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How to Configure Call Queue to SMS Chat Diversion

Contact centers often experience high call volumes that can lead to long wait times. To improve customer satisfaction and reduce abandonment rates, you can offer callers the option to divert their voice call to an SMS interaction. This allows callers to hang up the phone and wait for an SMS response.

This tutorial describes how to configure a "Call to Chat" diversion with the following elements:

• Configure a voice scenario to offer an SMS option to the caller after they have waited a certain amount of time.

• Collect a mobile phone number from the caller.

• Send an SMS to the provided number.

• Handle errors where the caller provides an invalid number.

• Configure a simple SMS/Chat scenario that immediately returns a response to the customer.

Procedure

Configure the Voice Scenario

• In the Contact Center Administrator application, navigate to Scenarios > Voice and select the inbound voice scenario where you wish to add the SMS transfer option.

• Locate the Find Agent and configure the default Wait Condition with an end time, such as 60 seconds. This configuration adds a Timeout conditional exit to the Find Agent block. Use this conditional exit to offer the SMS option to the caller.

Find Agent block with a 60-second wait time configured

Configuring the Wait Condition parameter in the Find Agent block

• Place a Menu block in the Timeout exit. Configure the block with two outputs, 1 and 2, and add a prompt such as:

  Wait times are longer than usual. Press 1 to move this conversation to SMS and receive a faster response. Press 2 to stay on the line and continue waiting for an agent.

Menu block options for SMS diversion or waiting

• The Menu block will have two exits, "1" and "2". In the "2" exit, place Find Agent and Connect call blocks (to continue trying to find an agent for the caller). This ensures that callers who choose to wait return to the queue. You may want for the wait time in this Find Agent block to not have an end time.

Logic returning the caller to the queue if they so choose

• In the "1" exit, place a Collect Digits block. Configure the prompt to request the user's mobile number, for example:

  Please enter the phone number where you would like to receive the SMS message, then press the 'pound' key.

  Set the Name of the variable to store the result to something like mobileNumber.

Collect Digits block configured to capture the phone number

• Add a Send Message+ block after the Collect Digits block to send a message to the number the caller provided, stored by the Collect Digits block in the mobileNumber variable. An example message might be:

  Thank you for calling Bright Pattern. You have opted to continue your interaction via SMS. How can we help you today?

Send Message+ block configured to initiate the SMS interaction

• Add a Play Prompt block to inform the caller the SMS was sent. Be sure to add Exit blocks at the end of all conditional exits.

Scenario logic for confirming SMS delivery and handling errors

• Add a Play Prompt block to the Send Error conditional exit of the Send Message+ block to inform the caller that the message failed. Then, add a Goto block to return the caller to the Collect Digits block to provide a different number.

Error handling logic returning the caller to the Collect Digits block

• Save the scenario and make sure the scenario entry and associated services are correctly configured.

Configure the Inbound SMS Scenario

• Navigate to Scenarios > Chat and create or edit the scenario assigned to your SMS/Chat service.

• Add a Send Message+ block to immediately reply to the incoming number (stored in variable item.from), for example:

  Thank you. An agent will be with you shortly.

Send Message block configured to provide an immediate response

• Add Find Agent (chat) and Connect Chat blocks to route the SMS interaction to the next available agent.

Find Agent and Connect Chat blocks routing the interaction

• Save the scenario and make sure the scenario entry and associated services are correctly configured.< Previous | Next >