Call Queue

StoreEase is making a core update to how we route calls to your Virtual Managers (VMs) during busy periods

Problem we are solving

Today, secondary alerts for incoming calls result in distracted VMs and longer customer wait times. During busy periods, this way of attempting to assign to all VMs can also result in the customer who has been waiting the longest not always being helped first. 

Initial Feature Solution

To create a better experience for both VMs and your customers, we're adjusting how our call routing assignment logic behaves when no VMs are available. Rather than attempting to assign secondary calls to busy VMs, we'll instead display a queue bar of waiting customers and wait to assign an inbound call until someone is available. 

If a VM is currently on a call, but is able to take on an additional call, they can now choose to "Claim" an additional call by interacting with our new call queue bar. 

FAQ:

• Q: When should the call queue display?
  • The call queue bar only displays when all VMs are busy and new calls are waiting for an available agent. Once a VM becomes available, the call waiting longest will attempt to assign to the available VM. 
  • If more VMs are available than there are calls waiting, calls will attempt to assign to available VMs as normal. 
• Q: How long can a customer wait in the queue?
  • Phone calls can now wait up to 2 minutes in the queue before being sent to voicemail - this timing and experience will be optimized over time. 
  • Counter calls will remain in the queue for 15 minutes, though counters are critical to pick up quickly to avoid missing waiting on site customers. 
• Q: Some of our team is set to only handle counter calls, how does this queue work for these VMs?
  • The queue will only display phone calls or counter calls if your VMs have user settings to restrict which types of interactions they can take.
  • Unrestricted users will see both. 
• Q: What is the filter for on the Call Queue?
  • You can filter this queue manually as well to look at counter calls, phone calls, or all calls if you'd like to prioritize and review certain interactions first.
    
• Q: How can I tell if the call at the top of the queue is a Phone Call vs. Counter Call?
  • The call queue bar will display the following details about the call that is at the top of the queue:
    • Counter Calls
      • Facility
      • Wait time for this counter alert
    • Phone calls
      • The "skill" associated based on IVR selection [Sales, Payments, Unit Access, Customer Complaint, or Adjacent Services]
      • Tenant name, if known tenant
      • Phone number
      • Wait time for this phone call
• Q: How have notifications for calls changed? 
  • Notifications before would alert you to:
    • calls that were being assigned to you, even if you were on other calls.
  • Now, we alert you to:
    • your next assignment when you free up from your call, or
    • as new calls enter the queue (Regardless of if you are Away or Available) so that you can be aware of customers who are waiting and claim an additional call as necessary. 
• Q: I heard a notification for a call, but there's no call waiting or being assigned - what happened?
  • It's likely that another team member took the call from the queue before you were able to. 
• Q: Can I still mute secondary alerts?
  • If you'd rather not receive audio alerts while on a call already, yes, you can still disable secondary alerts (alerts triggered by calls entering the queue) via your VMOS profile. A gentle reminder however that customers could be waiting longer without the audio reminder, and to ensure you're still able to greet customers within a reasonable amount of time.

Summary

This release will allow more visibility and control over how your VMs engage with the most urgent customers during a busy period. We will continue to optimize this queue in the next quarter to help you always identify and assist the most pressing calls. 

Complete Interaction Demo

Above video demonstrates the following examples:

1. VM is available, a counter call from Kevin’s house comes in, and normal functionality is demonstrated.
2. VM passes on this call, and it goes to the call queue.
3. VM is away, a new counter call from Oxford comes in, making the call queue have 2 calls, with Kevin’s house as the top call.
4. VM switches to available, the top call gets assigned, VM passes this call, and it goes back to the queue waiting for another VM to become available
5. VM claims the top call and, upon finishing it, gets assigned the next call.

1. Both VMs are available, a counter call from Hoover comes in
2. Both VMs pass on that call, and it goes to the queue
3. Calls assigned again based on:
   1. A new counter call from Oxford comes in, assigning both waiting calls to both available VMs
   2. Both pass on the new call
   3. VM1 claims the top call in the queue, and completes the call
   4. Now that they're available again, the waiting call attempts to assign to them, clearing the queue
   5. VM1 passes, as does VM2, starting the queue again
   6. VM2 switches to available and the call attempts to assign to VMs again