Assigning Music for Callers Waiting in a Queue

The following describes how to choose up to ten hold music tracks to play to callers waiting in a specific queue for their call to be answered. If this setting isn't changed, callers will hear a simple "please hold" message, with three minutes of ringing tone in between.

As part of this process, you can decide whether to have the caller's queue position announced to them at short intervals, followed by an estimate of how long they will be waiting. This is a chargeable feature whose cost is based on a price list of your choosing.

You don't have to assign music tracks to have the queue inform the caller of their position and estimated wait time. When no tracks are assigned, but queue position options are enabled, the caller will hear a generic ringing tone, with the automated announcements played periodically.

You can also nominate up to ten audio prompts to play in addition to the hold music and queue time announcements. These might be service updates relevant to the caller, or promotions and other announcements.

  1. Ensure all required music tracks have been uploaded.
  2. If you want the caller's queue position and estimated wait time to be announced while they wait, ensure that a suitable price list has been configured for this purpose.
  3. If you want to intersperse the music tracks with custom audio prompts, ensure these have been uploaded.

See also: Assigning Music for Callers Placed On-hold by an Operator.

Implementation

  1. Access the configuration page for the intended IVR.
    1. Access the list of services for the intended customer.

      1. Access the details page for the intended customer.

        1. Type the customer’s name into the search field at the top of any page.
        2. Click the intended customer in the search results. This opens the Customer Details page.
      1. Select the Services tab.
    1. Locate the intended IVR service and click its Configure link. This will open a new page.
  1. Locate the intended queue node and click its Config link.
  2. Ensure the Queuing tab is selected.
  3. Locate the Hold Music section.
  4. Select the Queue Position, Time, and Music radio button.
  5. Click Update. The page will refresh, displaying further options relevant to this process.
  6. Use the track selector drop-downs to choose up to ten available music tracks. These will be played in the order shown. If no tracks are selected, a simple ringing tone will be played instead.
  7. If you want the caller's position in the queue or estimated wait time to be announced every 20-30 seconds (based on the length of the hold music):
    • Tick the Play Queue Position and Time Messages check box.
    • Use the first drop-down to select a suitable price list.
    • Use the second drop-down to select whether to announce the caller's position, the estimated wait time, or both of them one after the other.
    • If you have chosen to announce the estimated wait time, provide a manual estimate (in seconds) of how long each call in the queue should take. This value will be multiplied by the number of calls ahead of the caller's in the queue, resulting in the estimated wait time.

      If the caller's expected total wait time is 59 seconds or shorter, the estimate will state "within one minute".

  8. If you want to play one or more custom audio prompts while the caller is waiting in the queue:
    • Tick the Play Informational Messages check box.
    • Assign up to ten prompts using the list provided.

      When assigning a prompt to an IVR node, you can either use an existing one or create a new one (without leaving the current screen):

      MethodDescription
      Assign an existing prompt...

      Click the Choose button, then select an existing audio prompt from the resulting list.

      You can filter the list by typing some or all of the prompt’s description in the field above.

      Create a new prompt and assign It...

      Click the New button, specify a Recording Name and, optionally, a Category. Then do one of the following:

      • If you aren’t ready to upload a file yet, you can click Make to create a ‘blank’ prompt that you will update later.
      • To assign an emulated text-to-voice clip, type the intended wording into Text To Say and click Create.
      • To upload a file to act as the prompt now, click Choose File, select the file, then click Upload.

      Whichever of these options you choose, the new prompt will be added to your list and assigned to the chosen slot.

      New prompts won’t be fully added to the system unless you click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page.

    The custom prompts chosen will be played in the order shown, following the queue position and estimated wait time (if included).

  1. Click Save Settings to confirm and apply your choices.

Further Reading