Queues app for Microsoft Teams now generally available

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Summary:

In today’s fast-paced world, customer centricity is more important than ever. As organizations strive to meet the evolving needs of their customers, the demand for faster response and resolution times continues to grow. Whether you are an employee calling into your helpdesk or a customer reaching out to support, one thing is clear: delivering consistent and enriching experiences is at the core of an organization’s success.

That’s why we are excited to announce the general availability of the Queues app for Microsoft Teams. Queues app is designed to enhance call queue management for those individuals in your organization that engage with customers, but do not necessarily work in a traditional call center environment. IT departments can effectively manage technical support calls, troubleshoot issues, and provide seamless support to employees. Sales, customer service, and admin teams can leverage the collaborative features of Teams while handling customer calls in the Queues app. Your team can work together seamlessly to resolve customer issues without having to leave Teams.

The Queues app provides a cost-effective and efficient solution for organizations of any size and across any industry, looking to optimize their call queue management within Teams.

Enhanced efficiency for agents

The intuitive interface and real-time updates of the Queues app, ensure that agents can manage incoming calls, provide assistance, and resolve issues efficiently. Agents and leads can easily opt in and out depending on their availability, and if configured by the administrator, they can view the CRM record for incoming PSTN calls side by side to ensure they have all the context they need to provide a high-quality customer service experience.

Built-in call controls allow efficient call handling with the ability to take, hold, and transfer calls with speed and ease. Agents can also place outbound calls on behalf of the queue, preserving the privacy of the agent’s phone and presenting your organization’s brand.

Agents can optimize customer care, ask for additional support from their leads, or switch between call queues depending on needs thanks to the real time analytics such as number of waiting calls, average wait time, and number of abandoned calls.

When combined with Copilot in Teams Phone1, agents can automatically capture notes, highlights, and next steps, or even capture outstanding issues before transferring the call to another colleague, avoiding unnecessary delays. This not only improves their productivity but also enhances customer satisfaction by ensuring timely and effective support.

Optimized oversight for leads

The Queues app is not just easy to use; it’s also easy to set up, configure, and manage. Leads can effortlessly opt agents in and out of specific queues based on expertise and availability.

Leads can provide immediate guidance to agents during calls with whisper controls. When needed, supervisors can step in to assist directly with barge and take over controls, and they can also help develop agents’ skills and improve performance where needed with monitoring controls. Silent coaching controls will be available post general availability.

Leads gain valuable insights through the app’s real-time analytics and historical reporting features, enabling them to monitor performance, track call volumes, and identify areas for improvement. The Queues app allows leads to export data into an Excel file, providing the flexibility to manipulate the data as needed. By having a clear overview of their team’s activities, leads can ensure high-quality service and make data-driven decisions to optimize operations.

Streamlined management for administrators

As an administrator, there is complete flexibility in how call queues and auto attendants are configured, as well as allowing for varying access levels depending on the specific needs of the leads (referred to as authorized users in the Teams Admin Center). Admins can set up call queues based on the specific scope, responsibilities, and permissions required.

After the initial setup and assignment of authorized users, leads can manage most of the configuration settings directly within Teams. This eliminates the need to log a ticket with helpdesk for ongoing support, streamlining administrative processes and enhancing efficiency for both the leads and the IT admin.

Take your customer engagement experience to the next level with the Queues app for Microsoft Teams. The Queues app is now generally available and is part of Teams Premium licensing2.

Teams Premium further enhances customer engagement with a suite of intelligent features. The intelligent call recap provides a detailed summary of calls, capturing key points and action items, ensuring that nothing is missed. Live translations and captions break down language barriers, enabling seamless communication with customers from diverse linguistic backgrounds. These features not only improve the efficiency and effectiveness of customer interactions but also contribute to a more inclusive and accessible service experience.

To learn more about Queues app:

Try or buy Teams Premium today Microsoft Teams Premium | Microsoft Teams

1 Copilot in Teams Phone is part of Microsoft 365 Copilot license.

2 Teams Phone license is a required license for call queues and auto-attendants. Teams Premium license provides access to Queues app.

Date: 2024-10-23 15:00:00Z
Link: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/queues-app-for-microsoft-teams-now-generally-available/ba-p/4276837