Voice and video calls

How calls work in ChatISP

When a customer calls the internet service provider's WhatsApp, the call can ring in the ChatISP panel for the right agent, who answers on the computer with a headset and microphone. The agent can also call the customer straight from the conversation. Everything that happens on the call becomes part of the service record: who answered, how long it lasted, the recording (when enabled) and the transcript.

The service AI does not take part in calls: calls are always between the customer and a person on the team.

Requirements

In the system

On the agent's computer

• Up-to-date browser: Chrome, Edge or another Chromium-based browser in a recent version. For video calls, the browser must support modern video encoding; without it, the call continues with audio only and the panel warns This browser does not support video calls. The call continues with audio only.
• Microphone and headset: the panel asks for microphone access when you click answer or call. Denying the permission prevents the call (The microphone could not be used. Check the browser permission.). Use a headset to avoid echo.
• Camera: only for video calls and video conferences. Without a camera, the call continues with audio (The camera could not be used. The call continues with audio only.).
• Secure address (HTTPS): browsers only allow the microphone and camera on secure pages. The panel must be accessed through an HTTPS address with a valid, trusted certificate.

Turning calls on for a number

Calls are turned on number by number in the Connections screen, by users with the WhatsApp connections permission. Each connection card gets a Voice calls block with the current status and the action buttons.

Number connected by QR code

On a number connected by QR code, calls use their own linked device, separate from the one handling messages. Turning calls on or off does not affect the chat in any way.

1. Make sure the number is connected. With the number disconnected, the block warns Connect this WhatsApp number before turning calls on.
2. In the card's Voice calls block, click Turn calls on. The Turn voice calls on window opens with a QR code.
3. On the same phone as the number, open WhatsApp, tap Linked devices and point the camera at the code.
4. The panel confirms with Voice calls turned on for this number. and the block now shows Calls on.

If the code is scanned on the phone of another number, activation is refused: The code was scanned on a phone with a different number. Scan it on the phone of (correct number).

To turn calls off, use Turn calls off: Turn voice calls off for this number? The calls device leaves the WhatsApp linked devices; messages keep working exactly as they are.

Number connected through the official API

Numbers connected through the Meta official API show their own block, without a QR code: Official channel calls on this number, recorded in the customer's conversation. There is no device to pair: calling is turned on for the number itself. The block shows the status the panel retrieved from Meta and only offers activation when the number allows it. Availability of calls on the official channel depends on Meta enabling the feature for the number; check with Ravi Systems support before planning to use calls on this channel.

• No recent check: The panel has not checked the calling status of this number yet. Use Test connection.
• Number that also uses the app on a phone: This number has the WhatsApp app installed on a phone. Official channel calls only exist on a number dedicated to the panel, without the app.

What each connection type allows

What a number can do through the panel depends on how it is connected. The system decides on its own which path each call takes.

When a number does not receive calls, the connection's calls block warns: This number is also on the official API: incoming calls ring only on the phone app and do not show up here. When an agent tries to call through a number that cannot do it, the panel explains why, for example Voice calling is turned off on this number., Voice calling for this number is offline. or This number has no voice calling available.

More about connections, coexistence and numbers with QR code and official API together in WhatsApp connections.

Receiving a call

When the customer calls, the panel shows the Voice call (or Video call) notice in the corner of the screen with the customer's name and phone number and the Answer and Decline buttons. The Voice call ringing sound alert plays until someone answers. The notice appears on any screen of the system, because it sits outside the page area.

Who the call rings for

• If the customer's conversation has an assigned agent, it rings only for that agent.
• With no owner, it rings for the agents of the conversation's department; a conversation without a department rings for all agents.
• Users with the Supervise all conversations permission hear the ring for all calls.
• An agent restricted to certain connections does not receive calls from other numbers.
• In every case, it only rings for users who have the Voice calls permission and are not on another call, internal call or meeting.

If the customer did not have a conversation yet, one is created the moment the call arrives, so the call has somewhere to be recorded.

Answering

1. Click Answer. The browser asks for the microphone, if it does not have permission yet.
2. The call bar shows Connecting audio... and then On call with the timer running.
3. Whoever answers first takes the call. If the conversation had no owner, answering the call also takes over the conversation.

If the call is answered on the number's own phone, the panel records the call as answered and shows The call was answered on another device.

Decline stops the ringing on the customer's phone and records the call as declined.

Calling the customer

1. Open the customer's conversation and take it over, if it is not yours yet.
2. In the chat header, click the phone icon Call the customer (or the camera icon Video call the customer, when the number allows video). On a phone, both appear in the More actions menu.
3. The call bar shows Calling... while it rings for the customer.
4. When the customer answers, the timer starts. If they do not answer, the panel shows The customer did not answer.

Rules for calling:

• Only when the conversation has been taken over by an agent. With the conversation in the queue or with the AI, the button does not appear, and an attempt gets Take over the conversation to call the customer. The rule also applies to managers.
• The same rules that govern who can send messages in that conversation apply.
• Closed conversations do not offer calling; start a new conversation first.
• On a QR code number, there is one line per number: with another call in progress on it, an attempt gets There is already a call in progress on this number.

During the call

The call bar stays fixed at the top of the panel, outside the page area: you can browse, reply to other conversations and look up the customer's record without dropping the call. It shows the customer's name or phone number, the status and the buttons:

Reloading the page during a call

Reloading the panel (F5) does not drop the call with the customer: the bar comes back in the same tab and reconnects the audio, showing Reconnecting audio... in the meantime. The call resumes only in the tab where it was answered; other tabs or windows open with the same user do not take over the call.

When the system receives an update, the panel shows The panel has been updated. Reload the page to apply the improvements. With no call in progress, the page reloads on its own while in the background.

One call at a time

Each agent takes part in one call at a time, whether a call with a customer, an internal call or a team meeting. While on one of them, the agent does not hear the ring of another call.

Video call

Video calls are only available on numbers connected by QR code. When the number allows it, the conversation shows the Video call the customer button next to the phone icon; when it does not, an attempt gets This number cannot make video calls. Incoming video calls appear with the Video call notice.

The video window

• Opens when you answer or place a video call, showing the customer's camera large and yours as a thumbnail. Until the customer's video arrives, Waiting for the customer's video... appears; if they turned off the camera, The customer's camera is off.
• Clicking the thumbnail swaps the camera positions.
• Turn camera off / Turn camera on control your video.
• Share screen sends your screen to the customer instead of the camera, useful to show a setting or an invoice. Stop sharing the screen goes back to the camera. Browsers without this feature warn This browser does not support screen sharing.
• The window floats without blocking the panel: drag it by the top bar and resize it from the edges and corners to keep it next to the chat.
• Minimize goes back to the compact bar; Open video reopens the window.

The phone image is rotated to appear upright when the customer holds the device vertically.

Conference with a colleague

During an answered call with the customer, the agent can bring another team member into the same call, such as a support technician. For the customer, it is still a single call: they now hear the agent and the guest together.

1. In the call bar, click Invite a colleague (plus sign).
2. Choose a colleague from the list of available people. Only people who are free and have the Voice calls permission appear; with no one available, the list shows No one available right now.
3. The colleague receives a notice with your name and invites you to the call, with Answer and Decline.
4. On answering, they join the call; everyone's bar shows the names of who is on the call.

• The guest leaves with Leave, without affecting the call. When the main agent hangs up, the call ends for everyone.
• The invitation can be repeated if the colleague declined, did not answer in time or dropped.
• Conferences are only available on calls from numbers connected by QR code, and the guest takes part by audio.
• In the recording, the team's speech (main agent and guests) is together on one side and the customer's on the other.

For conversations among the team only, without a customer, use the meetings in the Team area.

Record, recording and transcription

In the conversation

Every call, answered or not, leaves a trace in the customer's service record:

• an internal line in the chat (the customer does not see it), with the outcome, the duration and who answered, for example Incoming call answered (2min 13s) · Ana;
• an event in the service timeline.

On video calls, the text says "video call" instead of "call". A call answered on the number's phone also counts as answered.

Recording

With recording turned on, every answered call is recorded and the file is attached to the conversation as an internal record, visible only to the team, with a player, right after the call ends (the file takes a few seconds to be ready).

• Voice call: stereo audio, with the agent on one side and the customer on the other.
• Video call: the customer's video with audio from both sides.
• Unanswered calls are not recorded.
• Recording is available on calls from numbers connected by QR code.

The switch is in Settings, Calls and calendar tab: Record answered calls. It comes turned on in a new installation. The recording (audio and, on video calls, the customer's video) is attached to the conversation as an internal record, visible only to the team. Call recording legislation is the provider's responsibility.

Transcription

When audio transcription is available on the installation, the recording is transcribed as a dialogue, with the agent's and the customer's speech separated and in order, right below the player. See Customer service for audio transcription in general.

Missed calls

When the customer calls and nobody answers, or the call arrives while the number is busy on another call, ChatISP handles the follow-up in two ways, both configurable in Settings, Calls and calendar tab, Voice calls card (What happens when the customer calls and nobody answers):

The text that comes with the installation is:

We saw that you tried to reach us by voice call and we could not answer. You can write here what you need, and the team will reply in this conversation.

• If the customer insists and calls several times in a row, the message is sent only once: new attempts within 30 minutes count as the same contact attempt.
• When the conversation enters the queue, the normal queue rules apply: automatic distribution and team alerts. A conversation that was already in the queue does not "re-enter" with each call.

Calls and calendar tab in Settings

In Settings, the Calls and calendar tab holds two cards. The Voice calls card only appears when the calls service is running and the plan includes the feature; the Calendar card always appears.

The card's tip reminds you: Calls are turned on number by number, on the Connections screen. Click Save to apply. The Calendar card on the same tab holds the confirmation and reminder texts for appointments, described in Calendar.

The call ringtone is chosen by each user in the sound preferences, under the Voice call ringing alert.

Permissions

The Voice calls permission, in the Support group of the access profiles, controls who uses calls: Allows answering and rejecting the voice calls that arrive on WhatsApp and calling the customer from the conversation. Without this permission, the agent sees the calls recorded in the conversation but neither answers nor calls.

The same permission is also required to hear the ring of calls and meetings in the Team area. See Users and profiles.

Common problems