Receiving Calls in the Phone Queue

Calls within the DTA Assistance Line are transferred to staff based on the menu selection, transfer needs, and outbound call type. Staff must confirm the best number to reach the client, as well as their address(es), at every client interaction.

SNAP-only case managers assigned to the Phone Queue become part of the statewide Assistance Line via the Cisco Finesse 2.0 software.

Logging in to the Cisco Software and Availability to receive calls:

• Locate the Cisco icon and double-click Agent Desktop

• a CTI Login page appears; enter login information and Password (the same as user name for a default)

• logging in automatically launches Cisco Finesse

• your Agent State appears as Not Ready upon launch of the Cisco Finesse

• click Ready in the Agent State to become available to receive calls. After clicking Ready in the Agent State, do not take or make any phone calls outside of Cisco Finesse.

Outbound Calls from the DTA Assistance Line

The DTA Assistance Line has the capacity to place automated outbound calls.  A batch narrative will document all automated outbound call attempts the same evening to indicate whether the call was successful. Outbound calls occur for:

• SNAP clients with scheduled telephone appointments. A call is placed to them at the time of their scheduled appointment.

If the outbound call is successful, the client will be routed to the First Available Worker in the Phone Queue.  You must validate these calls by asking the client for their full name, social security number or APID, date of birth, and address.  Any address known to BEACON (residential, permanent, or mailing) shall be considered acceptable for client authentication purposes.

Answering calls

The Phone Queue Portal provides information to help you quickly identify the client that is connected to the DTA Assistance Line.  The information that is displayed indicates the type of phone call that is connected.

The phone queue portal:

• displays 220 followed by the client’s APID for authenticated clients without an HLS designation;

• displays 330 followed by the client’s APID for authenticated clients with outstanding case requirements, such as an Interim Report or Recertification due, verifications due, an appointment, or were recently closed or denied and may be able to rectify their case status;

• displays 440 followed by the client’s APID for successful outbound auto dialer calls for SNAP telephone appointments; or

• displays the ten-digit telephone number for unauthenticated clients that are not known to the IVR system

An incoming call appears in the Cisco Toolkit with information corresponding to the Call Type and Caller ID origination number. If you are logged on as a Mobile Agent, when a call comes in it will connect directly to your phone to answer.  When a call is received by the Department, you must follow procedures as established in Answering and Ending Phone Calls.

Receiving Calls

The IVR system recognizes two types of inbound calls: authenticated clients and unauthenticated clients.

• Authenticated Client is someone who correctly enters their  social security number, APID, or EBT Card number and year of birth in the IVR system

• Unauthenticated Client is someone who does not correctly enter their social security number and year of birth in the IVR system after three attempts, or does not have a case in BEACON, such as those who are just inquiring or are P-EBT only clients.

When you are speaking to a client through the DTA Assistance Line who wishes to discuss case-specific information, you must verify the caller’s identity to ensure client confidentiality.

• Authenticated clients must confirm their full name, date of birth, and address

• Unauthenticated clients must confirm their full name, social security number or APID, date of birth, and address

If the information the client provides is not correct and identity has not been confirmed or is otherwise questionable, please contact FIDM or the Procedural Mailbox for further instruction.  This occurrence must be noted in the BEACON Narrative.

Place a client on hold if you must conduct research or consult other staff including a supervisor. Always inform the caller that you are placing them on hold before doing so.

Putting callers on hold:

• Click the Hold button under Hold/Retrieve

• To pick up the call again, click the Retrieve button

Conference Calls:

You must create a conference call if the caller needs a translator. A conference call may also be necessary if bringing in a consulting party or working with a third party to assist a client in obtaining verifications.  Always inform the caller that you are creating a conference call before doing so. A conference call may be created by using the regular phone conference option or by using Cisco Finesse.

If you are on a call through Cisco Finesse, you must use Cisco Finesse to create the conference call.

If the call occurs outside of Cisco Finesse (e.g., a call received through Jabber, the standard incoming call through the phone line), you have the option to create the conference call through Cisco Finesse or by using the regular phone conference option.

The table below displays the steps to creating a conference call for the two platforms:

Following a call, you have a specified period of wrap-up time during which you will not receive new calls from the queue. When the allotted time expires, you automatically enter a Ready state and are able to receive calls.

Not Ready status

• Before the automatic wrap-up time expires, if more time in a Not Ready state is needed, select, Not Ready in the Agent State

• Once Not Ready has been selected, you must select a code corresponding to the reason that you are not ready. The codes available are:

• Break

• Completing Call/Ticket

• DTA Consulting Supervisor

• Lunch

• Other

• If you are ready to take another call before the wrap-up time has expired, select Ready to immediately become active again and receive the next call

Logging Out

• To logout of the Cisco Toolkit and exit the Phone Queue, first update your status to Not Ready (see steps above)

• Once in a Not Ready status, click the Logout Button

• Select a Logout reason for why you are exiting the Queue.  The Logout Reasons available are:

• DTA Switching Queue

• DTA Unexpected Departure

• End of Shift, Other

• Staff Meeting

• Training

  Last Update:  March 31, 2022