Callback enables your customers to choose between waiting on hold in a queue or requesting a callback. When customers select callback, their places are held in the queue and their call is automatically returned when an agent is available to talk with them.
For the customer callback feature to work, at least one agent must be logged in and they must have a status of either Online or Away.
Understanding the end-user experience
- Press 1 to request a callback on the number they've called in from
- Press 2 to request a callback to a different number. The alternative number must be in E.164 format, i.e. [+ or 00][country code][subscriber number including area code]. If it's not in the correct format, the customer will be prompted to enter again.
- Press 3 to return to the queue on hold
If the customer requests a callback, they'll also hear a second Callback confirmation greeting confirming their choice. The call will then end while keeping the customer in the queue.
You can select a language for the callback confirmation greetings when setting up callback (see Enabling callback).
Understanding the agent experience
Agents click Call to call the customer back or Decline from the call console to send the call back to the queue.
Talk sends the callback request to all agents for one hour. If an agent accepts the call or all agents decline the call, the callback request is cancelled and a Zendesk Support ticket with the subject Callback is created for the agent to action later. If, after 60 minutes, no agents are available the callback request is cancelled and a ticket is created.
If an agent is in the 'offline' or 'transfers only' state, they are treated as if they declined the request.
If an agent is in the 'away' state, or is busy on a call, they will receive the request once they are available. If they are not available after 60 minutes, the callback request is cancelled and a ticket is created.
Talk also creates a Zendesk Support ticket when the agent initiates the callback. If the customer doesn't pick up, Talk doesn't try to call them back again. An internal comment is automatically added to the ticket indicating that the callback request was attempted
Reporting on callback activity
Use the Talk Professional dashboard to analyze your account's callback from queue activity using the metrics Callbacks in queue, Total callback calls, and Average callback wait time. For more details, see Analyzing call activity with the Talk Professional dashboard and Zendesk Talk dashboard metrics reference.
Enabling callback
Callback is configured for each individual Talk number. You can't configure callback for digital lines.
To enable callback from queue
- In Admin Center, click
Channels in the sidebar, then select Talk and email > Talk.
- Select the Lines tab.
- Click the number you want to edit.
- Select the Callback tab.
- Toggle the Callback field to enabled.
- In the Language field, select a language for your callback phone number
confirmation greeting. This setting affects only the message that plays after customers
have pressed 2 to request a callback. It doesn't affect the language of the Callback
greeting or Callback confirmation greeting.Note: If you do not select a language, Talk will automatically use your Zendesk Support default language. If your Zendesk Support default language is set to a language not included in Talk, the greeting will be played in English.
- In the Callback greeting field, select a greeting from the dropdown list. This is the greeting that plays informing callers that they can press 2 to request a callback.
- In the Callback confirmation greeting field, select a greeting from the dropdown list. This is the greeting that plays after callers press 1 to confirm they've selected callback.
- Click Save changes.
37 comments
Liam Kelly
We have run into an issue where enabling callbacks on our lines causes a substantial increase in abandoned calls.
Apparently customers are hearing the message and hitting 2 during the message and hanging up (they don't know they have to wait for a confirmation), these calls are then considered abandoned and no callback request is created.
Is that how it is supposed to work? Human nature pretty much dictates they will press 2 immediately instead of waiting for the music to start.
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iulian Ursu
Thank you for your message and for the support ticket you raised asking this very question.
As stated in the article above, when the IVR is enabled, the Callback greeting is no longer played. However, once the caller is in the queue, they can still use this feature by pressing 2. Therefore, your suggestion of using option 1 for German and 3 for English is correct because you can use option 2 for Callback. You will need to adjust your IVR greeting to ensure the callers are aware of and understand how to use this feature.
I hope this answers your question.
You are most welcome to reply in the support ticket if you have further concerns and we'll do our best to address them for you.
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Permanently deleted user
We have an offshore call center that transfers calls to our T2 team that utilizes Zendesk Talk. We have multiple different lines that they transfer to. Why do callback requests display the Zendesk phone number from the line they were routed to even when we have “outbound calling” disabled from those lines? We don't want customers to be able to contact us on multiple different lines and create direct inbound volume. We have an external number added into Zendesk that is our customer facing number. Why can't outbound callback requests be dialed out from our external line?
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Simon Collier
Hi! I see there is only a 40 second offering period for calls before they bounce to another agent. We would love if it could be put on the roadmap to be able to adjust this in the same increments as the regular call offering timeframe. Having them so vastly different is not ideal for our agents. Thank you!
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Dan Cross
In the instructions for this feature, it says you can't configure callback for digital lines, SIP-IN lines, or toll-free numbers - is that still accurate? Meaning, if a customer calls our support line that was a toll free number, we can't use the callback feature? OR does it mean that if a customer calls us on a toll-free number (ie they are at their work), we can't call them back to that toll free line BUT they would have to provide a non-toll free number.
The instructions/guidance is confusing so any help is appreciated.
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Rob Stack
Hi Dan Cross, thanks for the great feedback. Toll-free numbers are supported, though some carriers do not support outbound calling from a toll-free line. Check with your carrier before you configure callback on a toll-free number.
I will soon update the article to reflect this. I hope that helps!
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Dan Cross
Thanks Rob. To clarify - if our customers call our support line, which is a toll-free number, and in the IVR, request a callback, our agents will be able to call them back as an outbound call? BUT, this may not work if the customer calls us from their toll-free number and requests a callback; we may not be able to complete that as a callback. Do I have that right? Thank you!
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