Listen, whisper and barge

You can use this feature with any PBX or call center software that supports listen/whisper/barge feature codes (star codes). Below we explain on how to setup these feature codes on Asterisk or FreePBX. If you want to set it up for another phone system, please email us.

Supervisor must have Softphone.Pro installed and configured on his or her computer.

There are 3 options to monitor an active call:

1. Listen

• Monitor the Agent's call. The Supervisor can hear both the Agent and client channels.
• No-one can hear the Supervisor.

2. Whisper

• Whisper to the Agent. The Supervisor can hear both the Agent and client channels, and the Agent can also hear the Supervisor.
• The client can only hear the Agent.

3. Barge

• Barge in on both channels. The Supervisor channel is joined onto the Agent and client channels.
• All parties can hear each other.

How to use

After configuration the Listen, Whisper and Barge features are availabe on the Dashboard through a special menu. It is available when the Agent in on the phone.

Next to the Agent click the caller number in the Current call column:

Select the needed feature in the dropdown:

Softphone.Pro will appear and start dialing the feature code that contains the feature code prefix and Agent extension (551 - feature code prefix, 116 - Agent's extension):

How to setup call monitoring on Asterisk or FreePBX

1. Configurе Asterisk

You need to use ChanSpy application to setup Listen/Whisper/Barge on your Asterisk.

1.1 Add the context [app-custom-chanspy].

Create a new [app-custom-chanspy] section in your /etc/asterisk/extension.conf configuration file:

[app-custom-chanspy] 
; only spy
exten => _551.,1,Macro(user-callerid,)
exten => _551.,n,Answer
exten => _551.,n,NoCDR
exten => _551.,n,Wait(1)
exten => _551.,n,ChanSpy(SIP/${EXTEN:3},q)
exten => _551.,n,Hangup 
; whisper mode
exten => _552.,1,Macro(user-callerid,)
exten => _552.,n,Answer
exten => _552.,n,NoCDR
exten => _552.,n,Wait(1)
exten => _552.,n,ChanSpy(SIP/${EXTEN:3},wq)
exten => _552.,n,Hangup
; conference
exten => _553.,1,Macro(user-callerid,)
exten => _553.,n,Answer
exten => _553.,n,NoCDR
exten => _553.,n,Wait(1)
exten => _553.,n,ChanSpy(SIP/${EXTEN:3},qB)
exten => _553.,n,Hangup

Note the 551 feature code is configured for listen, 552 - whisper, 553 - conference.

1.2 Include that new context [app-custom-chanspy] to your default users context with the include statement.

include => app-custom-chanspy

1.3 Save the file and restart Asterisk.

2. Set up call monitoring in your Team account

2.1 Open Settings > Softphone.Pro > General settings page:

2.2 Find the Call Monitoring Feature Codes section and define the feature code prefixes in the Listen, Whisper and Barge fields.

Softphone.Pro installed on a Supervisor's computer will dial the feature code prefix followed by Agent's extension.

On step 1, we configured the following numbers for Asterisk:

Listen: 551

Whisper: 552

Barge: 553

2.3 Click Save button.

2.4 Open the Settings > Users page and click the Agent name:

2.5 Open Softphone.Pro tab:

2.6 Specify user extension:

2.7 Click the Save button.

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