Queue Callback & Queue Messages: Customer Guide

Overview

Queue callback lets a caller keep their place in line and hang up, then get a call back when an agent is free. Nobody waits on hold, and nobody loses their spot.

For your business, callback means fewer abandoned calls, shorter hold times, smaller call spikes, and fewer complaints about waiting. Callers who choose it are served in the queue just like callers who stay on the line.

This guide shows exactly what your callers hear and press, in order, so your team can answer questions and set expectations.

What your callers hear

The messages callers hear, and the music they wait to, can be set up separately for each queue. A typical setup tells the caller they can keep waiting, or press 0 to request a callback or leave a voicemail message. Messages can also tell callers their place in the queue and their expected wait time, based on recent averages.

Below are the messages used in a standard callback setup, in the order callers hear them.

Queue options menu

Message the caller hears	Key	What it does
”Press 2 to leave a voicemail.”	2	Sends the caller to voicemail. Only offered if the queue is set up to accept voicemail messages.
”Press 3 to keep your place in the queue and receive a callback when an agent is available.”	3	Starts the callback process below.
”Press # to return to the queue, or simply remain on the line.”	#	Returns the caller to the queue. Staying on the line does the same.

Callback setup messages (after pressing 3)

Step	Message the caller hears	Key
1	”Please confirm your callback number is…” (the system reads back the caller’s phone number)
2	”Press 1 to confirm and 2 to enter a different callback number.”	1 or 2
3	If 2 was pressed: “Please enter your callback number followed by the # key.”	Digits, then #
4	”Please confirm your callback number is…” (the system reads back the new number)
5	”Press 1 to confirm and 2 to enter a different callback number.”	1 or 2
6	”Thank you. We will call you back as soon as an agent becomes available.”	None, the call ends

How a callback works

When every agent is busy, the caller hears the queue options. Here is what happens if they choose a callback:

1. The caller presses 3 to keep their place in line.
2. The system asks them to confirm their callback number, or to enter a different one.
3. The system thanks the caller, and the call ends. The caller does not need to stay on the line.
4. Their place stays in the queue while they wait.
5. When an agent becomes available, the agent hears “We are connecting you to a customer. Press 1 to accept this call.”
6. The agent presses 1, and the system calls the caller back and connects them.

What the agent hears. The agent message tells them they are handling a callback request, so they can greet the caller correctly. For example: “This is Rick with Phoneware returning your call. How may I help you?”

Good to know

• Callback time limit. A callback request stays in the queue for up to 2 hours by default. If no agent has called back by then, the request is cleared.
• Order of service. Callers are connected to agents in order of how long they have been waiting. A caller who is still listening to the callback options is not counted as waiting at that moment, so a caller who stayed on the line may be connected first.
• Same queue, same priority. A callback request is handled exactly like a live caller in the queue.
• Voicemail and forwarding. When callback is turned on for a queue, the queue’s unanswered-call behavior must stay set to “stay in queue.” Forwarding unanswered calls to another number or to voicemail does not work together with callback. Callers can still choose to leave a voicemail from the options menu, if the queue is set up to accept voicemail messages.

Questions and support

Does the caller lose their place if they hang up after pressing 3? No. Hanging up after the thank-you message is expected. Their place in line is held.

Can a caller change their callback number? Yes. At the confirmation prompt they press 2, then enter the new number followed by the # key.

What if a caller changes their mind? While waiting in the queue they can press # to return to the queue, or simply stay on the line.

Can we change these recordings or the callback time limit? Yes. The messages can be re-recorded, and the time limit is set per queue. Contact Phoneware Support to make a change.