Freepbx Home-based Agent Call Centre Setup?

General Help
1

I am interested in freepbx - but not sure it will be the best fit for our business.

So, I’ll give a run down on what I’m looking to achieve and I’m hoping you can shed some light on whether freepbx is the ticket…

I have a team of home based telephone agents doing telemarketing calls - so they have their own telephone lines (pstn).

I want a system that allows all calls to be logged, recorded, and monitored (barge in if possible).

I don’t want to have equipment setup at each home based agents location - just to have the calls routed through my system so that we can track call rates, record all calls with the telephone number noted in the file name, and that I can monitor calls as they are happening through some kind of interface.

Is that possible with freepbx - or will we need hardware at each location?

2

With FreePBX you can create custom extensions, with a custom dial string Local/8435551234@outbound-allroutes

This will allow you to route calls to your staff via their PSTN numbers. The calls are still being routed via your system so you can still monitor and or record them.

3

Does that mean that the call (charges) will be made from my system (freepbx - voip or pstn) - and they (remote agent) can call themselves, and the prospect from my system? (like a conference call).

Is there a way that the call (charges) can be made from each locations pstn account - calling my system, and the prospect - thus allowing monitoring - but the call charges are going through the individual agent’s pstn account?

I understand what you are saying regarding inbound calls, but my issue is outbound calls from remote locations - I want the call costs to be charged to the remote pstn accounts, but going through my system for monuitoring/recording etc…

4

Take a look at DISA.

BF

5

Well . . .

Is there a way that the call (charges) can be made from each locations pstn account - calling my system, and the prospect - thus allowing monitoring - but the call charges are going through the individual agent’s pstn account?

is pretty well no. Think about it . . .

6

If each agent has an internet connection, my feeling is give each agent a sip phone, ata or pc sip phone client and run each agent as an extension from a fpbx/asterisk system with sip trunking to the pstn. That way you have complete cdr records of every call and all the great features of fpbx at your disposal.

7

If you need your agents to pay for their own outbound calling, you would need a separate trunk for each with separate credentials for each and then have your agents top up their accounts as necessary. Perhaps a bit messy, but certainly possible.

8

Would it work if my remote agent (independent pstn phone)made a conference call to the pbx system (an extension?) and to the prospect, every time an outbound call is made?

That way they call an extension (thus recording and monitoring the call), and they call the prospect - all on their pstn account?

Would that work?

9

Wow, you will go to about any length to not pay for these calls. Outbound call center and a penny pincher. I bet you are a peach to work for.

10

Have all your agents subscribe to three way calling, when they want to work for you, they call your system, then they make a “hook flash” and dial your third party. They will pay for all your calls in and out and will leave your cheap-ass organization next week when they realize you are ripping them off.

11

And all your customers will have the home number of your agents!

12

Thanks for the advice guys, may peace be with you!

13

For those that are serious about sharing their knowledge, thank you.

For those of you that adhere to the open source troll persona - you seem to need more food?
…

The business model is based on independent remote contractors. We get very good unlimited calling plans in Australia - so the costs are very low doing it this way.

Hence the setup - they are all in their own office setups - and I’m outsourcing the work to them.

So, the trolls can keep regurgitating hate, that’s ok - its all light anyway.

But, I’m just after a simple solution…

With limited knowledge of freepbx I’ve approached a forum to get ideas…

Is it possible to:

What about a conference call setup?

Would it work if my remote agent (independent pstn phone)made a conference call to the pbx system (an extension?) and to the prospect, every time an outbound call is made?

That way they call an extension (thus recording and monitoring the call), and they call the prospect - all on their pstn account?

Would that work?

14

No idea what "… .open source troll persona . . " means.

If you build a system and have no idea how the underlying systems work, In your case how the PSTN system, then feel free to remain ignorant. What you are asking for cannot be done, there have been quite a few suggestions in this thread, You pig-headly ignore them all. Just try to read a FM or two and you will see why you are so wrong.

15

I guess no one really understands your business model…seems a bit upside down to us. If unlimited calling is so cheap then I don’t understand your issues with covering that as a cost of doing business. People on the forums help out for free, on their own time. Pretty much anything you come up with having your contractors cover the brunt of your legitimate business expenses is going to catch some negative feedback from the people that make a living off business telephony services, and anything outside of DISA for capturing your Incoming calls is likely to be a hack and cause more call quality issues than it’s worth.

16

Thanks, I’ll turn this stone back over.

Thanks to those that have shared openly.

17

Another possibility. Each agent has an ATA device such as the Obihai 110 that trunks back to your PBX, that way the PBX can initiate calls over the agent’s POTS line directly.