Dial Lists and related records

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Focus objects and records

When you create a Dial List, you specify the object that the list is built from. In the context of a Dial List, this object is regarded as the focus object. An individual example of the focus object is a focus record.

Popped objects and tasks

When an agent uses Connect to make a call, Connect pops the corresponding Salesforce record—the focus record—in the agent's browser window. At the end of the call, Connect creates a new task record. By default the task record is related to the focus record.

In the simplest type of Dial Lists, Connect pops a record of the focus object type and creates a task relating to that record.

For example, in a Dial List of contact type, the contact record is the focus record, Connect pops the contact record and creates a task record related to the contact record.

With slightly more complex Dial Lists, you might filter and order the Dial List based on related object criteria; however, this doesn't change the record that Connect relates the task record to, or which record Connect pops to the agent.

For example, when creating a Dial List of contact type, you could include only contacts whose related account record spends over a specified amount on a particular product. The contact record is still the focus record, and Connect pops the contact record and creates a task related to that contact record.

Junction objects and records

In the most complex Dial Lists, you might create a Dial List using a junction object as the Dial List type. A junction object—which is also the focus object—connects two different record types that are not directly related, that is, two objects which have a many-to-many relationship. 

An example of where a junction object would be useful is in a recruitment company. The recruitment company may need objects that represent roles (Role object) and candidates (Candidate object) with a third object (Job Application object) that links a candidate to one of many roles. On the reverse, a role will likely have more than one associated candidate. A Job Application record could relate to both a Candidate record and a Role record; the Job Application record represents a Candidate's application for a Role. 

Popping related records

If enabled for your account, you can also choose to pop one of these related record types rather than the junction, or focus, record.

Using the example of Job Application as a junction object, when creating a Dial List of Job Application type, you can filter by the related Role and choose to pop the related Candidate; the Candidate contains the information that the agent requires to best handle the call. Connect creates a task relating to the popped Candidate record rather than the Job Application record.

Next contact time

If next contact time is enabled for your account, when an agent completes or skips a call, Connect populates the NextContactTime__c field for the record with which the call is associated.

Connect always sets the NextContactTime__c field on the focus record AND always relates the task to the popped record. The focus record and the popped record are not always the same—when using a junction record. If the focus record and popped record are not the same, the task record has no link to the focus record. If you use the next contact time feature, you will need such a link to later update the value in NextContactTime__c on the focus object. To provide that link, create a lookup field on the task record that Connect can populate with the ID of the focus record. Connect sets this value when saving or updating the task. You will need to identify the lookup field when you create an applicable Dial List.

For information about configuring next contact time, see Configuring next contact time. For information about creating Dial Lists and popping related records and next contact time, see Creating Dial Lists from a filter.

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