How to use Botmaker Call to make voice calls and video calls?
Voice & Video Call is a multichannel solution integrated into the Botmaker platform that allows your agents to have 1-to-1 conversations with customers. Thus, agents can switch from a chat conversation to a voice or video call with a single click.
Estimated reading time: 06 minutes
Functionality features
Voice & Video Call provides secure and private calls and ensures that the meeting space is only accessible to the intended participants, typically an agent and a customer.
The product also includes several additional features, such as:
- Screen sharing
- Agent notifications
- Automatic recording
- Screenshots
Calls are cross-platform compatible. For agents, calls are integrated into the Botmaker platform, allowing them to multitask and increase productivity. Customers can access calls from web browsers on desktop or mobile devices without the need to download any additional applications - modern devices are required -, thus creating a better user experience.
Note: To use this feature, it is necessary to have mobile devices such as smartphones. On the other hand, browsers (Google Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera) must be updated to their latest versions for use on both mobile and desktop devices.
Configuration options
The platform has three configuration options to better control your expenses and manage the functionality. For example, you can define whether all agents will have the call/video call option enabled according to their assigned role. You also have the option to hide the chat buttons for certain agents.
1. Expenses control
From Menu>Account >Products and Expenses, option Calls, you can set the following:
- Which projects will have the functionality enabled.
- If they will have activated the option of video calls or audio calls only.
- If they will have the call recording option enabled.
2. Configuration
From Menu>Configuration>Calls, you can hide the buttons in the chat to enable or disable the functionality as needed.
3. Agent specific role
From Menu>Agents>Roles, you can select which agents will have voice and video calls enabled within the permissions of the chats screen.
To do so, select the agent you are interested in and click on Edit role. Once there, enable or disable voice or video calls by checking the Start voice calls and Start video calls checkboxes.
How to use the video call feature?
By accessing Menu>Conversations>Chats, users initiate a normal chat conversation with a bot and are then transferred to an agent. At any point in the conversation, that agent can choose to convert the chat conversation into a meeting (video call). This can be done via a preconfigured action that will send an invitation to the customer via the chat channel.
By pressing " Start a video call now", the customer receives the link with the invitation, clicks on it, and is directed to the web application of the call.
Automatically, on the chat screen, the agent receives a dialog box to join the call.
Once the agent has joined, the call is initiated and is considered "In progress". Both parties can start interacting. During the conversation, the following functions will be available to the agent:
- Screenshot/video capture
- Screen sharing
- Full-screen mode
- Share the meeting with another agent
Finally, once all participants have left the meeting, the conversation ends and a summary of the conversation is sent to the agent. At that point, the agent can choose to continue chatting with the customer or end the session.
Note : Ending a meeting does not automatically end the session or unassign the agent.
Other important technical details
This section mentions some additional issues concerning the video call functionality:
- Call and event history
During the call, the following types of events are logged and presented on the chat screen:
- A call has been initiated
- An agent has joined
- A customer has joined
- A call has ended
- Call summary
The last event is a summary of the call detailing the start date, the duration, and a list of participants.
2. Security
Meeting invitations:
Links sent to the user are unique and secure, and are generated following these guidelines:
- Room names are a combination of BusinessId, CustomerId, and a random alphanumeric code.
- Rooms are assigned to a specific customer and a specific agent.
- Specific JWT tokens are assigned to each participant. Rooms can only be accessed if a valid JWT token is available.
- JWT tokens are generated by Botmaker only:
- A specific JWT unique to the agent is generated.
- Se genera un JWT específico secundario para el cliente.
- Each token is generated for a specific room. This means that a customer with a valid JWT cannot access other rooms.
- JWTs are signed using HS256 and have an expiration of 30 minutes by default.
3. Graphical user interface for voice and video calls
Transport over HTTPS
The call website runs over HTTPS and cannot be downgraded to HTTP. During the meeting, the connection is upgraded to WSS also applying SSL.
Client-server encryption
In addition to HTTPS, communication between client and server is encrypted at the application level and is mandatory.
Access
Access is controlled server-side via JWT tokens that are signed and verified when joining a meeting.
4. Recordings
Recordings are disabled by default and can be enabled if necessary (at additional cost).
All recordings are stored in Botmaker's internal bucket and are not publicly accessible. Recording files are generated at the end of a call and stored in the cloud. Recordings cannot be deleted or modified by agents.
Recordings and screenshots made during the meeting are presented on the chat screen and in the Media section of the conversation.
Technical considerations on call and video call security
The Botmaker Call component is a sub-component within the Botmaker platform that communicates directly and securely with the main Botmaker components. This means that the exchange of events and user data is done internally without exposing or exchanging any information with other companies.
Agents use the chat console as usual via go.botmaker.com and can trigger a meeting manually. The creation of rooms is also managed by Botmaker components and ensures secure links by using different types of tokens for each participant. This means that the exchange of audio and video data between client and server is encrypted, which provides another level of security in addition to the traditional TLS.
On the other hand, customers receive a secure link through their current chat channel and can use this link to access the meeting and start talking to the assigned agent.
Calls take place on meet.botmaker.com , a special subdomain separated for customer access and segregated from sensitive services such as the agent console.
Finally, any interaction during the meeting can be recorded and shared in the chat console with the agent. These recordings are securely stored in Botmaker's cloud buckets.
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Written by: Botmaker Team
Updated: 04/21/2022