Call Queueing
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Calls can be queued if the Destination Number is busy, or the number of concurrent calls reaches a predefined level. Callers held in the queue can hear music-on-hold interspersed with optional custom ‘apology’ messages; they can also be informed of their position in the queue.
The Destination Number may be a single physical line, or it could terminate on multiple lines – this has to be taken into account when configuring a queue.
For example, a call centre has 10 lines, but the number of calls from Advanced Services needs to be limited to 3 concurrent calls. This limit would be applied to the Queue, and the effect would be that callers 1 to 3 would be presented to the Destination Number, with calls 4 and higher placed in the queue. This configuration protects the customer’s call handling capacity from being swamped with calls at the expense of other campaigns they may be running.
When a call arrives and it is not placed on the queue because the concurrent calls limit has not been exceeded, an outdial to the Destination Number is attempted. If the out-dial attempt returns busy, the outdial is retried every 5 seconds (or every 2 seconds if there is more than one Destination Number configured). This caller will hear ringing, rather than music on hold, unless the queue has been configured to play music-on-hold right up to the point where the called party picks up.
The queue size can also be configured to limit callers waiting in a queue. For example, if the queue size is set at 2, then (in the example below) callers 6 and higher would be given an (optional) custom ‘queue full’ audio message, then the call will either disconnect or continue down the MaxQueueReached branch (if configured).
If there is no ‘queue full’ audio configured, the call will end and the caller will be presented with busy tone, unless the call has been answered previously in order to play other audio, in which case the caller will hear a generic message.
The following configuration accommodates applications where the customer wants to limit the number of concurrent callers to be the same as the number of lines they have on their Destination Number, and to prevent subsequent callers from dropping into the queuing mechanism.
WelcomeAudio Played when the caller first enters the queuing mechanism. All callers will hear this audio whether they are actually queued or not.
IntroAudio. Played when the caller first enters the actual queue (i.e. they hear ‘music on hold’.)
MusicOnHold**
Apology#Audio files 1 to 8**. Played at intervals during Music On Hold, where the first audio file can be repeated (at an interval configured by the customer), or each of the audio files will be played in turn cyclically (again, with a customer-defined interval between each one).
NextToConnectAudio**. Played when a caller leaves the on-hold mechanism and attempts to dial the Destination Number. This is played prior to pre-recorded ring tone.
QueueFullAudio Played when the queue is full (see description above for details).
QueuePositionAudio**. This tells the caller what position they hold in the queue. The audio used for QPos is fixed – i.e. not customer-supplied. If the service has been configured to play Music On Hold and related messages rather than pre-recorded ring tone during an out-dial attempt, the caller will be told they are in queue position one. This would apply to every caller attempting an outdial in this scenario – i.e. there could be many callers occupying ‘position one’.
All the audio files described above are customer-supplied and configurable (except MusicOnHold and QueuePositionAudio, which is fixed audio).
** If the service is configured to continue playing Music On Hold and related messages rather than pre-recorded ringing during an out-dial attempt, it is possible that the Music On Hold, Apology and/or Next To Connect messages can be interrupted if the B-party picks up. The caller experience as far as playback of these messages is concerned will be the same whether the B-party is ringing, or ‘bouncing off busy’.
When the caller moves up the queue and reaches the point where their call can initiate an outdial (i.e. when a B-party line becomes free to handle the call), the caller will be presented with pre-recorded ringing. This will continue to ring until the B-party picks up, or the ring duration timeout fires. An alternative to pre-recorded ringing is to continue playing the music on hold, and any apology and queue position messages, if configured. In this scenario, the outdial happens in the background and the caller will be unaware of any change of state.
Music On Hold falls into 7 categories:
None
Classical.
Easy Listening.
Light Rock.
Eighties.
Pop.
Ringing
The caller can be given the option to press # to drop out of the queue. This option is only active if the relevant branch is configured.
Queuing features other generic elements. See the Queue node reference and other sections for:
There are five different apology modes which can be used.
No Apology Audio until Apology Interval elapsed. Cycles from First to Last Apology Audio as many times as required with the Apology Interval between each audio.
No Apology Audio until Apology Interval elapsed. Plays the first Apology Audio which is configured with the Apology Interval between and then repeats the same Apology Audio as many times as required with the Apology Interval between each audio.
Announces Queue Position immediately. Waits for Apology Interval to elapse then announces Queue Position as many times as required with the Apology Interval between.
Announces Queue Position immediately. Waits for Apology Interval to elapse, then Apology Audio (Cycles from First to Last), then announces Queue Position as many times as required with the Apology Interval between.
Announces Queue Position immediately. Waits for Apology Interval to elapse, Plays the first Apology Audio which is configured, then announces Queue Position, then repeats the same Apology Audio as many times as required with the Apology Interval between each audio.
