Glossary #
Term | Description |
Administrator | The Administrator is the user with the capability to configure the Horizon Contact system. They have total control over user permissions, call flows, reports etc. There can be multiple Administrators and they are set within the Horizon GUI rather than in Horizon Contact. Please note due to the flexibility of the Roles system, it is possible to create additional Administrator-like roles without full Horizon Contact configuration permissions. |
Agents | Agents are the users that make up the bulk of your Horizon Contact company. These users will handle customer calls, emails, and chats, depending on their setup. Agents are organised into Groups and placed in Queues to be able to receive inbound communication. Agents are created within the Horizon GUI and their details sit inside the Users section of the Staff area. |
Agent Recording | Agent Recording or Agent-Level Recording refers to a type of call recording setup. Having this set will record any calls that the Agent is involved in, regardless of other call recording settings. Please note that if this option is disabled or set to 0% then no recording will be generated for this Agent’s calls, regardless of other recording settings. Agent Recording is set in the Recording tab within Users and can be configured to record a percentage of all calls. The recordings themselves can be accessed in the Horizon Call Recording portal. |
Break Reasons | Break Reasons are the options that an Agent can select to temporarily stop inbound contact. These can be created as needed by the Administrator and can be classified as Productive or Unproductive. Breaks can also be set to ‘interruptible’ if inbound contact is still required. Break Reasons are handled in the Break Reasons section of the Staff area. |
Call/Chat/Email Flows | Call/Chat/Email Flows form the backbone of the Horizon Contact system. These are configurable routes and behaviours that guide calls, chat conversations etc. to Queues and departments via Nodes. Flows can be easily copied and imported and need to be assigned to a Service Number to work. Call Flows are found in their own section in the Call Handling area. |
Callbacks | Callbacks are a feature that allows waiting customers to hang up whilst keeping their position in the Queue. Callbacks are configured in the Queues section in the Call Handling area. Outbound calls must first be enabled for Callbacks to work. |
Call Slots | Call Slots are predefined time periods that call customers can choose for a Callback. These can be set up by the Administrator to work around the busiest times of the day as well as limit the number of Callbacks allowed. Call Slots are configured in the Call Slots section of the Call Handling area. Callbacks must be enabled for Call Slots to work, and the Call Slot node must be in the Call Flow. |
Campaigns | The Campaigns sections allows for outbound call campaigns to be managed. These allow Agents assigned to a particular queue to have outbound calls automatically made between inbound contacts, which can be useful for sale pitches etc. |
Capabilities | Capabilities are a way of defining how many items an Agent can handle. This will allow Horizon Contact to automatically assign new calls, emails etc to an Agent without overwhelming them. Agents can be provided a default number of points and each contact item; calls, chats etc, can use up these points. For example, if an Agent has 20 points and receives a call (15 points), they will still be able to be given a chat (5 points) but not an email (7 points). The value of each channel item is configurable, as well as the maximum number of each item given to one agent at the same time. Capability defaults are configured in the Channel Configuration section of the System area. The default capability of a particular Agent can be overridden in the Users section of the Staff area. |
Channel | A Channel is a type of customer contact, usually voice for phone calls, but Horizon Contact also supports Email and Webchats. Channels do not need to be separately set up or activated. If the correct licenses have been provisioned and Call, Email or Chat Flows have been set up, then the relevant Channel will be in effect. The weighting or priority of each Channel can be configured in the Channel Configuration section of the System area. |
Channel Configuration | Channel Configuration, also known as Channel Blending or Omnichannel Blending, is the capability to configure the weight/importance of a particular Channel over another. For example, by default Horizon Contact considers calls to be more important than emails and will push a call to an Agent before the email, even if the email has been sat in a queue for longer. This behaviour can be changed as required on Queue (Queue A is more important than Queue B) or Channel (Emails are more important than Webchats) basis. Channel Configuration is also how Emails and webchats can be set to auto-assign to Agents. Channels are configured in the Channel Configuration section of the System area. |
Classifications | Classifications are the labels Agents will use to categorize inbound contact. Classifications that might be used include Resolved, Not Resolved, Abusive Call, Complaint etc. This data can then be viewed in the Reports section. Classifications are set in the Classifications section of the Data area. |
CLI | Stands for Calling Line Identifier and is another term for the telephone number. |
CRM | CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and is any system that allows for customer contact details, such as phone number, to be tied to contact history, invoices, appointments etc. Horizon Contact has its own built-in CRM though they can also be separate systems. The CRM database can be found in the CRM section of the Customers area. The CRM can be configured, including the creation of custom fields and tags for use by Agents, in the CRM Configuration section. |
Global Variables | Global Variables, also known as Company Variables, are Strings that can be understood and edited across Call, Chat and Email Flows and from outside of the Horizon Contact GUI. For example, a Global Variable called ‘Disaster Recovery’ might be created that allows a supervisor or manager to dial a separate number to switch on a backup service without the use of the Horizon Contact website. Because of their universal nature you can use one variable to update all Flows, such as adding a message when someone tries to use webchat. Global Variables are set up in the Global Variables section of the Call Handling area. To use them in a Flow you will need to make use of the Set Company Variable and Branch On Company Variable Nodes. Global Variables are set up in the Global Variables section of the Call Handling area. To use them in a Call Flow you will need to make use of the Company Variable node. |
Groups | Groups can be seen as virtual teams inside of Horizon Contact. These may correlate to actual teams within the organisation but can also be created entirely for Horizon Contact. Users can be in multiple Groups and their Skill Level can be set to allow Horizon Contact to distribute work effectively. Groups must be assigned to Queues before they will take effect. Groups are created in the Groups section of the Staff area. |
Holiday List | Holiday Lists are collections of dates where the Horizon Contact company is closed or otherwise unreachable. Horizon Contact has a range of pre-set Holiday Lists including England and Wales bank holidays, but more can be made as required. Holiday Lists are then incorporated into your Time Ranges. Holiday Lists are made in the Holiday Lists section of the Staff area. |
Nodes | Nodes are blocks of code that determine call behaviour as it travels through the Call, Chat or Email Flow. Examples include the DTMF Menu Node, which allows callers to press a button on their keypad to make a choice, Join Queue Node which connects a caller to a specific queue and Play Announcement Node, which will play an audio file when reached. Nodes are arranged freely within the Call Flow and contain many editable parameters. Nodes are found and used in the Flows section of the Call Handling, Email and Webchat area. |
Node Type Library | The Node Type Library is the home of the individual Nodes and where you will go to choose which Nodes you will use in your Call,Chat or Email Flow. Nodes can be easily added from the Node Type Library at any time as the Call Flow evolves. The Node Type Library is found in the Call, Chat or Email Flows section. |
Number Lists | Number Lists are a way to compile numbers for use elsewhere in the Horizon Contact system. For example, this could be used to identify and distinguish VIP customers using the Branch on Number List Node. Number Lists can also be created for the purpose of blacklisting nuisance or unwanted callers.
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Play Books | Play Books are sequences of announcements and music that can be played whilst customers queue or via the Play Announcement Node in a Call Flow. Play Books can be set to interruptible, should you wish for an individual audio file, or the entire announcement, to be stopped via a key press. Play Books are created in the Play Books section of the Call Handling area. |
Privileges | Privileges are the individual features or functionality provided to Roles within Horizon Contact. Custom Roles can be copied from existing Roles and then edited via the removing or adding of Privileges. Please note you should think of the Privileges as subtractive – To give a Role a feature they are not usually allowed you will first need to copy the Role with that functionality, then remove all other unnecessary Privileges until it matches the original Role. Privileges are enabled and disabled in the Roles section of the Staff area. |
Queues | Queues are the main way for customers to interact with Agents. They can be thought of as departments in your company, for example you can imagine having a queue for Customer Support, Technical Support and Complaints. As they are virtual, they do not need to correspond to a physical location or team. Queues are handled by Groups of Agents and multiple Groups can be assigned to each Queue. This allows for flexible control over call handling. Queues can be for calls, Emails, or webchats.
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Queue Recording | Queue Recording or Queue Level Recording refers to a type of call recording setup. Having this set will record all calls that pass through this Queue, unless it involves an Agent that has not had their recording permitted in the Users section. Queue Recording can be configured, per queue, to record a percentage of calls, allow callers to opt in or out of calls and include audio informing the caller. Queue Recording is set in the Queues section in the Call Handling area. The recordings themselves can be accessed in the Horizon Call Recording portal. |
Reports | Reports allow you to view historic call data as well as Agent status, email, and diagnostic information. Reports can be setup and viewed in the Reports section of the Data area. |
Roles | Roles are the collection of Privileges assigned to a Horizon Contact user. Some Roles include Agent Voice and Agent Email, which contain the necessary Privileges required to make and answer calls and send emails to customers. Roles can be copied and then customised to give users less permissions, for example an Agent that cannot remove themselves from a Queue. |
Service Numbers | A Service Number is the phone number or numbers that are customer facing. Most Horizon Contact setups will only need one Service Number but multiple can be assigned to a company. Service Numbers must be assigned to a Call Flow for it to work. Service Numbers can be viewed in the Service Numbers section of the Call Handling area |
Skill Level | The Skill Level is a way to rate a user’s capabilities in relation to a topic, product, or department. As a user is added to a Group the Administrator will have the opportunity to rate the skill of that user on a five-point scale. This rating will be used by the Horizon Contact system to distribute incoming calls, emails etc, weighted towards those with the higher Skill Level. Skill Levels are assigned per user in the Groups section of the Staff area. |
SMS Alpha Addresses | An SMS Alpha Address is the functionality to replace an SMS number in the From field with a short name or message. This can be useful for marketing purposes or to ensure a text message from an unknown number isn’t ignored by the customer. SMS Alpha Addresses are created in the SMS Alpha Addresses section of the SMS area. |
Supervisors | Supervisors are user Role that can monitor and assist Agents. Supervisors by default have access to Reports and Wallboards and can listen in to Agent calls if required. As with all Roles, the Supervisor can be copied and edited to remove functionality as needed. Supervisors are created in the Horizon GUI and their details can be viewed in the Staff Users section of the Staff area. |
Time Ranges | Time Ranges are a collection of hours and days that can be used to create schedules for the Horizon Contact company, allowing the system to divert calls, Emails, or chats when the contact centre is closed, on lunch, in training etc. Multiple schedules can be created and used as needed and holidays can be applied using Holiday Lists. Time Ranges can be Relative, which means they occur on the same day/s each week, or Absolute, which means it occurs on a specific date.
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Wallboards | Wallboards are configurable screens that can show a range of information, including call data and user status. These screens are made up of widgets that can be customised as needed. Wallboards show the status of the contact centre, as opposed to the historical data that can be seen in the Reports. Wallboards are created and edited in the Wallboards section of the Data area. |
