How to Utilize Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery

Skilling for Agent Proficiencies

Overview

Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery allows for configuration of skill proficiency groups  in tandem with priority routing on skills. Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery sets delays between proficiency levels so that less proficient agents are able to take calls for specific skills after a set amount of time. This ensures that the call is not abandoned and the guest still receives prompt service.

Introduction

Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery functions in tandem with priority routing to give direct control of not only the priority calls are routed in, but also who the calls are routed to at a granular level. Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery takes the configuration a step further and allows for the creation of Skill Proficiency Groups, sub groups, and finally allows for delays to be set between primary groups.

Example Call Flow

The following is an example of a Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery setup and how the call will function as it goes through each group. **Please note: if you do not utilize highest conversion routing, the system will instead take into account idle duration routing. Meaning, that instead of looking at the highest converters, it will look at who has been in Ready for the longest. The below example is based on utilizing highest conversion routing, but the process is the same for idle duration routing.

1. When the call first routes into the queue it will take into account priority skilling as well as proficiencies. In this example, the system will first try to route the call to the last agent the guest spoke with (if applicable). Shown in (1) in the image below.
2. If the agent the guest spoke with is not available, or if the guest has never called in before, the call will immediately attempt to route to Group A in order of highest conversion (or idle duration, depending on your settings). Shown in (2) in the image below.
3. If no agents are available in Group A, the call will then immediately attempt to route to agents in Group B. Shown in (3) in the image below.
4. Once the call has been holding for 5 seconds, and if no one from Group A or Group B is available, the call will then attempt to route to agents in the 5 Second Group in order of highest conversion (or idle duration, depending on your settings). Shown in (4) in the image below.
5. If the call holds for 30 seconds, and no one from the 5 second group is available, the call will then attempt to route to the 30 Second Group in order of highest conversion (or idle duration, depending on your settings). Shown in (5) in the image below.
6. A list of agents that are not skilled for this particular Skill are listed at the very bottom so that you can add/remove them from this group at any time. If an agent is Unskilled, they will be unable to take calls for this Skill. Shown in (6) in the image below.

Configuring Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery

Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery can be configured by accessing the Skills menu and configuring each skill individually.

1. Navigate to Account Settings > Skills
   1. This brings you to the priority routing tool where you may set priority routing rules for each skill.
2. Click on the pencil icon next to the Skill you wish to configure Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery for, in this example we will edit the Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery for New Reservations.

3. The Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery configuration page will load:

4. From here you are able to configure what happens with the call Immediately, after 5 seconds (or the number of seconds you deem), after 30 seconds (or the number of seconds you deem), and can also configure who is unskilled for this particular Skill. Each “event” in the call routing process can be expanded by clicking on the down arrow (1). Once expanded, you will view the groups and can configure who belongs to which group by selecting the “move” icon next to each Agent’s name (2):
   

5. Once the move icon has been selected next to the desired Agent, the following menu will load, and will give 4 options:
   

• Move to Immediate Group (B)
  • Allows you to move Agent to Group B, meaning they will be delivered the call only after the system has identified that no one from Group A is available.
• Move to 5 Second Group
  • Allows you to move Agent to the next group. The 5 second group is the group of agents that a call will be delivered to after being on hold for 5 seconds, and no one from Group A or Group B is available. NOTE: This will read as the amount of seconds you have set it to (i.e. if you have set this group to 25 seconds, this menu item will say “25 Second Group”).
• Move to 30 second Group
  • Allows you to move Agent to the next group. The 30 second group is the group of agents that a call will attempt to deliver to after holding for an additional 30 seconds and no one from the 5 second group is available. NOTE: This will read as the amount of seconds you have set it to (i.e. if you have set this group to 45 seconds, this menu item will say “45 Second Group”).
• Move to Unskilled
  • Allows you to un-skill an agent from a Skill. Doing so means that the call will never attempt to deliver to them.

6. You can also add additional groups, delete groups, and make additional changes to each event along the call routing path by clicking on the menu dots and selecting what you wish to do:

Adding a Group Below, allows for another time based group to be created. Doing so will allow for the addition of a time based group at another interval. For example, if you wanted to have another event after 5 seconds but before 30 seconds, you would select the 5 second group menu dots and select Add Group Below.

Adding a Sub Group, allows for another group within the selected call routing event (i.e. add a Group C to Immediate, or add a Group B to the 5 Second Group):

Fast Forward Feature

An additional feature of Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery is Fast Forward. This means that a call coming in will automatically “fast forward” through all groups if those groups contain no active agents (active = an agent who is logged-in regardless of status). For example, if in the Immediately group no one is active (In-Call, In-Wrap, Ready, etc.) in either Group A or Group B, all other rules will be bypassed and the call will first try the 5 second group and so on. This ensures that a call is not stuck on hold for an unnecessary length of time but is serviced in the quickest manner possible.

For further information on how to configure Skilled Proficiencies & Timed Delivery for your business, it is recommended you work with your Customer Success Manager to ensure your setup fits your business needs.

Skilling for Skill Priority-Based Call Routing

Reservation Sales > Accounts Settings > Skills

Depending on your account configuration you may not currently have Skill Based Priority Routing. This is often used for larger teams. If your Skills page displays like the image below you will need to work with your Customer Success Manager if you would like to enable this feature.

Overview of Skill Priorities

The skill priority-based calling routing tool allows clients to establish how calls associated with a particular skill will be prioritized and handled when multiple calls for various skills are holding in the queue (i.e. new reservations, existing reservations, dining, spa, golf etc.). Priority can range from 1-100 with 100 as the highest priority for any skill.

Editing Skill Priorities in the Reservation Sales Suite

Anyone set with the user level access of Administrator can enter or adjust priorities for skills in the Reservation Sales Suite on the Account Settings > Skills page.

This tool provides an easy way to increase or decrease a skill’s ranking. 

1. Priority – Move the arrows up or down to the desired priority for this skill. The higher the number, the higher the priority in which the call will be ranked. Highest priority skills are routed to agents first, and so on.
   • First Period Seconds – After the selected number of seconds, the skilled call’s priority will change based on the value in the next column (First Period Increment).
2. First Period Increment – If the skilled call isn’t answered after the number of seconds specified in the previous column (First Period Seconds), this skill’s priority will incrementally increase by the value entered here.  Example: If your initial skill answer priority is 10, you can add a rule that if that skilled call is not answered within 10 seconds, the call’s priority will increase by 20, which escalates its priority to 30. In other words, after the first 10 seconds, increase the priority by 20. 
3. Maximum Priority – By entering a number in this field, the skill’s priority will continue to increase until it reaches the maximum skill priority. This skill will not exceed its maximum priority. Example: If you enter a value of 50 in the Maximum Priority field, the priority for this type of skilled call will not go any higher than that.

Note: A new call with this skill will enter the queue at the defined priority level. Routing for any skilled calls already in the queue will be immediately adjusted if its priority is modified, once the changes are saved.

EXAMPLE: 

In this example we outline how three skills can be prioritized. As noted above, the higher the number, the higher the priority. The property in this example would like new reservations to take the highest priority (be answered before all other calls) for 60 seconds. If a call has been waiting for 60 seconds, that call will then be answered in the order in which it was received.

Further they would like Existing Reservations to be answered after New Reservations but before Spa reservations for the first 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, Existing Reservations and Spa calls will be answered in the order in which the calls were received. Both Existing and Spa will still only be answered after all New Reservations from 30 to 60 seconds.

For the first 30 seconds call skills have the following priority:

New Reservations Priority = 3

Existing Reservations Priority = 2

Spa Priority = 1

During this first 30 seconds all new reservations take priority over any other call type. During this time any new reservation calls will be answered before Existing or Spa calls. Existing Reservations will be answered before Spa. After 30 seconds, Spa is increased in priority by 1. Spa's total priority becomes 2 while the priority of the other call types remains the same. 

From 30 to 60 seconds the calls have the following priority:

New Reservations Priority = 3

Existing Reservations Priority = 2

Spa Priority = 2

From 30 to 60 seconds New Reservation calls will still be answered before any other call types. They still have the highest priority at 3. However, Spa Calls now have the same priority as Existing Reservations. Spa calls and Existing Reservations will now be answered in the order in which the calls were received (Once all New Reservations are answered).

After 60 seconds the calls have the following priority:

New Reservations Priority = 3

Existing Reservations Priority = 3

Spa Priority = 3

Since all priorities are the same. After 60 seconds, all calls will be answered in the order they were received.

Note: The example above uses small numbers for simplicity. Please be aware that Priority can range from 1-100 with 100 as the highest priority for any skill.