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Team queue with callback

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Hold callers in a queue for your team, offer a callback instead of waiting, and watch it live on a wallboard.

Callers wait in line for the next free person on your team. Callers who don’t want to wait can press a key to ask for a callback, and anyone still waiting at the time limit gets a callback too. A wallboard shows the queue live.

Inbound number → Queue
                   ├─ Exit code                         → Queue callback
                   ├─ Maximum waiting time exceeded     → Queue callback
                   └─ All users offline or on DND mode  → Voicemail


Queue wallboard (not connected) monitors the Queue and the Queue callback

Before you start

Section titled “Before you start”
  • A phone number in an Inbound number object.
  • A User for each team member, each with at least one device.
  • A phone number to show when you call customers back. It must be one of your purchased numbers, not toll-free or shared cost.
  • A queue greeting that tells callers which key requests a callback, such as “To ask for a callback instead of waiting, press 1.” You can record it in the browser or by phone while you set up, or upload an audio file.

1. Add the Queue

Section titled “1. Add the Queue”
  1. On the PBX tab, drag Queue from the Handling mass incoming calls group onto the canvas and click the gear icon.
  2. Enter a Name, such as “Support”.
  3. Under Specify users to be called, click Add and choose the team members.
  4. Choose a Ring mode. Ring all rings everyone at once. Round-robin and Least recent share calls across the team.
  5. Set the Ring time and Interval between rings, seconds.
  6. Add a Greeting that mentions the callback key.
  7. Turn on Enable exit code and enter the key in Exit code, for example 1.
  8. Set the Maximum waiting time, for example 5 minutes.
  9. Optional: turn on Announce the caller’s position in the queue, and set a Periodic announcement for callers in second position or later that repeats the callback offer.
  10. Click Save.
  11. Connect the Inbound number to the Queue.

2. Add the Queue callback

Section titled “2. Add the Queue callback”
  1. Drag Queue callback from the Handling mass incoming calls group onto the canvas and click the gear icon.
  2. Enter a Name, such as “Support callbacks”, then click Add and choose the users who will make callbacks.
  3. Choose the Ring mode and Ring time.
  4. Choose a Callback caller ID. Without one, customers see an anonymous call.
  5. Set Maximum callback retry duration, minutes: how long the system keeps trying your users before giving up.
  6. Optional: turn on Enable email notification to be told when a callback request runs out of time.
  7. Click Save.
  8. Connect the queue’s Exit code path and its Maximum waiting time exceeded path to the Queue callback.

When a caller reaches Queue callback, they hear the number the callback will go to (the number they’re calling from). They press 1 to confirm, or 2 to key in a different number. After confirming, they hear a confirmation and the call ends.

The system then rings your users. When one answers, it calls the customer back and connects them.

3. Catch calls when nobody is available

Section titled “3. Catch calls when nobody is available”
  1. Drag Voicemail onto the canvas, set it up with Voicemail to email, and click Save.
  2. Connect the queue’s All users offline or on DND mode path to it.

A user with Webphone mobile, Microsoft Teams or an external number turned on always counts as online, so this path is only taken when none of those are in use.

4. Add the wallboard

Section titled “4. Add the wallboard”
  1. Drag Queue wallboard from the Monitoring group onto the canvas and click the gear icon.
  2. Enter a Name and set or note the Password.
  3. Under Specify the ‘Queue’ and ‘Queue callback’ objects to monitor, click Add and choose your Queue and Queue callback.
  4. Set the colour warnings, time zone and Wallboard statistics reset time, then click Save.

The wallboard doesn’t need to be connected to anything.

5. Apply configuration

Section titled “5. Apply configuration”
  1. Click Apply configuration in the top-right corner.
  2. Open the Queue wallboard settings again and copy the URL. It appears only after the configuration is applied.
  3. Open the URL on the screen your team will watch and enter the password.

Check it works

Section titled “Check it works”
  1. Ask the team to stay signed in, then call your number from a mobile. Their devices should ring, and the wallboard should show one caller waiting.
  2. Call again and press your exit key. Your users should be rung for the callback; when one answers, your mobile should ring.
  3. Call again and wait past the Maximum waiting time. You should be offered a callback.
  4. Ask everyone to turn on Do Not Disturb and call again. You should reach voicemail.

Variations

Section titled “Variations”
  • Voicemail instead of callback: connect Maximum waiting time exceeded to a Voicemail, and keep the Exit code path for callbacks.
  • Existing customers first: connect a Voice menu option through a Queue priority to the Queue, so those callers are answered before others.
  • Abandoned-call emails: turn on Receive notifications of abandoned and timed-out calls on the Queue.
Section titled “Related”