Call parking, a feature in most business phone systems, makes it easier for companies to handle high call volumes. It enables better call center teamwork and improves customer experience.
Let’s take a closer look at what call parking is, how to use it, and its benefits.
What is Call Parking?
Call parking is a method of putting callers on hold in a communal parking spot so that any team member can retrieve it on a different phone or extension.
Both inbound and outbound calls can be parked, then answered by any other user in your organization or phone system.
Difference Between Call Park and Call Transfer
The difference between call park and call transfer is that while call transfer routes a call directly to another agent, call park places it in a communal parking spot where any agent can retrieve it.
Call transfer is beneficial when the customer needs to speak with a particular agent or specialist. However, if that agent or the contact center is overloaded with long queues, it can lead to long customer wait times.
Communal call parking spaces use agent availability more efficiently and reduce wait time.
Benefits of Call Parking
Here are 5 benefits of using call parking in your business phone system:
- Easy to use: Call parking is integrated with the agent’s dashboard interface. With just a few clicks, agents can park a call. Other agents can view the parked call along with any notes or details, to prepare before answering. This avoids the surprise of a cold transfer.
- Reduced wait time: Any available agent can retrieve a parked call, reducing queue volume and cutting down on wait time.
- Minimized voicemail destinations: Call parking expands the pool of agents available to take a call and provide support. This reduces the number of callers who reach voicemail instead of a real person.
- More collaborative than call hold: When an agent puts a call on hold, only that same agent can retrieve the call. Alternatively, parked calls can be retrieved by an agent more prepared, specialized, or available.
- Integrates with your routing system or IVR: Include a call parking spot as a destination within your inbound IVR system or routing menu. This will automatically park the call until a team member can retrieve it.
How to Use Call Parking
Agents can park a call manually via desk phone softkeys, or virtually from the visual call management tools on their desktop, browser, or mobile app.
How to Use Visual Call Parking
Call center agents can park an active call by selecting Park Call from the visual VoIP call-handling options displayed onscreen during calls. Next, they choose a parking spot number in the communal call parking lot, where other team members can see the caller, the agent who parked it, any notes the agent left, and how long the call has been on hold.
Agents can retrieve the call by clicking the Answer or Pick Up button. Some providers allow you to store up to 50 parked calls at once.
How to Park a Call Manually on a Deskphone
Agents can park calls directly from their desk phone by pressing the phone’s built-in Park Call soft key or dialing a unique key combination, followed by the extension where they want to park the call.
Other agents can retrieve the call by dialing the extension where it’s parked. If a call is left unanswered for too long, it gets directed back to the agent who parked it.
When to Use the Call Park Feature
The call park feature can be beneficial in the following circumstances:
- Large call volumes: If your call center is busy with many inbound calls at once, having multiple communal parking spots allows your whole team to work together in answering queued calls.
- Agents who need time: If an agent needs to switch devices, confer with a teammate, or gather more information before continuing a call, they can park the call and temporarily leave it open to other agents who feel suited to take it over.
- Unsure about the appropriate routing destination: When an agent needs to transfer a call but doesn’t know which teammate is best suited, they can park the call with a note, letting the agent pool decide who should take the call.
