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Attendant - Consultation Call

New Design for Attendant Console

This page describes both Attendant Console 1.0 and the new 2.0 redesign. You can change between designs right within your settings.

💡 Note: For more recently onboarded Nimbus customers, this choice might be disabled and you will be using the 2.0 design by default.

 

Attendant Console 2.0

Attendant Console 2.0 - Consultation Call

A more advanced Attendant scenario is to consult with an expert before a transfer to either an internal contact or an external PSTN Number. This allows the attendant to pass on information to the expert before sending the call over or merge it to a consultation call.

🔎 Related concepts: The steps below refer to UI elements and concepts explained on the Attendant Console main page.

Good to know: Please note that consultation calls work with the following destination scenarios:

Supported Destinations
Not Supported
  • Consultation calls to internal Microsoft Teams users
  • Consultation calls to PSTN (☝ see PSTN limitations below)
  • Consultation calls to Nimbus services
  • Consultation calls to external UPNs (User Principal Names)
 

Steps

Call accept & outgoing consultation call

✅ Precondition: An incoming call is shown in the queue.

  1. Accept the call and inform the caller that you need to consult with an expert first.
    💡 Note: The call must stay active in order to start a consultation call with an expert. Parking the call will disable the consultation call option.
  2. Search for the Contact or PSTN number of the expert and start an outgoing consultation call.
    ☝ Note:  PSTN limitations and supported destination scenarios (see above) apply. 

Active Consultation

In the following, we refer to the Consulted Contact as “Expert”.

✅Expert accepts the call

  1. You're connected, talking only to the the expert.
  2. Decide on the option you want to go forward with:
    1. Transfer - The caller is put out of hold, transferred to to the Consultant. 
      💡 You're immediately freed up for further calls.
    2. Conference - Merges the call with all three participants in the same conversation.  
      🔍 This scenario is explained in the next step.
    3. Swap - Switches caller and contact on hold state.
    4. Hangup and Retrieve - Ends the call with the expert.
      💡 You can immediately talk to the caller again.
      💡 If the consultation call is swapped - it ends the call with the initial caller and the call continues in MS teams. 
    5. Terminate - Ends the call with the expert. 
      💡 The caller stays on hold until you resume.

💡 The example below shows all possible call control options:

Consultation with options (example: Swap)

 ❌ Expert doesn't respond, rejects, or call abort

In any of the following cases, the caller remains on hold:

  • After 30s of no contact response, the call is aborted.
  • When declined by the expert.
  • When you cancel the dialout.

✅ Follow-up: After any of these cases you will need to unpark the caller to attempt a second dialout.

 

Consultation Conference

✅ At this point, we assume that you want to merge previous conversation between yourself, the expert, and the (parked) caller.

  1. Click the Conference button.
  2. The conversation is now merged into a conference between all 3 participants:

    At this point you can:
    • Talk to both participants simultaneously.
    • Leave the conference.
      💡 The conference will persist as long as at least any two participants remain present.

After the call

  • If a call was successfully transferred to a contact target or after you've left the consultation conference, you're free to take the next call.

Supported Search Fields and Filters

INC Supported Search Fields and Filters (AC2.0)

Free Text Search

Prerequisites: The full search functionality only applies if permissions are granted. See Attendant Console 2.0 - Permissions.

 

Legend

✅Fields are supported by Free Text Search
❗Limited by "starts with" logic
☝️Needs at least 3 characters to start searching

 
Search within
"All" Tab
Configured Groups
Fields
 O365
Directory 		Outlook Address Book Nimbus
Address Books 		Nimbus Services Nimbus
Address Books
All Sources
Display Name
✅❗☝️
✅❗☝️
✅☝️
✅☝️
✅
✅
Contact Details
✅❗☝️
✅❗☝️
✅☝️
✅☝️
✅
✅
Note
 
 
✅☝️
 
✅
✅
First Name    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Last Name    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
UPN (User Principal Name)    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Email    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
IM Address    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Business Phone    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Mobile Phone    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Home Phone    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Company    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Department    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Job Title    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Country    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
State    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
City    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Postal Code    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
Street Address    
✅☝️
  
✅
  
External Custom Field 1-10    
✅☝️
  
✅
  

Filters

Note: Filters only work if this field is actually used for the contact.

Search within
"All" Tab
Configured Groups
Fields
 O365
Directory 		Outlook Address Book Nimbus
Address Books 		Nimbus Services
All Sources
City
✅❗
  
✅
✅❗
✅
Company
  
✅❗
✅
 
✅
Country
✅❗
  
✅
✅❗
✅
Department
✅❗
✅❗
✅
✅❗
✅
Initials
    
✅
  
✅
Job Title
✅❗
✅❗
✅
✅❗
✅
Postal Code
✅❗
  
✅
✅❗
✅
State
✅❗
  
✅
✅❗
✅
Street Address
✅❗
  
✅
✅❗
✅
Note
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅

Transfer Limitations

INC Transfer Limitation List

💡In the following we list all known Transfer limitations, either by design or external circumstances.

 

Context Handover during Transfers

INC Context Handover Limitations

The Transfer of Custom Context Parameters works within Attendant Console. Currently Supported Scenarios are:

Transfer …to User …to Service

By User on 

✅ Call Data + Customer.Custom Fields 
and 
System Data.

⬜/✅ Custom Context Parameters only if enabled in respective Service Settings.

✅All Call Data + Custom Fields, 

System Data and 
Custom Context Parameter 
…get transferred.
By Service… ❌ No Context gets transferred.1

✅All Call Data + Custom Fields, 

System Data and 
Custom Context Parameter 
…get transferred.

CONTEXT TRANSFER LIMITATIONS

The following Context Transfer limitations are known. We are actively working to improve this in a future update.

  • 1 Workflows > “Transfer” Workflow Activity: A Custom Context Transfer from within a Service workflow to any target will not work.
  • 2 No Transfer out of Conferences: MS Teams Conference calls - created during Attendant Consultation - do not support transfers, which also prevents Context Parameters from being handed over. 
    → If you require Context to be transferred, use Blind or Safe Transfer scenarios respectively.
  • 3 No Multi-Transfer: Currently you can only transfer Sessions (and related Context) once. Afterwards, the “Transfer” button will be disabled. 
 
 
 

Transfers and RONA State

INC Transfers and RONA State

✅ Note: Only applies if “Persistent RONA” is enabled via Distribution Service Settings.

  • When the target User is already is in RONA state.
    ⮑ A message will be shown after a transfer attempt is made: “Transfer cannot be started to a User, who is in a Nimbus Task”. There will be no User Session for Nimbus Reporting.2
  • When the target User ignores / doesn't answer the transfer (e.g. Timeout), Nimbus will not flag users with RONA state1.
    ⮑ User Session in Nimbus Reporting marked “Cancelled”2
  • When the target User actively declines a transfer will also not flag users with RONA state. 
    ⮑ User Session in Nimbus Reporting marked as “Declined”.2

1🤔 Why is RONA not applied in this the case? There is no persistent RONA state if User has not been selected by the Nimbus Task Queue and Distribution. 

2 Depending on the Attendant Console transfer scenario (safe/blind), the call will return to the initial User or be lost. This is not related to RONA behavior.

 
 

Transfer to Teams Auto Attendant and Call Queues

INC Transfer to Teams Auto Attendant and Call Queues Limitation

☝Transfers towards the UPNs of Teams-native Auto Attendants’ or Call Queues’ Resource Accounts will fail. Based on the PSTN connectivity option used, transfers towards the Resource Accounts' assigned phone numbers will work as summarized in the table below.

Transfer Type Direct Routing Calling Plan Operator Connect
Attendant - Safe Transfer  🛠 ❌ ❌
Attendant - Blind Transfer  ✅ ✅ ✅
Attendant - Consultation Call  🛠 ❌ ❌

Workflow Conversation Handling Activities  > Transfer > “Leave Nimbus”  disabled

 🛠 ❌ ❌

Workflow Conversation Handling Activities  > Transfer > “Leave Nimbus”  enabled

 ✅ ✅ ✅

🤔 Why are transfers failing? Is there a workaround?

🔎Analysis: This is caused by Microsoft Teams limitations on what voice applications (such as Call Queues, Auto Attendants, and Nimbus) are allowed to do. This cannot be circumvented by Nimbus.

🛠 Workaround: For these transfer types to work, Reverse Number Lookup (RNL) has to be disabled in the Resource Account's Phone Number Assignment. RNL can be disabled by executing the following Teams PowerShell command:

Set-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -PhoneNumber <phone number assigned to the CQ/AA resource account> -ReverseNumberLookup SkipInternalVoip

⮑ After disabling RNL for a Phone Number Assignment, Teams will automatically forward the call to the Direct Routing SBC, which then needs to redirect it toward the Resource Account of the Call Queue or Auto Attendant.

 
 
 
 

Transfer to PSTN Licensing and Limitations

INC Transfer to PSTN Limitation

☝Out of the box, Nimbus and related addons can only perform PSTN transfers according to Microsoft's licensing and constraints.

🤔Which PSTN license do I need to acquire?

As of 2023, "Microsoft Teams Phone Standard" licenses are no longer supported by Microsoft. Previously, those licenses were viable for Nimbus. Regardless if you are using Direct Routing, Calling Plans, Operator Connect, the "Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account" license is now always required. 

Your Setup Required License
Direct Routing "Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account"
 
Calling Plan "Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account"
+ "Microsoft Teams Domestic Calling Plan" or "Microsoft Teams Domestic and International Calling Plan" or "Microsoft Teams Calling Plan pay-as-you-go"
+ "Communication Credits" (if these aren't already included as part of your plan)
Operator Connect
 		 "Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account"

☝Please note that Luware staff cannot give recommendations on which license plan is best suited for your needs. Depending on your scenario, additional Teams App licenses may be required. Exact details are to be discussed with your Microsoft contacts.

🔎Also see: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/virtual-user

 
 

🤔How does PSTN licensing affect Service and call transfers?

Assuming that the initially called Service has (no) PSTN license assigned - the following scenarios may unfold:

Scenario A - Service A has a PSTN license. Transfers to other Services occur.

⮑ The PSTN license carries over throughout transfers to other Nimbus Services B and C.
⮑ As the license carries over, a PSTN transfer to an external target is possible from either Service.

Scenario B - Service B has no PSTN license. A Transfer to Service C occurs which has a PSTN license.

⮑ The customer skips over Service A and manages to reach Service B instead.
⮑ The PSTN license is missing on Service B, so nothing is carried over to Service C.
⮑ Even if Service C has its own PSTN license, a PSTN transfer to an external target is not possible.

Scenarios A and B: PSTN Licensing and transfer outcomes in case of different Services being called

🌟Learnings:

  • Nimbus will use the PSTN license – and create a (transfer) Session – from the FIRST Service responding to a call. 
  • Regardless of how many internal Service transfers are performed thereafter, the FIRST Service PSTN license remains in effect. 
  • If a PSTN license is missing, the transfer task will fail and be treated accordingly by the System.1
  • Even if a Service being transferred towards has a PSTN license, it cannot be added in post, as the Call Session is already ongoing from the first-responding Service.

✅ For your licensing needs this means: If you require PSTN transfer functionality, you'll need to ensure that this Service is handling all your incoming calls.

  • For ONE first-level / Front Desk Service, you'll need a PSTN license for this particular Service.
  • For MULTIPLE first-level Services scenario, you'll need PSTN licenses for all first-level Services.

1🔎 Assumption: Workflow takes the normal “Exit” Announcement route and Service Session will conclude with a “Transfer failed” outcome. For more details on analyzing your Reporting results, refer to Nimbus Reporting and Static Dimensions > "Service Session Outcomes"

 
 

☝Note that handling and tracking of running cost for PSTN licenses is outside of the Luware support scope. If you however require assistance in extending and/or configuring your Nimbus Services for PSTN, our support will gladly assist you:

Luware Support Address

 Luware Website https://luware.com/support/
Luware Helpdesk https://helpdesk.luware.cloud 
Cloud Service Status https://status.luware.cloud/
Luware support contact details
 
 
 

Transfers and Nimbus Reporting Outcomes

INC Transfers and Nimbus Reporting Outcomes

🔎Rule: Last Outcome

 Rule for Nimbus Reporting > Outcomes & Sessions List Task Results:  The overall Service Session outcome in a “Transferred-by-user Scenario” is set according to the outcome of the last User Session.

 
Transfer Scenario User A - Session 1 Outcome User B - Session 2 Outcome Expected Service Session Reporting Outcome1
User A transfers to Internal Destination B, which accepts Transferred Internally Accepted User Internal Transfer Success
User A transfers to Internal Destination B, which does not respond (ignore) Transferred Internally Cancelled

On safe transfer: → Last User A outcome 

On blind transfer: User Internal Transfer Failed
User A transfers to Internal Destination B, which rejects Transferred Internally Declined Declined
User A transfers to Destination B Voicemail 2,3,4 directly Transferred Internally None, as no User Session is created for user B.2 User Internal Transfer Successful

1 See Nimbus Reporting Model >  Static Dimensions > “User Session Outcomes”

2 Voicemail and Reporting: Any direct "Transfer to Voicemail" Actions via Attendant Console are not creating a new User Session or any related User State checks for the Nimbus Reporting Model.

3 Automatic Voicemail prevention: When the destination doesn't accept - and has Voicemail enabled - the transfer will NOT reach the Voicemail. → This is expected Contact Center behavior to avoid a potential call loss. 

4 Disabled Voicemail: Refer to the “Transfer to disabled Voicemail” limitation below.

 
 

Transfers to disabled Voicemail

INC Voicemail Limitations

☝KNOWN LIMITATION: Currently, there is no way to check ahead if a (target) user has voicemail features enabled. This is a design limitation by Microsoft which Nimbus currently cannot circumvent. 

Voicemail Redirect Setting in MS Teams

Additionally, the voicemail feature may also be deactivated as part of a tenant-wide IT policy by your administrator. There are also known cases where Microsoft accepts transfers to voicemail but the recipient has no means to check (e.g. MS Teams Client / License restrictions). We highly recommend using this feature only in case voicemail is enabled for the Microsoft Teams user.

 
 

 

 
 

Attendant Console 1.0

A more advanced Attendant scenario is to consult with an expert before a transfer to either an internal contact or an external PSTN Number. This allows the attendant to pass on information to the expert before sending the call over or merge it to a consultation call.

NOTES BEFORE YOU START

The steps below refer to UI areas and concepts explained on the Attendant Console main page. We're assuming that you already know the basics of the UI, and therefore focusing only on the new points of interest.

Please note that consultation calls work with the following destination scenarios:

Supported Destinations
Not Supported
  • Consultation calls to internal Microsoft Teams users
  • Consultation calls to PSTN (☝ see PSTN limitations below)
  • Consultation calls to Nimbus services
  • Consultation calls to external UPNs (User Principal Names)
 

Steps

Caller accept & outgoing Consultation Call

✅ Precondition: Caller is shown within the Incoming Call Queue.

  1. You accept the call, informing the caller that you need to consult with an expert first.
  2. You start an outgoing consultation call by searching either PSTN number or a contact via one of the "Actions". → In the meantime, your original Caller is put into "Park" position, listening to waiting music. 
     
    💡 In case your contact isn't found in search, a PSTN number may be entered and called instead. ☝ PSTN limitations and supported scenarios (see above) apply. 
    Example: A consultation call to a (known) contact / expert is intiated.

Active consultation

While your consultation call is ringing , the following outcomes might occur depending on the expert's response:

 Contact accepts the call

  1. You're connected, talking only to the the contact / expert
  2. Decide on the option you want to go forward with:
    1. Transfer → the customer is put out of hold, transferred to to the consultant. 
      💡 You're immediately freed up for further calls.
    2. Merge → Merges the call with all three participants in the same conversation.  
      🔍 This scenario is explained in the next step
    3. Swap → Switches caller and contact on-hold state.
    4. Terminate → Ends the call with the contact. 
      💡 The customer stays on-hold until you resume.

💡 The example below shows all possible call control options:

Contact doesn't respond or rejects or abort

In any of the following cases the caller remains on hold:

  • After 30s of no contact response, the call is aborted
  • When declined by the contact
  • When you cancel the dial out

✅ You need to un-hold the caller to attempt a second dial out.

Merged consultation conference

✅ At this point we assumed you want to merge previous conversation between yourself, the "parked" caller and your contact / expert.

  1. You click the merge button ⇆ 
  2. The conversation is now merged into a conference between all 3 participants. You can:
    1. Mouse over the information icon to see additional details
    2. Continue talking to both participants simultaneously
    3. Leave the conference. 💡 The MS Teams session persists as long as at least any two participants remain present.

🔍 Note: Any types of transfer (safe/blind/consult) will be disabled during a merged call.

After the Call

  • If a call was successfully transferred to a contact target or after you've left the consultation conference you're free to take on the next call → Step 1.
  • The search field is cleared automatically to show your default favorites.

Limitations

EARLY STAGE - KNOWN CONSULTATION / CONFERENCE LIMITATIONS

💡 Please note that this feature is still new and in continuous development. We're currently aware of the following limitations:

Consultation to PSTN linked to an internal O365 Account can cause problems in sessions. → Workaround: When starting an internal consultation call it is best to select the UPN from the contact's dropdown. 
💡 Calls to the user's phone number assigned in teams can lead to various problems due to the team-internal redirection. This is due to an issue on Microsoft side which Attendant Console cannot circumvent. We continue to monitor the situation and will notify when it is resolved.

  • It might take 10-15 seconds for the call to appear on a PSTN consultant's mobile phone..
  • An unsuccessful consultation call attempts requires the attendant to "Unpark" the caller first before the next consultation attempt can be started.
  • The "Park" button will be disabled during a merged call conference.
  • In the Teams Reporting view the latest consultation callout result overrides the user/service session outcome. This means that a failed consultation attempt may adversely impact KPI although an Attendant took the call
  • In Nimbus Reporting Model the HoldCnt and HoldTime fields include only the time when a customer was "on hold" during consult sessions. Park attempts are not included.
 

TRANSFER TO PSTN LIMITATION

Out-of-the-box, Nimbus and affiliated addons can only perform PSTN transfers according to Microsoft's licensing and constraints.

Which PSTN license do I need to acquire?

As a tenant administrator you need to acquire the following licenses and assign them to the application instance of the respective Nimbus SOURCE service (team) that will act as PSTN transferor:

Your Setup Required License
Direct Routing "Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account"
Calling Plan "Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account"
+ "Microsoft Teams Domestic Calling Plan" or "Microsoft Teams Domestic and International Calling Plan" or "Microsoft Teams Calling Plan pay-as-you-go"+ "Communication Credits" (if these aren't already included as part of your plan)
Operator Connect "Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account"

☝ As of 2023 "Microsoft Teams Phone Standard" licences are no longer supported by Microsoft. Previously those licenses were viable for Nimbus. → Regardless if you are using Direct Routing, Calling Plans, Operator Connect - the "Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account" license is now always required. 

☝ Please note that Luware staff cannot make recommendations on which license plan is best suited for your needs. Depending on your scenario, additional Teams App licenses may be required. Exact details are to be discussed with your Microsoft contacts.

🔍 Also see: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/virtual-user
 
 

How does PSTN licensing affect Service and Call Transfers?

Assuming that Service A has a PSTN license assigned - but further Services don't - the following scenario may unfold:

 
  • Scenario A - Service A workflow is configured to transfer the caller to Service B. The license of Service A is used, the PSTN transfer occurs. The PSTN license is re-used throughout further transfers to Services C..D...x.
  • Scenario B - Service B is called directly instead. Now the workflow of Service B attempts a redirect to either service A or transfer to C. The PSTN transfer fails due to a missing license on Service B.

LEARNINGS

  • For one first-level-response Service: If you handle first-response calls always via the same Service you need a PSTN license for that particular first-level Service.
  • For multiple first-level-response Services: If you handle first-response calls always via multiple Services you need a PSTN license for all those first-level Services .
  • Nimbus will attempt to use the PSTN license of the first service that responded to a call, regardless of how many further internal service transfers are performed thereafter.
  • If no PSTN license is found on a service that requires it for a transfer, the transfer task will be considered as failed and be treated as such by the system (e.g. workflow exit announcement, reporting "transfer failed" outcome).
 

☝ Note that handling and tracking of running cost for PSTN licenses is outside of Luware support scope.
If you require assistance in extending and/or configuring your Nimbus services for PSTN our support will gladly assist you:

🔍 Refer to the external reference: Microsoft Teams PSTN connectivity options and Microsoft Teams add-on licenses.

 
 
 
 
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