Queue Priority

Queue Priority allows you to control which customer requests get handled first when you have multiple queues competing for the same agents. Think of it as a VIP system - high-priority queues (like Premium Support or Emergency Issues) get served before standard queues.

Why use Queue Priority?

• Ensure VIP customers get faster service

• Handle urgent issues before routine requests

• Meet different Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for different customer tiers

• Optimize agent efficiency by routing the most important requests first

How Queue Priority Works

Priority Levels

• Queue priority ranges from 1 to 10

• 1 = Lowest Priority (handled last)

• 10 = Highest Priority (handled first)

Request Routing Order

When multiple requests are waiting and an agent becomes available, the system follows this order:

Step 1: Queue Priority First

• Requests from higher-priority queues are always handled before lower-priority ones

• Example: Priority 8 queue requests go before Priority 5 queue requests

Step 2: Task Priority Within Queues

• If multiple queues have the same priority, the individual request priority determines the order

• Higher-priority requests within any queue get handled first

Step 3: First In, First Out (FIFO)

• If both queue priority and request priority are equal, the longest waiting request goes first

• This ensures fairness for requests with the same importance level

Setting Up Queue Priority

When Creating a New Queue

1. In the queue creation form, locate the "Queue Priority" field

2. Enter a number between 1-10 based on your business needs:

   • 8-10: Critical/VIP queues (Emergency Support, Premium Customers)

   • 5-7: Standard queues (General Support, Sales)

   • 1-4: Low priority queues (Follow-ups, Surveys)

For Existing Queues

1. Navigate to your queue list

2. Click the dropdown (⋮) next to the queue you want to modify

3. Select "Edit Queue"

4. Update the Queue Priority field

5. Save your changes

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Customer Service Tiers

Setup:

• VIP Support Queue: Priority 9

• Standard Support Queue: Priority 5

• General Inquiries Queue: Priority 3

Result: VIP customers always get connected first, even if standard customers have been waiting longer.

Example 2: Departmental Priorities

Setup:

• Emergency Technical Issues: Priority 10

• Sales (Hot Leads): Priority 7

• Sales (General): Priority 5

• Billing Questions: Priority 4

Result: Technical emergencies get immediate attention, followed by sales leads, then routine inquiries.

Example 3: Time-Sensitive Requests

Setup:

• Live Chat (immediate response needed): Priority 8

• Email Support (24-hour SLA): Priority 4

• Feedback Forms (no strict SLA): Priority 2

Result: Live chat customers get instant routing while emails and forms can wait for available agents.

Best Practices

Priority Assignment Guidelines

• Reserve 9-10 for true emergencies or highest-tier customers

• Use 6-8 for standard business-critical queues

• Use 1-5 for routine, non-urgent requests

Balancing Service Levels

• Don't make too many queues high priority - this defeats the purpose

• Monitor queue performance to ensure lower-priority customers aren't neglected

• Consider time-based escalation for requests that wait too long

Agent Distribution

• Ensure you have enough agents skilled for your highest-priority queues

• Consider dedicated agents for critical queues during peak hours

• Monitor agent workload to prevent burnout from constant high-priority requests

Important Considerations

Agent Availability Impact

• Priority only matters when agents are busy and multiple requests are waiting

• If you have plenty of available agents, all requests get handled quickly regardless of priority

• During off-peak hours, priority differences may not be noticeable

Mixed Priority Scenarios

• An agent handling a low-priority request will finish that request before taking a high-priority one

• Priority affects which request gets routed next, not which request gets interrupted

System Configuration (Advanced Users)

Enabling/Disabling Queue Priority Feature

Note: This section is for technical administrators. If you experience issues with these steps, please contact your system administrator or support team.

Queue Priority is controlled by a backend feature flag. By default, this feature is disabled. To enable or disable it:

1. Navigate to the core components values file in your Helm deployment folder:

   CODE

   cim-solution/kubernetes/helm-values

2. Locate this environment variable in the core component's helm values file:

   YAML

   extraEnvVars:
       - name: IS_QUEUE_PRIORITY_ENABLED
         value: "false"

3. Update the value as needed:

   • "true" to enable Queue Priority

   • "false" to disable Queue Priority

4. Update the Helm release for the core group using this command from the cim-solution/kubernetes directory:

   BASH

   helm upgrade --install --namespace expertflow --create-namespace ef-cx --debug --values helm-values/ef-cx-custom-values.yaml expertflow/cx --version <Specify Chart Version here>

Important: Always backup your configuration before making changes and test in a staging environment first.

Monitoring Queue Priority Performance

Track these metrics to optimize your priority settings:

• Average wait times by queue priority

• Service level achievement by priority

• Agent utilization across priority levels

Limitation

Agent Reserved State Limitation

When an agent is in the RESERVED state (due to receiving a chat request), the following behavior occurs:

Scenario: Single agent available, currently in RESERVED state

1. Agent receives a chat request and enters RESERVED state

2. New requests from other queues arrive while agent is reserved

3. Agent accepts the original chat request

4. Issue: The agent will NOT receive the waiting requests from other queues automatically

Why this happens:

• Only the queue associated with the accepted chat remains active for that agent

• Other queues are not triggered during this time

• Requests from different queues remain unrouted to that specific agent

Workarounds:

• Multiple agents: This limitation only affects scenarios with a single available agent

• Manual intervention: Agent can manually change the MRD (Media Routing Domain) associated with the queue

• Wait for availability: Requests will be routed when another agent becomes available

Impact: This primarily affects deployments with very few agents or during off-peak hours when only one agent is available across multiple queues.

Need help with Queue Priority setup or configuration? Contact your system administrator or support team for assistance.