ACD Queue Setup

What Are Queues?

One of the most powerful features of your PBX comes from the use of ACD queues, or Automatic Call Distribution.

ACD queues allow you to place multiple callers on hold in a queue while waiting for queue agents to become available to take their call.

Some words to know:

• Queue: A queue is a call center feature which will automatically place callers on hold and route them to a group of pre-defined agents. It is more powerful than a blast group due to it's increased functionality and it's in depth reporting.

• Agent: An agent is a member of a queue. An agent number (by default) is the extension number for a user. This means if I am extension 7000 then I am agent 7000 as well. If I login using the phone for extension 8000 as agent 7000, this is ok and my calls will be documented as agent 7000 for the ACD reporting engine.

[ Note: Only Call Center and Unified Agent Edition PBX systems have ACD Queue capabilities ]

Creating a Queue

In order to setup a new queue, you must first decide the following details:

• Queue Name

• Queue Type

• Agents in the queue
   

Once the queue has been created, you'll need to add it to your call menus and log your agents into the queue.

Steps to create a queue

Open

Above is the ACD --> add queues page, the items circled in red are the minimum values which must be set to create a queue.

A video tutorial is available for this section: How do I add a new queue?

1. Click on ACD --> add queue

2. Enter your queue's name next to the Queue Name field 

3. Select the queue type from the Queue Type drop-down (see Queue Types below for more information on how each type functions).

4. Hold the control key and click on every agent that should be a member of the queue.  Once all relevant agents are highlighted, click 'Add Agent'

5. Click Add Queue at the bottom of the page

Adding An Agent / Extension From A Linked Server

If the server is linked, extensions from linked Call Center and Unified Agent Edition PBX systems can also be added: please see our help article How do I add linked-server agents to queues?

Queue Types and Ring Strategies

• fewest total calls:  Agents are rung according to who has received the fewest total calls.

• least recently answered: Agents are rung according to who has waited the longest since last answering a call.

• ring random user: Agents are rung randomly.

• ring all: All agents are rung. The first to pick up gets the call.

• round robin (circular hunt): Agents are rung following a list. The list is randomly generated.

• round robin with memory: Just like round robin, except the ringing begins with the agent right after whomever received the last call.

Once the queue is created, you'll need to add the Queue to a call menu and log your queue agents into the queue.

Adding a Queue to a Call Menu

Once the queue has been setup, you'll need to add the queue to your call menu to control when callers are sent to the queue, for how long, and whether they hear music or ringing.

Logging Agents into a Queue

Once the queue has been setup and added to your call menus, the next step is log the agents into the queue so they can receive calls.

For information on logging agents in, please see our help article ACD Queue Agents.

Editing an Existing Queue

Open

ACD -> View Queues

1. Click on ACD --> view queues 

2. Click on the name of the queue you wish to edit

Adding and Removing Agents to an Existing Queue

1. Click on ACD --> view queues and then the queue name to edit the queue.

2. Click the red X in the 'Del.' column to delete an agent.

3. Hold the control key and clickon every agent that should be a member of the queue.  Once all relevant agents are highlighted, click 'Add Agent' 

4. Click Apply Changes

Deleting a Queue

Before deleting a queue, it is important to remove all call menu steps which send calls to this queue.

1. Remove all call steps sending calls to the queue.

2. Click on ACD --> view queues

3. Click the red X left of the queue's name under the Del column.

4. Confirm the deletion of the queue

5. If you try to remove a queue that is being referenced, the error message will tell you where the queue is being used.

Advanced Queue Options

Agents Options

• Perm.: This agent will always receive calls for this queue, whether logged in or not. Please note the agent must login once, and calls will go to the last location they logged in from.

• Ring: How long the agent should be rung each time the queue sends them a call.

  • Typically, each ring is 5 seconds.

• Priority: Assign the priority level of the agent.

  • Each priority level will be rung before the call moves on to the next lower level.

  • Avoid the use of "highest" priority.

Step One Options

• Max. Holders: How many holders can wait in the queue before additional callers will skip the queue and go to the next step in the call menu.

• Retry Seconds: The amount of time the queue waits after calling all available agents before calling them again.

• Wrap-up Time: The amount of time the queue waits for passing another queue call to an agent who has completed a call.

  • Note that the setting is on a *per-queue* basis. Agents in multiple queues will receive calls for one queue while still in wrap-up time for another queue.

Step Two Options

• Announce Hold Time: If enabled, the queue periodically gives callers their position in the queue and estimated hold time before they speak with a representative.

  • A setting of 'once' plays the announcement once at the beginning of the call.

  • The prompt only plays if the estimated hold time by the PBX is over 60 seconds. The hold time is calculated off past calls, not the current call.

• Announce Frequency: The frequency of Hold Time and Caller Announcements for the queue.

  •  A setting of '0 seconds' means the queue never gives a hold time announcement.

• Keypress Submenu: If enabled, allows callers to exit the queue using the Keypress Options of a selected callmenu.

  • For example, if MAIN sends callers to Sales when they press 1, choosing MAIN allows queue holders to go to Sales when they press 1.

  • If 'none' is enabled, callers will be unable to exit the queue.

• Exit Queue Early: Typically, all agents in a queue are rung before a caller exits a queue. If enabled and the duration of the queue as set in the Call Menu is less than the duration of all agents' ring times, the caller will exit the queue before ringing all agents.

  • For example, a 6 agent queue with 15 second ring times will ring for 90 seconds. If enabled, the call menu will exit before 90 seconds if set so in the call menu.

  • This feature has no effect for 'ring all' queues.

  • WARNING: Some customers report short half-rings when Exit Queue Early is enabled. If you experience such a thing, disable and test again.

Announcement Prompts options

• Audio Intro...: This option is played to the receiving agent before they are connected to the caller. It is NOT played to the caller. This is used to help agents identify what queue a call is coming from.

If Announce Hold Time is enabled, callers will hear the message "You are currently caller number X, waiting to speak to an agent. The estimated hold time is currently less than Y minutes. Thank you for your patience." This message will only play if the estimated hold time is over 1 minute. The estimated hold time is based off of the past call history, not your current call.
 

Using the following options, you can select your custom voice prompts to override parts of the message. Please note that the number X and time Y will be generated by the PBX's recorded sounds. 

• You are first...: The first caller in line will hear the special message "You are first in line to speak with a representative".

• Caller number...: Plays "You are currently caller number"

• Waiting to speak...: Plays "waiting to speak to an agent."

• Est. Hold Time...: Plays "The estimated hold time is currently"

• Less than...: Plays "less than"

• Minutes...: Plays "minutes."

• Thank you...: Plays "Thank you for your patience."