Communication History Log

Communication History Log

The Communication History Log is used to document the customer's account and view previously entered notes. Notes are manually entered by the user and/or auto-generated by the system. To review the notes, click on the Communication Method field on each line and use the scroll bar if needed.

This log is also used to credit the appropriate associate for renewals, auto-renewals, saves, credit card entries, options, additions, and enrollments. 

Documentation Guidelines

To ensure consistent and standardized notations, please follow these QA-aligned guidelines when entering notes in TIMX SCM.
They will help improve efficiency, accuracy, and clarity. 
Warning
Notes must be entered on all calls/transactions where you have engaged in membership related discussions and tasks.

Entering Notes in the Communication History Log

The following are steps for entering and retrieving notes in the Communication History Log.

Steps to Enter Notes

Click the Menu Options icon on the TIMX SCM toolbar and select the Comm Hist Log button.


  • The Communication History Log screen displays.
  • Across the top of the screen, fields are automatically populated with the customer's name, the contract number, who created the note (your system username, another employee's system username or TIMX if system-generated), and the date created.

Click the Add icon on the TIMX SCM toolbar.


On the first available line in the bottom section of the screen, click on the down arrow in the Communication Source column to open the list of communication sources.  The Communication Source defines who contacted us regarding the contract.

  • Select the appropriate communication source from the list and click the OK button.
Follow the same steps for Communication Object, Communication Type, and Communication Method: 


Use the Notation Template to enter notes in the Comments field and select the correct Disposition Code at the bottom based on your skill set.


Click the Save icon on the TIMX SCM toolbar to save the note.


Communication History Log Fields

To SAVE notes, a selection must be made for each of the fields below:  

Field

Used for

Communication Source

Displays the notes by who called in the request or initiated the documentation (e.g., customer, real estate agent, member broker, account executive)


 

Communication Object

Displays the notes by the name of the customer type or client the documentation is referring to (e.g., customer, real estate agent, affiliate/member broker)


 

Correspondence Type

Displays the way the response/correspondence is being communicated

The Correspondence Type field is NOT required before the documentation can be saved and is typically left blank


 

Communication Type

Displays the notes by the type of notes saved (e.g., Retention Customer Service, Saved, Warranty Canceled, General Coverage Questions, etc.)

 


Communication Method

Displays the notes based on how the documentation was initiated (e.g., Phone)

 

Comments

All notes are entered and saved here. System-generated notes are also displayed


Notation Template

The approved documentation fields are listed below and should be used for ALL membership-related interactions.  
  1. Field names SHOULD NOT be modified or left blank.
  2. Enter ‘N/A’ for field names that do not apply to the interaction. 

Alert
Only approved Documentation Abbreviations may be used.

Notation Template
Caller (if not listed on the warranty)
Callers' First & Last name (e.g., Tom Smith)

  1. IF caller is NOT listed ANYWHERE on the warranty, THEN document.

    1. Examples: a family member, realtor, broker, or property management representative.

Reason For Call 

Summarize the reason for the call

Example:  (e.g., Cust. called to update the CC on file).  
Action Taken 
Document actions taken to assist the caller (e.g., updated card on file via the link.).
Sales Details

Document the outcome of a sales call. 

Examples: 

  1. Save
  2. Non-renewal
  3. Cancel
  4. Added PUP, etc. 

Notes
If the call was NOT a sales call, enter 'N/A'
PYMT Details

Funds received or refunded.

Examples: 

  1. paid $69.99
  2. refund: $79.99, check mailed adv. 7-10 bus. days
  3. CC $89.99 for prem.  $120 for PUP.
Notes
If no funds were received or refunded, enter 'N/A'

Info
 It is not required to include your name, initials, and/or CXone Agent ID in the Comment field, however, when a situation requires special/immediate handling that only you are working to resolve, entering your name, initials, and/or CXone Agent ID is acceptable.

Communication Types

The following Communication Types are utilized by both Cinch Real Estate and Retention Department:
  1. Warranty Cancelled: Customer called in to terminate service.
  2. Save: The associate's retention efforts led the customer to keep a home service plan active. 
  3. Saved Up/Downsell: The customer agreed to maintain their home service plan by switching to an up/down tier plan.
Alert
The Communication Type CONTRACT is used by the RETENTION Dept. ONLY for calls that result in a DTC or 3rd Party enrollment.

Retention Communication Types & Disposition Codes 

 Retention Customer Service is the most commonly used Communication Type for the Retention Department. 

When this Communication Type is selected, a Disposition Code must be entered at the bottom of the Communication History Log screen.
Refer to the table below for the appropriate codes.

 

Retention Disposition Codes

When to Use

BIL-UPDATE:
Billing/Account Update

  • General Billing Questions
  • Billing Update

  • Upsell/Downsell (non-save call)
  • Changing Account Information (name, address, phone number, email)
  • Payments

COVGENERA:
General Coverage Questions

Questions about coverage (e.g., products, deductibles, etc.).

DEDINCR:
Deductible Increase

Customer calls to inquire about a deductible increase

FUFIL:
Fulfillment Request

Fulfillment/welcome kit requests or inquiries.

Notes
Agents must submit a request for a new Welcome Kit for all plan changes and address updates. 

LET CAL:
Calls Generated by Letters Sent by Cinch/Client

Inquiries generated by:

  • Client communications
  • Letter received in error
  • Marketing error

NONREN:
Change Renewal Status/Inquiry

  • Renewals
  • Change renewal/auto-renewals status

POE
Proof of Enrollment

Customer calls to request proof of enrollment. 
REFREQ:
Refund Request
  • Refund requests or follow-ups
  • POE (Proof of Enrollment) follow-ups for refund purposes

SUPCNXL:
Forward Cancel to Sup

Supervisor escalations

TRANSINT:
Transfer Call Internally

Cold/Warm transfer to an internal cinch department or associate

UNAUTH:
Unauthorized Caller

The caller is not authorized to make the requested changes or access sensitive information on the account. 

Cinch Real Estate Communication Types & Disposition Codes

Certain Communication Types require a Disposition Code. For Commission purposes, all three fields must be filled in accurately. 
Please refer to the Cinch Real Estate Red Flag Policy for more details.
  1. In/Out Bound Flag must be changed to "I" for Inbound
  2. Renewed Flag
  3. Disposition Code selection based on the payout type

Communication Type

When to use Comm Type & Disposition Codes








Auto-Renew Accepted
  • Homeowner previously not set to automatically renew but agrees on the interaction 

Select Disposition at the bottom of the page, view examples below:

  • C/B: Call back later with credit card
  • CC: Credit card
  • CK: Will mail check or one-time payment with CC and is not saving billing method on file.

  • WT: Warm Transfer

    Notes
    Enter a separate note for warm transfers from Customer Service. 

Billing/Account Update

  • General billing questions
  • Payment update
  • Changing Account Info (name, address, phone #, email)
  • Payments

Calls Generated by Letters sent by Client or Cinch

Inquiries generated by

  • Client communications
  • Letter sent out in error
  • Marketing error

Deductible Increase

Call is generated by a deductible increase

Fulfillment Request

Fulfillment/welcome kit requests or inquiries

General Coverage Questions

Questions about coverage (e.g., products, deductible, etc.)

HMS Direct Enrollment

A successful sales attempt led to an enrollment

HMS Real Estate Enrollment

A Real Estate Agent or Representative calls to enroll a client or convert a SHW

Optional/Additional Item Sold

Homeowner agrees to add optional or additional coverage during a renewal or enrollment 

  • Enter as a separate note for commission purposes (e.g., one note for renewal, a note for options/additions).

  • WT: Warm Transfer
NotesEnter a separate note for warm transfers from Customer Service. 

POE Request:
Proof of Enrollment

Customer calls to request proof of enrollment

  Payment Plan Change

  Payment plan change (e.g., bill me to monthly payment)

Refund Request

Customer is requesting or following up on a refund request

Renewal Call

A successful sales attempt led to a renewal 

Select Disposition at the bottom of the page, view the examples below:  

  • C/B: Call back later with CC
  • CC: Credit card
  • CK: Will mail check or one-time payment with CC and is not saving billing method on file
  • CU: Customer undecided

  • WT: Warm Transfer
NotesEnter a separate note for warm transfers from Customer Service. 

Renewal Solicitation

Homeowner declines renewal effort

Select a Disposition at the bottom that reflects why the customer declined (e.g., CU: Customer undecided)

Transfer Call Internally

Cold/warm transfer to an internal department or associate

Warranty Canceled

Homeowner calls to cancel their warranty prior to their expiration date

Warranty Reinstated

Reinstating a warranty

 

When a call is received, there will be a CXone Screen Pop which provides information about the caller.
The IVR locates customers by their primary number or contract number and provides the property address to the customer to confirm if correct.
If the record is not located or the address cannot be verified the customer is transferred to an agent for further assistance.

Incoming Calls

When a call is received, the CXone Screen Pop will display customer information:


There will be a wide range of customer information available on the screen. The areas you should focus on are:


Client


This is the client or branding that the caller’s contract is associated with. You should follow any branding protocols.


Call Flow


This is how/why the caller came out of the IVR to get to a live agent.


Recent Calls


Number of recent calls received from the customer in the last week.


Contract Status


Identifies whether the contract is Active, Pending Cancel, Cancelled, etc.


Effective Date


Effective date of the contract.


Renewal


Date the contract will be renewed.


Customer Since


Identifies how long the customer has had an account open.


Property Address


This is the address on record in the account.


Primary Phone


This is the home phone number listed in the account. If this is missing, attempt to capture this information.


Calling Number


This is the phone number that the caller used to call us.



Verification Guidelines

Below are the guidelines for using the CXone Screen Pop to authenticate and verify the caller.
Only authorized users can make material changes. The street address and zip code must be verified for all material changes.
Branding: Each call must be opened and closed with the appropriate brand
  1. Standard Cinch Brand: "Membership Services or Cinch Home Services"
  2. Sears: "Sears Home Warranty"
    1. if CxOne does not identify the client as Sears, the standard Cinch brand is ok. Once the plan is identified as Sears, the Sears brand must be used in the closing.
Material Changes: Any change or decision that modifies or manages the warranty status, including but not limited to, billing updates or modifications, contact information, saves, cancellations, renewals, and reinstatements.

Unauthorized Users: General coverage and billing information can be provided to unauthorized users.  Examples: account status (active, inactive), billing status (current, not current), and coverage information. Agents CANNOT discuss specific billing details such as payment methods, costs, or billing issues.

CXone Screen Pop Populates

Copy the contract number into TIMX SCM to locate the customer's warranty.
The example scripts below are suggestions only and are not required to be used verbatim.
What’s most important is that associates capture, confirm, and verify information while protecting the customer’s privacy.

ACTION

EXAMPLE SCRIPT

Step 1:

Identify who you are speaking with.


“Thank you for calling Membership Services. This is <Agent Name>, may I have your first and last name, please?”

Authorized User: Proceed to the next step

Unauthorized User: Capture the caller's relationship to the authorized user
"I see a different name on the contract. Please verify the contract holder’s name and your relationship to them."

Skip to step 4

Step 2:

Confirm the property address is accurate and up to date.

“We have your street address as <address> and your zip code as <zip code>, is this correct?”

Step 3:

Confirm the contact information is up to date. Try to capture any missing contact information.

  1. Privacy Guideline: Agents CANNOT provide the entire email address to the caller. If necessary, agents  can provide the first few characters. 

“We have a phone number ending in <last 4 digits> and does your email still start with <first 4 characters>?”

OR

"Has any of your contact information changed?"

Step 4:

Identify the reason for the call.

“How may I assist you today?”

CXone Screen Pop Does Not Populate

ACTION

EXAMPLE SCRIPT

Step 1:

Confirm who you are speaking to (authorized or unauthorized user).

“Thank you for calling Membership Services. This is <Agent Name>, may I have your first and last name, please?”

Step 2:

Ask for the street address and zip code.

“Can you please provide your street address and zip code?”

Authorized User: Proceed to the next step.

Unauthorized User: Capture the caller's relationship to the authorized user
"I see a different name on the contract. Please verify the contract holder’s name and your relationship to them."

Skip to step 4

Step 3:

Confirm the contact information is up to date. Try to capture any missing contact information.

Alert
Determine why the IVR did not identify the caller.

Usually it is because the phone number or address we have on file is inaccurate.
Update contact information or capture missing information as needed while following privacy guidelines. 
  1. DO NOT update the account for unauthorized users.
  2. DO NOT repeat the COMPLETE email address out loud. Have the customer repeat it as necessary. 



“The number you are calling from is not listed on the account. Would you like to update your phone number?
We have an email on file starting with <first 4 characters>. Is this still current?”

"

Step 4:

Identify the reason for the call.

“How may I assist you today?”

Transfer Call Handling

Receiving a call that you do not handle.

  1. Retrieve the customer's account details.
  2. Review the account for potential membership services activities that you perform (e.g., pending cancellation, coverage changes, missing contact information).
    1. IF no membership task is required, ask the closing question; no further verification is required. 
  3. IF there are no further questions, brand the call and set expectations for the cold transfer.
Agents DO NOT HAVE TO DOCUMENT the account UNLESS they assist with membership questions or activities (general coverage or billing questions, make an update, etc.).

Receiving a call that you handled and completed but requires transfer to another department:

Attempt to warm transfer the customer (unless otherwise stated for operational needs). 
  1. IF the warm transfer is successful, provide the customer's account information to the associate. 
  2. Advise the associate of what you have verified (e.g., address, email, phone number). 
  3. IF the Hold Times Exceeds Two Minutes, advise the customer that you will cold transfer, and the next available representative will assist them.

Receiving a warm transfer 

  1. Ask the transferring associate for the customer's contact information, to bring up the account. 
  2. Ask the associate what verification has been completed. Complete any outstanding verification as needed.
  3. Do Not re-verify information already verified by the previous agent.
  4. Introduce yourself and recap your understanding of the caller’s needs. 
    1. Ex: “Again, I am Jane Doe with Membership Services…. from my understanding, you are requesting to….”

Auto-Summary Process

When the call ends the Auto-Summary will populate inside the Outcome Disposition Popup in CXone.
Inside this window you will edit any necessary info before copying your summary and saving your documentation on the job or account.
Info
You will not be able to select and save your disposition prior to the end of the call as the Auto-Summary will be generating during your interaction.
DO NOT select the Disposition and Save until after you have edited and copied your auto-summary note.



  1. You must review the auto-summary for accuracy, including the:
    1. Caller's Name
    2. Relationship when not the warranty holder
    3. Details, Actions Taken, etc.

  2. Make sure private information, such as Personal/Medical Information and/or Credit Card information, is NOT captured.

  3. Information you will be required to add:
    1. Outbound Call Information and action taken
    2. Conference or Transferred Call info
    3. Supervisor approval details
    4. Escalation reason, SOS, etc.
Warning
When highlighting your summary to copy, make sure not to Delete or the summary will be lost.
  1. In CXone, you will see a new Co-Pilot Tab that may include a Legal Disclosure and Customer Sentiment information.
    1. This will not be used at this time. Please remember to click on your Screen-Pop tab to view the caller's details.



  1. IF the Co-Pilot Tab does NOT populate, THEN an Auto-Summary WILL NOT generate and you will need to manually document your interaction. 
  2. When the Co-Pilot Tab is present, if the call is less than 45 seconds an auto-summary may not generate.

Technical Issues

Advise leadership if any of the following occur:
  1. The Co-Pilot Tab is not visible
  2. The call was longer than 45 seconds, but no summary was generated
    1. Summary received but did not accurately reflect the interactionx


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