What Is a Call Queue?

Disclaimer: A large number of inbound calls may indicate the popularity of the product among customers. However, a smart way of arranging those calls speaks volumes of the company's customer care.

One of the most stressful experiences on the phone is trying to reach the customer care department. Even relaxing classical music fails to capture your attention while you are on hold for an extended period of time. The most frustrating thing is that you never know how much waiting time is left or how many agents are on the other end of the line ready to assist you. After such an experience, customer satisfaction levels plummet, and the company is at risk of losing potential clients or hot leads. The solution lies in implementing a call queue system that will unwind the tension on both ends of the line. In this post, we will focus on call queuing in detail.

How does the call queue work?

Call queuing technology groups all incoming calls into a single line. It’s like physically staying in a queue when you see the number of people in front of you and assess the average time it will take. In a virtual queue, the caller is provided with information regarding the number of calls, sometimes the number of available agents, and an approximate waiting time.

• During this forced pause, a caller may listen to some promotional data about the company’s current bonuses and special offers.
• The music should be carefully picked so as not to irritate callers.
• Besides, enterprises may add the option of requesting a callback for the convenience of their clients. If they are pressed for time, a callback is a solution. It ensures that all the calls will be handled and the clients will not get irate.
• The call routing feature transfers the next call to the first agent that becomes available, which also makes the process faster.

What are the benefits of a call queue system for your business?

• Perfect customer service: The stress level is lowest when a client spends the least amount of time on wait, the call is swiftly directed to an appropriate expert, and there is a callback option in case of busy lines. Furthermore, it is always preferable if your enquiry is routed to someone who is familiar with the situation, thus the routing functionality should be properly configured. It will save your target audience from having to answer frustrating questions about the purpose for their call.
• Increased conversions: The result of perfect customer service is a rise in the audience's interest in your product or service. Thus, the sales figures depend greatly on the level of customer service. Besides, the agents should be competent and have excellent soft skills. Listening to call recordings or applying conversational intelligence helps identify problem areas and plan training sessions.
• Improved job satisfaction: Another important benefit of the call queue is motivated staff. The combination of a call queue system and smart routing means that agents are well-prepared for each next call. Calls can be directed to agents according to their expertise and working hours. As a result, they will be more prepared to answer questions and will be more productive. The settings allow specifying the exact number of inbound calls for each agent, which facilitates the onboarding period for new agents and allows effective coaching.
• Reduced call abandonment rates: If a caller knows the exact time they are going to spend on hold, they are less likely to hang up. Therefore, the call abandonment rate goes down, which is an important metric in assessing the performance of the call center. Background music and informative messages during the waiting time facilitate the period for the callers and keep them patient.
• Technologically advanced company image: Enterprises that use cutting-edge technologies display their willingness to innovate, improve, and keep up with the current world. It appears to be a positive bonus for the image of any business. If a company explores new opportunities and tendencies, it means it plans to develop products and services and provide better assistance for the target market.

Conclusion

By turning your caller's experience on the phone into a helpful consultation, the business gets significant bonuses in customer satisfaction and increases revenue. Selecting the perfect platform for call queuing might be challenging, so it is always advisable to explore the full functionality of the provider. The call queue feature works best with call routing, IVR, and call recording. To get the best results, all the details of customer interactions should be stored and shared among company divisions via the internal CRM system.