Bridge Training and Support Docs
Whether you’re just getting started with Bridge or you’re a veteran, there’s a lot to know. This is the place to start for learning Bridge’s features and functions. You’ll find the answers to many of the most-frequently-asked questions here, and we’ll update this page with changes or new features. Be sure to bookmark this page and use it as your Bridge reference whenever needed.
Need More Support?
Those amazing Bridge technicians are always ready to go above and beyond to answer any questions you might have, or help with setup, changes, etc. Just let us know how we can best serve you. Contact support here or via Live Chat found at the lower right corner of this page.
- Go to my.bridge.insure. Note that Bridge is built to work in Google Chrome. Other browsers are not supported.
- Using the email address that you used to sign up for Bridge and the password that was sent to you, log in to Bridge.
Navigating the Bridge Dashboard
- Click on the Dashboard icon at the top left of the screen.
- Left click and drag an icon to reposition the icon on the screen.
- Right click an icon to hide it.
- Click the Reset button towards the bottom of the screen to bring back hidden icons.
- Click the Sort Alphabetically button to sort the icons by name.
- Use the three icons at the top right of the screen to submit Feedback to Bridge or contact Bridge support.
Last updated November 19, 2019
- Click the Settings link in the top right.
- Click the My Profile link in the top left.
Last updated November 19, 2019
If your agency’s Bridge administrator has requested that you install the Bridge Desktop application, here’s how to do it.
From the Bridge dashboard:
- Click Settings
- Click Bridge Downloads
- Click the link for “Bridge Desktop: Download Here“
When the download is complete, you should see “BridgeDesktopSetup.exe” (or similar) in the lower part of your screen - Click the dropdown arrow
- Click Open
- Follow the installation prompts to install Bridge Desktop
- Log out of and back into Bridge
- Confirm that Bridge Desktop is installed correctly by clicking the Windows “System Tray” icon
- You should see a small cube icon with a green dot on it
This indicates that Bridge Desktop is working correctly. If the cube icon is not there or does not have the green dot, please contact your agency’s Bridge administrator.
- In the left column in Bridge, you can use the Dial Pad to manually dial a phone number.
Or search your contacts by entering a name or number in the search field; matches will appear below. Click a number to select.
You can also just type a phone number in the field and hit Enter.
- Click the Call button to dial the number.
- To end the call, click the red phone button.
Last updated April 3, 2020
System Requirements
These are the minimum system requirements and supported platforms for Bridge service.
Supported Operating Systems
- Windows
- Windows 10 (32 and 64-bit) or later
- Minimum Intel i5 processor (or equivalent)
- Minimum of 8 GB of memory
- 400 MB of free hard drive space
- Screen resolution 1,024 x 768 or higher
Supported Browser:
- Google Chrome (current version)
Bridge Mobile:
- iOS: iOS 8.0 or later (iOS 11, iPhone X supported)
- Android: Android OS 4.4 and up (Android O supported)
- BlackBerry devices are not supported.
Minimum and Recommended Bandwidth for VoIP Service:
Bandwidth required depends on the number of concurrent calls. Below is the minimum bandwidth required to make calls from a Bridge account, as well as recommended speeds for optimal performance.
Number of Concurrent Calls | Minimum Required Bandwidth | Recommended speed |
---|---|---|
1 | 100 Kbps Up and Down | 3 MBps Up and Down |
3 | 300 Kbps Up and Down | 3 MBps Up and Down |
5 | 500 Kbps Up and Down | 5 MBps Up and Down |
10 | 1 MBps Up and Down | 5-10 MBps Up and Down |
Last updated March 26, 2019
Admin Settings
Activity Monitor can help you better understand what your team is working on even if they are working remotely. To use Activity Monitor you’ll need to set up a team, add and configure team members and have each member set up their computer. Here’s how.
Creating a Team
- From the Bridge dashboard, double click Activity Monitor
- Click Teams
- Click Add Activity Monitor Team
- Name the Team
- Select Team Member(s) and Manager(s)
- Click Create Team
- Click Individual Settings
- Select and edit the Team Members
- Enable screenshots and determine how often they should be recorded
(Tip: 300 seconds = 5 minutes; 600 seconds = 10 minutes. Setting shorter times are not recommended and will slow your system down.) - Optionally, set a pay rate that can be used for payroll
Installing Bridge Desktop Software
Once the Team settings are configured, your Team Members will need to download and install the “Bridge Desktop” application. The instructions to install Bridge Desktop are under Getting Started on this page.
Viewing Team Member Activity
Now that your team is set up and they each have the Bridge Desktop software installed, you can view screenshots of their activity taken according to the intervals you specified.
- Click My Team
- Click on an individual Team Member to view their activity
- Click on a date to see their activity (screenshots) for that date
- Click on an individual screenshot to view larger
Watch this video for an overview of how to set up call flows for your agency.
Contact groups can be used to communicate with a select group of users or contacts. Example: Set up a contact group to communicate only with your sales team.
- Click the Settings link at the top right of the page.
- Click the Contact Groups link in the second row from the top of the page.
- Click the Create Group button.
- Give your new contact group a name. Select a color or an avatar for the group.
- Use the Select Users or Select Contacts buttons to add users to the group.
- Click the Create Group button in the lower right.
Last updated November 20, 2019
- Click the Setting link at the top of the screen.
- Click the Agency Setup link in the second row from the top.
- Click the Users button in the third row from the top.
- Double click on the user you want to edit.
Last updated November 13, 2019
First decide if you want to import these into a contact group.
You will not be able to share these contacts with others in your agency if they are not in a contact group.
You can import contacts into Bridge from a spreadsheet, from a csv file, or straight from your Google contacts list. One easy way to import contacts is to click on the plus sign above the contact list. This opens the Add Contact window.
Click the Import Contact button in the bottom left corner.
Import contacts from a spreadsheet
**Decide first if you want to import these into a contact group! You will not be able to share these contacts with others in your agency if they are not in a contact group.
- Make sure that the spreadsheet you want to import has column headers. In other words, the very first row of the spreadsheet must be the titles for each column. If your spreadsheet doesn’t say “First name, last name, phone number,” etc. across the top, you need to add titles before importing the data. (Also make sure you know the name of the spreadsheet file and where it is saved on your computer.)
- From the Add Contact window (Import Contacts screen), click Import Spreadsheet File. Find and select the file and click Open.
- You will see a preview of some of the information from your spreadsheet in the Bridge window. Note the empty dropdown fields at the top of each column. Click on each one and select the appropriate title for each column of your data. Select “First Name” for the header of the column containing the first names of your contacts. Then select Last Name, Phone Number, etc.
- You must designate at least the following required information: First name, last name, and phone number. Bridge will not import any contacts without these required fields.
- Decide if you want to import these contacts straight into your main contact list or if you want to import them into a particular group.
- Use the drop-down menu on the right to select the import location. If you do not have any groups created, your only choice will be “Import to Contacts List.”
- Click Import Contacts.
- You will see a Congratulations message that shows how many contacts were imported. Please be aware that some contacts might not have been imported. Bridge will not import contacts who were previously imported into Bridge or who are missing one or more of the three required contact fields. The required fields are first name, last name, and phone number.
Import contacts from a csv file
**Decide first if you want to import these into a contact group! You will not be able to share these contacts with others in your agency if they are not in a contact group.
- Make sure you know the name of the csv file and where it is saved on your computer.
- From the Add Contact window (Import Contacts screen), click Import a CSV File. Find and select the file and click Open.
- You will see a preview of some of the information from your csv file in the Bridge window.
- Look at the first row of data from your csv file. If it shows column headers and not a contact’s information, uncheck the box above it that says “Include First Row?”
- Note the empty dropdown fields at the top of each column. Click on each one and select the appropriate title for each column of your data. Select “First Name” for the header of the column containing the first names of your contacts. Then select Last Name, Phone Number, etc.
- You must designate at least the following required information: First name, last name, and phone number. Bridge will not import any contacts without these required fields.
- Decide if you want to import these contacts straight into your main contact list or if you want to import them into a particular group.
- Use the drop-down menu on the right to select the import location. If you do not have any groups created, your only choice will be “Import to Contacts List.”
- Click Import Contacts.
- You will see a Congratulations message that shows how many contacts were imported. Please be aware that some contacts might not have been imported. Bridge will not import contacts who were previously imported into Bridge or who are missing one or more of the three required contact fields. The required fields are first name, last name, and phone number.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Music on Hold is used for agencies that have multiple offices and/or multiple departments. When a caller is put on hold each individual extension can have their own recording play. Music on Hold can be used to play music while on hold, advertisements, specific location information or anything that can be recorded and uploaded into the system.
Music on hold supports both .mp3 and .wav file types.
Settings > Locations
For Music on Hold to work for each location, an Admin needs to enable it on in the settings. Here’s how to do that…
1. Go to Settings and then select Locations.

2. Click the green icon next to a location group to Edit Group Information.

3. Check Custom Music On Hold checkbox then Update Group.
Now that location permissions are enabled, we can create the Music on Hold settings.
Still in the Settings section, click on the Agency Setup tab.
Click on the Audio tab.
Click the Music on Hold button.

Setting up Categories (Locations)
1. Click the New button on the right of the screen.

2. Type a category name in the given field and select Create. This example will use locations as the category names.

Adding Recordings (Music)
1. The plus button opens File Explorer. Select the hold music here and click Open.Repeat step 3 to add more hold music for this category.

2. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to create more categories if desired.
Assigning Extensions/Users
1. Click the Manage Extensions button to assign users and their extensions to the different categories.

2. Drag and drop users into different categories. Select the Save Extension Changes button to save your progress.

Each user will now have music played in correlation with the music selected for the category.
Here are some scripts to help you as you record messages to use in Bridge:
Main Menu Greetings
The attendant menu for your main contact number may be the first form of contact that a customer has with your business. Make sure your greeting is clearly articulated. Provide an option to speak with an operator if the caller has a question that is not addressed by the menu options. Below are few examples of what you may use.
Call Center Departments
Hello and thank you for calling, [Agency Name], where [state your short agency slogan]. If you know the extension of the party you are trying to reach, you may dial it at any time.
To speak with a Sales representative, press 1.
To reach a Customer Support agent, press 2.
To reach our Billing department, press 3.
If you would like to know our regular business hours and location, press 4.
If you would like to speak with an Operator, press 0, or press 9 to repeat the available options.
Basic Customer Inquiry
Thank you for calling [Agency Name]. If you know your party’s extension, please dial it at any time.
To reach our agency directory, press 1.
For more information about [Agency Name], press 2.
If you are an existing customer, please press 3.
For billing questions, press 4.
To repeat menu options, press 9.
For all other inquiries, press 0.
Language Options
Hello, you have reached [Agency Name]. To continue in English, press 1, for Spanish, press 2. (Wait for customer to enter an option.)
You’ve reached the main menu. To reach a staff member by name, please press 1.
For sales inquiries, press 2.
For technical support, press 3.
To place a purchase order, press 4.
For accounting, press 5.
To find a store location near you, please press 6.
Press 0 to speak with a representative.
Product-Focused
Thanks for calling [Agency Name]. For more information about our products, press 1.
If you have troubleshooting/technical questions, press 2.
For billing questions, press 3.
For a Dial by Name directory, press 4.
For our regular business hours, press 5.
If you know your party’s extension, please dial it now.
For all other inquiries, please stay on the line, and a representative will be happy to assist you.
Offering the Operator First
You’ve reached [Agency Name], the [agency’s slogan]. Please choose from the following menu options:
To speak with the operator, press 0.
For customer support, press 1.
For troubleshooting questions, press 2.
For accounting questions, press 3.
For a list of our staff members, press 4.
To leave us a message, press 5.
To repeat these options, press 6.
Recording All Calls (Disclaimer)
Thank you for calling [agency name]. This phone call may be recorded for training and quality purposes.
After-Hours Greetings
A separate after-hours attendant menu can inform callers that your office is closed, state your business’ operating hours, and provide options that callers can immediately act upon. For example, you can direct them to your website for FAQs. If your business provides an account login page, remind your customers that they can login at any time to get general account information. In this situation, be proactive. Below are a few examples of what you may use.
After-Hour Options
Thanks for calling [Agency Name]. Our offices are currently closed. Our business hours are from Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM Eastern Time, and Saturday 9 AM to 12 PM Eastern.
If you would like to leave a message in our general voice mailbox, press 1.
To reach our agency directory, press 2.
For business hours and directions to our office, press 3.
You may also email us at [agency email].
For more information about our products and services, please visit us at [website].
To repeat this message, press the * key.
Direct Customers to Your Account Login Page
Thank you for calling [Agency Name]. Our office(s) are currently closed. Standard office hours are [Days and Time]
Did you know that you can check your account status with us 24 hours a day / 7 days a week by visiting [account login webpage]? Here you can view information about your account, as well as answers to general questions you may have.
Otherwise, please call back during standard office hours, and we will be happy to assist you. To repeat this message, press the # key.
Holiday Greetings
Auto-attendants with a customized holiday greeting can be a festive way to mark the occasion. If you have a retail business, create a holiday greeting to inform customers of any limited-time sales you are offering. If your office is closed for the holiday, be sure you state this in your message.
Advertise Holiday Sales
Thank you for calling [Agency Name]. To celebrate the holiday season, we are offering limited-time discounts on all purchases. Please ask your account representative about them today!
To place an order, press 1.
To follow up on an existing order, press 2.
To speak with a representative about our products, press 3.
If you have a billing question, press 4.
To repeat the menu options, please press the * key.
Holiday Closures
Thank you for calling [Agency Name]; we are currently closed in observance of [holiday name]. We will return on [Date] at [Time].
If you would like to reach our Dial by Name Directory, please press 1.
To leave a voicemail, please press 2. A representative will contact you upon our return.
To repeat this menu, please press the # key.
[If no response after a few seconds] Goodbye.
Voicemail Greeting
Many companies offer an escape option so that if a caller ends up in a staff member’s voice mailbox, he or she can “escape” out of the mailbox and go back to the attendant menu. Use a customized auto-attendant for this situation.
Escape the Voicemail Box Option
You have reached the voicemail of [Agency/Person’s name].
If you would like to leave a voicemail, please press 1 and leave your name, number, and a brief message.
If you would like to return to the main menu, please press the # key.
On-Hold Messaging
When creating good on-hold customer experiences, you shouldn’t try to wing it in coming up with messages. What you share with customers when they call your business has the ability to inform, engage, and even sell — but only if you strategically create a script that connects and resonates with callers. Below are a few examples of what you may use.
Greet
“At [agency], we value our customers and love to hear from you. We welcome you to leave a review or feedback on our website.”
“Our representatives are on the line with other customers. Someone will be with you shortly.”
Promote
“For a limited time, we are offering a ________ discount to customers who ____________________________.”
“Did you know that [agency] writes more policies than any other agent in town? We value the relationships we have with our customers. Are you a member of our customer loyalty program? If you aren’t, talk to our representative about how you can start saving.
“Did you know that you can save cash by referring customers to [agency name]. Ask us about our customer referral rewards program.”
“Visit and like our Facebook page to get tips and updates on [placeholder for what the tips and updates are].”
“If you just bought your home, visit our website and sign up for our monthly newsletter filled with tips and advice for first-time homeowners.”
Thank You
“[Agency Name] values your time, and we thank you for holding. Thanks for your time. An [agency name] representative will be with you shortly.”
Last updated November 13, 2019
- Click the Settings link at the top right of the page.
- Click the Agency Setup link in the second row from the top of the page.
- Click the green Add New User button on the right of the page.
- If you already have a phone number for use, enter it in the Base Number.
- To load a list of available Direct Info Dialing Numbers click the Load Available Dids button. This may take a few seconds.
- Click the Use Selected Number button.
- Enter the first name, last name, email address, and 3-digit extension for the user.
- Click the I Agree button in the pop-up window.
- Double click on the user and scroll down to edit the user’s Administration Settings.
Last updated November 20, 2019
- Click the Settings link at the top of the screen.
- Click the Bridge Downloads link in the second row from the top.
Last updated November 21, 2019
- Click the Settings link at the top right of the page.
- Click the New Activity tab in the second row.
- Assign the task to one of your company’s users.
- Enter who the task will be associated with.
- Use the Activity drop down to select the type of activity.
- In the Status drop down, select whether the status for the activity is Open or Completed.
- Assign a due date for the activity.
- Select the completed date for the activity.
- Add notes.
- Click the Save button.
Last updated November 20, 2019
Audio Settings/Troubleshooting
“Bridge says it does not have access to my microphone (or camera).”
Here’s the fix:
First, navigate to settings in Google Chrome. Click the three dots in the top right of Chrome:
Then click on Settings > Site Settings:
Next click on either Camera or Microphone. Then click on the one that says https://my.bridge.insure:443
Verify or change the setting for Camera and Microphone to Allow:
Once these are both set to allow, your headset should be working correctly in Bridge.
Bonus Tip!
While you’re here, scroll down to notifications and set that to Allow. Then the Windows notification system will alert you to incoming calls and Chat Plus notifications!
“I can hear other people but they cannot hear me … my microphone isn’t working.”
Here’s the fix:
Press the Windows key or search icon on your taskbar and type “Microphone privacy settings”:
Click microphone privacy settings and scroll down until you see Allow desktop apps to access your microphone:
Make sure from that “Allow desktop apps to access your microphone” is enabled as shown.
“I cannot hear audio from incoming/outbound calls in Bridge”
Here’s the fix:
Navigate to your notifications section: Settings > My Profile > Notifications
Make sure “Notifications ON” is checked and orange:
Next, let’s make sure Bridge is set up correct for your audio sources. The primary settings to check are:
- 1 – Call Ringtone / Call Ringtone Output Source
This is where the incoming ringtone will play - 2 – Call Audio Output Source
This is where the audio of the person talking to you will play - 2b – Microphone Input Source
This is the microphone that will pick up your voice
By default these boxes will show:
Default – [Name of your audio device]
If the name of the audio device does not match the name of your headset (Brand, model, etc.) click the dropdown and look at the options. You should see options similar to this where one is marked “Communications.” Under “Box 2 Call Audio Output Source and Microphone Input Source,” be sure it is set to “Communications.” (If it is available; otherwise make sure it matches up with your headset.)
“I cannot hear ANY audio at all (Bridge, YouTube, Pandora, etc.)”
Here’s the fix:
Quick solutions to try first:
- Ensure the mute button is not pressed (varies by headset)
- Ensure your windows volume is turned up (You can do this by left clicking the audio icon in the bottom right of your taskbar, below.)
- Try a different USB port
- Unplug the headset and plug it back in
If none of those help, go to the bottom right of your taskbar and Right Click the speaker icon:
Then select “Open Sound Settings”:
Make sure your headset is listed for both output and input:
NOTE: The names will be different depending on your headset.
If your headset is plugged in and is not shown on the dropdown menus, please reach out to the manufacturer’s support line.
The Kotter Group does not provide support for headset devices themselves.
Automated Messages
Call Features
How to record an Agency Greeting from a “hard phone” (physical/desktop phone):
- Call *732 on the hard phone
- You’ll be prompted for your PIN number (1234 is the default PIN)
As soon as you enter your PIN, the recording will start and you’ll hear, “Recording started” - When you’re finished recording, press the pound sign (#)
- Press 1 to save your message, or
Press 2 to re-record
Once the message is saved, the recording is placed under “Recordings” for your domain. The new recording will be named New_Greeting-[date][timestamp].wav, e.g., New_Greeting-2020-03-26 11:00:40.wav
Last updated April 3, 2020
- From your Bridge Dashboard, double click on the Sales Automation Suite icon.
- In the row under Sales Automation Suite, click on the link that says Contacts.
- You may need to uncheck the Show My Contacts Only box to get all contacts to appear on the page.
- Locate the name that you want to add to a drip campaign and check the box in the furthest right column. Checking this box box will bring up a new row of buttons. You can click as many users as you like.
- Click the Add (number of contacts) to Power Prospector button.
- In the box under where it says Power Prospector, you can add a pre-set script.
- Click the Start the dialer button to begin autodialing. When one call ends, Power Prospector automatically dials the next contact on the list.
- After you’ve called a contact, click the Completed button to remove the contact from the list.
Last updated November 18, 2019
- In the Bridge Dashboard, double click the Call Centre icon.
- Use the Location dropdown to select a call location/group to view.
- During an active call, you can listen, whisper or barge:
- Listen: click the headphones icon (Listen allows you to hear the call; no one on the call will hear you)
- Whisper: click the ear icon (Whisper allows you to talk directly to the employee only; the other party will not hear you)
- Barge: click the megaphone icon (Barge allows all parties to hear you)
- Use the bottom row of icons to transfer calls, chat, text, email, video conference, or edit user settings.
Last updated April 3, 2020
The Hot Desking feature enables Bridge users to log into any hard phone (the physical phone on your desk) on your system, and apply their own user profile and settings to that phone. With Hot Desking, your extension is whatever hard phone you’re currently logged into.
You can use Hot Desking to enable multiple employees to use a single workstation during different time periods. (Fun fact: the practice of sharing a desk on a rotating basis is where the term “hot desking” originated.) Bridge Hot Desking also allows workers to commute to the most convenient office, and to whichever workstation they please, any given day.
Example: An employee needs to work at a satellite office. They would log into the hard phone at any workstation. All of their calls and messages would now be sent to that Hot Desked phone.
Setting Up Hot Desking in Bridge
- In Bridge, go to the Settings button in the top-right corner.
- Click on Agency Setup
- Click on Provisioning Portal
- If the user already has their hard phone provisioned in this list, check the Hot Desking checkbox.
- If the user is going to use a hard phone that isn’t provisioned, go to the Hot Desking tab, select Add New Phone and insert the phone’s MAC Address, Brand and Model.
- The hard phone is now setup/configured in Bridge.
Setting Up the Hard Phone
- Lift up the receiver or use the speaker on the provisioned hard phone.
- When you hear the dial tone, dial *11
- Enter your extension and the # sign.
- Enter your password/pin and the # sign. If you don’t remember your password/pin refer to the instructions below.
- The phone will then reboot. When the phone completely reboots your extension and settings are moved over. You can start using the Hot Desked phone.
NOTE: You will be logged out of your original hard phone until you log back in!
Resetting your password/pin
- In Bridge click on your Avatar (your picture).
- Select Voicemail.
- Change your Voicemail Password/Pin here.
Last updated November 13, 2019
- In the left column in Bridge, you can use the Dial Pad to manually dial a phone number.
Or search your contacts by entering a name or number in the search field; matches will appear below. Click a number to select.
You can also just type a phone number in the field and hit Enter.
- Click the Call button to dial the number.
- To end the call, click the red phone button.
Last updated April 3, 2020
- From an active call, click the Park Call button.
- Listen for the audio message with the “parking spot” number for the call.
- Anyone in the office on Bridge can use the “parking spot” number to pick up a parked call.
Hover over the parked icon for the “parking spot” number.
Click the green phone icon in the parked icon over box or enter the “parking spot” number in the field labeled Type contact name or number.
Last updated April 3, 2020
You can record a personal voicemail greeting either in the Bridge application or from a desk phone or ‘hard phone’. Here are the steps for each:
Recording a Greeting Inside Bridge:
- From the Bridge dashboard, click on the Settings icon
- Click My profile
- Click Voicemail
- Click Change Voicemail Greeting
From here you can record a new greeting, upload an audio file from your computer (WAV or MP3 formats accepted) as your greeting, or select one from previously-uploaded files. For our purposes, we’ll record a new greeting…
- Click Record a New Message
- Using your computer’s microphone or headset, click the Record button to start recording your new greeting.
- After recording your greeting, click Play to hear how it sounds. If needed, re-record.
- If you’re happy with the recording, give it a Description (name), e.g., “Mary’s Smiling Greeting”
- Click Save
Recording a Greeting from a Desk Phone (Hard Phone):
- Dial *97 and press send/call.
- Enter your voicemail PIN. (Your default PIN is 1234. See How To Change Your PIN, below.)
- Press 5 to access the Advanced Menu.
- Press 1 to record a new greeting.
Once your greeting has been recorded, go back to the Advanced Menu. - Press 2 to select your greeting from the recording you just made.
How To change your PIN:
From the advanced menu, pressing 6 will enable you to choose a new PIN.
- From the Bridge Dashboard, double click on the Advanced Conference Calls icon:
- Click the Create New Room button:
- Give your conference room a name and click the Yes button:
- Enter the number(s) for the conference participant(s).
- Click the Start Conference button.
- Click the Dial Participants button.
- During the call, use the Screen Share, Record, Mute, and Lock buttons as needed.
- Use the Add/Edit Event button to schedule conference calls.
Last updated November 21, 2019
- While on an active call, click the Transfer Call button.
- Enter the name or number that you want to transfer the active call to
Specify the type of transfer, Supervised (Warm) or Blind (Cold)
- Supervised Transfer
Sometimes referred to as a Warm Transfer, this option lets you listen in for the other person to answer first. You might, for example, want to tell them about the call before completing the transfer. Or perhaps you don’t want to complete the transfer if the recipient isn’t available.- Click “Transfer Call”
- Click “Confirm” to complete the transfer
- Click “Cancel” to rejoin the original call without transferring
- Blind Transfer
Sometimes called a Cold Transfer, this will immediately transfer the call to the number you’ve specified.- Click “Transfer Call” to complete the transfer
Last updated April 6, 2020
- Click the Settings link in the top right of the page.
- Click the My Profile link in the second row from the top.
- Click the Voicemail link. Use this section to turn voicemail on/off, or change your forwarding email, 4-digit PIN, or voicemail greeting.
- In the left column, click the middle icon to view your voicemails.
- Using the buttons on the right to play the message, export to your management system or delete the message.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Chat Plus
- In your Bridge Dashboard, click the Chat Plus icon at the top of the screen.
- In the left column, click on the + icon to the right of DIRECT MESSAGES.
- Select the person you want to chat with (“direct message”) from the popup list and click the Start Chat button:
Last updated March 26, 2020
In Bridge’s Chat Plus, a channel is a ‘place’ to chat with a selected group of other Bridge users.
- In the Bridge Dashboard, click the Chat Plus icon at the top of the screen.
- In the left column of your Bridge Dashboard, click on the ‘+’ icon to the right of CHANNELS.
- Choose whether the channel should be Public or Private.
- Provide a name for the new channel.
- Give the channel a short description. This will help new members know what the channel is about.
- If you selected Private Channel, add Bridge users that should be included in the channel.
- Click the Create Channel button.
- To manage members, edit, delete or leave a channel, click the gear icon at the top/center.
(Note that only the options you have permissions for the channel are shown.)
Last updated November 21, 2019
Contacts
Contact groups can be used to communicate with a select group of users or contacts. Example: Set up a contact group to communicate only with your sales team.
- Click the Settings link at the top right of the page.
- Click the Contact Groups link in the second row from the top of the page.
- Click the Create Group button.
- Give your new contact group a name. Select a color or an avatar for the group.
- Use the Select Users or Select Contacts buttons to add users to the group.
- Click the Create Group button in the lower right.
Last updated November 20, 2019
First decide if you want to import these into a contact group.
You will not be able to share these contacts with others in your agency if they are not in a contact group.
You can import contacts into Bridge from a spreadsheet, from a csv file, or straight from your Google contacts list. One easy way to import contacts is to click on the plus sign above the contact list. This opens the Add Contact window.
Click the Import Contact button in the bottom left corner.
Import contacts from a spreadsheet
**Decide first if you want to import these into a contact group! You will not be able to share these contacts with others in your agency if they are not in a contact group.
- Make sure that the spreadsheet you want to import has column headers. In other words, the very first row of the spreadsheet must be the titles for each column. If your spreadsheet doesn’t say “First name, last name, phone number,” etc. across the top, you need to add titles before importing the data. (Also make sure you know the name of the spreadsheet file and where it is saved on your computer.)
- From the Add Contact window (Import Contacts screen), click Import Spreadsheet File. Find and select the file and click Open.
- You will see a preview of some of the information from your spreadsheet in the Bridge window. Note the empty dropdown fields at the top of each column. Click on each one and select the appropriate title for each column of your data. Select “First Name” for the header of the column containing the first names of your contacts. Then select Last Name, Phone Number, etc.
- You must designate at least the following required information: First name, last name, and phone number. Bridge will not import any contacts without these required fields.
- Decide if you want to import these contacts straight into your main contact list or if you want to import them into a particular group.
- Use the drop-down menu on the right to select the import location. If you do not have any groups created, your only choice will be “Import to Contacts List.”
- Click Import Contacts.
- You will see a Congratulations message that shows how many contacts were imported. Please be aware that some contacts might not have been imported. Bridge will not import contacts who were previously imported into Bridge or who are missing one or more of the three required contact fields. The required fields are first name, last name, and phone number.
Import contacts from a csv file
**Decide first if you want to import these into a contact group! You will not be able to share these contacts with others in your agency if they are not in a contact group.
- Make sure you know the name of the csv file and where it is saved on your computer.
- From the Add Contact window (Import Contacts screen), click Import a CSV File. Find and select the file and click Open.
- You will see a preview of some of the information from your csv file in the Bridge window.
- Look at the first row of data from your csv file. If it shows column headers and not a contact’s information, uncheck the box above it that says “Include First Row?”
- Note the empty dropdown fields at the top of each column. Click on each one and select the appropriate title for each column of your data. Select “First Name” for the header of the column containing the first names of your contacts. Then select Last Name, Phone Number, etc.
- You must designate at least the following required information: First name, last name, and phone number. Bridge will not import any contacts without these required fields.
- Decide if you want to import these contacts straight into your main contact list or if you want to import them into a particular group.
- Use the drop-down menu on the right to select the import location. If you do not have any groups created, your only choice will be “Import to Contacts List.”
- Click Import Contacts.
- You will see a Congratulations message that shows how many contacts were imported. Please be aware that some contacts might not have been imported. Bridge will not import contacts who were previously imported into Bridge or who are missing one or more of the three required contact fields. The required fields are first name, last name, and phone number.
Last updated November 13, 2019
- Click the Settings link at the top right of the page.
- Click the Agency Setup link in the second row from the top of the page.
- Click the green Add New User button on the right of the page.
- If you already have a phone number for use, enter it in the Base Number.
- To load a list of available Direct Info Dialing Numbers click the Load Available Dids button. This may take a few seconds.
- Click the Use Selected Number button.
- Enter the first name, last name, email address, and 3-digit extension for the user.
- Click the I Agree button in the pop-up window.
- Double click on the user and scroll down to edit the user’s Administration Settings.
Last updated November 20, 2019
Texting your vCard
In a text message, click on the paperclip icon and attach your .vcf file to any text message.
Using a Text Signature
- Click Settings at the top of the page.
- Click My Profile in the second row from the top.
- Click Text Signature.
- Toggle on Text Signature, and enter your signature.
Last updated November 13, 2019
eSignature
Faxing
To send a fax using the Bridge Email-to-Fax service, send an email using the info below for the different email fields:
- To:
your agency fax number@agencyfax.com
for example: 5554567890@agencyfax.com - From:
Your Authorized Email Address or Your Domain Authorized Email Address (These email addresses are listed in Bridge: Dashboard > Faxing)
for example: jane.smith@mygreatinsuranceagency.com
Note that you can only send faxes from the email address associated with your account. After sending the email, you’ll receive a a confirmation or rejection notice. - Subject:
[Fax] plus the 10 digit fax number the fax should be sent to
for example: [Fax]5558881234 - Body (cover page, optional)
Content in the body of the email will be included on a cover page. - Attachments
Email-to-Fax supports up to 5 attachments. Attachments may be sent in JPG, PDF, TIFF, Microsoft Word, Excel, CSV, HTML and TXT (plain text) formats.
Last updated March 27, 2020
Integrations
Agency Matrix Integration Guide
What can this integration do?
- Call Pop (aka Screen Pop) — A client’s file opens when that client calls in.
- Copy Paste — Information from Bridge can be copied and pasted into Agency Matrix (no setup required)
Watch this video for an example of copying from Bridge and pasting into a management system.
The Kotter Group is happy to work with Agency Matrix to develop more integrations with Bridge.
Last updated November 13, 2019
AMS360 Integration Guide
We are an ORANGE PARTNER with Vertafore to bring you one of the most comprehensive management system integrations on the market.
Watch these videos for instructions on how to set up your AMS360 Agency and User Account Integrations
Please note that part of the Bridge integration setup must be done by your agency’s Bridge admin and part must be done at the individual level for each user. Don’t worry — your Onboarding Specialists or a member of our Support Team can assist you with the setup if you don’t want to do it yourself.
What can this integration do?
- Call Pop (aka Screen Pop) — A client’s file opens when that client calls in.
- Save text messages, chats, and more into AMS360 as an activity.
- Sync AMS360 contacts with Bridge.
Watch these videos for some insight into the AMS360 Integration
Last updated November 13, 2019
E-Agent Integration Guide
What can this integration do?
- Call Pop (aka Screen Pop) — A client’s file opens when that client calls in.
- Copy Paste — Information from Bridge can be copied and pasted into E-Agent (no setup required)
Watch this video for an example of copying from Bridge and pasting into a management system.
The Kotter Group is happy to work with E-Agent to develop more integrations with Bridge.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Watch this video for an example of copying from Bridge and pasting into a management system.
Last updated November 13, 2019
This video explains how to export from Bridge. Copy the information to your computer’s clipboard and then paste it (using CTRL V) into your management system, onto your computer desktop, into an email, or wherever else you need it.
Last updated November 13, 2019
What can this integration do?
- Call Pop (aka Screen Pop) — A client’s file opens when that client calls in (EZLynx login required)
- Copy Paste — Information from Bridge can be copied and pasted into EZLynx (no setup required)
More integrations depend on EZLynx developing an open API on its side.
How do I set up the EZLynx Integration?
You must have Bridge Admin permissions to do this.
In Bridge, click on Settings, then Agency Setup, then Integration Setup.
Choose EZLynx as the management system.
Inbox Path: Enter the file path where the file will be copied to the clipboard.
URL: Type in the EZLynx URL or leave this field blank.
Click Update Settings.
You should now be able to enable screen pops with EZLynx.
Last updated November 13, 2019
HawkSoft Integration
What can this integration do?
- Call Pop (aka Screen Pop) — A client’s file opens when that client calls in.
- Copy Paste — Information from Bridge can be copied and pasted into HawkSoft.
More integrations depend on HawkSoft developing an open API on its side.
Last updated November 13, 2019
QQ Catalyst Integration Guide
We are an ORANGE PARTNER with Vertafore to bring you one of the most comprehensive management system integrations on the market.
Important note: In order for integrations with QQ Catalyst to work, your agency admin will need to email apidev@qqsolutions.com to obtain your agency’s Client ID & Client Secret. These are needed to set up your integration.
Watch this video for instructions on how to set up your QQ Catalyst integration for your Agency
Watch this video for instructions on how to set up your QQ Catalyst integration for an Individual User
What can this integration do?
- Call Pop (aka Screen Pop) — A client’s file opens when that client calls in.
- Save text messages, chats, and more into QQ Catalyst without having to copy paste.
Watch these videos for some insight into the QQ Catalyst integration
Last updated November 13, 2019
Legal
You can click HERE to find The Kotter Group’s Terms and Conditions for Bridge
Last updated November 13, 2019
Please note: the following is not meant be legal advice, rather a general overview of call monitoring requirements. If you need further clarification on call monitoring, we highly recommend consulting an attorney.
Can my insurance agency legally record phone calls?
Call recording is a powerful phone-system feature that lowers an agency’s E&O exposure and allows for more effective coaching of employees. Call recording is also subject to federal and state wiretapping and eavesdropping statutes, so insurance agents must educate themselves on the laws.
If you want to play it safe without reading further, obtain explicit consent from all parties involved before recording any calls. For the details, keep reading.
Federal Law: United States federal law prohibits recording a phone call unless at least one of the parties consents to the recording. If you are an active participant in the call and want to record it, that counts for one-party consent per federal law. See 18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(d).
State Laws: Every state except Vermont has its own law about recording phone calls. Some of these laws are stricter than the federal law, and therefore, supersede it. See below for the consent requirements and statutory citations for each jurisdiction.
The strictest laws require every party to consent. This “two-party” or “all parties” consent is mandatory in twelve states plus Puerto Rico. These states are California, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
For the other states and the District of Columbia, “one-party consent” is sufficient for legally recording phone calls.
Many insurance agents ask, “What if the call occurs between people in different states?” Although some experts say the law of the state in which the recording device is located will apply, the safest answer is to follow whichever state’s recording law is strictest (or federal law in the case of Vermont).
How do I obtain consent to record?
In “one-party” jurisdictions, you count as the “one party” as long as you are an active participant in the call.
In “all-party” jurisdictions, a verbal recording notification at the beginning of the call is usually sufficient to imply consent.
Business Exception: Federal law (and some state laws) grant a “business exemption” to allow employers to record calls on phones they provide to employees. In general, it is legal for employers to monitor business-related telephone calls to and from their own premises—for example, to evaluate the quality of customer service.
Penalties: Breaking the laws regarding call monitoring can expose your insurance agency to the risk of criminal prosecution and also potentially give an injured party a civil claim for money damages against you. Perhaps even worse for insurance agents, calls recorded without proper consent may not be admissible as evidence in E&O claims, so be sure to obtain permission appropriately for your jurisdiction.
Legal Disclosure: The Kotter Group is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations and expects its clients to do the same. While The Kotter Group cannot manage compliance for its clients, we have provided this short summary as a push in the right direction. Clients should review all compliance decisions with their own legal counsel to ensure the services are used only in full compliance. This guide is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice.
Consent requirements for call monitoring – by state
Jurisdiction | Consent Required | Statutory Citation |
Federal | One party | 18 U.S.C. § 2511. |
Alabama | One party | Ala. Code § 13A-11-30. |
Alaska | One party | Alaska Stat. § 42.20.310(a)(1) |
Arizona | One party | ARS § 13-30121(9) |
Arkansas | One party | Ark. Stat. § 5-60-120(a) |
California | Two party consent if communication is confidential1 | Cal. Pen. Code § 632(a) |
Colorado | One party | CRS 18-9-304(1) |
Connecticut | All parties | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-570d(a). |
Delaware | One party | 11 Del. C. § 2402(c)(4) |
D.C. | One party | D.C. Code § 23-542(b)(3) |
Florida | Two party consent with business exemption | Fla. Stat. § 934.03(2)(d) |
Georgia | One party | O.C.G.A § 16-11-66(a) |
Hawaii | One party | HRS Stat. § 803-42(b)(3)(A) |
Idaho | One party | Idaho Code § 18-6702(d). |
Illinois | One party | 720 ILCS 5/14-3(j) |
Indiana | One party | Indiana Code Ann. § 35-33.5-1-5 |
Iowa | One party | Iowa Code § 808B.2(2)(c) |
Kansas | One party | K.S.A. § 21-4001(a)(3) |
Kentucky | One party | KY Rev. Stat. § 526.010. |
Louisiana | Two party | La. Gen. Ord. R-27021 V.A.6 |
Maine | One party | 15 M.R.S. § 709(4) |
Maryland | Two party consent with business exemption | Md. Courts & Jud. Proceedings Code Ann. § 10-402(3) |
Massachusetts | Two party consent with business exemption | Mass. Ann. Laws Ch. 272 § 99. |
Michigan | All parties | Mich Code 750.539c 2 |
Minnesota | One party | Minn. Stat. § 626A.02, subdiv. 2(d) |
Mississippi | One party | Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-531 |
Missouri | One party | Mo. Stat. § 542.402(2)(3) |
Montana | All parties | Mont. Code § 45-8-213(1)(c) |
Nebraska | One party | R.R.S. Neb. § 86-290(2)(c) |
Nevada | Two party | N.R.S. Ann. § 200.620(1)(a) |
New Hampshire | Two party consent with business exemption | New Hampshire Stat. § 570-A:1(IV) |
New Jersey | One party | N.J. Stat. § 2A:156A-4(d) |
New Mexico | One party | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 30-12-1(C). |
New York | One party | N.Y. CLS CPL § 700.05. |
North Carolina | One party | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-287(a)(1) |
North Dakota | One party | N.D. Cent. Ann. § 12.1-15-02(3)(c) |
Ohio | One party | ORC Ann. § 2933.52(B)(4) |
Oklahoma | One party | 13 Okl. St. § 176.4(5) |
Oregon | One party | ORS § 165.540(1)(a) |
Pennsylvania | Two party consent with business exemption | 18 Pa. C.S. § 5704(15). |
Puerto Rico | Two party | 33 L.P.R.A. § 2160 |
Rhode Island | One party | R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-35-21(c)(3) |
South Carolina | One party | South Carolina Stat. § 17-30-30(c) |
South Dakota | One party | S.D. Codified Laws § 23A-35A-20(2) |
Tennessee | One party | Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601(b)(5) |
Texas | One party | Tx. Penal Code § 16.02. |
Utah | One party | Utah Code § 77-23a-4(7)(b) |
Vermont | No State Law | N/A |
Virginia | One party | Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-62(B)(2) |
Washington | Two party consent if communication is private. | Rev. Code Wash. Stat. § 9.73.030(1)(a) |
West Virginia | One party | W. Va. Code § 62-1D-3(c) |
Wisconsin | One party | Wis. Stat. § 968.31(2)(c) |
Wyoming | One party | Wyo. Stat. § 7-3-702(b)(iv). |
1 “Confidential communication” includes any communication in any circumstance in which the parties may reasonably expect that the communication not be overheard or recorded. Cal. Pen. Code § 632(c). Further, a California court has held that “calls made by a caller located outside the state, in this case Georgia, are still subject to California law because the principal purpose of that law is “to protect the privacy of confidential communications of California residents while they are in California.” Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney, 2006 Cal. LEXIS 8362, at *52-53 (Cal. 2006).
2 See Sullivan v. Gray, 117 Mich. App. 476 (1982) for interpretation of statute.
Legal Disclosure: The Kotter Group is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations and expects its clients to do the same. While The Kotter Group cannot manage compliance for its clients, we have provided this short summary as a push in the right direction. Clients should review all compliance decisions with their own legal counsel to ensure the services are used only in full compliance. This guide is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Live Chat
If you are unfamiliar with embedding JavaScript, we highly recommend that you contact your webmaster or website support. At this time we are only able to offer a general recommendation for embedding your script on a GoDaddy site. We recommend that Wix, and Squarespace users contact their platform’s support.
- Login to your GoDaddy site and click the button labeled Manage.
- Click on the button labeled Manage Website.
- In the top row, click the link labeled Website.
- On the right, click the button labeled Edit Site.
- In the column on the right, click the section labeled Pages & Sections.
- In the column on the right, click the link labeled Add Section.
- In the pop-up window, scroll to click on the section labeled HTML.
- Click the button labeled Add.
- Paste the script into the box labeled Custom Code. Set the forced height to 700. Click Publish.
Last updated November 18, 2019
If you are unfamiliar with embedding JavaScript, we highly recommend that you contact your webmaster or website support. At this time we are only able to offer a general recommendation for embedding your script on a Weebly site. We recommend that Wix, and Squarespace users contact their platform’s support.
- Navigate to your Weebly Dashboard and locate the button labeled Embed Code. Drag the module to the lower right or left corner of your site.
- Click on the button labeled Edit Custom HTML.
- Copy your live chat embed code and paste it into the box.
- Click the Publish button.
Last updated November 18, 2019
- Click the Settings link at the top of the page.
- Click Agency Setup in the row just below the top.
- Click the Live Chat Setup button in the third row from the top.
- Fill in the fields below to adjust behaviors and appearance for the Live Chat Widget.
- Click the Show Preview button toward the bottom of the page for a preview of what the chat will look like.
- Scroll back up to find the Widget button near the top of the page. Click to copy the script in the Embedding Widget box.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Disclaimer: There are several ways to embed JavaScript into a WordPress site. If you are unfamiliar with embedding JavaScript, we highly recommend that you contact your webmaster or website support. At this time we are only able to offer a general recommendation for embedding your script on a WordPress site. We recommend that Wix, and Squarespace users contact their platform’s support.
- Log in to your WordPress site.
- In the left column, click the link that says Plugins.
- Click the Add New button.
- Search for Header and Footer Scripts.
- Install and activate the Header and Scripts plugin.
- In the left column, mouse over Settings and click on Header and Footer Scripts.
- Copy your live chat embed code and paste it into the box labeled Scripts in header: and click Save settings.
Last updated November 18, 2019
- When a live chat comes in, you will see a notification in the top left where your dialing and chat features are found.
- Click the View button.
- In the window to the right, click the Join Conversation button.
Last updated November 15, 2020
Phones and Equipment
How to record an Agency Greeting from a “hard phone” (physical/desktop phone):
- Call *732 on the hard phone
- You’ll be prompted for your PIN number (1234 is the default PIN)
As soon as you enter your PIN, the recording will start and you’ll hear, “Recording started” - When you’re finished recording, press the pound sign (#)
- Press 1 to save your message, or
Press 2 to re-record
Once the message is saved, the recording is placed under “Recordings” for your domain. The new recording will be named New_Greeting-[date][timestamp].wav, e.g., New_Greeting-2020-03-26 11:00:40.wav
Last updated April 3, 2020
- In the Bridge Dashboard, double click the Call Centre icon.
- Use the Location dropdown to select a call location/group to view.
- During an active call, you can listen, whisper or barge:
- Listen: click the headphones icon (Listen allows you to hear the call; no one on the call will hear you)
- Whisper: click the ear icon (Whisper allows you to talk directly to the employee only; the other party will not hear you)
- Barge: click the megaphone icon (Barge allows all parties to hear you)
- Use the bottom row of icons to transfer calls, chat, text, email, video conference, or edit user settings.
Last updated April 3, 2020
The Hot Desking feature enables Bridge users to log into any hard phone (the physical phone on your desk) on your system, and apply their own user profile and settings to that phone. With Hot Desking, your extension is whatever hard phone you’re currently logged into.
You can use Hot Desking to enable multiple employees to use a single workstation during different time periods. (Fun fact: the practice of sharing a desk on a rotating basis is where the term “hot desking” originated.) Bridge Hot Desking also allows workers to commute to the most convenient office, and to whichever workstation they please, any given day.
Example: An employee needs to work at a satellite office. They would log into the hard phone at any workstation. All of their calls and messages would now be sent to that Hot Desked phone.
Setting Up Hot Desking in Bridge
- In Bridge, go to the Settings button in the top-right corner.
- Click on Agency Setup
- Click on Provisioning Portal
- If the user already has their hard phone provisioned in this list, check the Hot Desking checkbox.
- If the user is going to use a hard phone that isn’t provisioned, go to the Hot Desking tab, select Add New Phone and insert the phone’s MAC Address, Brand and Model.
- The hard phone is now setup/configured in Bridge.
Setting Up the Hard Phone
- Lift up the receiver or use the speaker on the provisioned hard phone.
- When you hear the dial tone, dial *11
- Enter your extension and the # sign.
- Enter your password/pin and the # sign. If you don’t remember your password/pin refer to the instructions below.
- The phone will then reboot. When the phone completely reboots your extension and settings are moved over. You can start using the Hot Desked phone.
NOTE: You will be logged out of your original hard phone until you log back in!
Resetting your password/pin
- In Bridge click on your Avatar (your picture).
- Select Voicemail.
- Change your Voicemail Password/Pin here.
Last updated November 13, 2019
- In the left column in Bridge, you can use the Dial Pad to manually dial a phone number.
Or search your contacts by entering a name or number in the search field; matches will appear below. Click a number to select.
You can also just type a phone number in the field and hit Enter.
- Click the Call button to dial the number.
- To end the call, click the red phone button.
Last updated April 3, 2020
You can record a personal voicemail greeting either in the Bridge application or from a desk phone or ‘hard phone’. Here are the steps for each:
Recording a Greeting Inside Bridge:
- From the Bridge dashboard, click on the Settings icon
- Click My profile
- Click Voicemail
- Click Change Voicemail Greeting
From here you can record a new greeting, upload an audio file from your computer (WAV or MP3 formats accepted) as your greeting, or select one from previously-uploaded files. For our purposes, we’ll record a new greeting…
- Click Record a New Message
- Using your computer’s microphone or headset, click the Record button to start recording your new greeting.
- After recording your greeting, click Play to hear how it sounds. If needed, re-record.
- If you’re happy with the recording, give it a Description (name), e.g., “Mary’s Smiling Greeting”
- Click Save
Recording a Greeting from a Desk Phone (Hard Phone):
- Dial *97 and press send/call.
- Enter your voicemail PIN. (Your default PIN is 1234. See How To Change Your PIN, below.)
- Press 5 to access the Advanced Menu.
- Press 1 to record a new greeting.
Once your greeting has been recorded, go back to the Advanced Menu. - Press 2 to select your greeting from the recording you just made.
How To change your PIN:
From the advanced menu, pressing 6 will enable you to choose a new PIN.
Phones available for purchase to use with Bridge
Conference Room CP920 Data Sheet
Conference Room CP960 Data Sheet
If you are interested in purchasing a phone please send an email to sales@kotter.net
Last updated November 13, 2019
Bridge supports phones made by Yealink, Cisco, and Polycom. They are easily provisioned on the system for quick updating and customization.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Using Headsets with Bridge
Please contact a professional headset supplier to evaluate your unique needs in order to purchase the correct equipment for your business.
Here is some general information:
The Yealink phones we use are headset capable for basic functions such as making/receiving calls. Advanced needs like wireless, remote off hook, hand set lifter, etc will require communication on your part with a professional headset supplier to arrange for the proper equipment for you.
Bridge desktop (softphone) is headset capable. It currently does not allow for the remote answer/hang up function by pushing a button on a headset. If you desire this capability, a Yealink phone will be required as part of your set up. Using a headset with the softphone is highly dependent on the capabilities of the local computer/device you are trying to use.
Please consult your administrator on the ability to use and configure a headset on your computer/device and refer any issues to him/her for resolution.
There are a multitude of headsets and options in the headset market space that provide ease and convenience for the use of your Bridge service.
Because each customer situation is unique and we want you to have the best experience possible we do not recommend, price, endorse, configure, support or otherwise represent any headset as suitable for your particular use.
Again, we highly recommend reaching out to a professional headset supplier for proper guidance so that your needs are met effectively.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Texting
- From the Dashboard, double click the Text Messaging icon.
- Click the New Text button at the top of the the screen.
- To text an existing contact, simply type their name and Bridge will automatically pull up their contact information. Then click the phone number you’d like to text. To text someone who is not already in your contacts, type their complete phone number and press Enter or Tab. You can add multiple contacts to a text.
- Enter your message.
- Emulate User: As an Admin user, to see a log of chat conversations from users on your network, click the Emulate User drop down button.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Texting your vCard
In a text message, click on the paperclip icon and attach your .vcf file to any text message.
Using a Text Signature
- Click Settings at the top of the page.
- Click My Profile in the second row from the top.
- Click Text Signature.
- Toggle on Text Signature, and enter your signature.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Updates and New Releases
We appreciate feedback from our Bridge users. All comments, both positive and negative, help us improve. Continuous development is important to us. In fact, we have an entire department of full-time software programmers and analysts whose sole job is to strengthen and improve Bridge to better meet your needs and requests.
From time to time we are asked about our schedule for releasing new updates. We subscribe to the theory of agile development, that organizations and software programs must be flexible and able to respond quickly to the evolving needs of consumers. Under this theory, continual testing is done in-house and updates are pushed out regularly, even as often as several times per week. Sometimes the updates are big, noticeable feature changes. Sometimes updates are small (such as copy edits) or under the hood (such as changing the way a database works).
With so many changes regularly happening within Bridge, conveying the most relevant information to users can be a challenge. So, to facilitate better communication of new releases, we have added this “Updates” section to this training site.
We will note the most relevant updates on this site as well as on our Bridge by Kotter Facebook group. Please continue reading to see what we have been up to. Thank you again for your feedback.
Last updated November 13, 2019
Contact Import: You now have the option to specify Company Name when importing contacts from a spreadsheet or .csv file.
Automatic transfer to hard phones for outbound calls: For those of you who like to talk on your hard phones but still manage your calls through the web browser, you can now do that! Go to Settings > My Profile > My Profile Info and activate the “Transfer calls to External Device” toggle switch. Now, when you make calls out through the web browser, your hard phone will ring to remind you to use it for your outbound calls.
Time Clock Pro: This feature will now be known as Activity Monitor.
Customizable Idle Time: Per request, you can now manually set how many hours Bridge will sit idle before timing out your session. (Go to Settings > My Profile > My Profile Info > Idle Timeout.)
Last updated January 23, 2019
Improved Integrations: We are proud to announce that The Kotter Group is the only VoIP provider to be selected by Vertafore as an integration-certified Orange Partner. This partnership allows us premium access and deep integrations with AMS360, QQCatalyst, and soon Sagitta. These deep integrations are only offered by Bridge.
Not a Vertafore user? We’ve also now fully integrated Screen Pop and numerous other integrations with 7 different management systems.
Call Centre: As you have probably already noticed, Call Centre received quite the facelift. Like before, you can view all callers by location, see their status, contact them, and monitor via Listen / Whisper / Barge. We also added the ability to do one-button transfers.
Under-the-Hood: We have recently made under-the-hood updates to improve performance in most sections of Bridge, most notably calling, status, contacts, and call history.
Tell us what you think! Please email us at bridge@kotter.net to share what you enjoy most about Bridge and how we can make your experience even better.
Last updated February 14, 2019
Hard Phone Hot Desking: A popular request, Bridge now offers Hot Desking in all packages. Hot Desking is simply the ability to log into any phone on your system, and have your user profile and settings populated onto that device. With Hot Desking, your extension is whatever phone you’re currently logged into.
Hot Desking can help accommodate your efficient use of office space. “Hoteling” is a concept that is become more popular in corporate America. It allows workers to commute to the most convenient office, and to whichever work station they please, any given day. In a “Hoteling” scenario the employee would setup their laptop and log into the phone at that work station. All of their calls and messages would now be sent to that IP phone.
Text Messaging Load Speed: Some of our larger agencies noticed that load times on text message conversations were slowing down. Once the issue was reported we quickly assigned two developers to the task and discovered that we needed to optimize the way conversations were loaded. This was done and now load times are within a second or two for large groups of text.
Multiple Management System Database Enabled: Now Bridge supports multiple databases! Why is this a big deal? Say you are in the middle of changing your management system. Bridge can support both of them so there are no hiccups. Another way this is helpful is if you just purchased another agency that uses a different management system. Bridge will work for this too.
Searching Text Messages return Texts by Date: Now when you search your texts the results will come back sorted by date.
Toll Free Numbers Duplicating on Invoices: A bug has been fixed where recently toll free numbers that were ordered through Bridge would create a second entry and cause two toll free numbers to be invoiced.
Better Separation between Agency Conversation Texts and User Conversation Texts: We edited how texts are separated between the agency display and the users display. Now when you switch between the two the correct text conversations will show up.
Status Automatically Change after using Listen/Whisper/Barge functions in Call Center: When you use any of the Listen, Whisper or Barge functions your status changes to busy. When you finish using Listen, Whisper or Barge your status goes back to what it was originally.
Agency Call History Page Loads Faster: Our Development Team worked their magic and made the Agency Call History page load more quickly.
Last updated July 18, 2019
Improved Filtering: The Text, Call History and Faxing modules have been improved. Now you can click on the buttons next to the column description to sort items.
Play All Call Recordings: You can now play all of your recorded calls easily.
Pages load Quicker: We found a way to make pages load quicker, especially the initial login!
Queue Manager Timeout Fixed: Improvements in the background that corrects a 504 (gateway timed out) issue when accessing the Queue Manager were made. Development has improved how data gets to where it needs to be. (Don’t add to video)
Importing DID (individual phone number) Button Fixed: The Importing DID button is working again. For a few days the Import button has been grayed out and users have been unable to click on it to finish the DID importing process correctly. (Don’t add to video)
Outgoing Fax Made Easier: Our Development Team made some improvements under the hood.
Adding/Changing Parking Music When on Hold Made Easier:. We have made it easier to add or change customizable music when you put someone on Park.
Changing Dates in Time Cards Now Auto-Update: It used to be that you would have to change the dates in Time Cards and then refresh the page to see the dates change. Now after you click on the desired Time Card dates the page automatically updates, making life a bit simpler.
Time Cards Update: Clock-in/Clock-out times functionality has been improved.
Call History: Our developers have reviewed and improved some code in the background.
Improved Invoices: Adding a Toll-Free phone number shows up correctly on the agency’s invoice.
Text Messaging App Loads Quicker: Our Development team worked their magic in the background and made loading the Text Messaging app more zippy.
Agency Texting Search Function Improved: Searching for an Agency Text Conversation functions like the other search functions in Bridge.
Added Clarifying Messaging to Data Export: Bridge must have the same email address on file for a user as the management system has for their login. If it isn’t the same email address a user can’t export. This is especially true for QQCatalyst customers. An error message has been added to Bridge when this happens so in the future users will know what to do.
Last updated July 23, 2019
Call Forwarding – Better Setup for new users: We’ve made it easier to set up new users’ call forwarding.
Call History – Removed Phantom phone log: When a phone call was attempted but didn’t connect, the phone module would try to make the call again. This would create a phantom log in Bridge. These phantom calls are no longer recorded.
Call History – Duplicate Records: Rarely duplicate records were showing up in Call History. Our Development team fixed this, duplicate records no longer show up in Call History.
Call History – AMS360 Call Export Found/Fixed: We found a rare issue in exporting for a few AMS360 customers when we exporting certain calls. Within a few short hours we fixed it.
Idle Timeout Update: In My Profile Info we made it so you can choose to automatically log yourself out when being idle in Bridge between 1 – 23 hours. This is recommended for security.
Hot Desking Tweaks: We are making minor adjustments to Hot Desking, making it a better experience for you!
Last updated July 29, 2019
Call History – Deleting personal calls Update: Deleting personal call history will remove the call from the user’s call history but will not be deleted from the system.
The managers of the permissions group will still see the call recordings.
The members of the permissions group can see Agency Call history but not Call Recordings.
The users who are neither a manager or a member cannot see Agency Call history at all.
Administrators will have access to Agency Call history.
Hot Desking: We made more tweaks to our Hot Desking feature to make it work better for you!
Call History – Deleting Call History: Although calls aren’t really deleted, it used to be that users could remove items in Call History. After hearing from you, our customers, we have made it where no one in the agency can remove items from the call history.
Agency Call History Auto Refresh: It used to be that you had to refresh the browser for Agency Call History to update live. Development has made it so calls now appear automatically.
Call History Search Improvement: The code for the Call History Search function has been improved giving users more accurate results!
Last updated August 1, 2019
Click here to watch the Release Notes Video
Activity Monitor – Quicker Time Card loading: Time cards now load more quickly.
Advanced Conference Calls – Scroll bar added: If your meeting has more than 10 attendees, a scroll bar will appear to the left of the screen.
Advanced Conference Call Information: The Advanced Conference Call data is now static so you can move around in Bridge during a conference call and the conference call’s information will be there when you return.
Agency Setup – Call Flow Audio: Audio uploaded through the Manage Audio button’s file name used to be a long string of characters. Now the audio file’s name can be edited.
Automated Messaging: You can now add a contact from Bridge’s Contact List to both One Time campaigns and Drip campaigns.
Call History – Calendar Improvement: It used to be that the calendar in Call History only let you set the end date two weeks before the current day. Now you can go back two weeks letting you see more call history.
Call History – Ring Groups: Did you know we have three different ring groups? Most agencies use the Enterprise ring group, for those who use Simultaneous and Sequential ring groups you now can see your call history the same as the Enterprise ring group!
Call History – Sorting by Date/Time: In Call History you can now sort by date and time.
Missed Calls – Counter: The Missed Calls counter under the Bridge logo in the top-left of the Bridge webpage will revert to zero once clicked.
Quote Forms – More Options: We have added to the length of characters in many of the fields so you can add in more info. We also added more input options.
Text Message – Improvements:
- New texts show up at the top of the Conversations list.
- Unread message notifications automatically update, no more need to refresh the page to see an accurate count.
- There was a quirk when you hit shift+enter when typing a text. It would send the message twice. Texts are only sent once now.
Text Messages – Check All box: The Check All box wasn’t always checking every box. The Check All box is now working as expected.
Texting or Faxing PDF – Special Characters: When texting or faxing a PDF you can now use special characters in the PDF’s name.
Video Call – Chat Avatar: When chatting on a Video Call your avatar will appear next to what you’ve typed.
Last updated August 14, 2019
Automated Messaging – Opt Out – Feature Request:
- When a contact receives a message they can now reply with ‘Stop’, ‘Cancel’ or ‘Remove’.
- The sender gets a reply saying : ‘Recipient has requested to be removed from future contact so no future SMS texts will be delivered’
- There is a new tab called Manage Subscriptions under Automated Messaging where you can see all the contacts that have unsubscribed. You may need to refresh the page to see all of the contacts.
- You can resubscribe the contacts under the Manage Subscriptions tab.
Activity Monitor – Time cards Quick Load – Enhancement: We were able to optimize Time Cards so they will load more quickly.
Advanced Conference Call – Stopping a Conference Call – Need: Some users were unable to stop a conference call. We quickly found out why and fixed it.
Automated Messaging – Scheduled Task – Enhancement: Every five minutes Bridge will check automated messaging and turn off any task that is running longer than fifteen minutes. We’ve done this so no scheduled task will be stuck open and drain computer resources. Scheduled tasks will then run as scheduled.
Chat Plus – Thread Truncated – Enhancement: When replying to a long chat message the long message is shortened to save space.
Hotdesking – Enhancements:
- Unchecking the checkbox in the hotdesking tool will now delete the ghost extension.
- When a user unchecks the Hotdesking box it can then be re-hotdesked.
- If a phone entry is deleted from the hot desk table it can now be recreated.
- To prevent confusion an Mac Address must be inserted prior to checking the Hot Desking box.
Quote/Web Forms – Character Limitations – Need: A pop-up message will now show explaining when there are too many characters inside an input field.
Screen Pops – Hawksoft Users – Need: When a call is answered by a user, the pop-up now only appears on that one user’s screen.
Screen Share – Occasional Blank Page – Need: When you start a screen share and someone joins, they occasionally only see a blank page. This is no longer the case.
Video Proposals – Duplicating links – Need: The Links option in the Video Proposal tool was duplicating when created. Now it only creates one link as expected.
Text Messaging – Enhancements
- Number Population: When you text someone by clicking the texting icon under their name only the texting number will prepopulate in the text box.
- Picture and Text: We have made it to where a user can text both a picture and text in the same text message.
Last updated November 13, 2019
eSignature:
- When preparing documents for eSignature, you can now select documents one at a time, drag and drop new pages if needed, change the order or remove individual documents, and when you’ve got it just the way you want it, click Merge to combine them all into a single document to be signed.
- The status of eSignature documents will update automatically once all parties have signed—no more need to refresh in order to see the completed document.
Music on Hold:
- Bridge Admins can now create Music on Hold categories and then drag users, queues, ring groups, or conferences into a given category. The list is searchable and allows for multi-select.
- To create a Music on Hold category, go to Settings>Agency Setup>Audio>Music on Hold. Then on the right side of the screen, press the New button.
Faxing:
- Faxes in the Bridge dashboard now display and download as PDF files for easy viewing.
Organizations:
- We added the ability to import the time zone of organization contacts. On import, the organization time zone will be taken from the contact that was specified as primary. You can then filter your organization contacts by time zone to make sure your team is calling the right areas of the country at the best times.
- You can now create a new organization contact on the fly simply by editing an existing contact and adding their organization information. When editing a contact, you can also remove them from an organization by clicking the ‘x’ beside the Organization field.
- When importing organization contacts, organization tags will now show on the Organization page under the Tags line as well as in the Manage Contact page.
Sales Automation:
- In Power Prospector, when you click the icon to view an existing activity assigned to a contact, you will now be taken directly to that specific contact’s activity. (Previously, you were routed to the general To-do List and had to then manually locate the contact you needed.) If no activity exists for a contact, the Existing Activity icon will be greyed out.
- For improved workflow, we adjusted the To-Do List to only show OPEN to do’s by default. You can view completed to do’s whenever you need to, simply by clicking the ‘x’ to the right of the Status field and selecting Completed from the drop-down menu.
- You can now filter activities by organization, name, phone number and email.
- When creating follow-ups for completed activities in Sales Automation, you’ll be given a blank form to customize your new activity. (Fields will no longer be pre-populated with data from the completed activity.)
Proposals:
- You can now edit both viewed and sent proposals, and update the expiration and close dates on signed proposals.
Minor Fixes:
- Fixed an issue where sometimes users were unable to save a contact when adding an image to that contact.
- Fixed a bug that sometimes disabled the Add Contact button in text messaging conversations.
- Fixed an issue where case sensitivity was sometimes disrupting the importing of organization contacts.
Bridge Mobile App:
- We added the ability to toggle between User Texts and Agency Texts. (This was one of our most requested features!)
- We added an infinite scroll bar to the contacts list to make it easier for you to navigate through all the names on your list.
eSignature
- We made some tweaks and refinements to create an even better user experience with eSignature.
Fixes and Optimizations:
- When uploading audio files to voicemail, the Upload button is now grayed out until an audio file is selected. (We made this adjustment because users were sometimes getting an error message caused by clicking the Upload button before selecting a file.)
- Live Chat transcripts now display in chronological order.
- When editing your time zone in My Profile Info, selecting a different time zone no longer creates an additional time zone entry. It now edits your previous selection as expected.
- In My Profile Info, the selection for Idle Timeout in Hours did not always display, causing affected users to believe their selection “didn’t take.” This has been adjusted so that the selection will now display as expected.
- Previously, archived drip campaigns would not display on the Archived Campaigns page until you performed a hard refresh. This is no longer the case—you can now view newly archived campaigns without needing to refresh the page.
- After deleting Music on Hold files, a refresh was required to update the file list. This is no longer the case. After files are deleted, the list of available files will update automatically without requiring a refresh.
- We resolved an issue reported by some of our QQCatalyst users who received an error when attempting to retrieve the contact information associated with phone numbers not specified as “primary.” Now, both primary and non-primary phone numbers bring up the associated contact as expected.
- We fixed a bug that sometimes caused multiple users to receive a Screen Pop instead of just the user who answered the call, when Enable Screen Pop on Answer was selected. Now, Screen Pops only appear for the user who takes the call.
- When inviting non-Bridge users to a video call, sometimes the intended recipients were unable to receive the link via text message. This was particularly a problem for Sprint users. It has been resolved—text invites to video calls are receivable by everyone, regardless of carrier.
- Fixed an issue where supervised transfers were sometimes only displaying one leg of the call in Call History and conference calls were sometimes not displayed at all. All calls now display in Call History as expected.
- Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the time-stamps in Fax History to display as one hour off the correct time.
- In Text Messages, the search option did not always bring up results when typing in the name of a contact. This issue has been resolved.
- Adding a phone number to an existing call by clicking the dial pad with a mouse could sometimes cause an error that would prevent the call from going out properly. This has been resolved.
- When creating a contact in Manage Contacts, some users reported they were unable to add more than one number even though Bridge provides fields for mobile, work, home and fax. This has been corrected so that all users may now fill in any or all of the available fields.
- When importing contacts from Google, it used to be possible to import the same contacts multiple times, creating a new file each time. To avoid errors and confusion, we’ve adjusted it so that it duplicate contacts can no longer be created when importing from Google.
- In Sales Automation Suite, we resolved an issue that sometimes prevented custom filters from correctly filtering to-do lists.
Video Features
- From your Bridge Dashboard, double click on the Video Call icon.
- Enter the name of your conference room, or use the default name.
- Copy the link to conference room. You may send the link to participants however you would like.
Up to 8 people can participate in a single video conference. - Click the Start Video Call button.
- Use the icons at the bottom of the screen to change settings, record the video, share your screen, or chat with participants.
- Access video call recordings by clicking the View Recording button.
Last updated March 26, 2020
- In your Bridge Dashboard, double click the Screen Share icon:
- Enter the name of your conference room or use the default name.
- Click the Copy to Clipboard button for a shareable link to your conference room.
- Click the Start Screen Share button.
- Select the screen you want to share: your entire screen, an application window, or a specific Chrome tab. (If you are using multiple monitors/screens, you’ll be prompted to select which screen to share, as shown.)
- Use the icons at the bottom of the screen to change settings, record the video, share your screen, or chat with participants.
Last updated November 22, 2019
Using Video Proposals
- In your Bridge Dashboard, double click the Video Proposal icon.
- Enter the name of your proposal or use the default name.
- Click the Create Video Proposal button.
- Select the screen you want to share: your entire screen, an application window, or a specific Chrome tab. (If you are using multiple monitors/screens, you’ll be prompted to select which screen to share, as shown.)
- Click the Share button.
- Click the settings icon to change the logo and background.
- Click the Record button to start the recording.
- Click the computer icon to stop screen sharing.
- Click the Record button to stop recording.
- Once you’ve ended the recording, your video will appear in the Video Proposal section.
- Select the phone number and/or email at which you’d like to receive a notification.
- Click the Copy Link icon
- Use the Links icon to insert ePay, YouTube, Facebook, or custom links into your proposal.
- Use the Email icon to send the proposal link directly from Bridge.
- In your Bridge Dashboard, double click the Video Proposal icon.
Last updated November 22, 2019
Web and Quote Forms
- In your Bridge Dashboard, double click the Sales Automation Suite icon.
- Click the Quote Forms tab.
- Click the New Quote tab.
- Using the Location dropdown menu, select the location for the template.
- Select if you want your form to be Personal (home, auto), or Commercial (businesses).
- Select a Quote Template.
- Fill out the inputs. You must fill out at least the required inputs to save the quote.
- Select a status for the form using the Choose status dropdown menu.
- Click the Save button.
- Use the buttons under the Export column to assign the quote, email the quote, print a PDF of the quote, edit, or delete the quote.
Last updated November 22, 2019
- From your Bridge Dashboard, click on the Quote Forms icon.
- Using the Location dropdown menu, select the location that will have access to the form template.
- Click the Template Builder tab.
- Use the dropdown menu to the right of Select new or existing template to select the template you’d like to edit.
- Use the buttons on the left labeled Header, Client, Driver, Vehicle, and Custom to add input fields to your form.
- Once you’ve added the necessary fields to your form, click the blue Save button.
Last updated November 25, 2019
Need help with Bridge? Have suggestions?
Once you’re logged into Bridge, click on the buttons in the top right corner to call or chat with our amazingly-friendly and helpful support team, or email us any suggestions you have for improvements:
If you need help with anything in Bridge, we are here to help! And we’re always looking for ways to improve and serve you better; your feedback and ideas are what drive us to build the best insurance agency communications platform available.