Call Queuing Software for Inbound Call Management

Call queueing software, or a call queue system, places inbound callers into virtual call queues when no agent is available to take their call immediately. While in the call queue, callers may hear hold music or an automated voice message informing them of their place in the queue and the expected wait time. On top of that, with a queue callback option, these systems allow callers to reserve their spot in the queue and receive a call once an agent becomes available without having to wait on hold.

Call queueing is a truly valuable feature of inbound call center software solutions. It basically allows you to acknowledge each caller without having to pick up their call right away and distribute incoming calls among your agents in an organized, logical way. The outcome? Optimized call wait times, reduced Call Abandonment Rates, better customer experience, increased customer satisfaction, and improved team productivity.

In a call center environment, an invisible queue refers to the call queue where callers aren’t aware of their position and the estimated wait times. Naturally, when callers don’t know what to expect while waiting in the queue, they can become frustrated and, what’s even worse, hang up before being connected to an agent, contributing to increased Call Abandonment Rates and reduced Customer Satisfaction Scores. Ideally, you should keep your callers informed on wait times, which can improve their waiting experience.

Traditionally, call centers aim at answering incoming calls within 20 seconds, but, in reality, it usually takes around one minute. Research shows, however, that 83% of people expect to interact with someone immediately when they reach out to a company’s customer support. That means, as a general rule of thumb, you should keep your hold times as minimal as possible to maintain high customer satisfaction levels.