Queues

The queues page allows the creation and configuration of an advanced inbound call management system. This is most appropriate in a call center type environment.

Version: 4.3.0.6

New Feature: Removed non-functional Queue Callback.

This section is used to set up a system for taking inbound calls and directing them to waiting agents. If this type of setup is required it is advisable to work closely with the call center management to ensure that everything is set up according to required specifications. Note that once a Queue has been created the queue name (whatever name it was given) must be clicked on to add members to the queue. This Queue Summary screen also show an overview of the queue including number of calls waiting and calls taken.

How to

Normally only SIP devices can be placed into hunt groups or queues but at times the need arises to place an analog phone (such as a cordless phone) into a hunt group. To do this a new device needs to be created with the following characteristics:

Type: Local

Device Name: “XXX@all_calls/n” where XXX is the User Extension dial plan entry number (i.e. 355@all_calls/n)

Friendly Name: (Name of User the Device is attached to)

Leave all other settings as default then click “Save”. This new device will now appear in hunt group and queue device lists. Note that this analog device should have already been added to the system as a non-guest room with an attached virtual device (see Rooms chapter page 80).

Video

Voiceware Tips & Tricks: Queues

Visual Overview

Queues are a way of routing calls to users with more control and options than a simple call group. Queues also offer a much higher level of reporting via the reporter page (https://<ip>/reporter/login.php).

As of Voiceware 4.3 the reporter has been discontinued.

Each field name can be hovered over for additional information, as well as a more detailed description in the Help page (blue question mark icon).

As of Version 4.3 the Reporter has been discontinued.

The Queue reporter is a separate web portal used to view data on call Queues. This page can be accessed at https://<ip>/reporter/ (i.e. https://1.2.3.4/reporter/). Logging in requires both a user with the Reporter ACL permission set and being set as a queue manager.

Upon logging in the system will ask for a data range you wish to view records for. Agent ID is not used.

Note that not all reports will be used in every installation depending on how the Queues are setup.

Line by Line Explanation

Each item in the help page will have an expand along with the information from the help page.

A simple name for the queue, it cannot include spaces.

When a call enters the queue this setting will determine how it is routed and which agent receives the call.

Ring All will ring each phone assigned to the queue and be answered by whoever picks up the phone first.
Least Recent will send the call to the phone that has been sitting idle (but available) the longest.
Fewest Calls will route the caller to the agent who has had the fewest number of calls.
Random will send the call to a random available agent.
Round Robin with Memory will remember the last person who took a call and start a new call with the next agent.
Ordered Round Robin with Memory: Like round robin above but will ring agents in the order they were added to the Queue
Linear: Rings agents in the order they were added to the queue or the order in which they logged into the queue (if available in this queue)
Weighted Random: Rings agents at random but agents with higher penalties will be less likely to receive a call.

This is asking if a caller should be allowed to join the queue without any active agents to take the call. If “No” is selected an extension where the call should be sent instead should be entered. Selecting “Strict” will prevent a caller from joining a queue that has only unavailable agents. The difference between “No” and ‘Strict” is that “No” will allow a caller to join a queue if there is an agent able to take calls but currently unavailable (i.e. on another call) where as “Strict” will not allow a caller to join if an agent is not available. Note that in this option and one below (Leave Empty) “available” means ready to take a call, so if the agent is on another call, in wrap-up, or paused they are not “available” as far as the system is concerned.

This dropdown is asking if the last agent logs out of the queue should a caller be forced to leave the queue (as opposed to waiting for another agent to log in and take his/her call). Selecting yes will force any callers in the queue to the set extension. Selecting “No” will allow the call to say in a queue with no agents logged into it. If “Strict” is selected a caller will be forced out if all the agents log out or if there are simply no more agents available.

Checking this box will make the Queue behave a little bit like a call group. If an employee is on a call that came in via a Queue and another call calls into the Queue the employee will receive that call on their phone and can (if desired) place the first call on hold to answer the second.

If an agent is an active member of more than one queue and there are calls waiting in those queues the Weight setting will determine what call gets answered first. For example, if an agent is a member of both the Sales and Tech queues (both of which have calls waiting) but Sales has a weight of 1 and Tech is set to 2 the call waiting in Tech will ring to the agent first.

Enter the time (in seconds) that the agent will automatically have before the next call rings in. This allows the agent time to type notes and/or set up to take the next call.

This is the time (in seconds) that a call will ring at an agent’s phone before the next extension is tried (applicable for all Strategies except Ring All).

This is the amount of time the call will ring before being dropped out of the queue.

If the call goes unanswered for a cretin amount of time it will be transferred to this extension (usually an extension with a voicemail).

If the caller does not want to wait for an agent to pick up the call they can press a key (usually 0) to exit the queue and be transferred to an extension (usually associated with a voicemail box).

If the caller wants to exit the queue they will be transferred to this extension, usually a voicemail box.

Not used, leave set to “None”.

After the agent ends the call the caller can be sent to an IVR system. This is usually done to collect a post call survey. If this option is required select it from the drop down. Note that this IVR must be set up before it will appear in the drop down.

If agents are allows to make outbound calls the number entered here will appear on the recipients caller ID. This is usually done to reflect the main company number not the trunk the agent happens to be using.

Not used, leave blank.

If checked a time field appears. At the time entered all agents will be logged out of the queue.

If checked the caller will hear music when they are placed on hold.

This drop down allows the selection of what music the customer will here when they are placed on hold.

If this box is checked the caller will periodically be told what their position in the hold queue is.

Enter the number of seconds between each update on hold position that the customer receives.

To announce hold time along with the caller’s position in the queue select “yes” from the dropdown.

This is a sound (often a recorded message) that is played to a caller waiting on hold. This can be used for advertising or other messages. Note by default the system will play a message thanking the caller for holding so this type of message does not need to be added manually.

NOTE: The sound used here should be short because while it plays to the caller the call will not ring to any agent. Once the sound finishes the ringing will continue.

Enter how often (in seconds) the sound plays.

This dropdown selects how often a call in this queue will be recorded. This is useful for quality assurance or training.

If “Random” is selected for Call Recording (see above) then this field is the percentage of calls that will be randomly recorded.

When the call is answered this sound will play before the caller is connected. This is useful if the agent is taking calls from several queues. Each queue can be set up with its own sound (possibly the name of the queue) so that when the agent answers the phone they will know where the caller was trying to reach.

Not used, leave blank.

Text entered here will be prepended to the incoming caller ID information. It is recommend that this be kept short, two or three characters, so the complete Caller ID will display on the destination phone.

Not used, leave set to default.

Checking this box will automatically pause agents if they do not answer a call.

No used, leave unchecked.

Sidebar

View Queue:

This link will display a list of all queues currently set up within the system, this is the default view of the Queues page.

Add Queue:

This will allow the addition of a new queue, this is exactly the same as clicking “All Queue” from the Queues main page.

Pause Reasons:

This page lists the reasons that an agent can use to stop taking calls. They should include things like “break”, “lunch”, etc… These reasons are simply used to better track an agents time and why they are not taking calls.

Dispositions Lists:

A disposition is a simple reason why the caller called in (setting up a reservation for example). These reasons can be anything the call center requires. These are used by call center management to understand why people are calling.

Logout:

Here the current user can log out to allow a different user to log in.