6.3.6 Agent options

Agent options

The Agent options are settings that will allow you to configure the ACD behaviour for distributing calls to agents.

The ACD distributes incoming calls in the order of arrival to the first available agent. The system answers each call immediately and, if necessary, holds it in a queue until it can be directed to the next available agent.

Please note that:

  • The ACD will always distribute calls in sequence: Longest call waiting will be first to be distributed to agents (first in / first out)

  • The ACD is capable of distributing multiple calls at once (i.e. it won’t wait for the first call to be answered by aan agent to start distributing another call)

  • Calls that are being distributed are no longer considered to be waiting in the queue

  • When the ACD has attempted to distribute a call, and none of the agents have answered, the call will go back into the queue to be picked up for distribution by the ACD again.

Under Agent options, you have the following:

Selection strategy

Selects a strategy for an incoming call to be distributed to an agent.

You can select a strategy from a drop-down list. The options are:

  • Ring all: The ACD will call all agents seen as available. If an agent becomes available after the distribution started, the ACD will not attempt to distribute the call to this agent. It will, however, start distributing the next call waiting in the queue to all available agents at that time.

    We recommend avoiding using this strategy on queues with more than a few members, as waiting time with this strategy tends to be longer than with other strategies.

  • Round robin: The round robin strategy will distribute the first call in the rotation to the first agent in the list, then the second, etc. Subsequent calls will be distributed to the agent in the list after the last one who answered.

  • Random: The ACD will pick a member at random.

  • Longest idle: The ACD will select the member that has received a call from this queue the longest time ago.

  • Least used: The ACD will look for the member who has answered the least number of calls for this queue.

Activate timeout per agent (seconds)

Specifies the time how long, in seconds, ACD will make the primary device of the agent ring before pulling the call back into the queue, ready to be distributed again (can only be configured when selecting Round robin or Random).

The default value is 30.

Delay the next call after agent timeout (seconds)

Specifies the time in seconds to hold the call in the queue before trying to connect it to another available agent.

The default value is 30.

Activate wrap-up time per agent (seconds)

Specifies the time required by an agent after a call has ended to complete any work directly associated with the call.

 

Wrap-up time (seconds)

Specifies the wrap-up time in seconds.

The default value is 60.

Hold duration

Activates/deactivates a message indicating how long the call has been in the queue for.

Please note that the caller will be connected only once the agent has heard this message.

Announcement to agent

When activated, plays the selected announcement to agents before connecting the caller to them.

For example, this announcement can be used to inform the agent about which queue/service the caller came from.

Please note that it only draws from the pool of General announcements.

Please remember the following:

  • You should avoid configuring a queue that callers can join even if no agents are logged in

  • You should always configure a queuing timeout and an action on timeout for calls to go to when this timeout is reached

  • Calls coming via a queue can get picked up by other extensions, but only if they're in the same pick-up group

  • The ACD will ignore any call forwarding configuration on agent phone extensions

  • You should always configure a timeout per agent that gives enough time for agents to answer the phone, without setting it up to a value that’s too high and increase waiting time

  • You should stay away from using the Ring all strategy

  • Always configure all timeout options on a queue service