Early Queuing and Toll-Free Queuing

Use

Toll-free queuing has been enabled by adding the early queuing function. Normally, the system connects an incoming call immediately, even when it arrives to a waiting queue or in an IVR that transfers it to the desired destination, and charging starts at the connection. Early queuing delays connecting the call until an agent answers the queue call, or the IVR connects it with the connect element. The time used for early queuing cannot exceed the maximum ringing time in PSTN, 120 seconds (2 minutes); if the call is not connected before that, it is disconnected.

The former Delayed Connection settings for H.323 gateways have been removed because early queuing can be used for both SIP and H.323 trunks. Early queuing also replaced the setting Use Mock Command for Call Connection in Channel settings.

Function is added in SP04.

Activities

To use early queuing, you must:

  • Enable early queuing for the system in Global Switching Settings. This requires that you have rights to edit Platform settings. Other early queuing settings take effect only when this setting is enabled.

  • Configure a queue or IVR where the early queuing is in use.

    • To configure a queue, take early queuing into use either on the channel level in System Management > Channels > Voice Channel > Contact Management > Use Early Queuing, or set it On for a specific queue in Queue Management > Queues > [selected queue] > Contact Management > Early Queuing. If the setting is not defined for the queue, the channel setting is used, and if the queue setting is defined, it overrides the channel setting.

    • To configure an early-queuing IVR, create an IVR where the Early Queuing is selected.

      Note:

      Make sure that the IVR includes a connect element, or transfers the call to an early-queuing queue.

      To use early queuing for asking questions to be answered with DTMF characters, DTMFs must be sent in RTP.

  • Trunk configuration may need to be changed:

    If early queuing is used and early media is played towards a SIP trunk that connects to an ISDN trunk, the SIP trunk must be configured so that the progress indicator sent to ISDN is set to 8 (PI=8). The trunk must be configured not to play ringback (call progress) tone at all, or at least not if a media stream is received from the SIP bridge.