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Teams Telephony | Hunt Groups or Service Groups (Call Queues)

What is a Call Queue in Microsoft Teams?

A Call Queue allows incoming calls to be automatically distributed among a group of people, instead of ringing on just one specific number. It is used for teams such as support, customer service, or secretariats.

How do they work?

  • Unique number
    A phone number (or extension) is assigned to the queue. When someone calls that number, the call enters the queue and is distributed based on the established criteria.
  • Call identifier
    Allows outgoing calls made by agents to display the queue's number (instead of the user's personal number). This is useful for maintaining a corporate identity and preventing customers from calling the agent's personal number directly.
  • Welcome message (optional)
    The system can play a recorded greeting before the call enters the queue.
  • Group members
    • Members can be included individually (manually, done by the Telephony staff).
    • Existing Teams groups can be used, created before the call queue is set up.
  • Call distribution
    Calls are distributed among group members according to a rule:
    • Round Robin: take turns equally.
    • Sequential: always in the same order.
    • Most available: chosen based on members' availability.
    • Ring all: rings on all available agents simultaneously.
  • Music on hold
    If all agents are busy, the caller hears music while waiting. The waiting time and the number of users waiting can be configured.
  • Maximum queue time and overflow
    If the call exceeds the configured maximum time or no agents are available, one of the following actions can be taken:
    • Hang up
    • Play a message
    • Divert to a voicemail.
    • Divert to another number (or to an external number).
    • Divert to another queue.
       

How are they identified?

Generally, all necessary call queues are already created in all centres and are rarely changed. All are identified by the centre's acronym and a common, descriptive name.

Many of them are among the first numbers of the centre, including the following:

  • ("ETSAM - Centre" or "ETSIAAB - Communication Office").
  • Management positions and secretariats ("ETSIT - Management" or "ETSISI - Management Secretariat")
  • Common services ("ETSIDI - Student Secretariat" or "ETSII - IT")

  • Single-person services ("ETSE - Administration")

     

What can be requested through Support Service?

Generally, there are several common requests:

  • Add or remove members from a call queue when they have been included manually. Members are identified by their corporate email.
  • Replace the Teams group the call queue points to, in case that option has been chosen. 
  • Modify behaviours, waiting times, call balancing, description and names, etc.
  • Create new call queues or delete existing call queues.
     

Notes

  • The members and configuration of a call queue are modified from the main Teams console, which requires a support ticket to be opened.
  • Members of Teams groups can be modified by users with permissions in that group, without requiring additional support.
  • Unanswered calls from a call queue are not shown to the members of that group.