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Glossary

Callback

A callback lets a customer skip waiting on hold: they accept a call back, hang up, and the system dials them when their turn comes or at the time they picked. The customer asks to be called back – that is what sets a callback apart from automatic callback for missed calls.

Why it mattersFewer customers hang up during peak hours, and you don't need to hire extra agents.

Also called: call back, virtual hold, queue callback, scheduled callback

How it works

How it works

A customer calls and lands in the queue. If the wait will be longer than a set threshold – say, 2 minutes – the IVR offers: "Press 1 and we'll call you back." The customer presses 1 and hangs up, and the system saves their number and place in line. When their turn comes, the system dials the customer and connects them with an agent. You can call the customer first and then bring in the agent, or the other way around – it is a setting.

Features

Types of callback

In every type, the customer asks for the call. If the customer asked for nothing and simply didn't get through, that is automatic callback.

From the queueThe customer hangs up but keeps their place in line and gets a call when their turn comes.
At a chosen timeThe customer picks a time that works for them – in the IVR, a web form, or chat.
From the websiteThe customer leaves a number in a form or clicks a button on the site and gets a call within the promised time.

Metrics

What to measure

  • How many callbacks were made within the promised time
  • How many customers answered the callback
  • How many attempts one callback takes on average
  • How the abandonment rate changed after callback was turned on

In CONTACT.WORK

How CONTACT.WORK uses it

In CONTACT.WORK, the IVR offers a callback when the wait is longer than a set threshold. The customer keeps their place in line and gets a call when their turn comes. Customers can also request a call for a specific time, from a website form, or from chat. People who gave up waiting without requesting anything get an automatic call back from the platform – that is callback for missed calls. Missed and recovered calls show up in reports.

More

Where to use it

Callback for missed calls Turn on callback and missed call recovery Learn more IVR (phone menu) Offer customers a callback instead of waiting Learn more Missed calls cost calculator Work out how much revenue missed calls cost you Learn more

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Glossary

Related terms

Automatic callbackAbandonment rateIVR (interactive voice response)Call queue – callers waiting to be answeredASA (average speed of answer)Service level (SL)

Blog

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