What is a Call Queue?
In any growing business, it’s common for multiple customers to call at the same time. Instead of missing calls or sending customers straight to voicemail, a Call Queue helps manage incoming calls in an organized way.
With CallHippo’s Call Queue feature, incoming calls are placed in a line and answered one by one. Each caller waits on hold until the user assigned to that number becomes available to take the call. While waiting, callers can hear music or custom messages, making the experience smoother and more professional.
Whether you have a small team or a busy department, Call Queues ensure that no customer feels ignored, and you never miss a chance to connect.
Benefits of Call Queue for Businesses
1. Improved Customer Experience
Customers don't like being sent to voicemail or getting a busy signal. A Call Queue keeps them informed and reassures them that their call will be answered soon.
2. Better Call Management
Calls are handled in the order they come in, ensuring fairness and reducing the pressure on users. No calls are missed, even during high-traffic periods.
3. Higher Team Productivity
Your users can focus on one caller at a time, without feeling overwhelmed by multiple ringing lines.
4. Professional Brand Image
Custom greetings and music keep callers engaged, making your business appear organized and customer-focused, even if you have a small team.
5. Increased Revenue Opportunities
By making sure every customer reaches someone instead of hanging up frustrated, you can capture more leads and build stronger customer relationships.
Example of How Call Queue Works
Imagine you run a real estate agency. During lunch hours, three clients call at the same time to inquire about different properties.
Instead of some calls going unanswered, CallHippo’s Call Queue places each caller in line:
Caller 1 is connected to the user first.
While Caller 1 is speaking with the user, Caller 2 hears an audio file or a custom message that you have the option to configure.
As soon as the user finishes with Caller 1, they are automatically connected to Caller 2.
The process continues for Caller 3, ensuring all clients are attended to without confusion or missed calls.
This way, even with just one or two users, your business handles multiple calls professionally and efficiently.
Important information:
1. When a caller is placed in the Call Queue, your account will be charged for the duration the call stays in the queue, based on the incoming call time. This charge applies even if the call is not connected to a user or answered. For example, if a customer waits in the queue but hangs up before speaking with anyone, you will still be charged for 1 minute of incoming call time.
2. The Call Queue feature is a number-specific feature, meaning it is associated with each number in your account. To activate Call Queue for your entire account, you will need to enable it for each number separately.
3. The Call Queue feature is available only in selected plans. Please check its availability from your pricing page of the website using: https://callhippo.com/pricing/
4. The Call Queue feature will not work for CallHippo India numbers due to the telecom regulations for Indian virtual numbers.
Steps to enable Call Queue for your CallHippo number:
1. Log in to your CallHippo dashboard.
2. Navigate to the “Numbers and DID” section on the left side of the screen and then click on the Numbers.
3. Click on the settings icon of the number for which you want to enable the Call Queue feature.
4. Click on the Call Queue options visible on the left side of the screen.
5. Click on the Call Queue toggle to enable it.
6. Setting a custom time for the call queue in CallHippo allows businesses to manage incoming calls more effectively by determining how long a caller remains in the queue before being redirected, typically to voicemail. By default, calls are held in the queue for 300 seconds, i.e, 5 minutes. Adjusting this duration can enhance customer satisfaction and optimize resource utilization.
7. We recommend enabling the ‘Wait Music’ option to set custom hold music that reflects your business. This music will be played to your clients while they are waiting in the queue.
Note: If you do not enable the wait music toggle, your customers will hear the default wait music provided by CallHippo.
8. You can add a text that you want your customers to hear, or you can upload your own audio file that you want to be played when the customer is waiting in the queue.
Additional Note:
For Text: You can enter and update a custom message and choose from different accents, as well as select either a male or female voice for the voice prompt.
For Music: You can upload a custom music file in either .mp3 or .wav format, with a maximum file size of 5 MB.
Auto Callback feature:
When the Call Queue is active, callers have the option to leave the queue by pressing the # key. This action will log the call as a "Call Back Request" in the call logs.
With this feature, callers don’t have to wait in the queue for long periods, and you’ll be able to see the "Call Back Request" in your logs. You can then call the customer back at a convenient time, ensuring a better experience for both your team and your clients.
9. You can enable the “Auto Callback” feature by enabling the auto callback toggle as visible in the screenshot.
Additional Information:
While waiting in the call queue, customers can press # to submit a callback request or press * to leave a voicemail if the voicemail option is enabled for the user.
Where to check the CallBack requests left by the customer using the Auto CallBack feature?
You can check the CallBack requests left by your clients from the call logs section of the CallHippo dialer.
1. Log in to your CallHippo dialer.
2. Click on the “Main Menu” icon.
3. Click on the “All calls / Inbox” option.
4. Navigate to the three-dotted options icon and then click on the “Callback request” checkbox.
5. The details of your customers who requested a Callback by pressing # will be visible on this page.
Some basic queries related to the Call Queue feature:
Q: How does the Call Queue work?
A: When multiple customers call at the same time, they are placed in a queue. The calls are answered one by one, and while waiting, callers hear either custom messages or music. Each customer is connected to a user as soon as the user is available.
Q: Will I be charged if a caller hangs up while in the queue?
A: Yes, you will still be charged for the duration the call stays in the queue, even if the caller hangs up before speaking to someone. The charge is based on the incoming call time.
Q: Is Call Queue available for all CallHippo users?
A: No, the Call Queue feature is available only in selected plans. You will need to check your plan’s details on the pricing page to confirm availability.
Q: Can I customize the amount of time callers stay in the queue?
A: Yes, you can customize the duration for which callers stay in the queue. By default, calls are held for 300 seconds (5 minutes), but you can adjust this duration to suit your business needs.
Q: What happens if a customer presses * in the queue?
A: If voicemail is enabled, the customer can press * to leave a voicemail. Otherwise, they will continue to wait in the queue until they are connected to a user.
Q: Why am I being charged for a call that didn’t connect?
A: You are charged for the time the caller spends in the queue, even if the call is not answered or connected. The charge applies to the duration of the call in the queue.
Q: What happens if the Call Queue reaches its time limit?
A: Once the time limit for the queue expires (default is 300 seconds), the call can either be redirected to voicemail or disconnected, depending on your number settings.
Q: Can I use different music for different numbers?
A: Yes, you can upload different music files for each number, allowing you to customize the experience based on the number dialed.
Q: How can I track the duration of a call in the queue?
A: You can monitor the duration of calls in the queue by downloading the call logs, where the incoming call time and queue time are recorded.
Q: Is there a way to prioritize certain calls in the queue?
A: The Call Queue system handles calls in the order they come in, and there is no built-in priority system for different callers, but you can assign users to handle specific queues or calls manually.
Q: Can I set different queue times for different numbers?
A: Yes, CallHippo allows customization of queue durations for each number individually.
Q: Is there a maximum limit for the queue duration?
A: While the default is 5 minutes, the Maximum you can do it for 1000 Seconds
Q: How does adjusting the queue time impact call abandonment rates?
A: Setting appropriate queue times can reduce call abandonment by ensuring callers are not left waiting excessively, thereby improving overall service quality.
Q: Can I add the Call Queue feature to my current plan?
A: The Call Queue feature is available only in selected CallHippo plans. To check if it’s included in your current plan, please visit the pricing page on our website.
Q: Is it possible to play specific music while a customer is on hold in the queue? Where can I set that up?
A: Yes, you can upload custom hold music for callers waiting in the queue. To set this up, go to the Call Queue settings for your number and enable the “Wait Music” option. You can upload an audio file in .mp3 or .wav format (maximum size 5 MB). If you don’t upload a file, the default hold music will be played instead.
Q: What happens if multiple people call my number at the same time?
A: If the Call Queue feature is enabled for your number, incoming calls are placed in a queue and answered one by one. Each caller will hear music or a custom message while waiting for a user to become available.
Q: While I’m on a call, is there a way to see if other callers are waiting in the queue?
A: While you won’t receive an alert during a call, you can view waiting callers in the Live Calls section of your CallHippo dashboard. This allows you to monitor calls currently in the queue in real-time.
Q: I have only one user handling calls. If that user doesn’t answer, I don’t want calls going to voicemail. Can they stay in the queue instead?
A: Yes, you can increase the queue duration from the number’s Call Queue settings. By default, callers wait for up to 300 seconds (5 minutes), but you can extend this to a maximum of 1000 seconds. As long as voicemail is disabled, the caller will remain in the queue for the set duration unless they hang up.
Q: Does the Call Queue feature work for Indian virtual numbers?
A: No, the Call Queue feature does not work for CallHippo India numbers. Due to telecom regulations in India, this functionality is not supported for Indian virtual numbers
I hope this helps. If you still face any queries, please feel free to reach out at [email protected]