Call Center¶

Document Metadata

Category: Class 5 Services / Call Center
Audience: Administrators, Contact Center Supervisors, Engineers, Support Team
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Required: Approximately 30–45 minutes
Prerequisites: Active ConnexCS account with Class 5 Services enabled; PBX Server configured; SIP users/extensions created; basic understanding of call queues and agent routing
Related Topics: AI Agent, PBX Server, SIP Users, Class 5 Extensions, Recordings, WebPhone
Next Steps: Create a Call Center, configure queue settings, assign agents, define routing strategy, monitor live activity from the dashboard, and optimize queue performance using real-time statistics.

Class 5 Call Center

Overview¶

The Call Center module enables organizations to efficiently manage inbound customer calls by routing them through configurable queues to available agents.

It provides administrators with complete visibility into queue performance, agent availability, live calls, and service levels from a centralized dashboard.

The module supports configurable distribution strategies, wait time management, call recording, queue monitoring, agent performance tracking, and real-time operational statistics, making it suitable for customer support, sales teams, help desks, and internal service desks.

Unlike traditional PBX hunt groups, the Call Center provides advanced queue management with live analytics, agent prioritization, SLA monitoring, and operational reporting.

Who is it for?¶

The Call Center module is ideal for organizations that need to efficiently distribute inbound calls among multiple agents, including:

Customer Support Teams
Sales & Lead Management Teams
Technical Help Desks
IT Service Desks
Reception & Front Desk Operations
Healthcare Appointment Centers
Educational Institutions
Financial Service Providers
Managed Service Providers (MSPs)
BPO and Contact Centers

Use Cases¶

Customer support call queues
Sales enquiry handling
Technical support desks
Reception and operator services
Appointment booking teams
Internal IT help desks
Multi-location customer service centers
Overflow call handling between departments

Benefits¶

Intelligent call distribution
Real-time queue monitoring
Improved customer experience
Better agent utilization
Reduced caller wait times
Live operational dashboards
SLA monitoring and breach alerts
Call recording support
Queue performance reporting
Scalable for teams of any size

How the Call Center Works¶

The Call Center automatically routes incoming calls to eligible agents based on the configured queue settings, agent availability, and selected distribution strategy.

The sections below describe how an incoming call is processed at runtime, and how the Consumers, Status, Distribution Strategy, Max No Answer, and Wrap Up Time settings interact during an actual call.

1. Agent Availability (Status)¶

When a call enters the queue, the system checks the Consumers list to determine which agents are currently eligible to receive it.

Only agents whose Status is set to Available are considered for call distribution.

An administrator or supervisor can change an agent's status manually.
In custom-coded deployments, agents may also be permitted to change their own status (for example, toggling between Available, On Break, or Logged Out).

Agents whose status is On Break, Logged Out, or any other unavailable state are excluded from routing until their status changes back to Available.

2. Call Distribution¶

Once one or more agents are Available, the configured Distribution Strategy determines which of those agents is offered the next call:

Ring All
Longest Idle Agent
Round Robin
Top Down
Agent With Least Talk Time
Agent With Fewest Calls
Sequentially By Agent Order
Random

The strategy only ever selects from the pool of currently Available agents — so as that pool changes (agents logging in/out, going on break, or being auto-removed via Max No Answer), the strategy's behavior changes with it in real time.

3. Missed Calls & Max No Answer¶

If the selected agent doesn't answer within the configured Ring Timeout, the call is treated as missed and re-offered to another eligible agent according to the same Distribution Strategy — the queue does not wait or fail just because one agent missed the call.

Each agent also has a Max No Answer setting: the number of consecutive missed calls allowed before the system automatically changes that agent's status to whatever is configured under Agent No-Answer Status:

Agent No-Answer Status	Agent auto-returns to Available?
Available	Yes — immediately
Available (On Demand)	Yes — when queue demand requires it
On Break	No — must be manually changed back
Logged Out	No — must log back in manually

Example

Max No Answer = 3

Agent No-Answer Status = On Break

The agent misses 3 consecutive queue calls.
Their status automatically changes to On Break.
They stop receiving queue calls and remain excluded until a supervisor (or the agent themself, if self-service is enabled) manually sets their status back to Available.

Note: This is what makes the Distribution Strategy dynamic rather than static: it isn't just reacting to who's logged in, it's continuously reacting to missed-call behavior as well.

4. Call Handling¶

When an agent answers:

The caller is connected to that agent.
The agent is marked busy and removed from the pool of agents eligible for a new call until the current one ends.
Other waiting callers remain queued until another eligible agent becomes available.

5. Wrap-Up Time¶

After a call ends, if Wrap Up Time is configured, the agent is held in a temporarily unavailable state — even though their status still shows Available — giving them time to finish notes, update CRM records, or otherwise prepare for the next call.

Example

Wrap Up Time = 30 seconds

Agent finishes a call at 10:15:00.
The agent becomes eligible for the next queue call from 10:15:30 onward, provided they're otherwise Available.
Once Wrap Up Time expires, the agent automatically returns to the active pool — no manual action needed.

Overall Call Flow¶

Incoming call enters queue
            │
            ▼
   Check Consumers list
            │
            ▼
 Filter agents: Status = Available
            │
            ▼
   Apply Distribution Strategy
            │
            ▼
    Offer call to selected agent
            │
   ┌────────┴────────┐
   ▼                  ▼
Answered          No answer (Ring Timeout)
   │                  │
   ▼                  ▼
Call connects     Re-offer to next agent per
   │              Distribution Strategy
   ▼                  │
Call ends              ▼
   │              Max No Answer reached?
   ▼               ┌───────┴───────┐
Wrap Up Time      No               Yes
   │               │                │
   ▼               ▼                ▼
Auto-returns   Retry loop      Status auto-changes to
to Available   continues       configured Agent
   │           (back to                No-Answer Status
   │           "Offer call")            │
   │                              ┌─────┴─────┐
   │                              ▼             ▼
   │                       Available /    On Break /
   │                       Available      Logged Out
   │                       (On Demand)         │
   │                              │             │
   │                              ▼             ▼
   │                       Auto-returns    Requires manual
   │                       to pool         reset before
   │                                       receiving calls again
   └──────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────┘
                                   ▼
                    Agent eligible for next call

Key takeaway: only two things return an agent to the active pool automatically — the Wrap Up Time timer expiring, and a Max No Answer breach where the configured Agent No-Answer Status is itself "Available" or "Available (On Demand)". If the configured status is On Break or Logged Out, the agent needs a manual status change (by a supervisor, or by themselves if self-service is enabled) before they can receive queue calls again.

Steps to Create a Call-Center¶

Login to your account.
Navigate to Class 5 Call-Center.
Click on the List tab.
Click on blue + button to add a new Call Center.
Configure the Call-Center by filling in the fields:

Click each tab for field explanations:

BasicDistribution StrategyConsumersCallers

Name: Enter the name you want for the call-center.
PBX Server: Select the PBX Server for the call. The Distributed (Default) server will assign you a server near your location.
Class 4 Server: Select the Class 4 Server that will process SIP signaling and route incoming calls to this Call Center queue. The selected server acts as the telephony gateway between external callers and the Call Center.
Extension: Specify the PBX extension assigned to this Call Center queue. Calls directed to this extension are automatically placed into the queue and distributed to available agents according to the configured routing strategy.
Customer: You can enter one or more customers who wish to use this feature.

It determines how the Call Center selects an agent for the next incoming call, helping balance workloads, improve customer experience, and maximize agent efficiency.
It also includes `Tier Rules and Agent No-Answer settings, allowing administrators to control call escalation between agent groups and define how unavailable agents are handled.

Strategy

Select the algorithm used to determine which agent receives the next incoming call.

Strategy	Description	Balances Workload	Priority-Based	Fastest Response	Best Used For
Ring All	Rings all available agents simultaneously. The first agent to answer receives the call, and ringing stops for all others	❌	❌	✅	Small teams, reception desks, sales teams, low-volume queues
Longest Idle Agent	Routes the call to the available agent who has been idle for the longest time	✅	❌	✅	Customer support teams, balanced workload distribution
Round Robin	Distributes calls sequentially among available agents in rotation	✅	❌	✅	General-purpose queues requiring equal call distribution
Top Down	Always offers the call to the highest-priority agent first. If unavailable, the system proceeds down the configured agent list	❌	✅	✅	Priority-based routing, receptionists, senior support teams
Agent With Least Talk Time	Selects the available agent with the lowest cumulative talk time	✅	❌	✅	Balancing total conversation time across agents
Agent With Fewest Calls	Routes the call to the available agent who has answered the fewest calls during the current session	✅	❌	✅	Equalizing call volume among agents
Sequentially By Agent Order	Attempts agents one at a time based on their configured order until one answers	❌	✅	⚠️(patrially)	Fixed routing order, escalation workflows, seniority-based teams
Random	Randomly selects an available agent for each incoming call	⚠️(partially)	❌	✅	Small teamss, informal call distribution, randomized load balancing

Note: "When Tier Rules are enabled, the selected distribution strategy is applied only to agents within the currently active tier. As the queue escalates to additional tiers, the same strategy is applied to agents in those tiers until the call is answered."

Agent No-Answer Status

It defines the status assigned to an agent when they fail to answer a queued call. Changing the status helps prevent repeated routing attempts to unavailable agents.

Status	Description	Agent Receives New Queue Calls?	Best Used For
Available	The agent remains available after missing a call and immediately continues receiving queue calls	✅	Environments where occasional missed calls are acceptable
Available (On Demand)	The agent remains available but only participates in queue routing when additional capacity is required based on queue demand	✅ Yes (when required)	Overflow agents, backup teams, or secondary support groups
On Break	The agent is automatically placed into the On Break state after missing a queue call. The agent must manually return to an available state before receiving new calls	❌	Preventing repeated routing to unattended workstations or temporarily unavailable agents
Logged Out	The agent is automatically logged out of the queue after missing a call. The agent must log back in before becoming eligible to receive queue calls again	❌	High-accountability environments such as contact centers with strict attendance or compliance requirements

Note: The selected Agent No-Answer Status only takes effect when an agent does not answer a queue call. It does not affect agents who manually change their status or log out of the queue."

Tier Rules

Tier Rules control how calls are escalated between different agent levels when calls are not answered within the configured wait period.

Instead of ringing every agent simultaneously, the queue can progressively include additional agent tiers.

This is particularly useful for organizations that prioritize specialist agents before escalating calls to general support teams.

Setting	Description	Enabled	Disabled
Tier Rules Apply	Enables tier-based call escalation	Calls are routed according to the configured tier hierarchy, escalating through agent tiers as required	The selected Distribution Strategy is applied across all available agents, regardless of tier
Tier Rule Wait Second	Specifies the time the system waits before expanding the search to the next tier of agents	A lower value escalates calls more quickly, while a higher value gives higher-priority agents more time to answer before involving lower tiers	Not applicable
Tier Rule Wait Multiply Level	Increases the wait time for each successive tier by multiplying the configured wait time by the tier level	Each tier waits longer than the previous one (e.g., Tier 1: 10s, Tier 2: 20s, Tier 3: 30s)	All tiers use the same configured wait time
Tier Rule No Agent No Wait	Determines how the system behaves when no agents are available in the current tier	Immediately skips the empty tier and proceeds to the next available tier, reducing unnecessary wait time	Waits for the configured tier timeout before moving to the next tier, even if no agents are available

Wait Time & Abandonment

The Wait Time & Abandonment settings control how long callers remain in the queue, how calls are handled when no agents are available, when abandoned calls are discarded, and where calls are routed if the queue cannot process them.

Setting	Description
Time Base Score	Selects the reference point used to calculate the caller's waiting priority or queue score. This determines how waiting time is measured for call distribution and queue management
Max Wait Time	Specifies the maximum time a caller can remain in the queue before the queue timeout action is triggered. A value of 0 disables the timeout
Max Wait Time With No Agent	Defines how long a caller waits when no agents are currently available to receive calls. If the configured time expires, the queue follows its configured timeout or failover behaviour
Max Wait Time With No Agent (Time Reached)	Specifies an additional timeout that applies once the No Agent wait condition has been reached. This determines how long the caller remains in the queue before the next configured action is executed
Discard Abandoned After	Defines the period after which an abandoned caller is removed from the queue. Until this timeout expires, the abandoned call may still be eligible for queue processing depending on the queue configuration
Abandoned Resume Allowed	When enabled, callers who reconnect after abandoning the queue can resume their previous queue position instead of joining at the end of the queue
Failover Destination	Specifies the destination to which calls are routed if the queue cannot continue processing them, such as when wait limits are exceeded or no agents are available. The destination can be another queue, extension, IVR, or another configured customer destination

Time Base Score Option	Description	Best Used For
Queue	Calculates the caller's waiting time and priority based on when they entered the current queue. If the call is transferred to another queue, the waiting time is reset and starts from the time the caller joins the new queue.	Independent queues where each queue manages its own waiting time and prioritization
System	Calculates the caller's waiting time based on when they first entered the call center system. The accumulated waiting time is preserved even if the caller is transferred between multiple queues	Multi-queue environments where callers should retain their original waiting time and receive consistent priority across queue transfers

Recording & Hold

The Recording & Hold settings configure how calls are recorded and what callers hear while waiting in the queue.

Setting	Description
MOH Sound	Select the Music on Hold (MOH) audio file or playlist that will be played to callers while they are waiting in the queue or when an agent places the call on hold. The selected MOH helps keep callers informed and engaged during waiting periods

The Consumers section is used to assign and manage the agents who can receive calls from the Call Center queue.
Each consumer represents a SIP user (agent) and includes settings that control call distribution priority, routing order, availability, and performance statistics.

Administrators can add, modify, or remove agents from the queue, assign priority levels, and monitor their current status and activity.

Consumer Settings

Field	Description
SIP User	Select the SIP user (agent) to assign to the Call Center queue. Only assigned agents are eligible to receive queue calls
Level	Defines the agent's tier (priority level) within the queue. Agents in lower-numbered levels (for example, Level 1) are offered calls before agents in higher levels when Tier Rules are enabled
Position	Specifies the agent's order within the selected level. This value is primarily used by routing strategies that process agents sequentially, such as Top Down or Sequentially By Agent Order.
Type	Defines how the agent participates in the queue. For example, Callback allows the agent to receive callback requests generated by the queue or UUID Standby that configures the consumer as a standby agent identified by a unique UUID, enabling advanced call routing and failover scenarios
Status	Displays or changes the agent's current queue status, such as Available, On Break, or Logged Out. Only eligible agents receive incoming queue calls
Waiting	Displays the amount of time the agent has been idle or waiting since their last queue activity. This value is used by strategies such as Longest Idle Agent
Total Calls	Shows the total number of calls answered by the agent within the queue
Missed Calls	Displays the number of queue calls that were offered to the agent but were not answered

SIP User: When you click on a SIP User arrow >, the following parameters will appear:

Field	Description
Max No Answer	Number of consecutive unanswered calls before the agent's status is changed to agent-no-answer-status
Wrap Up Time	Seconds the agent is unavailable after a call ends before returning to Available
Reject Delay Time	Seconds to wait before offering another call to an agent who rejected the previous one
Busy Delay Time	Seconds to wait before offering another call to an agent whose line returned busy
No Answer Delay Time	Seconds to wait before offering another call to an agent who did not answer
Ring Timeout	maximum amount of time a system will let an outbound call ring before giving up and treating it as unanswered

Toolbar Actions: The toolbar above the Consumers table provides quick management options.

Action	Description
Search	Search for an agent by SIP user name
Add (+)	Add a new SIP user to the Call Center queue
Save Selected	Save changes made to the selected consumer(s)
Refresh	Reload the consumer list and update the displayed statistics
Delete	Remove the selected consumer(s) from the queue

If Tier Rules are enabled:

The system first attempts to deliver the call to Level 1 agents.
If no Level 1 agent answers within the configured tier wait time, the call escalates to Level 2.
Within each level, the selected Distribution Strategy (for example, Ring All, Round Robin, or Top Down) determines which agent receives the call.

Note: The Level and Position fields influence call routing only when the selected Distribution Strategy or Tier Rules make use of them. Strategies such as Ring All generally ignore the Position field because all eligible agents at the active tier are rung simultaneously.

The Callers section displays all callers currently waiting in or being served by the Call Center queue.
It provides real-time visibility into each caller's status, wait time, assigned agent, and queue priority, enabling supervisors to monitor queue activity and identify callers requiring attention.

Field	Description
Caller	Displays the caller's phone number or Caller ID
State	Indicates the caller's current status, such as Waiting, Connected, or Abandoned
Joined	Shows the time when the caller entered the queue
Waiting	Displays the total time the caller has been waiting in the queue
Serving Agent	Identifies the agent currently handling the call. This field remains empty until the call is assigned
Score	Displays the caller's queue priority score, which is used by the routing engine to determine the order in which waiting callers are served

6.Click Save.

7.Some additional actions:

Action	Description
Reload	Reloads the Call Center configuration and refreshes the queue settings without interrupting active calls. Use this after making configuration changes to apply the latest settings
Destructive Reload	Performs a full reload of the Call Center, clearing the current runtime state and reinitializing the queue with the latest configuration. This operation may interrupt active queue processing and should only be used when necessary, such as after major configuration changes or troubleshooting
Refresh Live Data	Updates the dashboard with the latest real-time queue statistics, agent status, and call information without reloading the Call Center configuration

Note: Use Reload for routine configuration updates. Destructive Reload should only be performed during maintenance or troubleshooting, as it may affect active queue operations.

Dashboard¶

The Dashboard provides a real-time overview of Call Center operations, enabling supervisors and administrators to monitor queue activity, agent availability, call handling performance, and service levels from a single interface.

It displays key performance indicators (KPIs), live call activity, queue health, and agent statistics, helping identify staffing issues, long wait times, and other operational conditions that may require attention.

Dashboard Widgets¶

Widget	Description
Agents	Displays the number of agents currently logged in compared to the total number assigned to all queues
Live Calls	Shows the number of active calls currently being handled and callers waiting in the queue
Calls Answered	Displays the total number of calls successfully answered by agents during the current reporting period
Abandonment Rate	Shows the percentage of callers who disconnected before being connected to an agent
SLA Breaches	Displays the number of callers whose waiting time exceeded the configured maximum wait time (SLA)
Staffing Risk	Indicates the number of agents assigned to queue tiers who are currently logged out, potentially affecting queue performance
Near Auto-Removal	Displays agents who are close to being automatically removed from their assigned queues due to missed call limits or configured queue rules
On External Call	Shows the number of agents currently unavailable because they are handling calls outside the queue
Untiered Agents	Displays agents that are not assigned to any queue tier and therefore are not eligible to receive queue calls
Unstaffed Queues	Indicates queues that currently have no assigned agents and are unable to receive calls

Notifications¶

The Dashboard displays warning banners when administrator attention is required.

Examples include:

Agents assigned to queue tiers but currently logged out.
Agents approaching automatic removal due to missed calls.
Other queue or staffing-related alerts.

These notifications help supervisors quickly identify and resolve operational issues.

Live Calls¶

The Live Calls section displays all active calls currently waiting or being served.

Column	Description
Caller	Displays the caller's phone number or Caller ID
Queue	Shows the queue handling the call
Agent	Displays the assigned agent, if connected
State	Indicates the current call status (e.g., Waiting, Ringing, Connected)
Wait Time	Displays the total time the caller has been waiting in the queue

Calls are automatically sorted by the longest waiting caller first, allowing supervisors to prioritize delayed calls.

Queue Health¶

The Queue Health panel provides a summary of the operational status of each configured queue.

Column	Description
Queue	Displays the queue name and description
Live Staffing	Shows the number of agents currently available, along with any agents not answering calls
Answered / Abandoned	Displays the number of answered and abandoned calls
Abandonment Rate	Shows the percentage of callers who abandoned the queue before being connected to an agent

Queues are sorted by the highest abandonment rate first, helping administrators identify queues that require immediate attention.

Agent Leaderboard¶

The Agent Leaderboard provides real-time performance statistics for agents assigned to the Call Center.

Column	Description
#	Agent ranking based on answered calls
Agent	Displays the SIP user and associated agent name
Status	Shows the agent's current availability (e.g., Available, Logged Out, Busy)
Queues	Displays the number of queues the agent is assigned to
Answered / Missed	Shows the number of answered and missed queue calls
Answer Rate	Displays the percentage of offered calls answered by the agent
Talk Time	Shows the total duration spent handling calls
Idle Since	Displays how long the agent has been idle since their last completed call or status change.

Agents are ranked by the number of answered calls, making it easy to compare individual performance.

⚠️ Note: This is a basic PBX queueing feature. For advanced contact center capabilities (campaigns, scripts, leadsets), refer to the Contact Center (Apps Platform).