Creating a Key Chatbot Outbound Call Task or Intelligent Outbound Call Task

Prerequisites

• In the key chatbot outbound call task, configure and release an IVR main process in advance. For details, see section "Configuring the IVR Process" in the Operation Guide. In the intelligent outbound call task, configure and release an intelligent IVR main process in advance. For details, see the Operation Guide. Configuring the Intelligent IVR.
  

  In independent deployment mode, you have configured the IVR flow on the WAS.

• To create an outbound call task, you have completed the operations in Preparations for Creating Outbound Call Tasks.
• If the tenant space is in trial commercial use, you have contacted O&M personnel to add the numbers used for making outbound calls to the tenant space trustlist.
• To send SMS notifications for failed outbound calls, you have configured an SMS template on the Configuration Center > Workbench Configuration > Notification Template page. For details about the configuration, see Configuring Notification Templates as an Administrator.
• To configure a callback URL, an application has been submitted to the system administrator and approved to add the callback URL to the address trustlist.

Context

In a key chatbot outbound call task, the system automatically calls a customer number. After being connected, the call is transferred to the specified IVR flow. The IVR flow then plays voice and collects digits from the customer.

A key chatbot outbound call task can be created directly or by using a template.

Select a configured outbound call template where certain outbound call task parameters are preset. For details, see Creating Outbound Call Templates.

You can modify, start, or delete the task in draft state, and configure outbound call data for the task.

Business Scenario

The following describes how to configure an automatic outbound call task for a call center to notify customers of major product changes by playing voice. The outbound call task is executed in working hours on workdays and also on weekends. If a customer is busy, the call is made to the customer for another two times.

Procedure

1. Sign in to the AICC as a tenant administrator and choose Outbound Call > Call Mgmt.
2. Click Create Auto Outbound Call and select a creation mode from the drop-down list to create a key chatbot outbound call task.

   You can select either of the following modes:

   • Create Directly: Click Create Directly and set basic outbound call task information.
     Figure 1 Page for creating a key chatbot outbound call task (Basic Information)
     

3. Configure basic information.
   • Task Name: Enter a user-defined task name.
   • Caller Number: Select an existing calling number of the current tenant space. A maximum of 100 calling numbers can be added.
   • Start Time: Set this parameter to a value not earlier than the current time.
   • End Time: Set this parameter to a value not earlier than the start time.
   • Task Type: Select Intelligent robot outbound call or Button robot outbound call. For an outbound call task created using a template, the value of this parameter is the type configured in the template by default and cannot be changed.
   • IVR Flow: Select an IVR flow that has been configured and released.
   • Questionnaire: Select a survey based on the version number.
   • SMS Template for Failed Outbound Call: Select a configured SMS notification template. For details, see Configuring Notification Templates as an Administrator.
   • Priority: Select a value from 1 to 5. A smaller value indicates a higher priority. If tasks are started at the same time, the task with a higher priority is called preferentially.
   • Callback Address: Enter the address for callback upon call connection or release on the customer side.
     

     The callback address is a third-party address and can carry data. The carried parameters include dataId, taskId, sessionId, calledNo, beginTime, vdnId, failCode, callId, filePath, and customFiled.

     In the integrated environment, the callback address can be configured only in the outbound call task.

   After the configuration is complete, click Next.

4. Set the outbound call time.
   Figure 2 Outbound Call Duration
   
   1. In the Set Outbound Call Time area, set the start time and end time of working hours. The examples are as follows:

      9:00–11:30

      14:00–18:00

   2. Click Add Special Date in the lower right part to specify weekends as special dates.
   3. In the Set Special Date Outbound Call Time area, set Start Time and End Time to 00:00 and 23:59, respectively.
   4. After the configuration is complete, click Next.

5. Set an outbound call policy.
   Figure 3 Outbound Call Policy
   

   Table 1 Parameters on the Outbound Call Policy page

   Parameter	Description
   Max. Response Duration (s)	If the response duration exceeds this value, the current call ends and the next call is to be made. The value ranges from 5 to 120. The default value is 20.
   Outbound Call Interval (s)	Interval for starting an outbound call. The value ranges from 1 to 9999. The default value is 10, and the recommended value is 3.
   Number of Outbound Calls at a Time	Number of outbound calls each time. The default value is 1. The value cannot exceed the number of purchased IVR channels in the tenant space. If the outbound call interval is longer than three seconds, the number of outbound calls initiated by the system is as follows: number of outbound calls each time/outbound call interval x 3.

   

   Outbound Call Interval (s) and Number of Outbound Calls at a Time should be configured to make a fixed number of outbound calls on average with proper intervals rather than make all outbound calls at once.

   For example, if you want to make 60 outbound calls in one minute, you are advised to set both Outbound Call Interval (s) and Number of Outbound Calls at a Time to 3 instead of 60.

   When the outbound call is a key chatbot outbound call or intelligent outbound call, the number of outbound calls is calculated as follows: (Number of outbound calls each time/Outgoing call interval) x 3 (The outbound call is made only when the number is greater than 1.) If the outgoing call interval is greater than 3, the detection period is 3 seconds. If the outgoing call interval is less than 3, the actual detection period is used.

   • Q1: How to understand that if the outbound call interval is greater than 3s, 3s is used as the actual interval. If the outbound call interval is less than 3s, the actual interval is used.

     A1: If the interval is greater than 3s, the OBS still uses 3s as the call interval. If this parameter is set to a value less than 3s, the actual call interval is used.

   • Q2: If Outbound Call Interval (s) is set to 10 and Number of Outbound Calls at a Time is set to 100, is 100 or 30 outbound calls made every 10 seconds?

     A2: If the value of Outbound Call Interval (s) is greater than 3, it is used to calculate the number of calls each time but not the actual call interval. Even the outbound call interval is set to 10, the actual interval is 3s. According to (Number of Outbound Calls at a Time/Outbound Call Interval (s)) x 3, the calculation result is 30. Therefore, the final execution is 30 outbound calls every 3s.

   • Q3: If Outbound Call Interval (s) is 1 and Number of Outbound Calls at a Time is 10, will 30 outbound calls be made every second?

     A3: In this case, 10 calls are made at an interval of 1s.

   • Q4: What if the calculated number of outbound calls is less than 1?

     A4: In this case, no outbound call is made at the first interval. An outbound call is made until the decimal part of the value of Number of Outbound Calls at a Time accumulates to greater than 1.

   After the configuration is complete, click Next.

6. Configure the outbound call logic, that is, the call policy and outbound call result policy.
   1. CALL POLICY: Customize the pre-called customer numbers. You can configure Call Mode, Call Filtering, and Call Sorting based on Table 2.
      Figure 4 Outbound Call Logic
      

      Table 2 Parameters on the Outbound Call Logic page

      Parameter	Description
      Call Mode: Mode for calling multiple numbers of a customer.
      In sequence	Call multiple numbers of a customer in sequence.
      By number type	You can select Existing number type or New number type. After the configuration, the number with the specified type placed ahead is called first.
      By sequence number	You can enter the sequence numbers of numbers. After the configuration, the number with a smaller sequence number is called first.
      Call Filtering: Customize filter conditions. The system initiates an outbound call only when the pre-called customer number meets the conditions. Encrypted attributes cannot be used as filter criteria.
      	Add attributes. You can select attributes and set their quantities.
      Add Subcondition	Add a subcondition as an additional filter condition.
      Call Sorting: Customize the call sequence of pre-called customer numbers.
      Add Attribute	Click Add Attribute, select attributes, and set Order Type. You can adjust the attribute sequence after adding the attributes.

   2. OUTBOUND CALL RESULT POLICY: Response method when an outbound call is not connected due to an unallocated number, busy line, or other exceptions. Select Global policy or Contact Policy for PolicyType.
      • Global policy
        • Disable Configure policy based on results.

          Set Max. Days for Call Attempts Before Connection, Max. Number of Daily Call Attempts, and Call-Out Interval (s).

          Click and set Add non-retry result code. If the result of an outbound call to a customer matches the value of Add non-retry result code, the retry calling to the customer is stopped.

          Figure 5 Disabling Configure policy based on results
          
        • Enable Configure policy based on results.

          Click Add Policy and set Result, Retry Times, and Call-Out Interval (s). Click Add Policy for multiple times to add multiple policies one by one. Policies with the same values of Result cannot be added.

          Click and set Add non-retry result code. If the result of an outbound call to a customer matches the value of Add non-retry result code, the retry calling to the customer is stopped.

          Figure 6 Enabling Configure policy based on results
          
        

        If the outbound call interval is set to a large value, outbound call operations indicators, such as the call connection rate, may be affected. You are advised to use the default value.

      • Contact Policy
        • Default contact number: Set Whether to configure based on the result to configure the policy.

          If it is set to No, you can set Max. Days for Call Attempts Before Connection and Max. Number of Daily Call Attempts.

          Figure 7 Setting Whether to configure based on the result to No
          

          If it is set to Yes, you can set Result, Retry Times, and Call-Out Interval (s). Click Add for multiple times to add multiple policies one by one. Policies with the same values of Result cannot be added.

          Figure 8 Setting Whether to configure based on the result to Yes
          
        • Adding a contact number: Click Add Contact Policy. The Add Result Policy page is displayed. You must set Add DataType first regardless of whether Configure policy based on results is enabled, and then set other parameters.

          If Configure policy based on results is disabled, enable Add DataType and set Add DataType, Max. Days for Call Attempts Before Connection, and Max. Number of Daily Call Attempts.

          Figure 9 Disabling Configure policy based on results
          

          If Configure policy based on results is enabled, enable Add DataType, set Add DataType, click Add Result Policy, and set Result, Retry Times, and Call-Out Interval (s). Click Add Result Policy for multiple times to add multiple policies one by one. Policies with the same values of Result cannot be added.

          Figure 10 Enabling Configure policy based on results
          

7. (Optional) Click Save As Template. In the dialog box that is displayed, enter a template name and click OK to save the current configuration as an outbound call template.
8. Click Save. The key chatbot outbound call task is created successfully.
9. Return to the Call Mgmt tab page, select the new outbound call task, and click Outbound Call Data to add outbound call data for the outbound call task. For details, see Configuring Outbound Call Data.
10. Return to the Call Mgmt tab page, select the new outbound call task, and click Start to start the outbound call task.

Follow-up Procedure

You can click Suspend to modify an outbound call task.

After the task is suspended, you can click Edit to modify the outbound call task. The procedure for changing the calling number is as follows:

1. Click Caller Number. The page for selecting a calling number is displayed. The selected calling number is displayed by default.
   Figure 11 Select Calling Number
   

2. Click Add and select another calling number. The selected calling number cannot be selected again. The number of new calling numbers cannot exceed the Maximum number of calling numbers configured by an administrator.
   Figure 12 Adding Calling Numbers
   

3. Click OK. Return to the Select Calling Number page and click OK.

To view the task result, you can click a task to access the outbound call task details page and click the outbound call result on the outbound call task details page to view the outbound call result for each customer.

On the task result page, you can perform the following operations:

• Click Details to view all outbound call results of all called numbers under the customer.
• Click Business Result to remark the called outbound numbers.
• Click Export to export the task result.
• Click View Export Result to view the export result. On the displayed page, you can download the result.
  

  The exported data contains personal data. Exercise caution when processing the exported data to prevent personal data leakage and abuse.