Tips To Enhance Call Queue Management

By Author: Josh
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Call center solutions offer several features to simplify call management. Call queuing is one of the most useful features available in this software. The smart call center software also provides unlimited call queuing.

To make sure your team is using the call queuing feature of the call center solution effectively and to help you implement best practices, follow the tips shared in this article.

Here are some ways customer-facing businesses can enhance call queue management:

1. Use different call routing strategies

Using just one strategy for business phone numbers and extensions is similar to having a single lane on a busy highway. However, using multiple call routing strategies available in the call center software provides businesses with different options, adaptability, and scalability to efficiently manage call volumes.

That’s why businesses must adopt different routing strategies not only for different departments but also based on agent schedules, call volume, VIP customer status, and more.

Organizations must invest quality time to study which routing strategies work for particular ...
... situations and ensure that they use the strategies to keep pace with business growth. To give an example, time-based routing is great for a billing department whereas skills-based routing is perfect for a customer service department.

2. Create ring groups

Call group (also known as ring group) is one of the popular features available in call center solutions. Ring groups are groups of agent phone numbers/extensions pre-configured to ring based on preconfigured settings. Call groups are especially helpful for larger companies or departments, as you can set specific agents to take specific types of calls based on things like the time of day, the agent’s strongest skills, or even agent preference.

Admin can configure call groups so that all phone numbers in the group ring simultaneously or one after the other and can even set the specific number of rings before the caller is sent to the next group member. The goal is to make it more likely that the caller will connect with a live agent on their first call.

3. Provide omnichannel support

In the digital age, a majority of customers would prefer contacting a business over live chat, instant messages (such as WhatsApp), and even social media than dialing the customer service number and waiting for the call to be received by an agent. That’s why you must focus on providing omnichannel support so that customers can connect with you using different channels. Therefore, use an omnichannel contact center solution.

Using omnichannel contact center software, agents can handle multiple customer communications simultaneously, which they can’t do in a normal call center. For instance, an agent can reply to a customer query on WhatsApp as well as handle a website chat without going from one tab to the other or getting distracted. But it’s not possible to do that in a regular call.

4. Use Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR is beneficial for managing call queues. To begin with, IVR of call center solutions enables customers to quickly reach the right department and agent, which minimizes unnecessary transfers and hold times.

IVR streamlines the call routing process by allowing callers to self-select the purpose of their call. This ensures that calls are directed to the most appropriate agent or department, reducing the need for multiple call transfers and minimizing caller frustration.

Moreover, IVR provides callers with a wide range of options and essential information (such as call-back requests, self-service options, estimated wait times, and more) as they wait in the queue. By offering these choices, IVR empowers callers and improves their overall experience, reducing perceived wait times and enhancing customer satisfaction.

5. Provide self-service options

In the present time, more people prefer availing self-service to speaking with customer service representatives. That’s because most of them don’t want to wait in line for the call to connect to a live agent.

As per a study, more than two-thirds of customers preferred self-service over speaking with a customer service representative. Providing self-service options is one of the best ways to manage call queues.

Develop self-service portals or knowledge bases where customers can find answers to common questions without contacting an agent. A majority of call center solutions provide self-serving features now.

Features such as Voice Response (IVR) systems, AI-powered chatbots, and more will enable customers to perform simple tasks or find accurate and quick answers to common queries without the help of an agent.

6. Provide a back option

A poll that surveyed more than 1,100 people revealed that almost two-thirds of respondents preferred callback to hold. Reliable call center software includes a call-back feature, which can help you manage high call volumes and reduce on-hold time.

Some call queues offer a call-back option. To reduce your average hold time, leverage the call-back option. Callers can choose to receive a call back from an agent when it’s their turn, rather than waiting on hold. This can be more convenient for callers who don’t want to stay on hold.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, use one of the best call center solutions, top features of the software, and best practices to simplify the management of call centers.

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