Call Queue Management: How Can Call Queuing Help Your Business?
Call queue management is the oversight of call queues to make sure customer wait time is minimal, while also ensuring fair workload distribution to the agents working. When done correctly, good call queue management can lead to reduced wait times and overall better customer experience.
This blog post will cover the following:
What is Call Queuing?
A call queue, also known as a virtual queue, is a virtual line that callers fall into when they call a business, but an agent isn't immediately available. Once an agent becomes available, the next caller in line will be automatically assigned to the agent. Below is AVOXI's Genius interface, showing just how easy it is to set up a new call queue.
Why Every Large Business Uses Call Queuing
Call centers in particular can benefit greatly from utilizing call queuing. Many of these businesses receive thousands of calls per day, and the best way to ensure all issues are properly addressed is via a call queue. There are also various call queue strategies businesses can implement, ensuring their operation runs smoothly.
How Effective Call Queue Management Can Benefit Your Business
Effective call queue management can help your business in many different aspects. Establishing an IVR encourages self-service and call routing tools helps callers get connected to the correct agents the first time. Some other benefits include:
- Prevent agents from missing calls and possibly losing business
- Utilize callback to free callers from waiting on the phone. This is a great cost saving technique. The fewer people in the queue, the more money you can save. Additionally, your customers don't have to wait on hold, and your agents don't feel as pressured to rush through calls to get to the next one
- Properly organized queues can help agents stay organized and ultimately help reduce churn
- Helps sales reps - calls can be properly routed to the best agent for the job. Intelligent routing can help pull information on callers as they call, and connect them to reps who have worked with them in the past
Call Center Queue Management Strategies
Call queue management tools, such as IVR and call routing rules, can help optimize your call center and improve the overall customer experience.
Using an IVR can encourage customers to bypass the queue altogether. Some IVR solutions offer customers the ability to make secure payments over the phone.
You can also set up call routing rules to help customers reach the correct agent. Some of these rules include:
- Round robin routing - This method is the most flexible of the common call routing rules. You can distribute calls evenly to each team member, route calls based on the best agent to receive the calls, or have certain members receive more calls than others
- Ring all - With this strategy, all agents on the queue are called at the same time, and the first one to answer gets the call. This is a common strategy for when VIP clients call, to ensure their call is answered immediately
- Last used - Callers are connected with the agent who has been waiting the longest between calls. This is a very common strategy for sales and customer support
Some of the most simple call queue management tools can be the most effective. By simply providing an estimated wait time or playing something engaging as customers sit on hold can greatly decrease your call abandonment rates. You can even promote marketing campaigns while your customers sit on hold - further spreading your brand awareness.
Setting up Your Call Management Standards
No matter what, customers will be placed on hold at one point or another. People in the industry typically try to keep the average wait time in call centers to under 2 minutes, as a large percentage of customers abandon the calls after that.
With AVOXI Genius, you will have access to all types of call analytics to see how your agents are performing. You can see different metrics such as how many calls your agents took, how long they were on the phone for, and how many calls were abandoned.
Having the ability to quantify your agents work can help better streamline operations and further enhance the customer experience.
How to Use Call Queuing as a KPI
Using call wait time can be a great KPI, especially in call centers. Not only can it help pinpoint which agents may be struggling, it can also help uncover underlying issues not immediately apparent. If resolution times are up across the board, there may be a fundamental issue in your company's operation that needs addressing.
Try AVOXI's Call Queue Management Software
AVOXI is now offering a product that allows you to easily set up and manage call queues, IVR's and call groups - AVOXI Genius. If you're interested in learning about AVOXI Genius and how it can help your business, feel free to reach out and we are more than happy to show you the benefits of integrating Genius into your business!
