We have added a Queue Change From: 

https://voice1.me/queue-changes/ to make it easier to make changes.


 

Below is each section that needs input. Please read it in its entirety as some options may have changed.

We will take the provided information and create an updated call flow diagram for approval. Once approved we will start building the changes according to the information provided.


Queue Settings

Queue Type. (Normal or Advanced)  Make this an Advanced queue to use the advanced set of queue features.
Queue Extension. Enter a unique number for this extension. Leave blank for one to be assigned
Queue Name. Enter the name of the queue (e.g., Sales or Customer Service).
Ringing Strategy. Select one of the following strategies: (Recommended: "Fewest Calls" for call centers, and "Round Robin" for other offices.

  • Ring All. Ring all queue members simultaneously until someone answers (30 members maximum).
  • Round Robin. Take turns ringing each queue member evenly as calls come into the queue.
  • Least Recently Called. Ring the queue member for whom the most time has passed since taking his last call.
  • Fewest Calls. Ring queue member who has taken the fewest calls in the queue.
  • Random. Randomly ring queue members.
    • Random will try 1 caller only, then exit a queue. Only use if callers are to remain in the queue indefinitely. e.g: no exit strategy is used from "In Queue Routing" 
  • In Order. Ring queue members in order, always starting with the first member in the list.


Queue Members.

  • The group name with assigned users
  • Individual Agent Extension

The order of members in the list is important. For example, if Round Robin is the ring strategy, it calls the member in the first position, then the second, and so on. If In Order is the ring strategy, it always tries to call the members in order, starting with the first member. If you have an extension group in the queue, the group's order is used. Any non-phone extensions in a group are ignored.

An extension is only saved once in a queue. If you put an extension in the member lists multiple times (e.g., as a single extension and as part of a Group, or you put it in primary and secondary), the extension is only saved once, in its highest position in the order.

Queue Member Settings. These settings determine how queue members behave in the queue.
Seconds to Ring Each Member. (Default: 16 seconds) This is the maximum number of seconds a queue member’s phone can ring before the system stops ringing that member. There are some issues to keep in mind:

  • If a queue member has a call rule that answers sooner than this setting, the call rule is applied. For example, if a queue member has a call rule that sends the call to voicemail after two rings, and this setting is five, the call goes to that member’s voicemail and not to the next member of the queue.
  • Some phones may stop ringing and give up after some number of seconds or rings. If this setting is a large value (above 60), and you notice the phones stop before that number of seconds, you might want to try to change your phone to increase this limit.

Seconds to Wait Between Members. (Defaults 5 seconds) This is the number of seconds to wait after ringing a member, and before ringing the next member. NOTE: If you set this to a low number and have a large Ring all queue, or a queue in which no one is logged in, there is potential for system performance issues because the system keeps trying to find someone to answer the queue call. Unless you have a specific reason for doing so, leave this value at the default of 5.

Seconds for Wrap-Up. (Defaults 30 seconds) This is the minimum amount of time (in seconds), after disconnecting a queue call before the member can receive a new call from any queue. For example, if this is set to 10, a member's phone will not ring again with a queue call for at least 10 seconds after completing a call from that queue. (The member must be on a call that came from a queue with a wrap-up time defined.)

Pickup Announcement. (Default English "pickup announcement") This is the selected language and a sound file to play when a queue member answers a queue call. After this sound is played, the queue member is connected to the caller. This sound lets the queue member know that the call is from a queue. You can customize the pickup announcement for each queue, to let the members know which queue the call is from. To use the language that has been set for this current call, select Use call language. If you are only using one language in Switchvox, use this setting. To use a specific language for the pickup announcement for this queue, select that language.
The sound-file dropdown automatically lists all of the sound files in the Sound Manager’s Call Queue folder. For more information, see “Sound Manager."

Acknowledge Call. (Defaults No) Yes indicates members must press 1 to accept the call. If the member hangs up without pressing 1, then the call goes to the next appropriate queue member.

Auto Log Off After Missed Calls. (Defaults 0) This setting controls when members are automatically logged out of this queue. (Permanent queue members can never be logged out.)

  • If a member misses more calls in a row (from this queue) than the number in this setting, they are automatically logged out of this queue. Calls will not ring this member until he or she logs in again. 
  • If you do not want members to be logged out automatically, set this to 0 (zero).

Receive calls while on a call. (Defaults No) Yes indicates that you want this to be true. By default, queues do not ring members who are already on a call. NOTE: Your phone must be able to support multiple simultaneous calls for this feature to work properly.


Advanced Settings (Optional)

Enable Global Arrival time. (Recommended) A caller’s earliest arrival time in any queue can be used to determine their place in line, instead of their arrival time in the current queue. That way, if a caller is passed between queues, they don't have to wait as long.

  • Virtual waiting time is included in the global arrival time.
  • Queue call control Move to top and Assign always override arrival time.
  • Queue logs, stats, and announcements operate separately for each queue.
  • Even if a caller passes through queues that don’t respect the global arrival time (a standard queue, or an advanced queue with global arrival off), global arrival is respected for an advanced queue that has global arrival YES.
  • Queue call routing does not consider global arrival time.

  Autofill. (Recommended) When enabled, the queue will serve multiple queue calls at the same time. This powerful feature introduced in version 7.8 reduces caller wait time and improves the productivity of your queue members. Queue Autofill works intelligently with all Ringing Strategies. Enabling Autofill is recommended in almost every use case.

Notes regarding Queue Autofill:

  • Ring All will work with Autofill but is not recommended. Scenarios in which Ring All was used prior to the introduction of Autofill may now be best served by enabling Autofill and selecting an alternative Ring Strategy.
  • When used with Ring All, queue members will not know the specific caller that they are being served. Their phone will present the name of the queue that is ringing them. They will be informed of the caller's name and number once they answer the phone and are connected to the next caller in the queue. This is because the queue is configured to serve multiple callers to multiple queue members, and the queue member that answers first will be connected to the longest waiting caller. Which queue member will answer first cannot be known. This may affect ring hints.
  • When using the Virtual Queue option (described below) with the Caller Waits for Callback option, Switchvox still only handles one Callback at a time. If there are additional live callers waiting, they will be served by Autofill, assuming there are additional available queue members to take those calls.
  • Autofill cannot be enabled on a queue also configured for Ring All, with Virtual Queue Callbacks where the Member Waits option is set. One of these four options will need to be altered to create a viable queue configuration.


Secondary Members
You can indicate secondary members, as permanent or log-in. If you are using secondary members, define when they act as primary: when there are no primary members logged in and there are no permanent primary members; when a caller has been waiting too long; or when there are too many callers.

You can use any or all 3 of the criteria, and if any are true, then the Secondary members are added to the queue and are rung according to the same ring strategy as the primary members.

Virtual Queue (Optional)

Use a virtual queue so that callers do not have to wait on hold, and will get a call back when it is their turn in the queue. Generally, virtual callers are still considered to be waiting for their turn to speak to someone. But virtual callers are handled differently for the purposes of In Queue Call Routing (see that section for details).

NOTE: In the Caller Experience tab, you must select Queue Callers Hear Music On Hold. If you select Ringing, callers will not hear the offer of a callback.

Offer Callback Position. (Recommended for queues with lots of callers or understaffed queues) When a caller is at this position in the queue, offer a call-back. The caller is prompted to enter a 10-digit number and record their name. Although you can set this as low as 1 or 2 (first or second in line), it could be a confusing experience for your caller if they're quickly answered by a queue member instead of going through the call-back process.


Member Waits. (Recommended) When a virtual caller is sent to a member, the member answers, and then Switchvox then rings the caller's call-back number. If the caller doesn't answer, the member can leave a message. The queue will not attempt the callback again. In Member Waits mode, the customer's experience is considered more valuable, and their position in the queue is respected.

Caller Waits. (Not recommended) When a virtual caller is first in line in the queue, Switchvox reaches out to get the caller back on the call and waiting on hold. The caller is then first in line and sent to the next available member. If the caller does not answer the callback, you can indicate how long to wait before trying the callback number again, and how many additional times to try the callback number.

  • Max Call Back Attempts 0
  • If Max Call Back Attempts is 0, after the initial callback attempt the caller is removed from the queue and no more callback attempts are made. In Caller Waits mode, queue members' time is considered more valuable than the customer's, and calls waiting on hold may pass to queue members ahead of virtual calls that Switchvox is attempting to bring back into the queue. When and how often that might happen is dependent on the timing of when members become available and how long it takes to retrieve a virtual caller.


Caller ID. When the queue places the call to the callback number in the queue, this caller ID will be used.

Callback Dial Prefix. When the queue places the call to the callback number, indicate how to dial a 10-digit call.

Callback Outgoing Call Rules. Indicate the outgoing call rules the queue is allowed to use when dialing the callback number. Ensure that the callback dial prefix you use matches these outgoing call rules.

Sounds. (Default is usually acceptable. Replacement is only needed if customization is required.) These sounds are used to offer a callback, collect a callback number and recorded name, let a queue member know that a callback is being attempted, and reach out to the caller in the callback.

Caller Experience 

The Caller Experience settings offer options for what happens when a caller is waiting in the queue.

  • Queue Callers Hear. (Default Ringing / Recommended MoH)
    Indicates whether callers should hear ringing or Music On Hold while they are waiting in the queue. If you select Ringing, then Music On Hold and Announcements options are not available, and callers will not get an offer for a callback.
  • Music On Hold Group. (Default to generic MoH)
    Indicates the Music On Hold Group you want to play for callers waiting in this queue.
  • Announce Position in Queue. (Default Yes)
    If Yes, the caller hears an announcement when they enter the queue, and the announcement says what the caller’s position is in the queue. The announcement is repeated depending on the Announcement Frequency setting. If No, the caller hears Music on Hold with no position announcement.
  • Announce Estimated Hold Time in Position Announcements (Default Yes)
    If Yes, the caller hears an estimated hold time along with his position in the queue. The estimated hold time is derived from how many other calls are in the queue and the average time it took to answer previous calls.
  • Announcement Frequency. (Default 90 Seconds)
    This is the number of seconds between announcements.


In Queue Call Routing 

The In Queue Call Routing settings determine any alternative call routing.  Virtual queue callers are not considered to be 'waiting' in the queue, for the purposes of queue call routing.

  • If an on-hold caller has been waiting in the queue for [___] seconds, route the caller to extension [___]
    Enter a number of seconds and the extension. If this is left blank, callers remain in the queue indefinitely.
  • If there are no permanent members (primary or secondary), or all members are logged out, route all on-hold callers and all incoming callers to extension [___]
    Enter an extension. If this is left blank, callers are kept waiting in the queue until a queue member logs in. (Members who are Paused are considered Logged In.)
  • If there are [___] unanswered on-hold calls in the queue, route all new incoming queue calls to extension [___]
    Enter a number and an extension. If this is left blank, there can be any number of callers waiting in the queue.
  • If a queue call has passed through the Ringing Strategy [___] times without being answered then route that calls to extension [___]
    Enter a number and an extension. If this is left blank, callers remain in the queue indefinitely. This setting is useful for the In Order ringing strategy.
  • While in a queue allow the caller to dial a 0 to be routed to extension [___]
    Enter an extension if you want this to be true. Note: Click the People icon to select from a list of available extensions.

Permissions

For each extension in the list, the permissions determine which Switchboard widgets the extension can use:

  • My Queues (see your own queues, and your stats, and lets you log in, log out and pause your queues)
  • Overview (see queue stats for all members and members' status)
  • Queue Member Activity (see what calls members are on)
  • Call Control: Lets the extension use Switchboard Widgets to

  • Move a waiting call to the top of the queue, giving it priority.

  • Assign a specific member (including the user him/herself) to a waiting call, so that the call goes directly to that member as soon as they are available.
  • Answer a waiting call, taking it out of the queue. This can be used by a non-member, or a member who is not logged in, but it's important to note that this action removes the call from the queue's data.
  • Log any queue member Out of the queue.


 

 

Quick Form

Please use the new Queue Change form https://voice1.me/queue-changes/ or contact support to make a change.