Top 5 example call flows

The call flow designer offers endless possibilities, allowing you to set up how your inbound calls are handled to best suit your needs without the need to request changes from Smartnumbers Support.

This article provides you with examples of how the call flows functionality has been used by our customers successfully:

• Routing calls differently during and outside opening hours
• Using an auto-attendant to make user experience better
• Protecting your staff from having to answer nuisance calls
• Leveraging call flows without using Control for continuity
• Using Protect to generate risk scores with basic routing

However, these are not the be all and end all of call flows. You can mix and match to achieve your ideal call flows. It is easy to get back when you make a mistake, and do not fret, Smartnumbers Support can always help if you find yourself stuck.

Example 1: Opening Hours

During bank holidays and after your working hours, there may be nobody to answer the phone even though the caller may be ringing to give you vital information. This call flow shows how to set up your routing so that callers know that you value their call and you can rest assured that no information is lost.

The call flow makes use of the following services:

1. All calls come in through the Smartnumbers (Call in) block. This is where number groups assigned to the call flow would be represented. In this example, there is just one number, but there can be several number groups with many numbers each:
   
   
   
2. This flow uses time-based routing (TBR) to split calls coming in during and outside working hours. It supports setting up different time ranges for different days of the week, like for weekends. During the specified time (working hours), incoming calls get routed via the left branch, and via the right branch otherwise.
   
   Please note that in this service, the week is shown as starting on Sunday. To learn more, including how to set calls on bank holidays to route differently, see the TBR article.
   
   
3. In the left branch (during working hours) calls get routed as normal through a Control service, which means that each number in the number group(s) assigned to the call flow can be routed differently and have its own failover routes.
   
   
   
4. However, outside of office hours, the calls go down the right to an announcement service. A custom audio file, uploaded via the call flow designer or the audio files area, tells the caller that whilst they are calling out of hours, they can leave a message with their query, and they can expect a response within a specific time period. Then, the call continues downwards via the service's output port:
   
   
   
5. Finally, all out-of-hours calls then get transferred to a central number where a voicemail is set up, so that the first available person can assist the caller with their query. The call flow designer thus ends its job here:
   
   The timeout does not particularly matter, as answering machines are generally set up to answer immediately. However, the default is that calls ring 20 seconds when calling an actual DDI, after which calls are dropped, though this can be made shorter or longer.

Example 2: Auto-attendant (Interactive Voice Response or IVR)

Callers usually know which part of your business they are trying to reach, and using an IVR, you save customer agent time by routing them there based on their choice (keypress) in a menu.

In this example, a custom audio file is played as the menu, asking whether the caller has called before, and an announcement is played to them only if this is the first time they are calling, saving time on the call for repeat callers.

1. All calls come in through the Smartnumbers (Call in) block. This is where number groups assigned to the call flow would be represented. In this example, there is just one number, but there can be several number groups with many numbers each:
   
2. The caller is first played an announcement which welcomes them to the customer line, based on a custom audio file uploaded here via the call flow designer or via the audio files area. This is separate from the IVR that follows, so that the welcome message does not get repeated.
   
   
   
3. Using another uploaded custom audio file, the auto-attendant (IVR) asks the caller whether they have called before, and to press 1 if yes and 2 if not.
   • If the caller presses 1 on their keypad to indicate that they have called before, they are routed straight to a Control service that distributes their calls according to which number they originally called.
   • If the caller presses 2, they are routed to an announcement giving them first time information. They are also routed there if the message repeats three times and they don't press anything on their phone's keypad.
   • If the caller presses an invalid/not set up key (0, 3-9, *, #), the IVR starts playing the menu audio file again the specified number of times (three times in this case).
     
     
     
4. All callers that indicate they have not called this service before, as well as those for whom the IVR has timed out, get routed to an announcement service that plays them a message describing the service and asking them to prepare some information whilst they wait for an agent to become available. Calls then get routed to the same Control service as if the message had been skipped.
   
   
   
5. Regardless of the caller's choice in the IVR, they get sent to a Control service eventually. Each number in the number group assigned to the call flow can be routed differently and have its own failover routes. Thus, both branches of the call flow end up in the same place, but they take a different route to get there.
   

Similarly to the IVR above, the caller may be routed based on their indication of whom they are trying to reach (via keypress) to several different numbers using the transfer to number service, or even to two completely separate Control services, each with different delivery and failover routes. IVRs can also be chained to allow for more complex cases.

Example 3: Nuisance call protection

The bigger an organisation gets and the more it interacts with customers, the more it's likely to receive calls that are a waste of time or nuisance. However, many government organisations are legally required to answer even nuisance calls during working hours. The following call flow supports this by redirecting calls to a staffed number dedicated to dealing with cases like this:

1. All calls come in through the Smartnumbers (Call in) block. This is where number groups assigned to the call flow would be represented. In this example, there is just one number, but there can be several number groups with many numbers each:
   
   
   
2. The nuisance call protection service is used to split calls from legitimate callers from those originating with callers on the list of previous nuisance callers. These callers can be added based on an investigation of your call log, even when they withheld their number, or added manually in the Nuisance call protection area of Smartnumbers Hub. The calls then go down two distinct branches and can be dealt with separately.
   
   Note that the nuisance call protection service can only be used once in a call flow, which is why it appears as the first service here - if it were to appear e.g. after the time-based routing, it would be necessary to have it in the call flow twice.
   
   
   
3. In the left branch (non-nuisance callers), calls get routed as normal through a Control service, which means that each number in the number group(s) assigned to the call flow can be routed differently and have its own failover routes.
   
   
   
4. However, nuisance callers go through the branch on the right and are played an announcement based on a custom audio file, telling the caller that they may be committing an offence:
   
   
   
5. After the announcement is played, the time-based routing service determines whether the call should be simply ended if outside working hours or answered by the agent responsible for dealing with nuisance callers.
   
   
   
6. During working hours, all nuisance calls go down the left branch and get transferred to the number of the person responsible for dealing with them:
   
   
   
7. However, at other times, the calls go down the right branch and are ended after the announcement plays:
   
   
   

In this way, you can limit the amount of time your customer service agents spend on dealing with nuisance calls.

Example 4: Complex case without a Control service

Call flows can be useful in other ways than just as an extension to your existing Control service. Where inbound call management is the need, not business continuity or SIP migration or an office move, the call flow designer also allows you to set up your calls to be routed exactly according to your needs:

1. In this case, there is usually just one central number that your customers can call. All calls to that number then come in through the Smartnumbers (Call in) block.
   
2. The nuisance call protection service is used to split calls from legitimate callers from those originating with nuisance callers. You can manage these in the Nuisance call protection area of Smartnumbers Hub. The calls then go down two distinct branches and can be dealt with separately.
   
   The nuisance call protection service is again used as the first one in the call flow, as it can only be used once:
   
   
   
3. Legitimate callers are then played an announcement welcoming them to the customer line using a custom audio file. This is separate from the IVR that comes next, so that the welcome message doesn't get repeated along with the menu question being asked.
   
   
   
4. However, the call is simply ended for all previously identified nuisance callers.
   
   
   
5. Then, all legitimate callers are routed to an auto-attendant (IVR) that presents them with a menu (a recording that you can upload here or in the audio files area):
   
   • Callers that select 1 to indicate that they are existing customers are immediately transferred to Account Management.
   • Callers that select 2 to indicate they are interested in your services, as well as those who do not press any keys during the time needed for the menu to play three times (Timeout), are routed to Sales.
   • Callers that select 3 to indicate that they would like you to get back to them after leaving a message detailing their needs are routed to an announcement and then to the voicemail number.
   • Callers that select 4 to indicate they are looking for more information about the business are played an announcement, and the call then ends.
   • Callers that press any other keys (0, 5-9, *, #) will be played the menu again three times.
     
     
6. Existing customers are transferred to your Account Management department's number:
   
   
   
7. Potential new customers (and those for whom the IVR times out) get transferred to Sales (note the two connections coming into the service's input port):
   
   
   
8. Those asking for you to get back to them with a quote are first played a quick announcement that details what info you need to know to prepare a quote for them:
   
   
   
9. After being asked to provide the required information by an announcement message, the callers are transferred to a voicemail number where they can leave their request for a quote along with any details.
   
   In this case, the timeout doesn't really matter, as answering machines generally connect instantly.
   
   
10. Callers who indicated that they would like to learn more about your business are played an announcement that tells them to go to your website and (optionally) fill in a contact form to request more information:
    
    
    
11. The call is then ended.
    

Example 5: Using basic routing to distribute calls after going through Protect

Smartnumbers Protect allows you to generate risk scores pertaining to individual callers by examining the signalling information attached to the call that comes into your contact centre. In this case, this score is not being used to route calls differently based on their risk scores (though this is possible), but is instead accessed through an API by the software used by your customer service agents.

After the calls come into the platform, they also need to be routed out to be delivered to the agents. A basic routing service is used to deliver each call to a Smartnumber to a corresponding number in the appropriate delivery number range:

1. All calls come in through the Smartnumbers (Call in) block. This is where number groups assigned to the call flow would be represented. In the example below, there is just one number, but there can be several number groups with many numbers each:
   
   
   
2. All calls then go through a Protect service that evaluates calls for risk. The ability to route trusted calls differently from trusted ones is available, but is not used in this case, as the risk scores are accessed and utilised otherwise. Both output ports of the service thus lead to the same place:
   
   The Protect service is another service that can only be added to a call flow once. It is therefore advisable to include it as the first service in the call flow, so that all incoming calls get evaluated for risk:
   
   
   
3. That place is a basic routing service that allows each number in the number ranges assigned to the call flow to be individually routed to another number, the caller to be played an announcement, or for the call to simply end. Unlike a Control service, failover routes or plans are not available.
   

Note that because the customer shown in this example has Smartnumbers Protect but not our Control capability, many services that are available for Control customers in the call flow designer are shown as locked:

Would you like to start setting up your own call flows? Check out Getting started with the call flow designer, and see also the Call flows FAQ for answers to the most common questions.