Early Queuing and Toll-Free Queuing

Use

Toll-free queuing is possible with 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.

Activities

To use early queuing, you must:

  • Enable early queuing for the system in Global Switching Settings. This requires that you have Modify rights to Platform. 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, use early queuing on one of the following levels:
      • for the voice channel in System Management > Channels, in the Voice Channel block's Contact Management section by selecting the Use Early Queuing checkbox
      • for a specific queue in Queue Management > Queues, in your selected queue's Contact Management block by selecting On in the Early Queuing drop-down.

      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.