Virtual queuing is a concept that originated in inbound call centres but has now become popular among physical businesses and stores as well. It allows customers to join and stay in the queue without actually being on hold or standing in a physical queue of individuals. Virtual queuing systems provide a much more engaging and convenient customer experience, which is why they are rapidly becoming a staple for inbound contact centres. A research study found that 50% of customers who are offered virtual queuing would rather take this option than wait on hold.
Importantly, virtual queuing systems can be applied to any inbound communication channel, including email, chat, and social media comments. Let us explore this concept in more detail.
What is a Virtual Queuing System?
You can define a virtual queuing system (also called virtual queue management systems) as a solution that registers a customer’s queue position and pushes them up the queue as contact centre agents process incoming requests, without the customer physically staying online or standing in a real-world queue. A virtual queue acts just like a real one – as more tasks get completed, a customer’s queue position will progressively change from 3 to 2 to 1, when their query is finally addressed. And, the customer has to wait just like they would in a non-virtual system, but the difference is that they can go about their day as usual.
The sense of frustration and urgency that typically arises from our experience of unoccupied time is therefore averted.
3 Reasons You Need a Virtual Queuing System
- Reduce your call centre abandonment rate
Long queues are among the top reasons why customers abandon calls halfway. Either the queue simply isn’t moving fast enough, or the estimated wait time doesn’t correspond to your real capacity and real queue progress. A virtual queuing system would make sure that more people stay on hold until they are attended by a live agent, reducing abandonment rates.
- Improve customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores
Customers engaging with agents after what is perceived to be a very long wait time will invariably score the experience lower than average. This is because frustration, urgency, and even anger colours the interaction, even if the agent successfully resolves the query within an acceptable handling time. After a virtual queue, customers are more likely to give you a higher CSAT score.
- Optimise your contact centre resource utilisation
Virtual queuing systems let you employ your resources more effectively, as agents have better visibility into upcoming interactions and can calibrate their handling time accordingly. Lower abandonment rates also make queue progress more predictable, so you can staff your contact centre accordingly.
Considerations When Implementing Virtual Queuing Systems
It’s important to remember the various choices available, including universal (i.e., omni-channel), queues, and channel-specific virtual queues. Also, you could have a hybrid system where a segment of customers chooses to wait virtually while others stay online, possibly to gain more assurance and stay updated on their queue positions.
