What is a Call Queue?
A Call Queue in RingCentral is a feature that automatically routes incoming calls to a group of users or agents. Instead of ringing just one person, the call is placed in a queue and directed to the next available team member based on the routing rules you configure. If all agents are busy, callers can wait on hold, hear music or announcements, or be redirected to another destination. (RingCentral)
Why Use a Call Queue?
A Call Queue helps businesses:
- Reduce missed calls.
- Distribute calls fairly among team members.
- Improve customer wait times.
- Handle high call volumes efficiently.
- Route calls based on business hours or special schedules.
- Provide a better caller experience with greetings and hold music. (RingCentral)
Basic Components of a Call Queue
1. Queue Name
The name assigned to the department or team, such as Sales, Customer Support, Billing, or Reception.
2. Queue Members (Agents)
The users who answer incoming calls assigned to that queue.
3. Direct Phone Number
A phone number that routes incoming calls directly to the call queue.
4. Business Hours
Defines when the queue is open to receive calls and how calls are handled outside operating hours.
5. Greetings
Recorded welcome messages played before callers are connected to an available agent.
6. Hold Music
Music or announcements played while callers wait in the queue.
7. Voicemail
If no agent answers or the maximum wait time is reached, callers can be routed to voicemail.
Call Routing Methods
Simultaneous
All available agents receive the incoming call at the same time. The first person to answer gets the call.
Best for: Small teams.
Sequential
Calls ring one agent at a time in a predetermined order. If the first agent does not answer, the call moves to the next available agent.
Best for: Teams with senior and junior agents.
Rotating (Round Robin / Longest Idle)
Calls are distributed evenly among available agents by routing the next call to the longest-idle eligible agent.
Best for: Sales and customer support teams that want balanced workloads. (RingCentral)
Call Queue Flow
- Customer calls the business number.
- Greeting plays.
- RingCentral checks which agents are available.
- The system routes the call using the selected routing method.
- If no one answers, the caller waits in the queue while hearing hold music or announcements.
- If the maximum wait time is reached, the call can be forwarded to another queue, an IVR, an external number, or voicemail, depending on the configured rules. (RingCentral)
Common Call Queue Settings
- Business Hours
- After-Hours Routing
- Holiday Schedule
- Maximum Wait Time
- Maximum Queue Size
- Overflow Routing
- Voicemail Settings
- Caller ID Display
- Greetings and Hold Music
- Queue Member Management (RingCentral Developers)
Responsibilities of a Virtual Assistant
As a Virtual Assistant, you may be responsible for:
- Creating new call queues.
- Adding or removing queue members.
- Updating business hours and holiday schedules.
- Uploading greetings and hold music.
- Configuring voicemail and call forwarding.
- Monitoring missed calls and queue performance.
- Testing the call flow after making changes.
Best Practices
- Keep greetings short and professional.
- Regularly review queue members to ensure only active users receive calls.
- Choose the routing method that best matches your team’s workflow.
- Set up after-hours routing and voicemail to avoid missed customer inquiries.
- Test the queue after making configuration changes to confirm calls are routed correctly. (RingCentral)