Creating a call flow. Building a flow.
Flows are a powerful tool which can provide you with lots of options for routing your call. To see more about what flows can do for you, there is further reading available in the Flows section of the portal. This example uses the simplest version for routing the call to a queue.
Creating a flow
To create a flow for inbound calls, in your Admin account:
- Go to the Inbound page.
- Go to the Flows subpage.
- Click the Create call flow button.
The Create call flow dialog opens:
- Type a Flow Name. As always, it is a good idea to choose a meaningful name.
- Click OK.
Building a flow
Building a flow involves connecting different actions, called applets, together. Each of these applets can give the caller information, route the call, or gather information from the caller.
To add an applet to your flow, click and drag it from the Voice Applets list onto the flow. To begin with a greeting:
- Click and drag the Greeting applet from the Voice Applets list.
- Drop it over the Drop applet here box in the Call Start section.
Once you have added an applet to your flow, you will normally need to define things about that action.
Greeting applet
For a Greeting applet, you must:
- Add the greeting the caller will hear, either as a sound recording, or getting a robot to read it. Click Read Text to type a greeting for the robot to read. Click Upload to attach an existing sound file in mp3 format.
- Drag and drop a new applet to the Drop applet here box to define what happens after the greeting. To route the call to a queue, drag the Queue applet onto the Drop applet here box.
Queue applet
Now complete the details for the Queue applet.
- Click the Add to Queue drop-down list and select the queue to use.
- Drag and drop an applet from the Voice applets list to When queue is inactive, to chose what happens if the queue is inactive. This could simply be the Hangup applet.
- Likewise, drag and drop an applet from the Voice applets list to If the queue is closed to decide what happens if a call arrives outside of your opening times. Again, the simplest option would be to hang up with the Hangup applet.
In both case you might want to use the Greeting applet to tell the customer why the calls will be disconnected before using the Hangup applet.
Once all branches of your flow are complete:
- Click the Save button in the top left.