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9bx user guide

PBX & Call Center

Queues and queue wallboard

Hold callers in line with music until an agent is free, and watch every queue live on a wall screen.

Contents

What it is for

A queue sends incoming calls to a team of agents. Callers wait in line, hear music and announcements, and are answered in the order they arrived. The wallboard shows the state of every queue for a team screen.

Who can use it

  • Queues needs the Queues permission. Plans may also limit how many queues you can create ("N of M queues used").
  • Queue wallboard needs the Live calls permission.

Where to find it

Phone → Queues and Phone → Queue wallboard

Queues: the list

The queue list with number, strategy, agents and wait limits.

Each row shows the queue name, its Number (optional, dialled from an extension), Ring strategy, Agents, Wait limits and whether it is On or Off. New queue opens the editor, a search box filters by name or number. A side card shows the Agent codes: Log in / out and Break on / off, which agents dial from their extension.

Queue settings explained

Section Settings
Queue Name, Number (2 to 10 digits), Ring strategy, Queue is on. If off, callers go straight to the timeout destination.
Agents Add extensions. Level (1 to 9): level 2 agents ring only when every level-1 agent is busy or away. Move agents up or down (the order matters for "Top down").
Ringing & waiting Ring each agent (5 to 120 s), Maximum wait (0 = no limit), Maximum callers waiting, Wrap-up time (0 to 600 s rest after a call), Callers may join when no agent is logged in, Callers leave when every agent logs out.
What callers hear Announce position, Announce every (15 to 600 s), Include estimated wait, a Music on hold choice and an Announcement with Repeat every.
When the wait runs out Send the caller to an extension, queue, menu, voicemail or Hang up.
Service level & alerts Answer within (SLA target), for example 20 seconds; Alert supervisors after a caller waited this long.
Priority & returning callers VIP callers first (by client tag), Back to the same agent (a returning caller rings the agent who last spoke with them, within Remember for days).
Required skills Callers reach agents with these skills first. Fall back to other agents lets anyone answer if no skilled agent is free. Skills are managed in Manage skills.
Call recordings Keep recordings for a different period than the organisation.
Callback Offer a callback: after a wait, or when the estimated wait is long. Choose the Key to press, Offer prompt, Attempts and Minutes between attempts. Callbacks run only inside office hours, go through your outbound routes and refuse blocked and international numbers.
After-call survey Ask callers to rate the call (1 to 5) after the agent hangs up; Tell callers at the start.

Ring strategies

Strategy Meaning
Ring all Every free agent rings at once.
Longest idle agent The agent free the longest rings first.
Round robin Agents take turns.
Top down (in order) Always starts from the first agent in the list.
Fewest calls The agent with the fewest calls today rings.
Random A free agent at random.

Tasks

Create a support queue

  1. Open Phone → Queues and press New queue.
  2. Enter Name "Support" and choose Ring strategy "Longest idle agent".
  3. Under Agents, press Add an agent for each extension.
  4. Set Maximum wait to 300 seconds and pick a timeout destination, for example voicemail.
  5. Turn on Announce position.
  6. Save. Then point an inbound number or IVR key at the queue (see Routes and IVR menus).

Let agents take a break

  1. The agent opens the softphone and chooses Call queues, then a break reason; or dials the break code.
  2. To return, choose Take queue calls.

Offer callbacks to long waits

  1. Edit the queue, open Callback.
  2. Turn on Offer a callback and set Offer after waiting to 60 seconds.
  3. Check Call back later for requests.

Queue wallboard

A live, full-screen board for a wall TV.

Control Meaning
Light screen / Dark screen Changes the theme.
Full screen / Exit full screen Fills the display.
Live / Reconnecting... Connection state. "Today's figures not updated" appears if totals are late.
Today across all queues Waiting now, Longest wait, Answered today, Service level today, Abandoned today, Agents free.
Queue cards Per queue: callers Waiting, Target, SLA today, Abandoned, Answered, ASA (average speed of answer) and Agents. A card turns Over target or "Waiting too long" when limits are passed.

Open it from the menu, or from the Queue report.

Example scenario

Padma Net Support creates two queues, "Support" (extension 600) and "Billing" (601). Support uses Longest idle agent, a 20 s SLA target and Alert supervisors after 120 s. The wallboard on the wall shows Support in amber ("Over target") during the 10:00 rush, so Nusrat asks two back-office staff to log in with the queue login code.

Tips

  • Keep level 1 for your best agents, level 2 for overflow.
  • Add a short announcement ("Your call is important to us") and repeat it every 45 to 60 seconds.
  • A queue with no agents logged in sends callers to the timeout destination at once; check Callers may join when no agent is logged in.

Troubleshooting

Problem Fix
"Your plan's queue limit is reached." Delete a queue or upgrade the plan.
Callers never reach the queue Point an inbound number, IVR key or call flow at it.
Agent does not ring They may be Logged out, On break, on Do not disturb, or in Wrap-up.
Wallboard empty "Create a call queue and turn it on; it appears here with its callers and agents."