Set up queued callback by creating flows, queues, and routing profiles
You can create flows that provide the ability for customers to leave their phone number and get a callback from an agent.
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How callbacks keep their place in queue
Callbacks can be placed in either the same queue as the one they come from, or in a new queue that you can create to get a clearer delineation of the active queued calls versus in memory (callback) calls in the real time reports.
From a routing perspective, if the callback queue has the same priority with the original queue, Amazon Connect continues to look at the start time as the original start time for the call where the callback was initiated from, so the call does not lose the place in queue, regardless of where you transfer it.
Amazon Connect evaluates the routing profiles first so if the two queues have the same priority, the oldest call is pushed first across all queues with the same priorities. For example, if your original call arrived at 10:00 and left a callback request at 10:05, Amazon Connect looks for the call start time of 10:00, not 10:05.
Steps to set up queued callback
Use the steps provided in the following overview to set up queued callback.
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Set up a queue specifically for callbacks. In your real-time metrics reports, you can look at that queue and see how many customers are waiting for callbacks.
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Set up caller ID. When setting your callback queue, specify the caller ID name and phone number that appears to customers when you call back.
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Add the callback queue to a routing profile. Set this up so that contacts waiting for a call are routed to agents.
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Create a flow for queued callbacks. You offer the option for a callback to the customer.
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(Optional) Create an outbound whisper flow. When a queued call is placed, the customer hears this message after they pick up and before they connect to the agent. For example, "Hello, this is your scheduled callback..."
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(Optional) Create an agent whisper flow. This is what the agent hears right after they accept the contact, before they are joined to the customer. For example, "You're about to be connected to Customer John, who requested a refund for..."
The routing process
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When a customer leaves their number it's put in a queue and then routed to the next available agent.
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After an agent accepts the callback in the CCP, Amazon Connect calls the customer.
If no agents are available to work on callbacks, the callbacks can stay in queue for up to 7 days after they are created before Amazon Connect automatically removes them.
Tip
To manually remove a callback from the queue, use the StopContact API.
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If there is no answer when the Amazon Connect calls the customer, it retries based on the number of times you've specified.
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If the call goes to voicemail, it's considered connected.
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If the customer calls again while in the callback queue, it's treated as a new call and will be handled as usual. To avoid duplicate callback requests in a callback queue, see this blog: Preventing duplicate callback requests in Amazon Connect
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How queued callbacks affect queue limits
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Queued callbacks count towards the queue size limit, but they are routed to the error branch. For example, if you have a queue that handles callbacks and incoming calls, and that queue reaches the size limit:
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The next callback is routed to the error branch.
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The next incoming call gets a reorder tone (also known as a fast busy tone), which indicates no transmission path to the called number is available.
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Consider setting up your queued callbacks to be lower priority than your queue for incoming calls. This way, your agents only work on queued callbacks when the incoming call volume is low.
Create a flow for queued callbacks
To see what a flow looks like with queued callback, in new Amazon Connect instances see Sample queue configurations. In previous instances, see Sample queued callback.
The following procedure shows how to:
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Request a callback number from a customer.
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Store the callback number in an attribute.
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Reference the attribute in a Set callback number block to set the number to dial the customer.
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Transfer the customer to the callback queue.
At the basic level, here's what this queued callback flow looks like, without any of the alternative branches or error handling configured. The following image shows a flow with the following blocks: Get customer input, Store customer input, Set callback number, Play prompt, Transfer to queue, and Disconnect/hang up.
Following are the steps to create this flow.
To create a flow for queued callbacks
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In Amazon Connect, choose Routing, Contact flows.
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Select an existing flow, or choose Create flow to create a new one.
Tip
You can create this flow using different flow types: Customer queue flow, Transfer to agent, Transfer to queue.
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Add a Get customer input block.
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Configure the block to prompt the customer for a callback. The following image shows a message in the Text-to-speech box: Press 1 to receive a callback. Press 2 to stay in queue.
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At the bottom of the block, choose Add another condition, and add options 1 and 2, as shown in the following image.
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Add a Store customer input block.
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Configure the block to prompt customers for their callback number, such as "Please enter your phone number." The following image shows the Properties page of the Store customer input block.
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In the Customer input section, select Phone number, and then choose one of the following:
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Local format: Your customers are calling from phone numbers that are in the same country as the AWS Region where you created your Amazon Connect instance.
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International format/Enforce E.164: Your customers are calling from phone numbers in countries or regions other than the one where you created your instance.
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Add a Set callback number block to your flow.
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Configure the block to set Type to System, as shown in the following image. For Attribute, choose Store customer input. This attribute stores the customer's phone number.
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Add a Transfer to queue block.
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In the Transfer to queue block, configure the Transfer to callback queue tab as shown in the following image. Set Initial delay to 99. Set Max number of retries to 2. Set Minimum time between attempts to 10 minutes.
The following properties are available:
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Initial delay: Specify how much time has to pass between a callback contact being initiated in the flow, and the customer is put in queue for the next available agent. In the previous example, the time is 99 seconds.
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Maximum number of retries: If this is set to 2, then Amazon Connect tries to call back the customer a maximum of three times: the initial callback, and two retries.
A retry only happens if it rings but there's no answer. If the callback goes to voicemail, it's considered connected and Amazon Connect does not retry again.
Tip
We strongly recommend that you double-check the number entered in Maximum number of retries. If you accidentally enter a high number, such as 20, it's going to result in unnecessary work for the agent and too many calls for the customer.
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Minimum time between attempts: If the customer doesn't answer the phone, this is how long to wait until trying again. In the previous example, we wait 10 minutes between attempts.
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In the Optional parameters section, choose Set working queue if you want to transfer the contact to a queue that you set up specifically for callbacks. This option is shown in the following image.
Creating a queue just for callbacks lets you view in your real-time metrics reports how many customers are waiting for callbacks.
If you don't set a working queue, Amazon Connect uses the queue that was set previously in the flow.
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To save and test this flow, configure the other branches and add error handling. To see an example of how this is done, see Sample queue configurations. For previous instances, see Sample queued callback.
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For information about how callbacks appear in real-time metrics reports and contact records, see About queued callbacks in metrics.
Learn more about queued callbacks
See the following topics to learn more about queued callbacks:
