Call Queue Management: 15 Best Practices to Capture More Incoming Calls

Poor call queue management is a top reason customers report negative experiences with support teams. 60% of people¹ say long wait times are their main customer service frustration. Another common complaint is repeating the same conversation with multiple representatives², often caused by inefficient call center queue management. Extended hold times and repeated inquiries not only frustrate customers but also slow down your employees and reduce overall call capacity. 

In this guide, we’ll share 15 best practices for call queue management that can allow you to capture more incoming calls and improve the customer experience.

What is Call Queue Management?

If you’re not already familiar, a call queue is akin to a line of callers waiting to speak to someone in your organization. As calls come in, call queue software can route them based on a variety of rules that you specify.

Call management involves determining how those calls are routed. When done well, call queue management results in an improved, more efficient call flow and a reduction in wait times. In turn, this leads to a better customer experience.

The ability to reduce caller waiting is imperative for both customer satisfaction and retention. Studies have shown that there’s a limit to how long people are willing to wait to speak to someone. The majority (two-thirds to be exact) ³ say that their maximum threshold is two minutes. Even more dramatic is that 13% of people say that they’re not willing to wait on hold at all.

What is a Call Queue in Teams?

Numerous tools and systems allow you to create call queues, including Microsoft Teams and Weave. In Microsoft’s platform, you can create various teams based on departments and assign agents to each group. Within each team, you’ll also need to add channels and connect them to an authorized resource account.

Keep in mind that to use a call queue for Microsoft Teams, you’ll have to acquire (or already have) a Microsoft 365 phone system virtual user license. 4Weave, on the other hand, offers a simple form to help you set up call queues for your office while serving as a multi-function system for small businesses.

Explore Weave’s
Smart VoIP Phone System
Discover how modern business phone communications can streamline your front desk.
Visit the Weave Phones page to learn how smart VoIP, instant caller information, and unified call management deliver an exceptional client experience with every call.
Learn More

15 Call Queue Management Best Practices

Companies have spent a lot of time and money figuring out how to make their inbound call systems more efficient while improving customer satisfaction.

The following 15 call queue management best practices have become nearly universal:

1. Create scheduling rules

When a call comes in, the first thing your system should do is specify an action or path based on the day of the week or time of day.
For example, you might have different greetings or routing rules for weekdays versus weekends, evenings versus business hours, and holidays versus traditional business days. By matching a greeting or agent availability with the appropriate time of day, you can set the stage for a positive customer experience.

2. Provide informative greetings

It’s common knowledge that you should have a friendly greeting that identifies the name of your business, but you can also further customize your greeting.

For example, you could include your business hours, address, or other information that people tend to ask for when they call. Instead of making them wait on hold to speak to someone, you can address FAQs without requiring your employees’ time.

3. Include language preferences

In today’s multicultural and multilingual society, it might not be fair to assume that all of your callers speak the same language.

Instead of encountering a frustrating language barrier, you can give callers the option to specify their preferred language and be connected to an agent where conversation can flow easily.

4. Collect data automatically

If applicable, consider call queue software that allows callers to input information. For example, being able to input an account number can save valuable time because this task can be executed during hold, and the agent will see the account number on their screen without having to go through the process of asking for and transcribing it.

5. Implement routing options

One of the most effective ways to manage a high call volume is by implementing smart call routing. Rather than sending every call to the same line or individual, routing lets you create rules that send calls where they’ll be handled fastest—and best.

Set up call groups so multiple team members can pick up. Route by department so billing questions go to billing, not the front desk. Use time-of-day rules to shift calls during lunch or after hours. And if your team is spread across locations or time zones, direct calls accordingly to ensure someone’s always available.

A best practice? Keep it simple and revisit your routing setup regularly. Business hours, staffing, and needs change—your call flow should too.

If you’re looking for a flexible, intuitive system to handle it all, Weave’s Visual Call Routing makes it easy. It’s a self-serve, drag-and-drop call routing canvas that gives you complete control—without needing a tech background. From phone trees to cascading groups to custom schedules, Weave helps you build a call experience that works for your practice and your patients.

6. Set up ring groups

As the name implies, a ring group will ring several phones at once. This situation can be ideal if it doesn’t matter who picks up the phone, but you want the call answered as quickly as possible. Here, the first person who reaches the phone will take the call.

7. Take advantage of IVR

An abbreviation for Interactive Voice Response, IVR gives your callers the opportunity to interact with your phone system. The overall idea is that callers are presented with options to get answers to their questions, input data, or select specific types of help.

8. Include self-service options

As systems get more advanced, automation can handle many basic functions, freeing up employees to handle more complex or personal inquiries. Self-service options can include paying bills, getting information, and more.

9. Don’t forget the hold music

Placing callers on hold and subjecting them to silence can make it feel like even more time is passing. It can also make callers feel like they’ve been abandoned.

By having hold music that is either upbeat or relaxing, callers can have a pleasant distraction to keep their minds occupied while they wait. Make sure that your hold music sounds crisp and clear. There’s nothing worse than warbly music or tunes filled with static.

Perhaps just as important as having hold music is giving callers the option to listen in silence. Some people might prefer to be placed on a silent hold if they are trying to accomplish a task while on hold, and they don’t want any noise interruptions until an agent is able to come to the phone.

10. Offer automated callbacks

When a caller finds out that there’s an extended hold period, they might prefer to receive a call back when someone is free. Make sure you inform them that selecting this option does not cause them to lose their place in line.

11. Update callers on their queue position

Being on hold with no end in sight can be incredibly frustrating. If possible, inform callers of where they are in the queue. If they’ve been on hold for a couple of minutes and are losing patience, you can potentially save the call by being able to have the system inform them that they are next in line.

12. Specify maximum hold times

No matter how carefully you plan your employees’ schedule to ensure there is always someone available to answer calls, the unexpected can happen. If you’re inundated with calls, and you don’t have enough people to answer inquiries promptly, a maximum hold time can direct callers to a voicemail box or potentially another office location.

Though it’s not ideal to keep callers on hold for a long time, it’s better than keeping them on hold indefinitely.

13. Allow for remote access

It can be incredibly helpful for small businesses to be able to have employees answer inbound calls from locations outside the office. This can be especially true if your on-site team is bombarded with calls and needs backup. With today’s VoIP systems, this functionality is usually possible.

14. Set maximum queue limit

To avoid unreasonably long hold times, you can limit the number of callers waiting in your call queue at any given time.

When your maximum number of people waiting is reached, specify a method to handle overflow. It could include redirecting to voicemail so that the caller can leave a message and receive a callback when an employee is available.

15. Learn from analytics

Call queue management systems include detailed reports and analytics to give you insights into hold times, call length, agent activity, and more. Don’t ignore this information. Instead, use it to help improve the customer service experience by optimizing employee schedules, adjusting routing rules, and identifying opportunities for training.

Learn More about Call Queue Management

Do you currently have a call queue management system that is in dire need of an upgrade? Or, are you evaluating different call queue software to determine which is best suited for your business’s needs?

Weave includes several communication solutions for small businesses, including Weave Call Queues. We invite you to schedule a demo where you can see Weave in action and get all of your questions answered.

Want to see
more about
Weave?
1 System for Phones, Texting, Payments, & More
 Access a full suite of patient communication tools with Weave! Texting, payments, reviews, & scheduling in one place. Get started today!
Get Started

Resources:

1. https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/pdf/cxtrends/cx-trends-2020-full-report.pdf
2. https://www.ringcentral.com/us/en/blog/bad-customer-service/
3. https://sharpencx.com/blog/how-long-is-too-long-on-hold/
4. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/create-a-phone-system-call-queue