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Call Queue

Queues are an inseparable part of our everyday lives. Whether you want to grab a coffee, watch a movie, or resolve any official matter, there’s always a high chance you get stuck in a queue. And the rule then is simple. The longer you wait, the more irritated you become.

But this doesn’t only apply to physical queues. What happens when you make your customer wait for too long? They become annoyed. The best-case scenario is that they just disconnect and try again later. The worst-case scenario? You’ll lose them to another company.

Managing your calls effectively is a must if you want to ensure your customers are content with your service. And while it’s not always possible for your employees to answer the phone straight away, there’s a simple solution that will help them take care of the inbound calls more efficiently without sacrificing the quality of service – a virtual call queuing system.

What Is a Call Queue?

In a nutshell, call queues work when a customer calls, but all your call agents are unavailable. The incoming call is then placed on hold and sent to join the queue where other customers are waiting for their turn to connect with a representative. The caller usually receive a greeting message and is placed on hold with relaxing music playing in the background.

The goal here is to answer calls as fast as possible, cutting down waiting times and increasing customer satisfaction. Call queuing also helps manage a high call volume more efficiently. For example, you can route calls based on the customers’ issues and transfer them accordingly to technical support, sales, or other departments. You can also use pre-recorded messages to inform the caller on how many people are ahead of them in the queue.

How Do Call Queues Work?

how does call queue work

If there are no available call agents in your contact center, enabling call queueing will allow your phone system to group inbound calls and put them on hold. In cases where there is a large volume of incoming calls, they will be systematically ordered based on certain criteria. A queue isn’t tied to only one agent, meaning that every time one representative becomes available, a customer is automatically transferred to them. It also minimizes the risk of having to transfer calls to other agents. The call queue feature can significantly reduce waiting times, decreasing abandonment rates and ensuring your customers get the help they need quickly.

How to configure Call Queue in Yeastar PBX System

Creating a call queue in Yeastar PBX Systems is easy and you won’t pay extra for this feature, whether you opt for the cloud, hardware, or software solution with Yeastar! Check out the video and links below for a step-by-step guide.

Benefits of Using a Call Queue System

Lower Call Abandonment Rates

Abandonment rates refer to the number of callers who hang up before they are transferred to an available agent. The reason here is, of course, long wait times. Here is where an efficient virtual queue system comes into play. Besides routing callers to the first available right agent, you can inform callers of their positions in the queue so that they will have a rough idea of how long they have to wait and will not disconnect the call. By implementing more advanced features like a virtual receptionist, callers will be able to deal with less significant issues without having to wait for an actual agent to provide them with a solution.

Increased Customer Satisfaction

Since your customers aren’t as likely to abandon their calls due to long waiting times, it automatically increases the chances of the so-called first call resolution. As the name suggests, it refers to the situation when a caller’s problem is successfully solved on the first try. Not only that, there are other advanced contact center features that can positively impact the caller experience as well. For example, queue callback allows a caller to decide whether they want to wait or ask for an agent to call them back once they become available.

Enhanced Agent Productivity

Queues that are properly ordered can assist agents stay organized and, as a result, decrease churn. Unlike manual distribution, call queuing allocates calls fairly among all agents so that no single agent is overburdened. Agents will not have to deal with irate consumers on a regular basis if queues are well-managed. Otherwise, it will destroy their motivation to work. Call queues also offer reports on agent performance which can assist in determining when extra personnel or changes are required during peak periods. An efficient call queuing system will help reduces stress, keeps agents motivated, and enhances their confidence.

Optimized Operational Costs

There are several ways how improving your call queueing can help save call center costs. The first thing is that in many call centers, every inbound call occupies a landline for the entire waiting time. Call queuing allows you to respond to peak demand without incurring higher costs. Optimizing call queues can also save money on salaries. An efficient call queue system means fewer agents dealing with higher call volumes. This prevents overstaffing (especially during less busy business hours), allowing you to save costs and increase your company representatives’ salaries. This, in turn, will increase your team’s morale and productivity.

call routing-FQA

Call Queue FAQs:

Is call queue included in Yeastar PBX System?

Yes. Like most of business telephony features, it’s included in all Yeastar PBX series at no additional costs.

What is Queue Callback

The Queue Callback feature provides a further solution to reduce customer wait time and improve the customer experience. When customers arrive in the queue, they can choose to leave their phone numbers and leave for now, yet still maintain his position in the queue. When there is an available agent, that agent will receive a callback, and as soon as he picks it up, it will ring the customer at the same time. You can also check how many customers currently need callback, callback status and other information in one place.

What are the ring strategies in call queuing?

Yes. Like most of business telephony features, it’s included in all Yeastar PBX series at no additional costs.

  • Ring all: ring all agents at the same time and the caller is connected to whoever picks up the phone first

  • Linear: rings agents in a predetermined sequence. Calls are routed to the first agent on the list and only advance to the next agent if the previous one is unavailable.

  • Least recent:ring the agent who was least recently called.

  • Fewest calls: ring the agent with the fewest completed calls.

  • Round robin: rings the first agent in the queue, then to the second one, and so one, so that all agents handle more or less the same number of calls.

  • Random: rings randomly to any of the agents.

What is an IVR?

An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) tool automates call forwarding, providing customers with a self-service option handled by auto attendants. IVR uses the caller ID, phone number and generates inquiries to determine the issue and forward the call to the right person. More sophisticated IVR systems also utilize virtual assistants to provide immediate aid to callers with minor issues.

What are the causes of long call queues?

No matter how hard you try, there will always be situations where call volumes are just too big to handle. Of course, it doesn’t mean it’s an impossible task. The key here is to identify the reasons for long call queues and prepare a plan on how to deal with them correctly. In most cases, the number of calls significantly increases in one or more of the following situations:

Seasonal peaks

depending on the specification of your business, certain seasons can raise incoming call volumes. The same applies to promotional campaigns. Hiring extra contact center personnel is the best way to deal with the rising call volume. Callers who are on hold for an extended period of time during peak hours are more likely to hang up, increasing your abandon rate.

Understaffed departments

insufficient staffing happens in call centers. As your business grows, the call volume will sometimes increase beyond the initial expectation. If you do not hire more workforce to handle customer calls then, your call center, even the whole business will be under negative impact. Normally, you can check call reports regularly to spot this shortage of staff before it hurts your bottom line and take actions accordingly.

A lack of customer self-service options

Customer calls in with various issues and needs, but does every one of them needs to be responded by a human agent? The more efficient way is to pair your call queue system with IVR so that your customers can handle minor issues on their own. This means that the more sophisticated and technically demanding problems are automatically filtered out, and your agents can focus on handling them. This not only enables faster resolutions, but also increases the efficiency and value of the agents' work.

Outdated software

it requires more than staff to keep a call center running successfully. With a wide variety of tools now available, you can expect a much higher level of responsiveness and performance. If you settle for the very basic phone system features, you risk falling behind the competition and compromising customer satisfaction. Many advanced call center features such as queue panels, call reports, wallboard, etc. have been adopted by more and more call centers and helped them take the customer experience to the next level.

Flexible Deployment Options: Cloud-based or On-premises

Available in the Appliance, Software, and Cloud Edition, Yeastar provides flexible deployment options,
allowing you to have your PBX system sited on-premises or in the cloud.

Appliance Edition

If you prefer a plug-and-play system deployed within your company to ensure complete control, the Appliance Edition is the perfect fit.

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Cloud Edition

Want to eliminate the workload of hardware installation while having your phone system up & running immediately? This is the option for you.

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Software Edition

You make the call whether to install the PBX system on a hardware server, a virtual machine, or even in the cloud.

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