Dialogflow CX VoiceStream

Dialogflow CX VoiceStream allows you to use real-time audio streaming with a Google Dialogflow CX voice virtual agent. This option supports bidirectional audio, which uses a single stream of audio to transmit and receive between the contact and the virtual agent. If you want to manage the conversation and modify the virtual agent's behavior for some or all of the turns in the conversation, you can set up a turn-by-turn integration of Google Dialogflow CX.

Conversation Flow for Voice Virtual Agents

For voice virtual agents, contacts The person interacting with an agent, IVR, or bot in your contact center. call a phone number and reach your organization. The contact may be connected directly to the virtual agent, or they might need to choose an option in an IVR Interactive Voice Response. Automated phone menu contacts use via voice or key inputs to obtain information, route an inbound voice call, or both. menu. The contact's utterances What a contact says or types. are transcribed Also called STT, this process converts spoken language to text. into text so the virtual agent can use them.

The virtual agent analyzes the contact's utterances to understand the purpose or meaning behind the words. This is known as the contact's intent. The virtual agent sends an appropriate response as text.

NiCE CXone sends the contact audio to and receives responses from the virtual agent service. It streams the responses to the contact. NiCE CXone waits for the signal that the conversation is complete or that the contact needs transferred to a live agent. This is the SIP Protocol used for signaling and controlling multimedia communication sessions such as voice and video calls. backchannel method of connection.

At the end of the conversation, the virtual agent sends a signal to the script. It can signal that the conversation is complete, or that the contact needs to speak with a live agent. If the conversation is complete, the interaction ends. If a live agent is needed, the script makes the request. The contact is transferred to an agent when one is available.

When the conversation is complete, the script can perform post-interaction tasks, such as recording information in a CRM Third-party systems that manage such things as contacts, sales information, support details, and case histories..

Components of an Integration

The integration of Google Dialogflow CX VoiceStream involves the following components: 

• NiCE CXone: NiCE CXone must have a configured voice channel Various voice and digital communication mediums that facilitate customer interactions in a contact center. to use with the integration.
• Virtual Agent Hub in NiCE CXone: Virtual Agent Hub holds the configuration information for connecting to your virtual agent A software application that handles customer interactions in place of a live human agent. provider, such as service account credentials. This includes choosing the options you want to use for transcription Written form of all or part of a voice or digital interaction., if your integration requires this service.
• Studio scripts: You need at least one script that includes a virtual agent Studio action. The action must be configured with the connection information for your virtual agent. The point of contact for the channel you're using with the integration must be configured to use this script.
• Google Dialogflow CX: Your virtual agent must be fully configured in the provider's platform. See the prerequisites for any specific requirements.

Conversation Transcripts

You can capture the transcript and intent information from Google Dialogflow CX voice conversations. You can use the captured data in any way you want. For example, in cases where an interaction is transferred to a live agent, you could display it for that agent. Another option could be to save it as a permanent record of the conversation. You can choose to capture just the transcript, just the intent information, both, or neither.

If you want to capture this information, you must enable it in the Google Dialogflow CX configuration settings in Virtual Agent Hub. You must also configure a Studio script used with your virtual agent. The script must include a Get Bot Transcript action configured to manage the captured data. Captured data is stored temporarily for the life of the contact ID. If you need to save it, you can configure the script to send it to an archive. You are responsible for scrubbing all saved data for PII (Personally Identifiable Information).

Speech Context Hints

Speech context hints are words and phrases sent to the transcription service. They're helpful when there are words or phrases that need to be transcribed a certain way. Speech context hints can help improve the accuracy of speech recognition. For example, you can use them to improve the transcription of information such as address numbers or currency phrases.

To use speech context hints, you must configure it in the Custom Payload snippet in your Studio script.

Transfer Contacts Between Dialogflow CX Virtual Agents

You can use more than one Dialogflow CX virtual agent in the same interaction. For example, one virtual agent might identify the type of help the contact needs at the start of an interaction. Based on the need, it could then transfer the contact The person interacting with an agent, IVR, or bot in your contact center. to another Dialogflow CX virtual agent.

To set this up, you need to: 

• Have two or more Dialogflow CX virtual agents configured and tested in your Google project.

• Add configuration app profiles in Virtual Agent Hub for each Dialogflow CX virtual agent you want to transfer contacts to.

• Configure the Custom Payload snippet in any Studio script that transfers contacts to another Dialogflow CX virtual agent.

Custom Scripting Guidelines

Before integrating a virtual agent The meaning or purpose behind what a contact says/types; what the contact wants to communicate or accomplish., you need to know: 

• Which script you want to add a virtual agent to.

• The virtual agent Studio action you need to use.

• Where the Studio actions must be placed in your script flow.
• The configuration requirements specific to the virtual agent you're using.
• How to complete the script after adding the virtual agent action. You may need to: 
  • Add initialization snippets as needed to the script using Snippet actions. This is required if you want to customize your virtual agent's behavior.
  • Re-configure the Studio action Performs a process within a Studio script, such as collecting customer data or playing music. connectors to ensure proper contact flow and correct potential errors.
  • Use the OnReturnControlToScript branch to handle hanging up or ending the interaction. If you use the Default branch to handle hanging up or ending an interaction, your script may not work as intended. StandardBot behaviors. You can learn more about handling the end of the interaction in the online help about
  • Complete any additional scripting and test the script.

You may be able to obtain template scripts from NiCE CXone Expert Services for use with virtual agent integrations. If you need assistance with scripting in Studio, contact your Account Representative, see the Technical Reference Guide section in the online help, or visit the NiCE CXone Community site.

Studio Action for Voice Virtual Agents

The VOICEBOT STREAM action is the only action supported for use with Google Dialogflow CX VoiceStream.