Agent / User vs. Group Values

Summary

This article covers the two separate reporting values, Agent / User and Group values, and why they do not logically line up as they are fundamentally different values from a reporting and logging perspective.

Details

Below we will go into detail on some basic points as to why these two values will always turn up different data on reporting, especially when looking at larger time frames.

For example, in the call flow below, you will see the call hit our Chronicall Basic Support group. The call was presented to Ben, who missed the call. The call then rolled over to Brett, who answered the call.

If you were to run a group based report on this call, you would see one presented call, and one answered call, because the call was presented inside that group, and answered inside that group.

If you run an agent and/or user-based report, you would see two presented calls, one missed call, and one answered call at an agent level. Ultimately the call was presented and answered at a group level, but at the agent level, there were two presented calls - a missed call, and then an answered call.

This can get more complicated depending on how busy your site is, but with the simple example above you can see how reporting at an agent level can generate much different numbers than reporting at a group level.

Also, it is important to note that a single call can also roll between groups depending on how your site and groups are configured for overflow. In a call overflow example between groups, a single call could count as multiple missed calls at a group level, as the call rolls from one group to the next trying to find an available agent, triggering a missed call for each group it hits that doesn't answer it.

The same can also happen at an agent/user level as covered above but for more than two users as a call could hit multiple agents before being answered, resulting in multiple missed calls for what ultimately is just a single call as far as logging is concerned. If the call rang 4 agents before being answered by a 5th agent, that would be 4 missed calls at an agent level, and 1 answered call. For example, if you are looking at a call detail report, it should just consider if the call was answered or not answered ultimately as it is just looking at the call as a whole, not how many agents the call presented to.

These reasons and more are why at an agent/user level, and even at a group level, you can see many more presented and answered/missed calls than total calls that ultimately hit the phone system.