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Callback Improvements

Overview

This FAQ addresses questions regarding improvements to the queued callback function in the 8x8 Contact Center.

Applies To

  • 8x8 Contact Center
  • Callback Queues

FAQs

What changes are being made?

Previously, callback requests were offered based on who requested first rather than the position in the queue. This led to longer waiting times for customers who had already waited a long time before requesting a callback, resulting in unfair callback offering. We are excited to announce that we have introduced callback fairness, which now considers the customer’s position in the queue when they requested the callback.
Additionally, we are now preventing duplicate callback requests in the callback queue, improving the caller and agent experience. This will reduce waiting times for customers who need a callback.

How does this work?

Callback Fairness:

Callback requests will be moved to the callback queue based on their position in the inbound queue where they requested the callback. To maintain callback fairness, we recommend the following:
  • The priority of the callback queue should not be higher than the priority of the inbound queue to ensure callbacks are offered based on waiting time.
  • Maintain a 1:1 relationship between the inbound queue and the callback queue to ensure fairness between callback requests from different inbound queues.
Callback order prior to change example:
  • Caller A enters one of your contact center queues at 12pm and waits in the queue for 1 hour before requesting a callback.
  • Caller B enters the same contact center queue at 12:30pm and waits in the queue for 10 minutes before requesting a callback.
  • Caller B will be prioritized as they requested a callback first at 12.40 while Caller A requested the callback at 1pm.
Callback order after change example:
  • Caller A enters one of your contact center queues at 12pm and waits in the queue for 1 hour before requesting a callback.
  • Caller B enters the same contact center queue at 12:30pm and waits in the queue for 10 minutes before requesting a callback.
  • Caller A will be prioritized as they have been waiting the longest in the queues.

Duplicate Callbacks:

We will not register more than one callback request from the same telephone number per callback queue.
Example:
  • A caller contacts your sales department and requests a callback after waiting in the sales queue. They then contact your support department for a separate issue and request another callback after waiting in the support queue. Both sales and support share the same generic callback queue so only 1 callback request will be created.
  • To resolve this issue, you should create separate callback queues for each individual inbound phone queue. This will allow the caller to receive a callback from both departments. 
Note: If the caller leaves a callback request but then calls again and decides to wait in the inbound queue and gets connected to an agent, their callback request will not be removed automatically.

Why are we making these changes?

This new method of offering callbacks will significantly enhance fairness by ensuring callbacks are made in the correct order, based on queue position. As a result, customers will experience shorter waiting times and a more equitable callback process, greatly improving the overall callback experience.

When will the changes take effect?

The rollout of these changes should be complete by September 30, 2024.

Will this affect my Analytics for Contact Center reports?

Duplicate callbacks are removed from the same callback queue if the original callback request has not been processed by an agent, therefore Analytics for Contact Center will also only display a single callback request in each individual callback queue.

Example 1:

A customer requests a callback after waiting in your support queue. After waiting for a callback and not getting a response, they call in again and request another callback. This would create a duplicate request which the system will now remove and keep the original callback request. Analytics would only show the single callback request as well.

Example 2:

A customer requests a callback after waiting in your support queue. They receive a callback from support and the original callback request has now been processed. The customer calls support again and requests another callback. This will generate another callback interaction and will not be classed as a duplicate. Analytics for Contact Center will mark this as a separate callback interaction and will show both callback requests.

Additional Information

For more information on how to set up Callback Queues and how they now function, please refer to our technical user guide.