Working as an Operator
    • 23 Apr 2024
    • 3 Minutes to read
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    Working as an Operator

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    Article summary

    Operators assigned to a Department are able to interact with callers in real-time, answering questions and offering assistance efficiently.

    Let's take a look at working as an Operator in Dialpad.

    Who can use this feature
    Agents can work as an Operator once they have been assigned to the Department by their Admin.  

    Answer a call

    To answer a Department call, you'll need to set your status to Active. 

    Answer calls from within the Dialpad app, or by using the floating notification — simply click Answer and you'll pick up on behalf of the Department.

    Departments ring out to Operators based on the routing rules set by the Department's Admin(s). If no Operator answers, the call gets moved into the hold queue or a fallback option.

    Keep in mind that you cannot block a number as an Operator; only an Admin may block a number for a Shared Line.

    Call waiting

    If enabled by your Department Administrator, Department lines can feature call waiting. All Operators must be busy in order for a call waiting to appear. You'll have the following options:

    • Answer: Puts the first caller on hold while you interact with the second
    • Merge: Joins both first and second caller on an active call
    • Decline: Sends your second incoming call directly to your voicemail

    Click the desired option and Dialpad will take care of the rest. 

    Dept_-_Call_Waiting.png

    Note:

    Answer-Merge is currently only available through your desktop app.

    Place a call

    Operators can place calls using the Department's number instead of their own direct number.

    To call from a department number:

    1. Select Make A Call (that's the phone icon)
    2. Click the drop-down menu beside your name
    3. Select the desired Department's number
    4. Both primary and secondary numbers belonging to this Shared Line can be used to place outbound calls

    That's it, you're good to go! Enter the phone number and complete the call. 

    Your caller ID will remain set as that department until you change it again.

    Call recording

    If enabled by the Admin, Operators in a Department can stop and restart a call recording.

    If the call is automatically being recorded, you'll see a 'Stop admin rec' icon at the bottom of your call bar. 

    • To stop the recording, select Stop rec in the call recording banner
    • To restart the recording, select Record

    Transfer call

    Operators can transfer calls to another Shared Line or person.

    1. Select Transfer
    2. Enter a name or number to transfer the call to
    3. Select Ask First or Transfer Now
    Recipients of a transferred call will have the option to answer or decline.
    When a call is transferred between multiple Departments, the incoming transfer will display only the Department name that the call is being directly transferred from, not the details of previous transfers. 

    Note:

    Calls can only be warm transferred to a Contact Center or a Department if they already have an assigned number.

    Send a message

    Operators can send and receive messages from the Department they're assigned to.

    During an active call, type your message into the text box and press enter to send.

    Search contact

    Search for a known caller who's contacted your Department.

    From the Dialpad app, select Search

    Enter a name or number and you'll see a color tag and department name. 

    Department inbox

    Department inbox displays the hold queue, live calls, Operators, new notifications, missed calls, voicemails, all notifications, recordings, interactions flagged as spam, and faxes.

    Hold queue

    Operators can see a list of all calls awaiting an Operator to pick up and how long callers have been on hold for.

    From the Dialpad app, select Hold Queue.

    department_hold_queue.png

    Select Refresh to update the view at any time. 

    Ask your Department Admin to customize the hold queue.

    Enable email notifications

    To enable your Department email notifications, head to your Admin Settings from Dialpad.com 

    1. Select Departments
    2. Select the desired Department 
    3. At the top of the page, choose how you'd like to receive notifications in addition to the types of notifications this Department shares with you.

    Operators must enable or disable email notifications manually; the setting depends on each Operator, not what a Department Admin selects.

    Active status 

    Use your Active toggle to determine if you want to allow inbound calls on your Department's line. 

    When you are set as Active, you can receive inbound Department calls. If your Active toggle is off, you'll only receive inbound calls on your personal line, not the Department. 

    Personal working hours

    Set your Personal Working Hours to ensure that you don’t accidentally receive a call on your Department’s line outside of your work day. When enabled, your status automatically updates and prohibits inbound calls to your individual line, your mainline, and any Departments that you are assigned. 


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