Many callers prefer to avoid waiting on hold. They like it even less when someone says, “let me transfer your call to that person/department.” Then the caller must explain their issue to another agent. Is it any wonder why callers hang up?
Call queueing lets callers “stand in line” while on hold while hearing music or company messages. Inbound callers are placed into a virtual queue to wait for assistance from a customer service agent. Queues can help businesses manage call intake and flow and offers automated assistance and answers to callers. Call queueing can also help many callers resolve issues without a live agent.
Call Abandonment
Is your company seeing calls that hang up before they reach an agent? Call abandonment is the rate at which callers hang up while waiting on hold or hanging up while on a call with an agent before resolving their issue.
The longer someone waits on the phone, the more likely they will hang up—and won’t try calling again. One report estimates that two-thirds of callers will wait no more than two minutes on hold, and 13% won’t stay on hold at all. That estimate shows that 30% of those callers will never call back.
The longer someone waits on the phone, the more likely they will hang up—and won’t try calling again.
Call queues intelligently route calls.
Overseeing incoming calls and call queues to help minimize call times and distribute calls quickly to available agents can improve a caller’s experience.
Call queues are ideal for call centers and large businesses that handle a high volume of calls daily. But call queues can also benefit small businesses. While companies work to make problem resolution easier for customers, the truth is that many people still prefer picking up the phone and calling a company for help.
Overall, people are frequently frustrated with the customer service they get—especially when they can’t get a live person to answer. With good call queue management, callers immediately get to the right person for their needs. Reduced wait times mean that agents can help more callers.
Why call queues make a difference
Call queueing gives an agent time to see who they are before answering.
The idea is to keep callers on hold and in line long enough for an agent to see who they are and what they’re calling about before answering. The call queue system does this automatically, and the agent is ready to help when they answer.
The option for a call back instead of waiting on hole.
Callers who do not want to spend time on hold can have the option to get a callback when they reach the front of the queue. They won’t lose their place in line but don’t have to sit on hold for an extended period.
Customer service agents deal with frustrated callers on hold for too long.
This ire directly impacts your agents’ morale and productivity, especially if the long waits aren’t their fault. Orderly and efficient call queues mean that the callers are happier and the agents answering the calls are.
High volume times are handled best with a call queue
Does your company experience an increase in call volume during certain times of the year, such as tax season or the holidays? A call queue helps your company manage unexpected increases in calls with the same number of lines and people.
A call queue improves the customer experience.
Effectively managing incoming calls is vital to keeping your customers—and your employees—happy every day. Your call queues are essential to optimizing your customer’s experience when they call. Having an efficient and intelligent method of call routing and greeting your callers reduces call abandonment.
- The first thing a caller hears is your recorded message welcoming them to the company.
- An automated menu allows them to choose their issue so they can be routed to someone who can help, such as billing or technical support.
- Once the caller selects the department, they’re placed in the virtual queue for the next available agent.
- Music on hold and regular verbal updates let them know their position and how long they may have. That wait time becomes more pleasant, especially when the caller knows they will be talking to someone soon.
- With a captive audience, you can also tell callers about upcoming events, sales, new products, or other relevant topics. Meanwhile, the call queue system notifies the agent who they are and what they’re calling about.
Call queues can route the caller to the information they need
Many companies have web FAQ pages to answer the questions they get the most. You can do the same thing with your call queues and offer self-service to routine inquiries and issues. The caller receives help quickly without waiting for someone to answer.
Call queues can direct callers to self-service for answers about:
- Regular business hours
- The company’s location or address
- After-hours assistance
- Account balances
- Order Status
- Return information
You’ll set up your IVR to react based on the caller’s input. Once activated, the caller responds to the IVR prompts and is routed to the needed agent.
Ask your customer service reps about the questions they get the most. How many can be answered through self-service menu options without a live agent? If you can do this, your customer service team can help more callers faster and not spend time on routine requests. Callers get what they need quickly and won’t be on hold.
Of course, let your callers know that if the self-service option hasn’t helped them, they can still contact a live agent for additional assistance. Known as “escape from call queue,” a caller can press a button and be re-directed to another department, extension, operator, or IVR.
Ask your customer service reps about the questions they get the most. How many can be answered through self-service menu options without a live agent?
VoIP call queues work more efficiently.
VoIP works well with call queueing, and you can scale up or down according to your business needs. With a range of included features like unlimited IVR, call analytics, and custom messages on hold, a call queue can make it easier for your company to keep answering calls with less hold time and abandonment.
Contact Press8 Telecom today to discuss upgrading your small business phone system to a new, flexible VoIP system for less money than a traditional analog phone system. We’ll give you a free quote on the system that works for your company.
