Adding voice queues (ACD path)

The primary voice queue for MiContact Center Business is the ACD path, which distributes calls to groups of agents. When an administrator adds an ACD path voice queue, they:

For information on automatic queue control, including opening, closing, and putting queues in DND, see "Automatically opening and closing queues".

For instructions on how to configure IVR Routing options for queues, consult "Configuring queues". Option availability depends on whether you are licensed for Messaging and Routing or IVR.
To add a voice SIP queue
  1. Click YourSite > Queues.
  2. Click Add and select Voice Queue.
  3. Continue to "Configuring general information for queues (in Your Site Explorer)".
    Note:

    New voice queues cannot be saved until the general settings for the queue have been configured.

Configuring general information for voice queues

When configuring general information for voice queues, administrators configure the basic settings for the queue that are required to be configured before the queue can be saved.

The following procedures take place in YourSite > Queues.

To configure general voice queue information
  1. Select a queue and click the General tab.
  2. Type a Name for the queue.
  3. Type a Reporting number for the queue.
  4. After Dialable number, enter the path directory number listed on the telephone system assignment forms.
  5. After Media server, click the Browse button.
    Note:

    Once a queue has been saved, the media server cannot be changed.

  6. Select the media server and click OK.
  7. If you do not want the queue to be viewed in Contact Center Client and Ignite, select Disable real-time monitoring and data collection on this device.
  8. Click Save.

Configuring voice queue membership

Agent groups must be assigned to a queue to handle ACD calls. Calls are offered to agent groups in the order in which they are associated to the voice queue and are offered to the next agent group in the list when the set overflow timer for that group expires. When configuring overflow timers for associated agent groups, the Total Time to Agent Group column is automatically populated to indicate how long a call will be waiting before being offered to that agent group. A maximum of four agent groups can be assigned to a queue.

The following procedures explain how to:

The following procedures take place in YourSite > Queues.

To associate an agent group with a queue
  1. Select a queue from the list and click the Membership tab.
  2. Under Available members, select an agent group and click > to move the agent group to the Selected members list.

    The order agent groups are added determines the order in which agent groups are offered calls.

  3. To adjust the order of selected members, select an agent group and click ^ or ˅.
  4. Click Save.
To remove an agent group association from a queue
  1. Select a queue from the list and click the Membership tab.
  2. Under Available members, select an agent group and click < to move the agent group to the Selected members list.
  3. Click Save.
To set the overflow timer
  1. Select a queue from the list and click the Membership tab.
  2. Under Selected members, set the Overflow Timer for each agent group associated to the voice queue.
  3. Click Save.

Configuring queue spectrum settings for queues

Queue spectrum reports provide valuable information on how calls are dispersed in your contact center. You configure thresholds for answer, abandon, interflow, handle, and ringing thresholds for queues in YourSite Explorer. The answer, abandon, interflow, and talk statistics will be distributed across the queue spectrum reports in the time intervals you specify.

The following procedures take place in Yoursite > Queues.

To configure queue spectrum settings for a queue
  1. Select a queue and click the Queue Spectrum tab.
  2. Select the spectrum value(s) you want to include in reports and specify thresholds for each.

    All threshold values are in seconds.

  3. Click Save.
To apply queue spectrum settings to all queues on the same media server
  1. Select a queue and in the ribbon, click the Queue Tools tab.
  2. Select Apply queue spectrum to all.

Configuring performance settings for voice queues

When configuring a queue, administrators set the queue priority, configure business hours for the queue, configure the work timer options, set the Service Level objectives, and set the handling times. Business hours control when the queue opens and closes.Agents are set in Reseize Timer to remove agents from ACD when a call fails to route to them. The Reseize Timer duration is set on a queue by queue basisThe following procedures explain how to: To set the priority level for the queue
  1. Select a queue and click the Performance tab.
  2. After Priority, select the priority level for the queue.

    The highest priority level is 1. The lowest priority level is 64. Queues with the same priority level route to agents based on longest waiting.

  3. Click Save.
To configure the business hours for a queue
Note:

Queues open and close in alignment with the business hour schedule selected. To control queue states according to a different schedule you must create the schedule and assign it to the queue. See "Creating and modifying schedules".

  1. Select a queue and click the Performance tab.
  2. After Business-hour schedule, click the Browse button.
  3. Select a schedule and click OK.
  4. If you want to restrict the production of real-time statistics and reports to only during business hours, select Generate statistics and reports only within business hours.
  5. Click Save.
To apply the business hours to all queues on the same media server
  1. Select a queue and in the ribbon, click the Queue Tools tab.
  2. Select Apply business hours to all.
To configure the Queue Work Timer options
  1. Select a queue and click the Performance tab.
  2. If you want to add Contact Center Work Timer to handling time in reports, select Include Queue Work Timer as part of handling time.
    Note:

    When 'Include work timer as part of handling time' is enabled, the ACD handling time durations for reporting purposes span from ACD pick up to the end of the Work Timer time.

    When this option is disabled, the ACD handling time duration spans from ACD pick up to hang up.

  3. To enable the queue for Work Timer, select Use Queue Work Timer and set the Queue Work Timer’s duration.

    The default duration is 5 minutes.

    Note:
    • Queue Work Timer maximum duration is 4 hours.
    • A queue’s work timer must not exceed the Class of Service Work Timer associated with any agents in agent groups who are associated with this queue. See "Configuring Work Timer".
  4. To force agents to enter call classification Account Codes, select Force entry of a classification code.

    This feature only displays if you use either Contact Center PhoneSet Manager or Contact Center Softphone.

  5. If you want Work Timer to end once the classification Account Code has been entered, select Cancel queue work timer once code is entered.

    This feature only displays if you use either Contact Center PhoneSet Manager or Contact Center Softphone.

  6. Click Save.
To set the voice queue service level objectives
  1. Select a queue and click the Performance tab.
  2. Specify the Service Level goal and Service Level time for the queue.
  3. Click Save.
To set the voice queue handling times
  1. Select a queue and click the Performance tab.
  2. After Short Handle less than, type the duration that will define a call as a short handle call.

    For example, type 3 to define a short handle call as one that lasts less than 3 seconds. Short talk calls are included in Agent call statistics but not in Queue call statistics.

  3. After Short abandon less than, type the duration that will define an abandoned call as ‘Abandoned (Short)’.

    For example, type 5 to define a short abandon call as one that is abandoned in less than 5 seconds.

  4. Click Save.
To set SIP queue Reseize Timer
  1. Select a queue and click the Performance tab.
  2. Select Use Reseize Timer.
  3. Set the Reseize Timer duration.

    The default Reseize Timer duration is 2 minutes.

  4. Click Save.
To enable Auto Answer for Agents
  1. Select a queue and click the Performance tab.
  2. Select the Agent Auto Answer check box..

    This check box is cleared by default.

  3. Click Save.
    Note:
    • If the Agent Auto Answer check box is selected, the Accept button is not displayed in Web Ignite because the incoming conversation is auto answered. 
    • The Agent Auto Answer option can be enabled for voice, chat, email, sms, and, open media queue types, but not for the Ring Groups

Configuring agent workflow settings

The Agent workflow tab contains the default workflow that manages the playback of recorded messages when an agent answers an incoming call from the queue. This workflow is activated when agent greeting is enabled. For more information on enabling agent greeting, see "Adding sites"
Note:

Agent greeting recording is available in both Ignite (DESKTOP) and WebIgnite. However, agents can only record one greeting which will be used on all greeting enabled queues.

The workflow includes a Play Agent Greeting activity. If Agent Greeting is enabled for the site (see "Adding sites"), the Play Agent Greeting activity checks the value of the <<AgentGreetingRecording>> variable (populated with a .wav file, if the agent has recorded a greeting) and plays the recording.You can add activities to customize the workflow (for example, you can add a Scheduling activity if you want the greeting to play only during business hours), however, the default workflow is sufficient for playing an agent greeting message if present. The workflow is triggered when the agent accepts an incoming ACD call.
Note:
The Play Agent Greeting activity has the following specific properties:
  • The 'Broadcast To' attribute is set to Both (so that both agent and caller hear the recorded message)
  • The 'Greeting Prompt' attribute is set to Agent Greeting (so that the prompt plays the agent's recorded .wav file, as specified in the <<AgentGreetingRecording>> variable, if one exists)

Configuring whisper announcements

The Agent workflow also controls whisper announcements. A whisper announcement is a recording that is played to the agent when an agent answers an inbound call. The whisper announcement can provide useful information to the agent (for example, it can identify the incoming queue) to help the agent to handle the call more efficiently.The whisper announcement plays only to the agent. You can choose a .wav file from the IVR Prompts page, or a Text-to-Speech prompt (if licensed).
Note:

When the whisper announcement is playing, the caller is able to hear the agent speaking. To prevent the caller from hearing the agent or other contact center background noise during the whisper announcement, mute the agent's headset for the duration of the announcement.

To add a whisper announcement to the queue
  1. Add the Play activity to the workflow and place it before the Play Agent Greeting activity.
  2. Select the Play activity and click Properties to configure the following attributes:
    • The 'Broadcast To' attribute must be set to Agent (so that only the agent hears the recorded message)
    • The 'Greeting Prompts' attribute must be set to the prompt that you want played
For detailed information on setting properties for the Play activity, see "Configuring the Play activity".

Configuring voice options for queues

The voice options tab contains additional voice queue configuration options.The following procedures explain how to: The following procedures take place in YourSite > Queues.To set the queue unavailable answer point directory number
  1. Select a queue and click the Voice options tab.
  2. Type the Queue unavailable answer point directory number.
  3. Click Save.
To set the queue’s interflow options
  1. Select a queue and click the Voice options tab.
  2. To enable interflow, select Interflow enabled.
  3. Select the Interflow timeout.
  4. Type the Interflow point directory number.
  5. Optionally, select Allow overflow to interflow before time out.
  6. Optionally, select Interflow to this queue uses this queue’s priority.
  7. Click Save.
Parent topic: Adding queues