Call Center

Queues

Create & Configure a Queue

Table of Contents:

1. Navigate to Queues 
2. Create a new queue 
3. Configure settings
4. Define call routing strategy
5. Define hold treatment 
6. Define agent behavior
7. Assign Members
8. Review + Confirm

Let's Begin!  

1. Navigate to the Call Center Pro app in your PBX and access Queues

2. Create a new queue and assign it a unique number or extension

             Step 1: Click "+ New Queue" 
             Step 2: Name your Queue, select a phone number or extension, & click "Next"

3. Choose the Queues General Settings and click "Next"

   General Settings Definitions: 
   

   Call Limit	Sets the numbers of calls that can be in a queue before the calls time out to the callflow steps. If the call limit is one, any new call that tries to enter the queue will be terminated (dropped). If the call limit is 0, the number of calls that can enter the queue is infinite (or limit to incoming trunk limitation). Any incoming call that is dropped will be counted toward Missed Calls for that queue, since it has entered the queue and subsequently terminated.
   Queue Timeout	The number of seconds the call will sit in a queue before timing out. • If Escalation Handling is configured, the call will timeout to the specified escalation handling destination. • If No Escalation is configured, the call will terminate or drop. • Maximum queue timeout is 7200 seconds.
   Timeout Immediately if Empty	If turned on the and the queue is empty (meaning no agents are logged in) the call will immediately be routed to the callflow process. This could be your escalation queue or voicemail. NOTE: The queue is not considered Empty if an agent in a queue is Globally in an Away state or on a call.
   Display Agents to Other Agents	This is useful so agents can note the status of the rest of the team, for example if others are away. If enabled, Agents can see other Agents who are members of the queue on the Queue Details page, Members tab. By default, this is not enabled; agents will see only themselves on the Members tab. Admins assigned through Smart PBX can see all members’ status of any agent in any queue in CCPro
   Zero out to Callflow	This provides a dropdown showing other queues you can redirect a call to by pressing #0.   An example might be if someone calls who has already been escalated to a different department or person and is calling back with more information. The default routing for 0'd out calls is set as follows: Device User VM Box Directory  Group (per Smart PBX Configuration)
   Record all Calls in this Queue	If "Record all Calls" is turned on for a queue, all calls will be recorded by default. Alternatively you can set record all calls for individual agents under the Call Center Members tab. Recorded calls can be viewed and downloaded from the Call Recording app. at the end of the call. Note: Transferred calls will be recorded up until the point the agent who answered the call from the queue is no longer on the call. Hold Music is not recorded if the Agent puts the caller on hold Currently the maximum length of call that can be recorded is 1hr. For the Call Recording feature to be enabled you MUST enable these apps in your system: Google Drive connector Call Recording
   Escalation Callflow after Timeout	If enabled with a destination, a Queue call is timed out to the Escalation Queue, and if the call is not answered within the Escalation Queue Timeout, the call will be redirected to the following Call flow Destination • Company Directory • Devices • Users • Voicemail Boxes • Group

4.  Choose your Routing Strategy - this is logic to define how calls will be routed to agents in a queue. Click "Next"

5. Define Hold Treatment - add actions to design a media loop that will play for callers who are waiting to connect. Add as many actions as you would like to have played for a caller holding in your queue. After the final selection is played, the system will loop back to the beginning. Click "Next"

6. Select Agent Behavior and click "Next"

   Agent Connect Timeout	This sets the amount of seconds the call will ring at an agent's extension before it is sent to another agent of the next event in your callflow. How the seconds translate to number of rings will vary depending on your country and ring style, but in general a 20 second setting will allow the phone to ring 4-5 times.
   Force Away on Rejected/Missed	If enabled, and if agent rejects or does not answer the offered queue call, agent will be put in a Global Away state. NOTE: It is up to the agent to re-activate his/her status.
   Allow Agent Recovery Time	This sets the amount of seconds an agent's status will be set to "recovery time." This time is often used so agents can write follow up notes about the call. While in recovery time the agent's phone will be considered "busy" to the caller and the call will route to the next agent or event. The recovery time will be displayed and counted down in the Call Details Drawer.
   Allow Recovery Time Extension	If this setting is on, the agent will see an option to extend recovery time in the Caller Display Drawer. By selecting this, recovery time will extend the length of the initial setting.
   Allow Multiple Extensions	If this checkbox is enabled and agent has the ability to extent the recovery time as often as necessary. Each extension will be the number of seconds set in the Allow Recovery Time Extension field.

7. Assign Members to the Queue and click "Next" 

8. Review & Confirm - review your queue and configurations before finalizing the creation of your new queue. Click "Create Queue" to complete this process.
   Once your queue is created you can view a list of the queues created in your account by clicking the "Queues" icon.  
   

   Pause / Resume all Queues

   This allows the agent to manage only the queues the Agent is a member of.

   If an agent selects "Pause All Queues" calls will not be offered to the agent
   To set back to Active, select "Resume All Queues"

   Sort Queues by:

   All queues (Default)	Oldest queue (Creation time) will always be on top and the Newest Queue will be at the bottom.
   Active	Pushes all active queues top, then paused queues.
   Paused	Pushes all paused queues top, then active queues.

Call Routing

Call routing works alongside your Incoming Call Handling (within the Smart PBX App) or Advanced Call Flows (within the Callflows App) to determine where calls are routed once they have reached the Call Queue.

Call Routing options for the Call Queue are described below: 

Routing Strategy Terms:

User Management

Managers and Admins can manage user attributes from the "Call Center Members" section on the left navigation. 

Here, you can view all members, see their assigned queues, view their session duration, call recording settings, and skills.


Assign a New User to an Existing Queue:
To assign a new user/member to an existing Queue
1.  Select the desired Queue
2. Click the Queue Settings dropdown menu :
3. Choose "Edit Queue Settings"
4. Click "6. Member Assignment" 
5. Within the "Call Center Members" column, click on the new user's name.

6. Click the green “Assign to Queue” button, and you’ll see the name move to the right column, then select "Next"
7. Review and Confirm all queue settings and members, and then select "Update Queue," to save.

The new member has been added to your queue!

Manage Members
By clicking on "Manage Members" a manager or admin can assign any user in the system as a Call Center Member.  Only Call Center Members can be assigned queues.

Member Roles & Permissions

Dashboard

Once queues have been created, a user is able to select a queue and view the Queue Dashboard. The top section of the screen will display a dashboard summarizing the status of all agents in your queue within the last hour.  This can help a manager or administrator decide if it's necessary to adjust the number or mix of agent skills. 

Once a user is added and logs in, they will click "Begin Session" to see their assigned queue's Dashboard. If they are assigned multiple queues or are a manager, they will see a list of the queues and can then select a queue to view.

An Agent can set mark themselves as ready, away, or end the session. 

Queue Status

We have added the ability for managers to change the queue status.  This setting is the one next to the queue name.  This is helpful if you have regional queues, and want to Pause them during specific hours.

Incoming Call Handling Behavior

Dashboard Terms

 Below the Dashboard (Tabs)

Managing Agents

Skills

Assign Skills
 to Members

1. Open Members

2. Click "Manage Skills"
3. Select the member(s) you wish to add a skill(s) to.
4. Click "Add Skills"
5. Enter the skills you wish to add
6. Click green "Add Skills" to assign to selected member(s).

Note: The skills assigned are global across all queues; whether they are implemented is dependent on the Routing Strategy setting in each queue.
 


Create / Edit Skills

To Create a new skill, from the Members tab:
1. Click "Manage Skills"
2. Click "Skills Tag Editor"
3. On the prompt, click "+ New Skill Tag"
4. Name your skill
5. Set your skills rule according to the criteria below:

Skills can currently be assigned based on incoming Caller OR Callee ID Name or Number.  Some common uses for this are 
included in the descriptions below:

Agent Recovery Time

Display Agents to Other Agents
This is useful so agents can note the status of the rest of the team, for example if others are away.

• If enabled, Agents can see other Agents who are members of the queue on the Queue Details page, Members tab.
• By default, this is not enabled; agents will see only themselves on the Members tab.
• Admins assigned through Smart PBX can see all members’ status of any agent in any queue in CCPro

Call Recording

Terms to Know

Basic Behavior terms:

 Escalation Handling Terms:

 Routing Strategy Terms:

Agent Behavior Terms: