Matt Riddell wrote:

> I beg to differ. Using Asterisk (www.asterisk.org - an open source
> Linux based PABX), the estimated wait time can be calculated in multiple
> ways. It is also updated in real-time according to the number of people
> in the queue and the average time it is currently taking for a call to
> complete.
>
> Unfortunately the E1 interfaces are not yet telepermitted in New
> Zealand, but Telstra will allow you to connect via them.
>
> When set up correctly, estimated wait time should be accurate to less
> than a minute (assuming you have a few call centre staff). The cool
> thing about Asterisk is that you can have people working from home and
> logging in over IP to receive help desk calls. This allows a whole new
> sector of people to join the workforce. It also means that you can get
> people to log in when you have extreme demand to lower the queue times
> (which it looks like Orcon could do with at the moment!).
>
> Unfortunately most of the ISPs in New Zealand use crappy proprietary
> closed source call management systems, so you're unlikely to see these
> features as of yet.
>
> We have a few small call centres set up with Asterisk and they blow your
> standard ISPs system out of the water!
>
> So, yes Orcon's system is broken, yes most "estimated wait times" on NZ
> ISPs are crap, but that's not the way it has to be.
>

I hate to diverse even further off topic, but you will find alot of
contact centers that have a proper solution [1] don't actually give
estimated wait times, because in the case where there are problems
(unknown factors) it causes the customer to get upset, and can also
increase the number of abandoned calls.

[1] Where the solution is a proper skill based routing system.

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