Great input on this thread. Just adding my two cents on this discussion about the additional customization available with contact center.
Setting up queue timeouts and overflows are available (see thread Contact Center Calls Not Moving to Overflow) plus other features like reporting.
If contact center like functions are important within an organization, may be worth considering the upgrade as Neil has pointed out.
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Jahmal Abbott
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-16-2022 01:14
From: Neil Schofield
Subject: Call queues have no option for max timer or overflow in standard, non-VCC call queues
Sounds more like a training issue rather than an 8x8 issue. The call centres I've worked on the agents are disciplined to use dnd if away from desk or to log out. Of course, if you stay logged in then causes an issue, especially if the call centre closes at a particular time and people go home without logging out. Most systems are like this out of the tin, which is where contact centre comes in, which allows you to bounce a call if not answered by an agent. Everything is license driven. A visual wallboard can remedy this using the X4 license which shows available agents in the queue detail. Think of call queues as if you absolutely do not want it to go to voicemail (unless press an option to go there) and ring groups will end up in voicemail if no answer. The option to press 2 to go to voicemail would be a way out, especially if the message states opening hours and the call is beyond this.
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Neil
Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2022 06:47
From: Eric Nye
Subject: Call queues have no option for max timer or overflow in standard, non-VCC call queues
Dennis,
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I found that the "press 2 for voicemail" option does work, but only if you set the "delay after not answering" out to longer than the "repeat queue message interval". If it is shorter, then it just keeps ringing that agent who forgot to log out, over and over. I still think there must be a way for them to introduce a max call timer so I would also have the option to overflow to not just voicemail but to another destination.
Eric Nye
Original Message:
Sent: 2/15/2022 9:28:00 AM
From: Dennis Austad
Subject: RE: Call queues have no option for max timer or overflow in standard, non-VCC call queues
Eric, We have also run into this concern. We have typically used ring groups because of their ability to go to a group voicemail. In one case, we wanted to take advantage of the call queue feature of being able to log in/out to determine if you receive a call or not and ran into the same concern you brought up. As a temp solution, there is an option you can record to press 2 to go to voicemail if you wish to use it. It isn't a catch-all but does provide the caller the option to leave a voicemail. The option is at the bottom of the IVR section in a call queue.
Dennis
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Dennis Austad
Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2022 09:36
From: Eric Nye
Subject: Call queues have no option for max timer or overflow in standard, non-VCC call queues
We use Teams integration and use standard plain-old call queues for our operator groups at our 25 sites. The problem is that there is no option in Admin to set the max amount of time a call can sit in queue before it goes to voicemail or overflows to another user/ring group/queue. If an agent forgets to manage their login/logout status properly we wind up with callers getting stuck in queue indefinitely while the call continues to be offered to the absent agent. Ideally there could just be a max call timer and the caller would at least go to voicemail after a defined time. This is a standard feature on any call queue I have set up on any phone system in my 25 years in telecom so not sure why it isn't here in 8x8. I want a fail-safe in the inevitable case that a human will forget to do something. We currently have 30-50% abandon rate with some callers holding for 5-10 minutes before giving up. I would want to send them somewhere else after 60 sec.
I have already submitted this as a feature enhancement request through "Send Feedback" but if any of you are suffering from the same problem it might help to have you submit feedback as well.
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Eric Nye
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