How Do I?

We are pleased to provide you with cost-effective access to our leading-edge Toll-Free network and comprehensive portfolio of features. With Toll-Free Service, Toll-Free calls from anywhere in Canada and the U.S. can be handled and routed according to your business needs. With North America Toll-Free Service, calls can be answered by your U.S.-based agents. And with International Toll-Free Service, you can serve customers making Toll-Free calls from over 70 countries.

Features and Flexibility of Your Toll-Free Service!

Choose from a variety of options to maximize the efficiency and enhance the functionality of your Toll-Free operations. To find out more, please select from the following options:

• Call Routing
• Call Redirection
• Call Information
• Announcements
• Business Continuity
• Management, Reporting and Analysis Tools

Call Routing

Send Toll-Free calls to different locations, departments or agents based on caller attributes and/or your call volumes and staffing levels. Make optimum use of your resources while best serving your customers.

• Country Code Routing - Calls are routed to your Canadian call centres based on the originating country of the caller.
• Area Code Routing - The area code of the caller determines where the call is routed to, such as to the agent handling that particular sales region or to your nearest call centre. Exchange Routing looks at the area code and the first three digits of the caller's phone number when routing calls for enhanced segmentation.
• Time of Day Routing - Accommodate various time zones and business hours and extend your hours of service. Route calls in the morning to your eastern centre and calls late in the day to your western call centre.
• Day of the Week Routing - Reduce staff or close locations on weekends and seamlessly route calls for continuous customer service. Day of the Year Routing enables you to schedule special routing plans to automatically activate on pre-arranged days up to 13 months in advance.
• Call Allocator - An allocation percentage basis is used to distribute incoming calls to centres with different capacities.
• Caller Recognition - To ensure expert agent handling, calls are routed based on the caller's complete 10-digit telephone number. High priority calls can be routed to a special operator group.
• Local Area Administration - Local calls are routed separately from long distance calls for specialized call handling.

Call Redirection

Always offer prompt, responsive customer service, without having to overstaff.

• Next Available Agent - During peak periods, re-route calls to as many as 99 alternate destinations. Once the maximum number of calls for any given location is reached, the system automatically directs overflow to the next available location.
• Alternate Destination Routing - Re-route calls to an alternate location if the primary destination is busy or if the call goes unanswered.
• Overflow - Temporarily send extra call volume to a designated back-up trunk group during busy times.
• Transfer Connect™ - Transfer an Allstream Toll-Free call to any other Allstream Toll-Free number in Canada or the U.S. as well as to any Canadian telephone number. This enables your caller to conduct multiple transactions in one call and saves on trunk and port costs. The transferring agent can talk to the other agent before transferring, or have a three-way conversation to ensure an efficient and friendly hand-off.

Call Information

Instant data on customers as they call helps you get the most from your Toll-Free Service.

• Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) - When you answer several different Toll-Free numbers at the same time, and at the same call centre, DNIS identifies which Toll-Free number was dialed. Call centres answering calls for different businesses can display the name of the company that was dialed so the agent knows how to answer the phone. This feature is available with both T1 and ISDN.
• Calling Line Identification (CLID) - Determine who is calling by having their 10-digit telephone number displayed. When linked to customer databases, it can also provide the agent with the caller's name, account number and account history. This feature is available with both switched and ISDN termination.

Provide your callers with helpful, streamlined navigation through your phone system with call handling and professionally recorded messages.

• Call Prompter - Calls are automatically routed to different departments or locations via a simple recorded menu ("...press 1 for billing, 2 for sales, 3 for general information...").
• Menu Routing - Callers enter predefined digits to choose a department or to select a function.
• Database Routing - Route calls to the appropriate location according to a customer's account number, membership code or ID code.
• Courtesy Response - Callers hear pre-recorded messages such as "... our hours of operation are 8am to 5pm. Please call back during business hours."
• Enroute Announcements - Play a message that is relevant to your caller at various points during their call, such as "Please have your credit card ready..." while transferring them to the next stage.
• Customized Announcements - Record messages to provide callers with pricing or promotional information, your mailing address and other special information.

Contingency Planning

Ensure call completion in any circumstance by pre-planning for emergency situations.

• Select Routing - Set up and store as many as six alternate routing plans for each Toll-Free number. These plans are held in reserve and give you quick access to reliable back-up for just about any situation that may arise.
• Routing on Demand - Modify your routing parameters with just a phone call. Handle emergencies on the spot by making quick changes to virtually any of your pre-arranged routing patterns.

Management, Reporting and Analysis Tools

The information and tools you need to optimize your voice and data service configurations and reduce your costs.

• AT&T Route It!® - As business demands and calls fluctuate, the AT&T Route It!® software allows you to dynamically manage your routing plans and schedules simply by using your personal computer. It then makes your changes by communicating directly with Allstream's network in near real time.
• Real Time Call Detail - Call information collected from our switches is at your fingertips approximately two minutes after a call completes. Data includes originating and terminating numbers, call duration, long duration calls, call volume per hour statistics and elapsed time for call traffic. Ten different Summary Reports are provided. Choose from on-demand, scheduled or exception threshold reports. Conveniently and securely access your data via the Internet.
• TeleManager - Enhanced, electronic reporting for easier cost allocation and control for large long distance users. Supplement the information on your invoice and receive all your call details on CD-ROM or via the Internet with e-TeleManager.

For more information on this or any other Allstream product, please contact your Allstream representative or call our Customer Care Centre at 1 888 288-2273.