Barge (or barge-in) is one of the three classic supervision modes:
- Listen (silent monitoring): the supervisor hears the call; neither party hears the supervisor.
- Whisper: the supervisor speaks to the agent only; the customer does not hear.
- Barge: the supervisor joins the call, and both the agent and the customer hear them.
Supervisors usually barge in when a call needs escalation: an upset customer, a request the agent cannot approve, or a compliance problem that has to be corrected on the spot. Because the customer hears a new voice, a short introduction ("I'm the team lead, I'm joining to help") keeps the conversation clear.
Call monitoring is subject to data protection and employment rules that vary by country, so check what agents and customers must be told about monitoring and recording.
OVOKY live supervision includes listen, whisper and barge on live calls.