One of the major advantages of CTI Applications is availability of huge computation power of computer along with telecom functions. Many telephone systems like PBX or answering machines can also have some computational power using which some call routing or other smart features can be implemented. But they can not perform highly complicated logical decision which is easily possible by a CTI applications.

One such small but widely used in some specific areas function of any telephone system is Call Screening! Call screening can be defined as filtering of incoming or outgoing call based on the caller ID or dialed number.

In incoming scenario, CLI ( Caller Line Identification) can be used to either allow incoming call or block it. Apart from CLI, DNI ( Dialed Number Identification) can also be used to allow of block calls. This is very useful in PRI connectivity in India where one PRI is normally provided with 100 different numbers along with one vanity number, known as “pilot number”. This kind of DNI based call screening could be used for many purposes!

In outgoing call screening scenario, the call could be allowed using either dialed number or dialing extension or both. Very often, in a office with PBX systems, few extensions are provided with direct dial facility to dial out. This kind of system exists in hotels too where some rooms can make international calls while others not. Similar restrictions are used by telecom service providers too where some numbers do not have international calling facility!

All these are instances of “call screening” of various types. Almost all call screening facility described above can be implemented in a PBX. But CTI based call screening have advantages:-

1. It is not easy to edit or change the “call screening” condition while using PBX features.

2. Only trained PBX personal can program or make changes in “call screening” logic. Also they can only add new numbers or extensions.

3. CTI based “Call Screening” systems have simple GUI based options to edit, change in call screening logic which can be understood and operated by any one who knows how to use computer mouse and read English.

4. Complex logic or even dynamically changing parameters ( like time of the day) can be used for call blocking/unblocking function.

5. Large list of phone numbers can be used for checking call blocking/unblocking conditions. Present day NDNC ( National Do Not Call) registry is nothing but such a list.

CTI based Call Screening system can also be used to routing of calls intelligently. It can also store all records of any blocked or unblocked calls and present them in refined ways. It is easy to share such call reports and convert to different formats like Excel Sheet which is understood by all.

CTI based “Call Screening” could be used in jails too where inmates would be allowed to receive calls from specified number at specified time only. Similarly, inmate would be able to make calls to specified number once in a month. All these would happen automatically, without any human intervention with proper call report.

So, if you require any type of “call screening” system for your office, hotel or hostel, it is time to implement a CTI based call screening system!

Recently, Tata Docomo, India is advertising about IVR used in its customer care where it says that in order to keep it simple, they allow caller to speak to human agent quickly without going through maze of key-presses, listening lengthy and boring menu announcements!

Well, one line comes to my mind quickly, if you want your caller to get connected to human agent, without having to use self service IVR, then please use ACD ( automatic call distribution ) system available in almost any PBX available now a days!

The actor is Ranbir Kapoor, one of the most popular young actor in Hindi film industry. The script is in Hindi, the English translation would look resemble below :-

“Think if every one starts speaking the way customer care of mobile compaies treat their customer when they call,”

Daughter would say, “Daddy, may I have ice cream ?”
Father would reply, “If you want now, press 1, if you want to have it later, press 2″ ( laughter)

Daughter : Daddy, do you love me ?
Father : Your question is very important to us, please be online

(laughter)

While TATA-DOCOMO may think that making their caller to speak to human agent, “they are keeping it simple”, they should remember few points here about IVR :-

1. IVR is essentially a system which is capable of providing important information to caller on telephone in voice without any human intervention. While the same task can be performed by human, but machines perform better than human 24 hours a day with more efficiency as they don’t tire, they don’t take lunch break ( or attends natures call )!

2. A machine like IVR gets tired or bored unlike humn either it is morning or evening, summer or winter and can never abuse the caller even when abused or provoked by the caller!

3. Machines do not leave the job and join a rival company!

Finally, while IVR may not be the answer to all customer problems, but it can surely provide some information related to mobile phones like prepaid balance, listen to current bill amount and bill due date etc.

So, TATA Docomo should hire IVR specialist or VUI ( Voice User Interface) designer to make their customer care simpler and more efficient!

What is call back feature ?

Call Back feature is when a person call a number and then disconnect and immediately that dialed number calls back the person. Now the person can enter another phone number and get connected to that phone number! This kind of phone number which calls back a person is also known as DID ( Direct Inbound Dialing) or Direct Dial-in.

Implementing Call Back Service using IVR

Call back feature is implemented using a smart IVR ( Interactive Voice Response) System which performs three tasks :-

1. Detect caller ID and look up in a database if the caller id is a registered for call back service.

2. If the detected Caller ID is a registered user for call back service, then make an outbound call.

3. Once the Caller ID picks up the call, prompt for entering a phone number. The IVR then makes another out bound call to this entered phone number and bridge with the earlier call.

Recently, this kind of call back service is also available as web based service where a user just login to a website, enters his own registered number and then the other number with whom he wants to speak to. Call back service is used where direct dialing is costlier.

So, majorly call back feature is useful for lowering call cost or when a company does not want its subscribers for making support calls. Presently, most people use Toll Free number for this purpose. Toll free numbers are those numbers where caller does not pay, but the owner of the toll free number pays per minute charges.

But with falling outbound call rates as well as smart arrangement of outbound IVR arrangements, companies are now actively looking to use call back services instead of costlier toll free numbers.

A typical toll free number in India costs around Rs. 2.5/- per minute while an outbound call from a call center using outbound IVR and EPABX arrangement as I described in my earlier post about outbound Calling arrangement in India , per minute cost of making outbound call would be less than 45 paise per minute or completely free for small monthly subscription!

With this kind of cost advantage, many people are now receptive to the idea of using call back service instead of traditional toll free number. Apart from cost advantage, call back service offers few other advantages too :-

1. Since it is an outbound call with IVR behind it, it may call back at any time and record a message if there is no one to receive the call. In a toll free, either it will have to be received by some one or it will simply ring out without any record of it.

2. In a call center, iit is possible that Call Back will dial out the number while ensuring a customer care executive available to receive the call. It will increase customer satisfaction and can increase efficiency of customer care executives.

3. Many advanced feature could be implemented using the same IVR hardware.

So, if you are really looking to minimise your toll free numbers cost and maximise automation using IVR, most probably, it is time you look for call back service with smart Outbound IVR!

Recently, I have come across some interesting outbound IVR ( Interactive Voice Response System) implementation. While it may not be the best outbound IVR arrangement, but it sure is the cheapest and most reliable in the circumstances in India. Just to mention, majority of the outbound IVR applications dial out a number, plays a recorded message and disconnect. It does not capture any response from the called party.

OUTBOUND IVR Implementation in India

How is this outbound IVR implemented ?

It uses a EPABX ( Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange ) which has minimum one PRI card in it as well as few FXO/CO lines. Then it uses normal SIM ( Subscriber Identity Module) of all available GSM operators available in India ( GSM Cards available on many EPABX models in India). There are also few equipment called “E1 PRI ISDN GSM Gateway” which allows connecting multiple SIMs at one end and E1/PRI link at the other.

Apart from this, it uses normal CTI board with E1/PRI connectivity and one smart outbound IVR with database connectivity.

Now, the role of the smart outbound IVR is :

1. The outbound IVR is designed such that it is able to detect the operator once it picks the phone number from database to make an outbound call.

2. Once it detects the operator, it seizes a channel from CTI board which corresponds to the SIM of the same operator in the “E1 PRI ISDN GSM Gateway”. So, it uses the same operator SIM to make the outbound call. If it is landline number, it uses the FXO/CO line to make outbound call!

So, at the end, it is just a very smart ‘least cost routing’ feature available in many EPABX models!

How does t benefit ?

In India, operators have various tariff plans where one can make unlimited calls anywhere across the country in its same network. For example, an Airtel Mobile subscriber can make unlimited number of calls to any other Airtel number all across India. If it is not unlimited, then it is very big number for a fixed cost.

Whereas, if one uses normal PRI or E1 links from telecom operators, they do not have this kind of tariff for users. So, making he outgoing calls from SIMs than PRI lines are much cheaper than making outbound calls from PRI lines.

Big call centers or hosted IVR providers may subscribe to PRI lines from all telecom operators, but the the hardware and software cost will also be enormous, apart from maintenance problems. So, it is observed that, many people are using this kind of arrangement for making outbound Bulk voice calls.

While talking to some telecom operators, they have no idea about this practice. Some people had told me about demerits of using SIM to make calls like network congestion, signal problems etc!

This is quite interesting implementation of outbound IVR in India!

It may not be easy to define a successful IVR ( Interactive voice response) System. In single line, one IVR system could be termed successful when it has lowest abandon rate by both genuine new and old callers. When an IVR system is designed to perform some specific task for a caller, if the caller completes those tasks using the IVR easily at the shortest time possible, then the IVR will have very less abandonment rate and the IVR could be termed successful IVR.

For example, if one IVR system retrieves outstanding bill for telephone number, the caller should be able to hear his/her outstanding bill at the shortest possible time, without failure with having to choose minimum options, either using DTMF/Key-press or voice command. If the caller disconnects the call before he hears his outstanding bill amount, then it would be ‘abandon of IVR call’. But if the caller listens to his outstanding bill amount, and then disconnects the call, it is ‘successful IVR call’.

So, apart from technical challenge (developing the IVR software, integrating with PBX/ IP-PBX etc.), the major consideration for IVR or any voice application for matter, remains making the most user-friendly IVR call flow or Voice User Interface (VUI) design. So, success of IVR will depend on majorly on the VUI design! The callers who are the users of IVR system, will care little about the technology involved for developing the IVR system and will care about only the information they want. If they do not find it easy to get the information they want, IVR system is useless for them. ( One may check #ivr #ivrs trending in twitter.com to find how people hate about IVRS, everywhere in the world!)

There are two types of caller, new caller and old or regular callers to any IVR system. One of the most common complaint by regular caller is the change of menu options! In any customer care IVR system, normally, regular caller outnumber new callers, if call flow is changed, suddenly, there is no longer any old or regular caller for the IVR as everybody becomes new caller. Everybody will have to listen to all menu options as long as the prompts play! This increases not only abandon calls, but also increase time spent on the IVR system by callers! Normally, IVR system should aim to complete its ‘task’ at the shortest time, to server more caller with fixed number of lines.

Recently, I have experienced increase in demand from IVR users who wanted to have options to change the call flow using some visual tools, I always wanted to discourage them! Though visual tool is an excellent way for developing IVR application, it should not be used to keep changing the call flow quickly or just for the sake of changing it and just because one has a easy visual tool to change it! Else the very purpose of installing IVR system would be defeated and one will own a failed IVR system with high call abandon rate!

Designing IVR call flow is very important for success of an IVR deployment, and sticking to the same call flow is also equally important. Call flow should be changed only when it is a must, other wise IVR call flow should not be changed. One is sure to see spike in abandoned calls when call flow is changed.

Caller Ring Back Tone or CRBT has become major revenue earner for both teleom companies as well as value added service providers. Not to mention, music companies. Though, I personally prefer the “good old” ring back tone to the latest music number, but many people have been using it on their cell phone, or even land line numbers.

Occasionally, I keep getting mails about how CRBT can be implemented, recently one guy mailed me specifically, “could we implement CRBT locally in our PABX installed in our office ?”, It got me thinking, and I thought I would share my thinking here. Yes, anyone can implement CRBT or caller ring back tone ( Color Ring Back Tone is also used by some, specifically in Dialogic Application Notes) in their PABX system as long as it has digital interface for CTI boards. Technically, that is. Be careful with music copyright though!

But, in a way, CRBT was always present in PBX system in the form of HOLD music during transferring a call, call parking, call on hold ( in a limited way of course)! The same hold music was converted to CRBT which became very successful in terms of hype and revenue.

I have always maintained that CRBT is nothing but an IVR application which generates lot of money ( for Telecom companies) and which has brought IVR to masses! So, it order to implement CRBT, all you need is IVR applicaion with database integration!

Here is how one can implement CRBT on a ISDN PRI in a on premise PABX :-

• Every incoming call is send to IVR application by PBX which is connected PBX using ISDN link.
• IVR applications receives the incoming call on say channel A, retrieves “dialed number” information from the incoming call.
• IVR then checks the database if the dialed number has subscribed to CRBT and also a particular music.
• IVR now dials out the “dialed number” using separate and available channel ( say channel B) of the ISDN Link and checks if it is ringing. If yes, then it plays the particular music to the incoming call ( CRBT of dialed number for the caller). If not, it is busy, it will play busy tone or directly bridge both the channels, ie incoming and outgoing channels A and B.
• As soon as channel B detects call pick up by the “dialed number”, it will bridge both channel A and B.
• When any one of the parties disconnects, change back to original!

This scheme may not be the optimal solution for implementing CRBT as it uses two channels known as trombone, but this works! Did I mention, you must use Digital CTI board which supports call bridging feature ? Almost all Dialogic digital boards or equivalent from other manufacturers have this facility.

So, if someone is thinking of implementing CRBT for one’s office, you may see all people dialing each other, listening to music!

What is a Voice Mail System (VMS) and a Answering Machine ?

Voice mail system can be thought as a message box for phone user to store voice messages and retrieve it through telephone. User can divert all his calls to his voice mail system when he wishes so.
Main difference between answer machine and voice mail system is that voice mail system is a centralized system where voice mail boxes are managed for many users, while answering machine is an independent individual system connected to a telephone line. Many telephone instrument comes with built-in answering machine.

Typicl picture of Answering Machine

Answering machine is usually suitable for home use for single line, while voice mail system is more suitable for office use where there are multiple telephone connections as well as extensions through EPABX.

A typical voice mail system operation:
A traditional voice mail system operates in the following way :
1. A dials B.
2. B is unable to attend the call. So call from A gets diverted to voice mail box of B.
3. Caller A hears a greetings from B welcoming him to mailbox of B and asks A to leave/record his voice message after a beep.
4. Once caller A speaks to record his voice message for B, he gets option to hear what he has recorded or hang up.
5. Next time whenever B lifts his phone, he gets to hear a message that he has an unheard voice message that can be heard by pressing some key.
6. If B is out of town, B can dial his voice mail box number ( a predefined number connected to voice mail system) to check if new voice mail has arrived. Then he can browse through his voice mails, listens them, delete them.

A Typical Answering Machine Operation:
1. A dials B.
2. After certain number of rings ( programmable or configurable), answering machine attached to the telephone of B gets activated and answers the call of A.
3. Answering machine greets A and asks to leave a message for B after beep.
4. A records his message and hangs up.
5. B can see a alert text message on his answering machine that a message is stored.
6. B presses a key on the answering machine and listens to it, can delete.

Normally, voice mail system is like an IVR system, invisible to the real user and resides somewhere else, normally at Telecom operator office. While answering machine is a small device attached to the telephone line lying nearby to the telephone instrument or inbuilt into the telephone instrument itself.

Many voice mail systems offer option to reply the voice mail sender through voice again, which is not possible in answering machine! Answering machine is being replaced by voice mail system as voice mail systems offer more features, accessibility.

Recently voice mail systems has developed into a powerful unified messaging solutions integrated with many other communication media line Email, SMS, FAX etc. thanks to smart implementation of IVR systems. I will be updating about it more in my next post about building smart voice mail system using a low cost 4 port analog CTI board.

Most probably, the most dreaded and time consuming part of deployment of IVR system is the integration of CTI board with the telecom switch or EPABX. And if EPABX or switch is of lower end or from smaller EPABX manufacturer ( there are few in India), it may become really a nightmare for IVRS integrator or IVR Software provider.

While integrating IVR System with big Telecom operator, the blame of technical incompetence always fall on IVR software provider, specially in India. And if it is a government agency or PSU (Public Sector Undertaking), it is a real pain (anyone can guess where it is)! One needs real talent for handling those people. I have seen technical support engineer from CTI vendor spending months trying to integrate high end CTI board with certain Indian PSU! Once it took me almost 2 months of cajoling certain Indian PSU official to explain and make them understand them they are not sending DNI(Dialed Number Identification) due to which my Dialogic Board is not detecting any DNI.

Here is a list of problems IVR System integrators face with EPABX supplier or Switch People:-

1. Interfacing protocol
Most of the time, switch people or EPABX support people do not provide proper and complete information interfacing protocol to be used. Most commonly used interfacing protocols are SS7, ISDN PRI, R2MF or analog. One may say, analog interfacing is the easiest as it requires the least interaction with switch guys or EPABX supplier for integrating with CTI boards.

2. Lack of experimentation support
It is really pain to ask them for minor parameter change like CRC ON or OFF, which is a major problem in interfacing digital CTI boards with switch/EPABX. Many switch guys or EPABX people just do not want to change those parameter even for 5 minutes or so for testing purpose. Also worst part is, they do not inform accurately about the CRC status at their switch end. To be fair to switch guys, I think they do so because they can not afford to change those parameter as they may effect their existing working connections! But than there are various options, right ?

3. Lack of common jargon
EPABX or switch people seem to be using a lot jargon which is not easily understandable to CTI Board support team or IVR developers. With lack of proper communication, normally by the switch or EPABX manufacturer, things get worse. E1 lines are known as PCM lines by many Telecom engineers. In SS7 protocol, time slot number for signaling and voice differ from one Telecom operator to another and this is normally not communicated properly. In ISDN protocol, many EPABX manufacturer use Trunk Mode or User mode while CTI manufacturer use jargon like Terminal Mode and Network mode. It is not easy to relate those and poor IVR system developers suffer in between.

4. Lack of Communication between Switch team and CTI Technical Support
Generally during IVR system deployment, IVR software provider supplies the CTI board as well as the IVR software. In that scenario, most of the time, CTI technical support engineers do not interact with switch team or EPABX supplier and every communication go through the IVR software provider. This also add to the problems of IVR Software provider as he gets to hear complaints ( taunts) form both sides that the hardware from other side is not working properly. IVR software provider may experience really hard time providing logs from both sides to each other and explaining the significance to both sides.

Well, many IVR engineers, consultants must be facing these kind of problems or many more all the time and somehow managing to solve them. But this kind of avoidable problems really is painful to third party IVR developers.

One thing I keep asking myself is, EPABX manufacturer does not support IVR application developers while that is in their interest ? IVR developers or third party CTI developers can surely help EPABX manufacturer by helping developing many value added services for their switches PBXs.

My personal experience has been that CTI manufacturer provide very good support and assistance to IVR developers while EPABX manufacturers or switch guys do not provide much help to IVR software providers. I have been quite happy with supports from CTI manufacturer like Dialogic, Donjin, Synway. They have been helping me quite out of the way to integrate their boards with various switches/EPABX. Sadly, I can not say same thing with switch guys or EPABX manufacturers.

Most probably, the time has come to form an association of IVR suppliers in the world to demand and protect their rights by IVR professionals where they get legitimate and necessary support from switch/EPABX manufacturer for smooth deployment of IVR systems.

I think, analog CTI boards most problematic to configure other than simple incoming or inbound IVR Software. They are dependent on switch or PBX connected to them for many basic IVR functions, call operations. I am trying to list here the problems I had been facing while using analog CTI boards:-

1. Disconnect
2. Dial Tone
3. Dial out
4. Caller Id

1. Disconnect
You need to ‘define’ the disconnect tone to your IVR application so that it can detect disconnect. This disconnect tone may vary from PBX to PBX. Dialogic has a tool PBXpert to detect various analog tones like dial tone, disconnect tone, busy tone, ring back tone etc. With CRBT ( Caller Ring Back Tone) being popular now a days, detection of ring back tone has just become more difficult.

2. Dial Tone
Dial tone also varies from one PBX manufacturer to another. This dial tone becomes very important when you make an outgoing call. IVR application may be unable to make outgoing call if it fails to detect dial tone. Though there are ways to dial out without detecting dial tone or learn dial tone and feed in IVR application, it is still not easy.

3. Dial out
Once successfully dial out, it may not be easy to detect if dialled party has picked up the call. Many people use Call Progress Analysis to detect, if person has picked up the call. But I always think, it is not easy or it does not work accurately all the time.

4. Caller ID
Unlike in digital CTI boards or Digital Telephony interface, caller ID detection is almost a pain and it may not work accurately all the time. Normally, in analog interface with PBX, the caller id is sent by PBX in DTMF form after first or second ring. So, it is really cumbersome to detect Caller ID.

Digital CTI boards with digital interface does not have the above problems. So it would be nice if one can avoid using analog CT boards and use digital boards. Though digital boards are costlier, but now a days there are many CTI vendors which have digital CTI boards which are priced very competitive.

I have thought of an arrangement to avoid using analog CTI cards. Though it may make the IVR system costlier, but most probably, it will be good arrangement in terms of future enhancements, more features. My thinking is to use use a EPABX with PRI card. the CTI board will be connected to EPABX through E1 connectivity and use ISDN PRI protocol. Commonly used and widely available. In turn EPABX may have CO lines from telephone service provider ( analog lines which other wise you wold have connected to CTI board directly). This kind of EPABX may cost less than Rs. 150,000/-

Now, when price of 4 port CTI boards starts with Rs. 10,000/-, investing another Rs. 150,000 on a EPABX and another Rs. 30,000 for a digital CTI board, may not make sense, honestly! But there are some benefit of using this kind of arrangement for for specific IVR application and outbound IVRS is one of them, considering the cost of hiring a E1 link from telephone service provider.

But, the problems I have listed above can be solved by smartly writing your IVR software. In fact, they must be routine problems for many IVR developer, unfortunately no document is available on net, at least I could not Google it. And I am yet to write a smart IVR application for analog CTI board as I started my IVR software development with Dialogic D300 board and R2MF protocol!

Recently, I commissioned a IVR Software in a call center in India. I have gone through a good learning process about not only Call Center, but also how IVR can be used smartly to serve customers better, solve customer problems at shortest possible time as well as minimizing call agent intervention!

My client is a ISP (Internet Service Provider) as well as Cable TV operator. They have large subscriber base with almost 10000 calls to the call center a day with calls ranging from customer complaint, inquiry for cable TV connection, internet connection. They had existing CRM software and they were trying to augment their call center with smart IVR Software which could integrate with existing CRM software for lodging complaint and generate complaint ticket, retrieving existing complaint status as well as retrieving officer in charge for rectifying the complaint and expected arrival time at his premises. The IVR was also expected to make outbound calls as soon as a complaint is rectified and customer had option to close if the complaint is resolved successfully or re-lodge the complaint if not resolved to his satisfaction.

One more part was to send an SMS informing the complaint has been rectified if customer has a mobile number stored in its customer record. Also SMS intimation along with complaint ticket number generated by IVR system as soon as call is disconnected from IVRS.

We used Dialogic D300 boards and ISDN protocol. The total Call Center Software consisted of IVR, Voice Logger, ACD ( Automatic Call Distribution), IVR Triggered Agent Screen Capture Module, SMS (Short Messaging Service) Module and MIS ( Management Information System).

So, using this smart IVR Application, a customer could do the following without having to talk to call agent :-

1. Lodge a complaint, get a complaint ticket as his service like internet or cable TV. Complaint ticket is read out to him through IVR instantly as well as expected rectification time.
2. He gets an SMS alert as soon as complaint has been lodged which he can use for checking complaint status in future.
3. While checking complaint status, he could escalate his complaint if he was not satisfied with the status.
4. He could lodge an inquiry about new connection with inquiry number.

So mainly, with this smart IVR with integration with existing CRM, a caller could get a complaint rectified without having to talk to any call agent. This has increased efficiency of call agents as well as improved rectification time for any complaints.