Proactive preparation: how cloud queuing supports business continuity and disaster recovery plans

Technology has provided opportunities for businesses to automate tasks, speed up activities, and lower operational costs. Simultaneously, reliance on technology has exposed businesses to new continuity threats. Unexpected weather and tech disruptions have cost organizations millions; the average cost of downtime is $54,000 per hour (Mission Critical). To combat disruptions, organizations continue to implement business continuity and disaster recovery plans. However, for comprehensive disruption preparation and prevention, businesses need to add in cloud queuing as the final piece of the puzzle.

What is cloud queuing?

Cloud queuing is a simple solution to queue and redirect calls during a disruption. When predetermined call volumes are met, cloud queuing holds calls in a waiting room queue, eliminating the risk of a crash due to high call volumes. When the next agent is available, the caller leaves the queue and is routed to the agent. If an entire location is compromised due to a local disruption, all calls can be routed to a different department or locations. Because the solution is in the cloud, businesses can rapidly update routing, waiting room updates, and more. Cloud queuing layers over the top (OTT) of existing on-premises, cloud, and hybrid communications solutions, allowing businesses to implement cloud queuing without ripping and replacing their existing platforms.

Cloud queuing across industries

Cloud queuing is applicable across many industries. The overall value of the application remains the same but can be fine-tuned to meet industry-specific use cases.

• Contact centers
  Long hold times negatively impact customer interactions, increasing resolution times and call abandonment rates. Cloud queuing ensures the contact center stays online, keeps callers up to date with easily changeable, recorded updates in waiting rooms, can prioritize callers based on pre-configured criteria, and gets callers to the right department the first time.
• Utility sector
  Cloud queuing ensures that utility companies can maintain communications during a weather disruption, ensuring they can effectively communicate with customers and employees during unexpected emergencies. Cloud queuing addresses new Public Service Commission regulations.
• Retail organizations
  During high-volume call periods, such as holiday sales like Black Friday, cloud queuing keeps retail communications up and running. Adequately managing call volumes alleviates customer frustration and allows employees to focus on high-priority tasks. Layering on self-service automation helps customers solve issues faster while alleviating staff workload.
• Healthcare
  Cloud queuing ensures healthcare communications can stay up and running no matter what. Additionally, predetermined priority criteria can be applied to ensure critical callers can get through in the event of an emergency. Priority examples may be critical staff, emergency responders, and more.
• Financial services
  Customer service is a critical factor for financial institutions. In addition to maintaining communications when emergencies occur, cloud queuing also meets security protocols. Paired with self-service automations, financial services can guarantee communications while delivering a best-in-class experience.

Cloud queuing powered by IntelePeer’s communication automation platform

Cloud queuing is delivered via IntelePeer’s communications automation platform. The solutions layers over the top of legacy contact center or unified communications infrastructure, allowing organizations to quickly adopt cloud queuing without the cost and disruption of ripping and replacing. In addition to cloud queuing, IntelePeer’s communication automation platform allows organizations across all industries to integrate customer service focused, omnichannel automation features like real-time voice, messaging, chat, and more to their existing solutions.

Ready to learn more about cloud queuing from IntelePeer? Contact us now.