Callshop services

A callshop is a public facility where end users come
to make low-cost international calls. A customer is guided to an available
phone booth (cabin) where he makes calls and pays for them at the cash
desk afterwards. The callshop is managed by a callshop reseller who sets
the tariffs by which the end users are charged. The callshop reseller
usually employs one or more callshop operators. Callshop operators control
the authorized use of the booths, collect payments and provide customers
with receipts.

The following step-by-step scenario explains how a
customer makes a call in a callshop and how he/she is then charged for
it:

1. First,
   a customer is directed by a callshop operator to an available booth.
2. The
   callshop operator unlocks this booth to allow the customer to enter.
3. Once
   inside the booth, the customer dials the desired destination number(s).
4. When
   the call session ends, the customer leaves the booth.
5. The
   operator presents the customer with a receipt for the call(s) made.

This handbook demonstrates how to configure a callshop
reseller who provides callshop services to end users. In the example,
the callshop reseller buys traffic from another reseller – for example,
ABC Shuttle. The ABC Shuttle reseller, in turn, buys traffic directly
from the ITSP but does not provide callshop services.

This handbook is intended for:

• resellers
  who provide VoIP services to callshop owners (a callshop owner is a callshop
  reseller in PortaSwitch)
• callshop
  owners who provide callshop services to end users
• callshop
  operators – personnel who operate callshops

Use this checklist to check off the operations you have completed while performing the system setup according to the instructions in this chapter. Please be sure to perform all of the operations in the order designated (all of the boxes should be checked), otherwise, the service will not work.

In this handbook, we assume that the ABC Shuttle reseller
has already been configured by the administrator. For detailed instructions
on how to configure a reseller in PortaSwitch, please refer to the Configuring a reseller for postpaid services or Configuring a reseller for prepaid services handbooks.

Open the reseller self-care page in a browser (by
default https://<your-porta-billing-server-name>:8442) and
log in with the credentials that were provided to you.

Bear in mind that callshop resellers can only provide
callshop services to end users (no other services may be offered).

1. In
   the  Participants
   section of the reseller self-care interface, select Callshop Resellers.
2. On
   the Callshop Reseller Management page, click the  Add
   button.
3. Fill
   in the Add Callshop Reseller form:

   Main form (top)

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   • Customer
     ID – type a short name for the callshop reseller; this will be used
     on the web interface.
   • Customer
     Class – select a customer class for this callshop reseller. A customer
     class is a set of various parameters which can be applied to a group of
     callshop resellers. By choosing a specific class here, the callshop reseller
     automatically inherits all of the class properties (grace period, invoice
     template, etc.).
   • Currency
     – select the currency in which this callshop reseller will be charged.
   • Permanent
     Credit Limit – assign a credit limit for the callshop reseller.

   Usage charges tab

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   Create the resale tariff and generate the resale tariff
   rates that the ABC Shuttle reseller will use for charging a callshop reseller
   for outgoing traffic.

   

   

   Click Clone the selected Wholesale Tariff and
   then click Update. The Clone Tariff dialog box opens. Fill
   in the Clone Tariff information fields as described below:

   • Resale
     Tariff Name – type the resale tariff name here.
   • Add
     – type a profit markup (in percentage) you wish to apply to rates
     in the wholesale tariff.
   • but
     not less than – to reduce the risk of
     profit loss, type a fixed markup here. It will be added to the
     wholesale tariff’s rates if the calculated percentage markup is less than
     the specified fixed markup.
   • Resale
     Tariff Description – type the resale tariff description.

   When you are finished, click the Clone button.

   Clone products tab

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   The product is the main instrument that defines which
   services a reseller can offer to their end users. To provide a callshop
   reseller with a product, the ABC Shuttle reseller clones one of his products.
   The cloned product becomes ‘at the disposal’ of the callshop reseller.

   

   

   Click the Clone button. The Clone Subreseller
   Product dialog box opens. Fill in the Clone Subreseller Product
   information fields as described below:

   • Product
     Name – type in a name for the callshop reseller’s product.
   • Clone Discount Plan – select this checkbox if you want to
     include the original product’s discount plan with the new product. Otherwise,
     leave it unchecked.
   • Clone All Subscription –
     select this checkbox if you want to
     include the original product’s subscription with the new product. Otherwise,
     leave it unchecked.
   • Clone Rates – this option is only
     available if the new product and the original product share the same currency.
     Select this checkbox if you want to clone the original product’s sales
     rates. Alternatively, you can create a new product without defined sales
     rates. To do this, leave this checkbox unchecked.
   • Convert
     Rates – this option is only available if the new product’s currency
     differs from the original product’s currency. Leave this option as is
     if you want to use the current exchange rate. Otherwise, adjust the current
     exchange rate as necessary.
     If it is impossible to automatically get the current exchange rate, the
     system fills this field with a 0.00 value. In this case, you need to manually
     enter the exchange rate.

   When you have finished, click the Clone button.

   Web self-care tab

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   Specify the credentials that the callshop reseller
   will use for accessing their self-care interface.

   

   • Login
     – type the username that the callshop reseller will use for logging in
     to their self-care interface.
   • Password
     – type the password that they will use.
   • Time
     Zone – choose the time zone in which the callshop reseller will see
     their xDRs that will also define their billing period. For example, if
     you select America/Vancouver here and the billing period is Monthly,
     the billing period will start on the first day of the month at midnight
     (12 am) New York time.
   • Web
     Interface Language – choose the language to be used on the callshop
     reseller self-care interface.

   Information on all other tabs is optional. A more
   detailed description of these tabs can be found in the Create a reseller
   section of the Configuring a reseller for postpaid services or Configuring a reseller for prepaid services handbooks.

4. Click
    Save&Close.

Open the callshop reseller self-care page in a browser
(by default https://<your-porta-billing-server-name>:8442)
and log in with the credentials that were provided to you.

In order to start selling
a product, the callshop reseller needs to define the rates for
their sales tariff (i.e., rates that end users will be charged). Rates
for the sales tariff can be defined in one of the following ways:

• Uploaded
  from a .csv or .xls file. The rate upload procedure is described in detail
  in the Rate import handbook.
• Generated
  during the Clone
  product procedure.
• Generated
  by applying a markup (in percentage) to rates defined in the wholesale
  tariff.

The rate generation procedure by applying a percentage
markup is described below in this section.

To generate rates for the sales tariff, perform the
following steps:

1. In
   the  Rating
   section of the callshop reseller self-care interface, choose Tariffs.
2. On
   the Tariff Management page, click on the sales tariff for which
   you want to generate rates. The Edit Tariff page opens.
3. If
   necessary, modify the tariff parameters. Refer to the Create a tariff
   for reseller’s use section of the Configuring
   a reseller for prepaid services handbook for more details.
4. On
   the Edit Tariff page, click the Generate Rates button. The
   Generate Rates dialog box opens.
5. In
   the Generate Rates dialog box, enter the following parameters:
   • Add
     – type a percentage markup that will be applied to the wholesale tariff
     rates.
   •  but
     not less than – to reduce the risk of
     profit loss, type a fixed markup here. It will be added to the
     wholesale tariff’s rates if the calculated percentage markup is less than
     the specified fixed markup.
   • Interval
     First – specify the first billing unit (in seconds) for the new rates.
     If this field is left empty, the value for the first billing unit will
     be taken from the wholesale tariff rates.
   • Interval
     Next – specify the next billing unit (in seconds) for the new rates.
     If this field is left empty, the value for the next billing unit will
     be taken from the wholesale tariff rates.
6. Click
   OK.

A callshop represents a public facility where customers
can come to make low-cost international calls and pay for them afterwards.
Each callshop reseller can have multiple callshops.

1. In
   the  Participants
   section of the callshop reseller self-care interface, choose Callshops.
2. On
   the My Callshops page, click  Add.
3. Fill
   in the Add Callshop form:

   Main form (top)

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   • Customer
     ID – short name for the callshop; this will be used on the web interface.
   • Customer
     Class – select a customer class for this callshop. A customer class
     is a set of various parameters that can be applied to a group of callshops.
     The callshop will automatically inherit all of the class properties, such
     as currency rounding up rate, statistics generation, etc.
   • Blocked
     – blocks all booths in this callshop (i.e., if this checkbox is checked,
     all booths in this callshop will become unusable). Leave this check-box
     unselected.
   • Product
     – select a product for this callshop.
   • Currency
     – this field is read-only and displays the currency in which end users
     will be charged. The currency value is taken from the product assigned
     to this callshop.

   Other information fields
   in the New Callshop form are optional and do not need to be specified
   during callshop creation.

4. Click
    Save&Close.

Now you can create booths for your callshop.

1. In
   the  Participants
   section of the callshop reseller self-care interface, choose Callshops.
2. On
   the My Callshops page, click the Booth icon next to the
   callshop for which you want to generate booths. The Booths Management
   page opens.
3. On
   the Booths Management page, click  Generate.
   The Generate Booths dialog box opens.
4. In
   the Generate Booths dialog box, enter the number of booths to be
   used in this callshop.
5. Click
   OK.

Callshop operators are the personnel who operate callshops
and perform such duties as: control the authorized use of booths, collect
payments from customers and provide customers with receipts.

1. In
   the  CC
   Staff section of the callshop reseller self-care interface, choose
   Callshop Operators. The Operator Management page opens.
2. On
   the Operator Management page, click  Add.
3. Fill
   in the New Callshop Operator form:

• Callshop
  – select a callshop that the callshop operator will operate.
• Login
  – type the username that the callshop operator will use to log in to their
  self-care interface.
• Password
  – type the password that the callshop operator will use to log in to their
  self-care interface.
• Time
  Zone – specify the time zone in which the callshop operator will see
  the xDRs.
• Web
  Interface Language – select the language to be used on the callshop
  operator self-care interface.

Now your callshop is configured and ready to operate.
The guidelines on how to operate a callshop are outlined in the sections
below.

To quickly respond to shifting market demands, callshop
resellers can easily adapt their sales rates by changing products in their
callshops. Once a new product is chosen, this new product is assigned
to all booths in this callshop.

1. On
   the Edit Callshop page, open the Product dropdown list.
2. Choose
   the desired product from the list and click  Save&Close.

Open the callshop operator self-care page in a browser
(by default https://<your-porta-billing-server-name>:8446)
and log in with the credentials that were provided to you.

A customer comes to the callshop to make calls. Unlock
a booth for him/her.

1. In
   the  Participants
   section of the callshop operator self-care interface, choose Booths.
   The Booths Management page opens.
2. On
   the Booths Management page, choose a free booth and click the Click
   to Unlock icon to unlock the booth. The customer can then make calls
   to desired destinations.
3. Once
   the customer leaves the booth, to prevent unauthorized use of the booth,
   click the Click
   to Lock icon to lock it.

Present the customer with the receipt for the call(s)
made in the booth.

1. On
   the Booths Management page, click the  Checkout
   icon for the booth from which the calls were made. The Booth Call Summary
   dialog box opens.
2. In
   the Booth Call Summary dialog box, check/fill in the following
   information fields:
   • Total
     Call Charges – this shows the total charges for the calls made from
     the booth.
   • Rounded
     Charges – this shows the total charges rounded up to the value specified
     for this callshop. For example, setting the rounding up value to 0.05
     will round up 1.26 to 1.30; setting it to 1.00 will round up 1.26 to 2.00.
   • Additional
     Charges – this presents additional charges a callshop operator may
     add to the customer’s bill (such as internet usage or a cup of coffee).
   • Amount
     Due – this shows the total amount the customer must pay.
   • Amount
     Paid – this shows the amount paid by the customer.
   • Change
     Due – this calculates the change the operator returns to the customer.
3. Click
   the Pay button to submit the payment information and then click
   the Print button to print the receipt.
4. Collect
   payments from the customer, return change and provide him/her with a receipt.