Create a call queue and add agents

A queue holds callers in line and hands each one to the next agent who's free. This guide covers creating a queue, setting how many callers can wait, and choosing who answers.

This feature needs the Contact Center Pro plan. See plans and pricing

Some labels in your portal or apps may look slightly different from this guide.

Before you start

Add your agents first, so you can pick them for the queue. Add agents, groups and pause reasons shows how. A queue can also include plain extensions and agent groups.

Create the queue

1. 1
   Step 1:

   Open the queue list

   In the admin portal, open Queues. If you don't see it in the main menu, look for a Contact Center tab. The list shows each queue's name, number, ring strategy and agent count.
2. 2
   Step 2:

   Add a queue

   Select the plus icon to start a new one.
3. 3
   Step 3:

   Name it and number it

   Enter a Queue Name that no other queue uses, with letters and digits only. Then enter a Queue Number, digits only and unique too. Callers and phone menus (IVR) dial this number to reach the queue.
4. 4
   Step 4:

   Cap the line

   Set Max Waiting Callers to the most callers you want waiting at once. Size it to your team. Callers over the cap go to your queue full destination, covered in the queue overflow guide.
5. 5
   Step 5:

   Choose when hold music starts

   In Ring to Answer, enter how many rings a caller hears before joining the queue. Enter 0 to start hold music right away.
6. 6
   Step 6:

   Add the members

   Select Agents. Pick agents, agent groups or extensions from the list, then select Add. Set each member's penalty (next section).
7. 7
   Step 7:

   Save

   Save the queue.

Set penalties

A penalty is a priority number. Penalties run from 0 up to a maximum the form allows, and 0 is the highest priority. Under the ring everyone strategy, a call goes only to free members who hold the lowest penalty number. Use Move up and Move down to set the list order, which matters for the strategies that follow it. Choose a ring strategy explains each one.

Add wrap-up outcomes

Wrap-up outcomes are labels agents choose when a call ends. In the queue form, open Dispositions and add one for each result you want to track. Give each a name, such as Resolved, and a color so it's easy to spot in the agent app. A hotkey number is optional. If you delete an outcome later, statistics show its ID number instead of its name.

Record the queue's calls

To record every call this queue answers, set Record Queue Calls to Yes in the Recording section and save. Recordings show up under Queues, then CDR, where you can play one with Listen. Play, download or delete a call recording covers the rest.

Recording and monitoring laws vary by state, and your company is responsible for any notice and consent they require.

Rename with care

Send calls to the queue

A phone menu key can send callers to your queue. Pointing a phone number at it is something CallSprout support does, so give them the queue number and the number you want routed. Send a phone number to a destination explains what to ask for.