Conversation Examples
A single Conversation with a customer can be a complex structure where multiple agents, bots and other actors are engaging with the customer. The real-world complexity of Conversations makes them difficult to analyze as they may have many attributes that change over time. To reduce this complexity Salted CX decomposes Conversations into units called Engagements.
Engagement are intended to be easier to use for analytics as they do not have a complex inner structure. Use the following example to deeper understand metrics for complex conversations.
When using Salted CX Ingest API for loading engagements make sure you follow the structure of conversations outlined in this article and document differences from it in case the data source does not provide data that are granular enough.
The following sections only show attributes and facts of the Engagements that are the most relevant for the given example. In practice the [Problem Internal Link] have more attributes and facts associated with them.
Voice
Examples focused purely on voice channel without any self-service. All involved agents use voice.
Inbound Voice
In typical Inbound voice call the customer typically waits in the queue. And agent is asked to picked up (or the call is directly assigned to them and started automatically) and the agent starts speaking.
<details> <summary>Engagement Data Set</summary>
| Conversation | Engagement | Type | Agent | Conversation Start Time | Start Time | End Time | Queue Time | Invitation Time | Engagement Time | Wrap Up Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue A | Queue | — | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:15 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent A | Agent | Agent A | 8:00 | 8:15 | 8:40 | — | 0:05 | 0:15 | 0:10 |
Notes on the data:
- Engagement Queue A does not have an agent associated with it because the customer is not a responsibility of the agent.
- No Invitation Engagement is created as these engagements are created only in case an agent is asked to handle the customer but they miss or reject to join the conversation.
- End Time of Engagement Agent A is the end of the wrap up phase as it should indicate the end of any agent work related to the engagement.
</details>
<details> <summary>Turn Data Set</summary>
During a phone conversation each turn will represent a continuous talk either by agent or a customer (or mixed channel if the channels are not separated).
| Engagement | Turn | Type | Participant | Turn Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Agent A | Turn A | Talk | Agent | 8:15 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn B | Talk | Customer | 8:20 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn C | Talk | Agent | 8:25 |
Notes on the data:
- Typical call contains much more turns as the conversation can switch between participants quite quickly.
- Turns of the type Talk are available only in if transcripts are available for the call.
</details>
Manual, Preview and Progressive Dialer Outbound Call
Manual outbound calls are initiated by agents based on a list they have available (in their agent desktop) or some request to contact specific customer. The same conversation structure have outbound calls started by Preview Dialers.
<details> <summary>Engagement Data Set</summary>
| Conversation | Engagement | Type | Agent | Conversation Start Time | Start Time | End Time | Queue Time | Invitation Time | Engagement Time | Wrap Up Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent A | Agent | Agent A | 8:00 | 8:15 | 8:40 | — | 0:05 | 0:15 | 0:10 |
Notes on the data:
- There is no queue engagement as the customer does not wait in any queue.
- The ringing of the phone is represented by Invitation Time and it is part of Engagement Time because the agent is busy when trying to reach the customer.
</details>
<details> <summary>Turn Data Set</summary>
During a phone conversation each turn will represent a continuous talk either by agent or a customer (or mixed channel if the channels are not separated).
| Engagement | Turn | Type | Participant | Turn Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Agent A | Turn A | Talk | Agent | 8:05 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn B | Talk | Customer | 8:10 |
Notes on the data:
- Typical call contains much more turns as the conversation can switch between participants quite quickly.
- Turns of the type Talk are available only in if transcripts are available for the call.
</details>
Abandoned Inbound Call
Inbound calls that do not reach agents are represented in Salted CX. In some cases abandoned calls can have only a queue engagement. In other cases.
<details> <summary>Engagement Data Set</summary>
| Conversation | Engagement | Type | Agent | Conversation Start Time | Start Time | End Time | Queue Time | Invitation Time | Engagement Time | Wrap Up Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue A | Queue | — | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:40 | 0:40 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Invitation A | Invitation | Agent A | 8:00 | 8:10 | 8:20 | — | 0:10 | — | — |
| Conversation A | Invitation B | Invitation | Agent B | 8:00 | 8:20 | 8:30 | — | 0:10 | — | — |
Notes on the data:
- Because the agents refused and missed invitations a special type of engagements are created.
- There may be multiple invitations for the same customer waiting in the queue. Every time an agent is invited and agent does not start talking to a customer an invitation engagement is created.
- The queue can span longer than when the last invitation ends if there are for example no agents left to notify.
- Invitations may not be available for all platforms and some platforms might provide only data on the last agent asked to handle the conversation.
</details>
Inbound Call with Cold Transfer
Cold transfer is a situation in which the agent moves a customer to another queue served by different agents. Typical use of a warm transfer is when the agent is not the one who can help the customer but depending on the customer request the agent can identify the right destination.
<details> <summary>Engagement Data Set</summary>
| Conversation | Engagement | Type | Agent | Conversation Start Time | Start Time | End Time | Queue Time | Invitation Time | Engagement Time | Wrap Up Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue A | Queue | — | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:15 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent A | Agent | Agent A | 8:00 | 8:15 | 8:35 | — | 0:05 | 0:10 | 0:10 |
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue B | Queue | — | 8:00 | 8:25 | 8:40 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent B | Agent | Agent B | 8:00 | 8:40 | 8:50 | — | 0:05 | 0:10 | — |
Notes on the data:
- Engagement Queue A does not have an agent associated with it because the customer is not a responsibility of the agent.
- No Invitation Engagement is created as these engagements are created only in case an agent is asked to handle the customer but they miss or reject to join the conversation.
- End Time of Engagement Agent A is the end of the wrap up phase as it should indicate the end of any agent work related to the engagement.
- While Engagement Agent A is in wrap up there is parallel Engagement Queue B representing the customer waiting in a queue for the new agent
- In case there is no wrap up the Wrap Up time is empty as shown in the Engagement Agent B
</details>
<details> <summary>Turn Data Set</summary>
During a phone conversation each turn will represent a continuous talk either by agent or a customer (or mixed channel if the channels are not separated).
| Engagement | Turn | Type | Participant | Turn Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Agent A | Turn A | Talk | Agent | 8:15 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn B | Talk | Customer | 8:20 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn C | Talk | Agent | 8:25 |
| Engagement Agent B | Turn D | Talk | Agent | 8:40 |
| Engagement Agent B | Turn E | Talk | Customer | 8:45 |
| Engagement Agent B | Turn F | Talk | Agent | 8:50 |
Notes on the data:
- Typical call contains much more turns as the conversation can switch between participants quite quickly.
- Turns of the type Talk are available only in if transcripts are available for the call.
- Turns are associated with the engagement in which happened.
</details>
Inbound Call with Warm Transfer
Warm transfer is a transfer that involves the transferring agent to connect with the target agent before handling over the customer who is typically put on hold. Typically the transferring agent has to wait in the queue as a regular customer (although transfers can be prioritized to shorten hold times). Once connected the two agents can talk together before unmuting the customer. After unmuting the customer the transferring agent typically gives a short intro to the customer and leaves the conversation.
<details> <summary>Engagement Data Set</summary>
| Conversation | Engagement | Type | Agent | Conversation Start Time | Start Time | End Time | Queue Time | Invitation Time | Engagement Time | Wrap Up Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue A | Queue | — | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:15 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent A | Agent | Agent A | 8:00 | 8:15 | 8:55 | — | 0:05 | 0:35 | 0:05 |
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue B | Queue | — | 8:00 | 8:25 | 8:40 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent B | Agent | Agent B | 8:00 | 8:40 | 9:05 | — | 0:05 | 0:25 | — |
Notes on the data:
- The customer is typically put on hold when warm transfer is initiated, however the Engagement Time A is still counted because the Agent A is still busy with the handling the customer even when it means not talking to the customer
- The person who waits in the Engagement Queue B is the Agent A for a chance to talk to Agent B
- The engagements can overlap — at 8:40 the agents talk to each other and this adds to Engagement Time of the both agents’ engagements.
- Agent A can be in wrap up while the Agent B talks to the customer.
</details>
<details> <summary>Turn Data Set</summary>
During a phone conversation each turn will represent a continuous talk either by agent or a customer (or mixed channel if the channels are not separated).
| Engagement | Turn | Type | Participant | Turn Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Agent A | Turn A | Talk | Agent | 8:15 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn B | Talk | Customer | 8:20 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn C | Talk | Agent | 8:25 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn D | Talk | Agent | 8:40 |
| Engagement Agent B | Turn E | Talk | Agent | 8:45 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn F | Talk | Agent | 8:50 |
| Engagement Agent B | Turn G | Talk | Customer | 8:55 |
| Engagement Agent B | Turn H | Talk | Agent | 9:00 |
Notes on the data:
- The assignment of turns when the engagements overlap is determined by who is talking, however this may not be available at all platforms and the turns can be assigned to either engagement
</details>
Outbound Call with Dialer
Dialer calls to customers automatically based on a list of customers to reach to.
Conference Call
Conference call is a call where more agents are brought into the conversation at once collaboratively working on the customer request.
<details> <summary>Engagement Data Set</summary>
| Conversation | Engagement | Type | Agent | Conversation Start Time | Start Time | End Time | Queue Time | Invitation Time | Engagement Time | Wrap Up Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue A | Queue | — | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:15 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent A | Agent | Agent A | 8:00 | 8:15 | 8:55 | — | 0:05 | 0:35 | 0:05 |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent B | Agent | Agent B | 8:00 | 8:25 | 8:40 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent C | Agent | Agent C | 8:00 | 8:40 | 9:05 | — | 0:05 | 0:25 | — |
| Conversation A | Invitation D | Invitation | Agent D | 8:00 | 8:25 | 8:30 | — | 0:05 | — | — |
| Conversation A | Invitation E | Invitation | Agent E | 8:00 | 8:25 | 8:35 | — | 0:10 | — | — |
Notes on the data:
- The engagements of individual agents joining the call overlap each other.
- Each agent engagement can have a separate wrap up.
- There is no queue for invites to the other agents because the customer nor Agent A do not really wait.
- If agents miss or reject the invitation to join the conference an invitation engagement is created.
</details>
<details> <summary>Turn Data Set</summary>
During a phone conversation each turn will represent a continuous talk either by agent or a customer (or mixed channel if the channels are not separated).
| Engagement | Turn | Type | Participant | Turn Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Agent A | Turn A | Talk | Agent | 8:15 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn B | Talk | Customer | 8:20 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn C | Talk | Agent | 8:25 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn D | Talk | Agent | 8:40 |
| Engagement Agent B | Turn E | Talk | Agent | 8:45 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn F | Talk | Agent | 8:50 |
Notes on the data:
- The assignment of turns when the engagements overlap is determined by who is talking, however this may not be available at all platforms and the turns can be assigned to either engagement
</details>
Email
Inbound Email
Inbound emails typically lead to inviting an agent to respond to the customer message.
<details> <summary>Engagement Data Set</summary>
Invitation engagement is not created in case the
| Conversation | Engagement | Type | Conversation Start Time | Start Time | End Time | Queue Time | Invitation Time | Engagement Time | Wrap Up Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue A | Queue | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:15 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent A | Agent | 8:00 | 8:15 | 8:25 | — | 0:05 | 0:10 | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Queue B | Queue | 8:00 | 8:35 | 8:50 | 0:15 | — | — | — |
| Conversation A | Engagement Agent B | Agent | 8:00 | 8:50 | 9:00 | — | 0:05 | 9:00 | — |
Notes on the data:
- When handling emails a new queue and agent engagement typically exists for every response and reply. Because there are expected longer response times in most contact centers once the agent sends an email they are immediatelly free to handle another conversation.
</details>
<details> <summary>Turns Data Set</summary>
| Engagement | Turn | Type | Participant | Turn Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Queue A | Turn A | Message | Customer | 8:00 |
| Engagement Agent A | Turn B | Message | Agent | 8:25 |
| Engagement Queue B | Turn C | Message | Customer | 8:35 |
| Engagement Agent B | Turn D | Message | Agent | 9:00 |
Notes on the data:
- The turns for emails are essentially the same as for chat channels.
</details>