

• Block 4: Run this block and prompt the caller. If the caller does not accept the offer for a callback, keep the caller in the queue and provide queue music.

• Block 5: Set up variables. Call flow returns to this block if the caller elects to receive a callback. Otherwise, the call remains queuing in the queuing application (BillingQueue in this example) on the VXML Server.

• Block 6: Run external to Callback engine to keep the call alive. If the agent becomes available and there is no caller, then agent can't interrupt (do not want an agent to pick up and have no one there).

• Block 7: Has the caller rejected the callback call? If no, then go to block 8.

• Block 8: Compute average wait time, as in block 2.

• Block 9: Set up variables.

• Block 10: Put caller briefly into queue (after caller accepts the actual callback call).

The example IVR scripts provided for Courtesy Callback work as installed. To change how Courtesy Callback works, you can change the configuration of Courtesy Callback elements. This section lists the elements associated with Courtesy Callback and briefly describes the purpose of each one.