If you do not want to 'wait in queue', your customer does not want to either. The importance of call queue management can not be emphasized on more. The challenge lies in balancing agent surplus with call surplus without having to make the caller wait in queue for long periods or leave the agent idle. Many Call Centers experience periods of unusually high call volume and a shortage of agents. The caller holding the line for a long time experiences frustration. This ultimately results in call abandonment or the caller venting her/his anger on the agent. This negatively impacts customer service and performance levels of agents who face the angry caller.

But are queues unavoidable? Common sense seems to say so. A typical call volume chart of a Call Center shows more spikes than plateaus. No Call Center would deploy an army of agents to take care of every single spike. Lengthy IVR call flows and music on hold do not seem to be the answer.

Yes, they are avoidable. Many service providers who have used Servion's CallBack Manager (CBM) agree that call queues are avoidable. This simple application has the potential to even out your peaks and move the calls that were not handled by the agents to a subsequent dip. The CallBack Manager gives an option of a 'call back' to a customer in a queue, and automates the 'call back' either on availability of the agent or at a time opted for by the customer. The customer has control over the entire process, allowing her/him to make an informed decision, based on expected wait time, on whether to stay on line for an agent or leave a 'call back' request. It is simple, inexpensive, and easy to administer. It maximizes efficiency and improves customer service.