I’ve worked in two different inbound government call centre-type environments and can confirm that callbacks are always queued as per their place in the queue. This is using Genesys, which is a very commonly used virtual contact centre software, and using different iterations of the software at both jobs.
If you don’t get a call back at all that could be due to call screening/blocking (most call centres call out from a ‘no caller ID’ number) and if you have to wait longer than the expected time, that’s likely due to the existing calls taking far longer than the average or median call length or a number of people needing to be off-phones for a period (due to breaks, emergency, a planned/unplanned meeting, or to catch up on overdue admin tasks).
Many times my inbound work has been a callback and the person who requested the callback either doesn’t pick up or it goes straight to voicemail. Depending on the service, the worker may be trained not to leave a message, as is the case for many banking/financial institutions or crisis support services such as domestic violence or child protection hotlines, as voicemails can cause a security or personal safety threat.
What incentive would they have to develop a callback system
Well they don’t develop it, it’s a feature of whatever PBX/VoIP system they went with.
and use it, but delay the callbacks?
It wouldn’t be the first nonsensical business decision that businesses latch onto for reasons. You could ask 10 different call center employees and get 10 different reasons why. I’ve personally heard a few different reasons from inept managers, call center staff being paid min wage so they don’t care to people on the call back list get placed in a lower priority queue
Just watch out, some phone providers will disconnect you after a few hours on a call. During the pandemic when there were a lot of people unemployed and there were long waits for unemployment insurance offices, there were stories of people waiting on hold for 6 hours or more, and then getting disconnected, losing their place in line.
I always get called back. Idk what company you are talking about 🤷♂️
Same, I pray for that option every time I enter that void.
My phone has a “hold for me” option 🤷🏻
Pixel? That and the call screening have been huge since I moved over this year.
Yep. No one killer feature. Just a flood of tiny things that make my life better.
90% of the time I get called back immediately. Makes me feel like maybe there was actually someone available. They just made me jump through hoops
Pretty much. Paid by the hour, I’ve sat on hold on purpose just to catch a break. I know how their shit works
You’re lucky then, every time I’ve tried I either don’t get a call back or it’s hours later when just waiting would have only been 20 minutes
I’ve worked in two different inbound government call centre-type environments and can confirm that callbacks are always queued as per their place in the queue. This is using Genesys, which is a very commonly used virtual contact centre software, and using different iterations of the software at both jobs.
If you don’t get a call back at all that could be due to call screening/blocking (most call centres call out from a ‘no caller ID’ number) and if you have to wait longer than the expected time, that’s likely due to the existing calls taking far longer than the average or median call length or a number of people needing to be off-phones for a period (due to breaks, emergency, a planned/unplanned meeting, or to catch up on overdue admin tasks).
Many times my inbound work has been a callback and the person who requested the callback either doesn’t pick up or it goes straight to voicemail. Depending on the service, the worker may be trained not to leave a message, as is the case for many banking/financial institutions or crisis support services such as domestic violence or child protection hotlines, as voicemails can cause a security or personal safety threat.
But there’s no way to know that
I base it off the estimated hold time it tells you, IME it’s not the most accurate thing in the world, but probably won’t be off by whole hours
It just doesn’t really add up. What incentive would they have to develop a callback system, and use it, but delay the callbacks?
Well they don’t develop it, it’s a feature of whatever PBX/VoIP system they went with.
It wouldn’t be the first nonsensical business decision that businesses latch onto for reasons. You could ask 10 different call center employees and get 10 different reasons why. I’ve personally heard a few different reasons from inept managers, call center staff being paid min wage so they don’t care to people on the call back list get placed in a lower priority queue
Inept in what way? It’s an automated queue.
Don’t care about what? They aren’t manually calling people back. Their phone system lights up and they answer the call that connects.
For what reason?
Just watch out, some phone providers will disconnect you after a few hours on a call. During the pandemic when there were a lot of people unemployed and there were long waits for unemployment insurance offices, there were stories of people waiting on hold for 6 hours or more, and then getting disconnected, losing their place in line.
How do you know it would have only been twenty minutes?
The estimated hold time, IME it’s not the most accurate thing in the world, but probably won’t be off by whole hours
Same for me, but it’s usually Burnt Turd INC or whatever internet service provider’s number.