Implemented Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group

[bluetel2]

call queue

Hi

we have call center customer who ask us every update if it's possible to receive more than 1 call per 3cxphone where agent is on call queue. For Example agent take off 1 call from queue and the can take off another call for another queue or the same ( maybe they can choice number of simultaneous call they can have for all call queue)


tks

 

[dig1234]

Re: Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group

Exactly! Small and medium size business don't have "agents", they have receptionist, administrative assistants etc. They are the group who will benefit from this...

 

[ghunt]

Re: Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group

Nick, I can understand your point that in a call-centre situation, you don't want to ring an agent's phone until they are off the phone. That makes perfect sense. But, in the case of a "ring-all" queue or ring group, I think that 3CX should follow the extension's rules about accepting more than one call at a time. That provides the most in flexibility. For literally all of the small-business installs I have done, being able to ring more than one phone at once, and the ability to ring the phone even if already on a call is a requirement because they rarely have a dedicated receptionist. They just say to me "ring these 3 phones for incoming calls", and expect that if they are already on a call their phone will still ring, and they of course have the option to ignore it or put their current call on hold to answer it.

So, to summarize:

If a queue or ring group is set to "Ring All", then the queue or ring group should follow the settings set for each extension involved when deciding which phones to ring.

 

[uptime1]

Re: Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group

I agree with everyone still jumping up and down that a phone assigned to a Call Queue be able to receive multiple calls simultaneously AND the phone ring when second and subsequent calls come in. This one issue has completely halted deployment of 3CX 16SC Pro for a busy doctor's office where the front desk staff doesn't have the luxury (not even close) to lethargically handle one call at a time. Plus, their existing legacy Toshiba phone system we were planning to replace has this practical and straight-forward behavior. Is it annoying for the phones to ring constantly, yes. But, I have already created a soft ring tone to quiet the annoyance and add more Zen to the office using 3CX, alas, can't install because only one call at a time limitation! Now, that's annoying! I'm not buying the 3CX 16SC Pro license until this problem is fixed.

BTW, I'm using Call Queues instead of Ring Groups because I want callers to have the benefit of hearing feedback about the progress of their call being answered.

I appreciate the way Call Queues are designed now fit a certain scenario for call handling. But, that approach obviously isn't a one solution fits everything nirvana.

To triple confirm what others have investigated and reported, putting a call on hold does not free up an agent phone to receive another call. Nope, doesn't work that way. The only way to free an agent phone is to park a call, but that's making bad worse with the loss of visual details about the call such as helpful caller id and the time and duration of the call.

The Windows Phone client is terrific, but customers sees it as optional and often overly complicated. They want a fully functional desk phone first.

3CX, what do you think of offering a Call Queue option to handle the scenario I (and many others) find is an enormous problem?

 

[pact]

Re: Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group

Am I correct about that or did this behavior change in V14?.

Oh wow, so I'm not going crazy, so this has broken in V14.

We have a few one-person-reception places which enjoyed having a Call Queue and the multiple-call notification which allowed them to wrap up a call if another came in. Since we've moved to V14 its not longer working.

So will this get fixed, or is it now a 'feature' ?

 

[N_G]

Re: Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group

For Ring Groups, this ability is still there and has always been. Its in the Custom Parameters table and still is. It should be noted that it does not combine well with the 'Ring mobile simultaneously' option. Before you compare with old phone systems, it should be kept in mind that 3CX has a whole host of new capabilities that are difficult to combine well with some older features - sip forking, mobile softphones, open standard phones, push on smartphones to name a few things that make it more complex.

That said, we will review this capability for V15 SP1 and see if it can be made available without causing issues to other features...

 

[DSXVOICE]

Re: Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group

Unfortunately, in the cloud version, "parameters" does not exist - which is understandable. But this also removes our ability to adjust this particular parameter. What is needed is something that will allow the cloud instances to have a ring-all-no-matter-what option.

 

[N_G]

Re: Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group

Thats what we will work towards in v15... But in v14 we cant unlock the custom parameters option. We will put this option in the interface....

 

[N_G]

Re: Allow multiple calls for Queue and Ring Group - IN CONSIDERATION

So to recap on this and avoid miscommunication:

1. Its absolutely possible to have extensions targeted for multiple calls in RING GROUPS, always was and still is. As Jonathan Rappaport / Lifeline helpfully pointed out earlier in this thread: This option is in Troubleshooting, Parameters and search for "allowusebusyoptforgroup". Set this value to 1, save it and restart the 3CX services. This option will be moved to the web interface in v15 to make it more accessible.

2. If on a queue call, you can pick up calls in the queue using the 3CX client. So you can see calls come in / waiting in the queue via the Queue screen and then choose to pick up the call. If you dont want to use the client, and have each incoming call target agents immediately (it somewhat defeats the purpose of the queue I think) its not possible right now. But yes, we can make an option to force that behaviour if that is what the customer wants. Scheduled for V15.

 

[DSXVOICE]

The ability to set that parameter is not currently available in a cloud instance because "Parameters" is removed from the troubleshooting menu.

 

[N_G]

Yes, but in V15 that will change.
We will also strive to add the option for queues as requested

 

[DSXVOICE]

Excellent

 

[nb]

You can connect via pgadmin (postgress client tool) and change the parameters from there. Custom parameters is disabled for security purposes from cloud instances.

 

[uptime1]

Hi Nicky,

Okay, the PgAdmin ALLOWUSEBUSYOPTFORGROU = 1 adjustment works for Ring Groups (evidently not for Call Queues), but what about this mention of a problem being caused by enabling the setting?

http://www.3cx.com/forums/post180115.html#p180115

"I can confirm that this option does cause issues when calls are being transferred and can cause calls to get 'stuck' in the system. This is why it never made it into the Management Console as an option and why it was removed even as a custom parameter in V14."

 

[NickD_3CX]

The mention of the issues stands, enabling ALLOWUSEBUSYOPTFORGROUP will cause various issues usually related to the transferring of calls. Just to summarize things, it is doable in V14, regardless if it is a Single-instance or a Multi-Instance, the same as it was doable in previous versions, however the same thing still applies as in previous versions as well, the fact you will have issues, so currently we don't recommend doing this and any issues stemming from this setting will not be troubleshooted by the Support Team due to the known issues connected to it.

If this feature is something you would like to see properly implemented at some point, I would recommend continuing to upvote this topic.

 

[DSXVOICE]

Hi Nick,

In a V14 cloud instance, how does one enable ALLOWUSEBUSYOPTFORGROUP? I do not see any options available in the interface to do this.

 

[uptime1]

Search "3CX PgAdmin Ring" for the instructions.

 

[DSXVOICE]

The problem with that solution is that it makes the change for the entire PBX - all 24 instances, correct? Since activation of this feature apparently results in unpredictable behavior, I'm thinking that applying ALLOWUSEBUSYOPTFORGROUP to all instances is not a robust approach toward stability. Should this not be a concern?

 

[uptime1]

No, it only makes the change to the instance you select. Each instance has its own database and the change is made to only the instance's database.

 

[uptime1]

While trying to come up with a clever approach to get around v14 Call Queue limitation of one call per phone, I read vague comments about placing another phone (that now I understand won't be actively used but is a member of the call queue and is logged into the call queue) near the receptionist so they can hear the phone ring. I didn't quite get what that means but now, having traveled this far on the journey, I see the benefit which is while the receptionist (agent) is on a call (and therefore their phone doesn't ring) the second phone will ring which indicates there is at least one other caller waiting to be answered. Additionally, if other staff around the receptionist hear the ringing go on and on, they can choose to pickup the waiting calls.

Anxiously waiting for v15!

 

[khopper]

Also waiting for V15, can't wait for this to finally be resolved.