Option 1: Amazon Connect

Create sample call recordings with Amazon Connect

One option to create sample call recordings yourself is by using a virtual contact center instance with Amazon Connect. For a reasonable result, you should pair-up with another participant so that one of you can play the agent and one can play the customer. It’s also essential to use a head set, at least for the one using their laptop for playing the agent.

Create your virtual contact center (VCC)

You can launch your virtual contact center in a few steps.

  1. Start with going to the Amazon Connect console. When you go there for the first time, you will likely see a splash screen so that you can click on the Get started button to land on the Amazon Connect resource configuration screen. If you use an account where an Amazon Connect instance already exist, you will on overview screen titled Amazon Connect virtual contact center instances. Press the Add an instance button in this case to continue.

  2. On the Amazon Connect resource configuration screen, you can first decide on how Identity management should take place for your instance. For the purpose of this workshop, we simply let Amazon Connect manage our users, so keep the radio button at Store users with Amazon Connect. In the Access URL field, enter a unique value, e.g. the ID of your AWS account or your team ID - it will become part of the URL of the management console for your Amazon Connect instance. Click on Next step.

  3. Now you can Create an Administrator, but we don’t need it for this workshop, so we can Skip this step. Click on Next step.

  4. For the Telephony options, we keep the tick in the checkbox for Incoming calls. Since we do not need Outbound calls, we can uncheck this. Click on Next step.

  5. For the Data storage step, we can leave everything everything as it is and have Amazon Connect create your recording bucket for you. Among other things, Amazon Connect stores call recordings for you. You can explore the options when you click on the Customize settings link. When you’re done, click on Next step.

  6. In the Review and Create step, you can have a final look at your configuration. Please take a note of the name of the S3 bucket that will be created. When you’re happy with everything, click on Create instance at the bottom right of the view.

  7. Now we’re Setting up your Amazon Connect instance, as the pop up reveals. When it furthermore says This may take a minute or two, this is meant literally. Usually it doesn’t take longer than two minutes to launch your VCC! Please wait while this happens.

  8. Once creation has finished, you will see the Success screen. Find the Get started button to launch your Amazon Connect instance management console. Please note the hint below the button that it may take a few additional minutes until the instance management console becomes available. amazon-connect.get-started

  9. After having clicked on the Get started button, you land on the welcome page of your Amazon Connect instance management console. Find the Let's go button to continue. amazon-connect.lets-go

Claim a phone number

Now we need to claim a phone number. Since we’re doing everything in the us-east-1 region in Northern Virginia today, and we’re running this workshop in the US, we want to claim a US phone number.

  1. Select the US country code in the Country drop down list and the desired Type: Toll Free vs. Direct Inward Dialing. Then you can select one of the resulting numbers available in the Phone number drop down list. Once selected, click the Next button in the lower right corner of the screen to continue.

Run some calls

  1. Once you could click the Next button above and your phone number is claimed, you can use the next screen to do a test call. Pick up a cell phone and dial the phone number you have just claimed. The default configuration of your Amazon Connect instance will answer with a menu of options. Please select option 6 first to set the call recording parameters. Within that submenu, select 1 to enable call recording for both customer and agent. Back in the main menu, select 1 to get in queue for an operator and follow the voice instructions. amazon-connect.make-first-call

  2. Once your call is in queue, you will see on the screen that there is an inbound call waiting. Now click the Accept call button and get on the call with the (virtual) customer. For the best experience, you should use a head set with your computer for this. And you should have a second person that either plays the call center agent or the customer.

  3. You can always open back the control panel for accepting calls later by clicking on the receiver symbol in the upper right corner of your Amazon Connect instance management console as shown in the screen shot below. amazon-connect.open-call-panel

  4. Connection between contact center agent and customer is now established. Please simulate a discussion on the phone. Once everything is sorted, either party can end the call. In the console, you can click the End call button. One the phone, you can just hang up.

  5. Usually, the contact center agent would now do their after-call-work. You can simulate another customer call now, if you like. Just click the Clear contact button and make sure your status is still set to Available. Once you’re done with all calls, click the Continue button.

Explore the consoles

  1. You’ve now landed on the dashboard of your Amazon Connect instance console. Please take a moment to explore the console options.

  2. In your other browser tab, you can click on Amazon Connect AWS console to go back to the Amazon Connect service console. You will now see your list of Amazon Connect instances, containing the one you’ve just created. Please also take moment to explore the console options here.

Check your call recordings

  1. Let’s now have a look at our call recordings. Please go to the AWS management console and find the Amazon S3 service.

  2. On the Amazon S3 console, find the bucket that was created as storage for your call recordings earlier. You were asked to take a note about the name of the bucket.

  3. Click on the bucket name and then click your way through the virtual directory structure until you see the S3 objects for your call recordings.

  4. Click the check box next to one of your call recordings to see some details about the S3 object. A Download button also becomes available now. Download a call recording to your computer and use a suitable app to play it.

Conclusion

Congratulations!

You have successfully launched your virtual contact center in the cloud, claimed a phone number, performed one or more test calls, explored both the Amazon Connect service console as well as your Amazon Connect instance console, and listened to your call recordings on your computer.