Queue Metrics on Trixbox 2 with softphones only

[dionv]

We are testing Queue Metrics based on a referral.

In our setup we have Trixbox 2.2 and the free 2-agent version of QM 1.4 installed on a demo system.

To mirror our current live environment, I have created a queue, number 10101, named MyTestQueue. I have created extension 1003 as a SIP device.

I seem to recall somewhere that in amportal.conf we had to switch from "extensions" to "devicesanduser", but the new QM Trixbox tutorial does not mention this. It assumes separate phones and agents.

We are currently totally SIP. Everyone is using a SIP client. No hard phones at all. The instructions seem to assume hard phones will be used.

Can we still create our extensions through FreePBX without modifying the amportal.conf file, then add agent entries to agents.conf?

Thanks in advance,

DionV

[QueueMetrics]

Using all soft-phones will not change much - to Asterisk it's just another SIP device. So the instruction in the doc file will work just fine.

[dionv]

So, create extensions as per normal through FreePBX, plus add each agent's extension to the agents.conf file?

Our live system currently has each agent's extension statically listed in each queue they monitor. This causes delays as the system tries to ring each extension, even though some of those people are not logged in.

We were hoping to switch to having the agents login to the queues when they start their shift, and logout when they are done. It looks like the suggested method is still to have them dial the queue, for example 10101* based on my previous example, and login.

But, the extensions modifications mentioned by QM suggest using a slightly different method, which appears to require the agent enter their id , then their extension (which in our setup are one and the same, based on the FreePBX settings in TB2).

I don't quite understand the difference between the different methods listed in the QM manual and the QM + TB 2 tutorial. Are they simply alternatives with the same end result? Are they mutually exclusive? (Use one or the other, but not both?)

Right now with very few queues, it is not an issue if they have to manually dial each queue they are assigned to, but in the future, it could get quite cumbersome. Any suggestions on other methods for having agents log into and out of queues?

Thanks,

DionV

[QueueMetrics]

The answer, as always, is: "it depends on the environment".  Generally speaking, if you run a call center that is not very small or has just a couple of queues (eg an internal support line), the allocation of agents to queues should be decided on a capability model by the supervisors, and not by each agent logging on to queues when they feel like.

This is the model that the TrixBox tutorial version 2 shows; instead of setting static extensions for each queue, that has the disadvantage of * trying to call agents even if they're not there, the log-in model lets agents just say "I'm ready", and then the supervisors set on which queues each agent works on.  This has the extra benefit that as agents log in telling * from which extension they are working from, an agent can easily switch seats and still be correctly available when needed.

This is what we usually suggest; this model works good and scales well for inbound call-centers with 5+ agents.

[rjch]

I don't quite understand the difference between the different methods listed in the QM manual and the QM + TB 2 tutorial. Are they simply alternatives with the same end result? Are they mutually exclusive? (Use one or the other, but not both?)

Right now with very few queues, it is not an issue if they have to manually dial each queue they are assigned to, but in the future, it could get quite cumbersome. Any suggestions on other methods for having agents log into and out of queues?

The approach I've chosen is to have agents log on and off using the AgentCallbackLogin application.  Then in each queue I want a particular agent to receive calls from, I define them as a static agent using their agent number - e.g "Agent/101"  This allows one login code to log an agent in to multiple queues.  I use the following dialplan fragment in the [from-internal-custom] context in extensions_custom.conf to allow users to log in and out...

Code: [Select]

exten => _25XXX,1,Answer()
exten => _25XXX,n,AgentCallbackLogin(${EXTEN:2}||${CALLERID(num)}@from-internal)
exten => _25XXX,n,Hangup()

exten => _35XXX,1,Answer()
exten => _35XXX,n,AgentCallbackLogin(${EXTEN:2}||#)
exten => _35XXX,n,Hangup()

(to clarify - agents dial 25 or 35 before their agent number to log in our out respectively)

I should make mention though that Digium have deprecated the AgentCallbackLogin application and plan to remove it in some future version of Asterisk (despite the fact that there is no easy alternative!)

[dionv]

The approach I've chosen is to have agents log on and off using the AgentCallbackLogin application.  Then in each queue I want a particular agent to receive calls from, I define them as a static agent using their agent number - e.g "Agent/101"  This allows one login code to log an agent in to multiple queues.  I use the following dialplan fragment in the [from-internal-custom] context in extensions_custom.conf to allow users to log in and out...

Code: [Select]

exten => _25XXX,1,Answer()
exten => _25XXX,n,AgentCallbackLogin(${EXTEN:2}||${CALLERID(num)}@from-internal)
exten => _25XXX,n,Hangup()

exten => _35XXX,1,Answer()
exten => _35XXX,n,AgentCallbackLogin(${EXTEN:2}||#)
exten => _35XXX,n,Hangup()

(to clarify - agents dial 25 or 35 before their agent number to log in our out respectively)

I should make mention though that Digium have deprecated the AgentCallbackLogin application and plan to remove it in some future version of Asterisk (despite the fact that there is no easy alternative!)

Hmm. I'll try that variation. All our agents are using softphones, so their Agent id and extension are always the same. I'm trying to work out the code for an extension they can dial that will read their CALLERID and use that to log them in and log them out when they dial appropriate extension.

I did read about the deprecation of AgentCallbackLogin.

DionV