Number Management
Softdial CallGem™'s dialing algorithm calculates how many numbers it needs and when it needs them. The sequence is as follows:
- In the socket API world, this information is sent to the campaign layer via the Call Request [CR] message.
- The campaign layer should then respond, as soon as possible, with one or more (depending upon the number in the request) Make Call [MC] messages. It is possible to send excess Make Call [MC] messages to Softdial CallGem™, without having received a Call Request [CR].
- With both Softdial CallGem™ and the host talking to each other, campaigns opened and agents assigned to campaigns and available to take calls, Softdial CallGem™ will issue a Call Request [CR] message, asking for a specific number of telephone numbers to be sent to it, for a campaign (See Supplying predictive numbers to Softdial CallGem™, below).
- The CRM application should then respond by sending a series of Make Call [MC] messages, each with a telephone number (and an optional Session Identifier (SI)) in it.
Whether or not Call Request [CR] messages have been sent by Softdial CallGem™, the CRM application may in fact send as many Make Call [MC] messages as it likes, at any time. Although there are no restrictions, you should be aware that undialed numbers will be returned when the campaign is closed.
A Make Call [MC] message is a request. The data sent with the Make Call [MC] message is stored in a queue in Softdial CallGem™. Therefore, the message does not guarantee that the call will be attempted instantaneously, and in fact the call may never be attempted if, for example, a request to stop the campaign is received whilst the number is still in Softdial CallGem™'s queue. In general, a number will be tried within a few minutes of the Make Call [MC] request.
Obtaining numbers to dial
There are two ways that Softdial CallGem™ can get numbers to dial:
- in response to a request from Softdial CallGem™
Numbers will be sent in Make Call [MC] messages in response to Call Request [CR] messages from Softdial CallGem™. - on the CRM application's initiative only
The CRM application may use the Make Call [MC] message to send numbers to Softdial CallGem™ when there is no corresponding Call Request [CR] message.
Where does Softdial CallGem™ keep its numbers?
Softdial CallGem™ keeps numbers for dialing in one of 3 queues.
- Predictive queue:
This queue contains non-timed new numbers only. These are calls which are supplied to Softdial CallGem™ in Make Call [MC] messages, which do not contain a Planned Time (PT) parameter. - Planned time queue:
This queue is made up entirely of numbers for which a planned time to make the call has been set. These numbers can include up to five classes of call as follows:- Timed new numbers
These are numbers sent in a Make Call [MC] message containing a Planned Time (PT) parameter
- Abandoned call retries
- Busy retries
- No answer retries
- Answering machine retries
The last four of these will occur when the CRM application has requested Softdial CallGem™ to manage them. When Softdial CallGem™ is dialing retries, and no live call is achieved, then re-entry into the retry queues is determined by the latest call result. Thus if the retry of a no answer results in a busy, the telephone number will be put into the busy queue.
- Timed new numbers
- Agent-specific preview queue:
There is a third class of numbers that gets dialed when a predictive campaign is run which doesn't fall into either of the two queues described above. This class comprises any numbers sent to Softdial CallGem™ containing the Agent Identification Number for preview dialing. Softdial CallGem™ will hold any such numbers in reserve and dial them in order of receipt, as the specified agent(s) becomes available. See Preview.
Supplying predictive numbers to Softdial CallGem™
Softdial CallGem™ asks the CRM application for more numbers to dial, using the Call Request [CR] message, only when it wants to top up its predictive queue. CRM applications may choose to supply numbers for this queue only on demand, or may on their own initiative send numbers to Softdial CallGem™ for the predictive queue. For example, this may be because some customers prefer to pass a full batch of predictive numbers across to Softdial CallGem™ at the start of a shift. This may solve any problems arising from having to respond immediately to call requests.
Although we expect CRM applications to support, and customers to use, both methods of feeding Softdial CallGem™ numbers, we have assumed in much of this document that the drip feed method will be used, i.e. sending predictive numbers only when asked. This has potential consequences which business partners should note. See Call Starvation in Additional Notes.
Using the CallRequest [CR] message to manage the supply of numbers
For best predictive performance it is necessary to be able to dial numbers immediately Softdial CallGem™ determines that they are required. To limit the effects of latencies in the database, Softdial CallGem™ attempts to keep a small buffer of numbers to dial.
Whenever numbers are removed from the buffer a Call Request [CR] message is issued to request additional numbers to refill the buffer. The Number of Numbers (NN) parameter indicates how many numbers were removed from the buffer.
As Make Call [MC] messages are received by Softdial CallGem™ the count of numbers required is reduced, however only Make Call [MC] messages describing calls which can be dialled immediately, predictively, for any agent, will be put into the buffer and reduce the count used for the Number of Numbers (NN) parameter. Any others, e.g. agent specific callbacks, abandon retries (which must have an agent reserved for them), follow-up calls and planned time calls, will not be put into the buffer and the Number of Numbers (NN) parameter for subsequent Call Request [CR] messages will not reflect those numbers.
The total number of numbers required to fill the buffer when a Call Request [CR] message is issued is contained in the Queue Length (QL) parameter.
Therefore the value of the Number of Numbers (NN) parameter and the Queue Length (QL) parameter may be different where non-predictive Make Call [MC] messages have been received by Softdial CallGem™.
Additionally, it should be noted that over filling the buffer is permitted which may be useful if the source of numbers provides them in batches larger than the amount requested.
Supplying non-predictive numbers to Softdial CallGem™
This kind of call is any call falling into the second and third queue type described just above. The defining feature of all such calls provided by the CRM application in Make Call [MC] messages is that they will contain one or more of the following parameters:
- Abandon Retry (AR)
- Planned Time (PT)
- Agent Identifier (AN) (e.g. agent specific callback)
- Follow Up Call (FC) ( non agent specific callback or adhoc call)
Warning
Non-predictive numbers supplied to Softdial CallGem™ are dialed independently from the predictive mechanism, and integrators must ensure that Make Call [MC] messages which include any of the parameters listed above do not count towards meeting a Call Request [CR] message's requested number count. If so, Softdial CallGem™ may be starved of calls, and wait times may increase dramatically.
Removal and purging of undialed numbers from Softdial CallGem™
See the Purge Queue [PQ] and the Remove Number [RN] messages.
Return of dialed numbers
When a number has been dialed and the call outcome is known, Softdial CallGem™ always sends a Number Back [NB] message to the CRM application.
Duplicate numbers
CRM applications wishing to send duplicate numbers for whatever reason, should include the Session Identifier (SI) parameter. This was introduced in version 8.1 of Softdial CallGem™ for just this reason.
If Softdial CallGem™ receives a telephone number in a Make Call [MC] message which is a duplicate of one that it currently holds, or for which a call is in progress, it will check the Session Identifier (SI) parameter. If this is also a duplicate, Softdial CallGem™ will reject it in an error message.
See Session Identifiers for more details. See also the Open Campaign [OC] message.
Priority settings
Numbers going into the predictive queue may have a priority attached to them. This can be set using the Call Priority (CP) parameter in the Make Call [MC] message. Priorities for these numbers can be changed by sending a Number Priority [NP] message.