myContactCenterManual

Events and timers

How the Start node and the event nodes start paths — on a call, when a conversation leaves the queue, on state changes, at the end and after a timer expires — and what happens when an agent takes over.

A flow consists of paths. The main path begins at the Start node. Further paths begin at event nodes: when their event occurs, the flow continues from the matching output — in addition to whatever is currently running.

  • Event nodes have no input. Each one can occur at most once in a flow.
  • If an event node is missing, the flow does not react to that event.
  • If an output has no connection, nothing happens for that reason.
  • No path leads from event paths to Queue — except from Connected external and Connected internal of the State Change Event.

Start

Output Types When
Inbound call call for every new call
Virtual call call The caller has an open callback or a dial-in place in the virtual queue. The variables of the first call are available again.
Transferred call call The phone system has redirected the call, or it was handed over to myContactCenter during the flow. The flow then starts again at this output.
Output email, fax, chat for every new conversation
  • Before the first node runs, Start waits until the server knows the conversation — for at most 30 seconds.
  • If a customer’s virtual call is currently with an agent and the customer calls again, they get the busy signal.

Queue Exit Event

If the queue does not accept a conversation or gives it up, the flow continues at the output for the reason. This only affects conversations that have already passed through the Queue node.

Output Types Reason
Timeout call, chat Maximum wait time of the skill reached
Too many waiting all Max conversations waiting reached
Too long waiting all Wait time threshold exceeded
Manually closed all The skill has been closed manually — or the flow has set this for the conversation with Manual closed.
Out of business hours all outside business hours — or set by the flow with Out of business hours
Holiday closed all holiday — or set by the flow with Holiday closed
No agent logged in all No agent is logged in or available.
Banned number all The sender is excluded.
Terminate all An administrator or supervisor has ended the conversation.
  • The event does not report the same reason twice in a row, only again after the conversation has waited or rung again.
  • Every path ends in Terminate, Virtual queue or Wait for termination — not in Queue.
  • How the limits come about and what happens without this node is described in When a limit is reached.

State Change Event

Output Types When
Waiting all The conversation is waiting in the queue — only the first time.
On hold email, fax, chat The conversation is put on hold.
Connected all An agent has taken over the conversation.
Connected external all An external target of Deliver has answered.
Connected internal all An agent as the target of Deliver has answered.
  • Paths of this event may end open; they do not need an end node.
  • The Connected path keeps running even though the agent has taken over — the right place, for example, for Start Recording or Attach data.
  • If the conversation returns from a state that the flow set itself — for example after an announcement — this does not trigger an event.

End Event

The End Event runs when the conversation ends, for whatever reason — even after an agent has taken it over. For calls, it has the outputs Inbound call and Virtual call, depending on whether the ending call was a virtual one; otherwise Output.

Only nodes that no longer talk to the customer or queue them are allowed here: for example Send Email, Script code, Branch, Set Variables, Basic Math, Database Read, Attach data, Stop Recording, Move to Folder and Automatic answer. The check reports nodes that play, recognize, deliver, record, wait or queue as Invalid node in end event path. The paths may end open.

Timers

  1. The Start Timer node starts named timers, each with a duration and, if desired, repeating.
  2. When a timer expires, the flow continues in the Timer Elapsed Event at the output with the name of the timer.
  • If the conversation is in a state that the flow controls itself when the timer expires — announcement, keypad input, recognition, voicemail, automatic reply, sending an email, delivering, waiting for a reply — this expiry is skipped. A repeating timer reports again in the next round.
  • Every pass through Start Timer starts its timers again; timers that are already running keep running.
  • For calls, all timers end as soon as an agent or a target of Deliver is connected. For emails, faxes and chats, they run until the end of the conversation. There is no node for stopping them.
  • Paths of the Timer Elapsed Event end in Terminate, Virtual queue or Wait for termination.

When an agent takes over

Before each node, the flow checks whether the conversation is still running and whether an agent has taken it over. When an agent takes over, the main path ends at the next node, and for calls, the flow’s announcements and music stop immediately. The paths from Connected, from the End Event and from the Timer Elapsed Event, however, keep running.

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