What Is Call Park? Your Key to Better Client Experience and Incoming Call Flexibility
Call parking is an essential bit of tech for any call center or customer-facing business. It can streamline your operations and allows for a far more seamless handling of multiple calls. That means more efficient agents and sales reps, as well as better customer service.
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If you want to understand how this tool works and how your business could benefit from this simple tool, read on.
What Is Call Parking?
Call parking is an essential phone feature that allows you to put a call on hold at one extension and allow multiple people to retrieve it from another. This functionality comes in handy in lots of business environments, from busy offices to customer-facing call centers.
Call parking is typically integrated with other communications and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. When combined with these, businesses can improve response and resolution times, as well as equip employees with more comprehensive customer records as they take and park calls.
What Is the Difference Between Call Parking and Call Transfer?
You might be wondering, how is this any different from call transfer? While call transfer directs a caller to another specific agent or department, call parking places the caller in a “slot” that lets any team member take over. The table below breaks down the difference in more detail.
Feature
Call Transfer
Call Parking
Function
Moves an active call directly to another extension or phone number
Places a call on hold in a parking slot for retrieval from any extension
Process
User initiates transfer, dials target extension/number, connects call directly
User parks the call with a code/button, system assigns parking slot, recipient retrieves by dialing the slot number
Use Cases
Directly connecting a caller to a specific department or individual
Allowing calls to be picked up by any member of an assigned group
Flexibility
Limited to the target extension or phone number
Can be retrieved from any extension with access
Mobility
Low — fixed to the recipient's extension
High — can be accessed from any location within the system
What Are the Different Types of Call Park?
Now that you have the basics of call parking down, let’s dive into the different types you might encounter in your business phone system.
Directed Call Park: A directed call park allows you to place a call into a specific parking slot that you choose manually. You would then inform the intended recipient of the specific slot number for retrieval.
System-Assigned Call Park: A system-assigned call park automatically assigns an available parking slot when a call is parked. This is ideal for larger call centers or companies who want to automate call parking.
Group Call Park: Group call park allows calls to be parked in a group of parking slots that can be accessed by multiple users or departments.
Call Park with Timeout: Call park with timeout automatically returns the parked call to the original extension or to voicemail if it is not retrieved within a specified time frame.
What Are the Benefits of Call Parking?
Effective call management is crucial in customer service, ensuring timely and organized responses to customer inquiries. While just one part of this, call parking has many benefits — let’s take a look at some of the main ones..
1. Improved Customer Service Efficiency
You want your customers to experience seamless handling and never to experience a dropped or unattended call. Call parking can help. It allows agents to place calls on hold temporarily while they locate the right people to handle the call.
However, it’s not just about finding the right agent. Call parking speeds things up, too. Unlike traditional hold or direct transfer methods, which can lead to customers being passed from agent to agent with long wait times, call parking allows multiple agents to pick up a parked call as soon as they’re available.
2. Reduce Call Abandonment Rates
Call abandonment often comes down to customer frustration. Maybe they’ve been transferred too many times or been left on hold too long. When your agents have the ability to park and retrieve calls, they make sure that customers are retrieved by the right agent quickly. This helps avoid irritation over wait times, as well as making sure they’ll be sent to an agent with the info they need first time, reducing the chances of them hanging up.
3. Flexibility in Managing Calls
A virtual office call park means that important calls can be answered from any available phone in the system. This provides great flexibility for businesses where staff members are frequently on the move or working in different locations.
4. Reduce Amount of Calls Sent to Voicemail
It can also be frustrating getting sent to voicemail when you have an issue you want resolved right away. Rather than having to leave a message and wait for a callback, a parked customer can be picked up by a representative as soon as they’re available.
5. Improved Call Management
Call parking helps your employees track and manage ongoing calls with more flexibility and control. It also means your staff can address urgent queries promptly and know when they can take their time with a complex matter. Vonage’s visual call park helps with this especially — when your team leads have a clear visual display of all parked calls, they can prioritize more effectively.
When To Park a Call
Understanding when to park a call is vital to a successful call management strategy — so here are some scenarios when call parking is especially useful.
Large Organizations Managing High Call Volumes
If you work for a large organization, especially one with lots of customer service operations or sales departments, you know already that the volume of incoming calls can be overwhelming. During peak times especially, agents may struggle to keep up with demand while customers become frustrated with longer wait times.
A call park service allows your staff to place calls on hold temporarily. This provides a systematic way to manage and queue calls without losing track of any callers. Every call is accounted for, and there’s a clear system in place for ensuring they’re answered in a reasonable timeframe by the next available agent.
Customer Service Teams Handling Multiple Calls Simultaneously
Handling several calls at once is a typical part of the day for a customer service rep, especially during busy periods.
A temporary call park allows your agents to multitask effectively without leaving the caller waiting on an active line. Your agents can call up a manager or another department for more information or the parked call can be picked up by a more experienced available agent.
Not only does this reduce wait times and caller frustration, it also means agents can manage their workload more efficiently, as they’re not tied to a customer on hold at any given moment.
Collaborative Environments Requiring Call Transfer Flexibility
If employees can park a call and notify a colleague to retrieve it from any extension, collaboration is far simpler.
This is especially useful if the initial recipient of the call doesn’t have all the necessary info or authority to resolve the issue. Rather than offer a call back or multiple transfers, another team member can simply take over.
This has plenty of benefits. It speeds up resolution times, but it also fosters a more team-oriented approach to handling inbound calls. With collaboration at the heart of your call center or business, your teams can provide better customer service rather than always transferring calls between departments.
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How Does a Call Park Work?
So how does call park work? When a call is parked, it’s assigned a unique parking slot number or extension, which can then be communicated to the intended recipient. The recipient can then retrieve the call by dialing the assigned parking slot number.
Example of How a Call Park Works in a Call Center
1. Agent receives a call: A customer calls the business and is connected to an available agent.
2. Need for assistance: The customer requests assistance that requires input or collaboration from another department or team member. For example, the customer’s issue involves a technical problem that the agent is not trained on.
3. Using call park: The agent lets the customer know that they need to place the call on hold temporarily. Instead of transferring the call directly, which might lead to the customer being bounced around, the agent decides to use the call park feature.
4. Parking the call: The agent activates the call park feature. This action assigns a unique number or extension to the call and the agent makes a note of this number. The employee should also leave a note on the parked call giving context should another agent retrieve it.
5. Consulting with a team member: The agent then contacts the appropriate team member or department to discuss the customer’s query. This consultation might take place over a separate call or through an internal messaging system via their call center software.
6. Retrieving the call: Once the new agent or department has the necessary information, they retrieve the parked call using the assigned number. This action reconnects the customer with the agent, who can now address the issue with the newly obtained information.
7. Other employees picking up the call: Alternatively, steps five and six above might be bypassed when a call is parked and then picked up by another agent who spots it. If agents leave informative notes with a parked call to provide context, any available team member can pick up the call with a smooth handoff.
8. Resuming the call: The new agent continues assisting the customer, providing a smooth and efficient experience without the frustration of being transferred multiple times.
How To Set Up a Call Park System in Eight Steps
Setting up a call park system involves several important steps. Use the guide below to set up a well-implemented call park feature that can enhance call management and improve your customer service.
1. Choose the Right Phone System
The first step is to select a phone plan that supports the call parking feature. Luckily, all of Vonage’s business phone plans include this functionality.
On top of the call park service, you should consider factors such as the size of your organization and integration with other communication tools. Review the different plans to find one that fits your business and budget.
2. Assign Call Park Extensions and Configure Call Park Zones
While different services have different methods for setting up custom call park extensions and call park zones, you can usually get started by accessing your phone system’s admin interface and navigating to the call park option. From there, designate specific extensions for call parking, or create a zone and set the extension numbers that will be used for parking calls within that zone.
3. Enable Call Park Feature
With Vonage, Call Park is set up automatically for any business user. No need to enable this feature, your teams can start parking calls right away.
You may want to set up Visual Call Park, which allows agents to see parked calls visually on their dashboard. This feature displays parked calls along with any informative notes so that staff can pick up parked calls with all the context they need. This makes the call park process even smoother and simpler for both agents and customers.
If you want to set up Visual Call Park, you’ll need to contact us directly. The Vonage support team can then guide you through the process so that the feature is set up properly and in line with your call center’s existing processes.
4. Test the System
Next, have employees practice parking and retrieving calls using the designated extensions to identify any potential issues. Make any necessary adjustments based on feedback received during testing, too.
5. Monitor and Adjust
Once the call park system is live, monitor its performance. You should gather feedback from employees about any challenges they may encounter and track call metrics to evaluate how well the system is handling call volumes.
This ongoing assessment will allow you to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to the system, such as modifying training materials.
Explore other features beyond Call Parking that can drive better agent and customer experiences.
Learn more10 Best Practices for Using a Call Park
Implementing call parking effectively can significantly improve your call handling procedures. Follow these best practices to leverage call parking to its fullest potential.
1. Educate Employees
Your employees are the ones using the call park feature, so they need to be in the know. You’ll need to conduct training sessions for your employees to familiarize them with the call park feature, including how to park and retrieve calls.Â
Consider incorporating hands-on training methods that allow users to practice the process in a controlled environment. This might include using role-playing sessions where a trainee parks calls and provides context and another trainee practices retrieving this call with just the information provided.
In addition to training, make sure you provide your staff with clear guidance. This will mean they’re comfortable using the system, minimizing the likelihood of errors and confusion.
2. Define Call Park Zones
If your business has different departments or teams, defining call park zones will make call management more efficient. Assign specific parking slots for each department, so employees know exactly where to park calls based on their nature. For example, if your company has a sales, a customer service, and a tech support department, you’ll need to create different zones for each.
If you want to effectively define call park zones, you’ll need to categorize the types of issues or questions that your customers typically have. These might cover additional zoning categories, such as technical help or billing queries.
This organization helps reduce confusion and ensures that calls are more likely to be retrieved by the right team members. When a team member with expertise in the given category spots the parked call, they know they can retrieve it with confidence and a ready awareness of the context of the call.
3. Set Time Limits
You need to prevent calls from being parked indefinitely. To do this, set up time limits for how long a call can remain in a parked state. Typically, a timeout feature will either return calls to the first agent or send the caller to voicemail.
4. Use With Collaboration Tools
Encourage employees to use instant messaging to notify team members when a call is parked and provide context about the caller’s needs. This collaboration ensures that the recipient of the parked call is better prepared to assist the customer upon retrieval.
5. Monitor Usage
Don’t forget to analyze call parking metrics. Look out for how often calls are parked and how quickly they’re retrieved as well, as any patterns related to specific departments or times of day. You can use this data to make future decisions about how you handle calls.
6. Prioritize Security
Ensure that your phone park system is secured and that access to parked calls is limited to authorized personnel only. You should implement strong authentication measures and regular audits as a way to protect sensitive information and maintain customer trust.
7. Customize Call Park Features
Where they’re available, always take advantage of the customization options. This might cover parking slot numbers or automated announcements for parked calls. Consider too how you might implement AI tools for customer experience, such as sentiment analysis. Tailoring these features can enhance usability and improve the overall experience for both employees and customers.
8. Provide Clear Announcements
When parking a call, consider using an automated announcement that informs the caller about their parked status, including the assigned parking slot number. Clear communication ensures that everyone is on the same page and reduces confusion when calls are retrieved.
You might also include marketing messages during parked calls. You can share relevant promotions or new products, which keeps customers engaged and could even pique their interest in your offerings.
9. Detail Procedures
You should also create detailed documents that outline step-by-step instructions for parking and retrieving calls. Create clear and concise documentation outlining how to use the call park feature, including instructions and best practices.
Remember to make this info easily accessible so your agents can find and read it quickly. A centralized knowledge bank or cloud-based resource that has the call parking documents tagged accordingly will make it easier for your staff to find the info they need.
10. Regularly Review and Update
As your business evolves, so too may the way you handle calls. Conduct periodic evaluations of your call park phone system to identify any areas for improvement. Keeping your processes current and relevant will help ensure their continued effectiveness.
Common Challenges and Considerations When Parking a Call
While call parking is a valuable feature for improving call management, there are challenges. Preparing for these issues can help ensure a smoother experience.
Time limits: If a call is parked for too long, it can lead to frustration for the caller. It’s all about balance, so use employee and customer feedback to decide on the maximum amount of time to park a call.
Notifications: If employees don’t receive timely notifications about parked calls, it can lead to delays. It’s important to establish clear protocols for notifying team members about parked calls, whether through internal messaging or alerts within the phone system itself.
Integrations: You likely use a range of apps and software, but to avoid problems, you need to ensure that your phone system is compatible with them.
Training: Poorly trained employees may struggle with parking and retrieving calls. Invest in comprehensive training programs that cover the functionality of and best practices for call parking.
Customer experience: No one wants to be put on hold, but sometimes it’s necessary. When it does happen, make sure your agents are open about the process — time estimates should be accurate, and the reason for the park should be clearly explained to avoid confusion or annoyance.
Compliance: How calls are recorded and stored is often subject to legal requirements. It’s essential that your call park system complies with relevant regulations, such as GDPR or HIPAA, to avoid potential legal issues.
Handle High Call Volumes Effectively With Call Park
Call parking is an essential feature in any business communication system. It helps you navigate the complexities of high call volumes while ensuring quality service and without overwhelming employees.
Implementing a call park system can help you improve your responsiveness, all while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. For those looking to improve their call management capabilities, Vonage offers an efficient Call Park feature. Explore Vonage’s solutions today to see how call parking can benefit your business.
Still Have Questions About Call Parking?
A parked phone number refers to a specific call that has been temporarily placed on hold within a phone system, allowing it to be retrieved later by any authorized user.
Call parking allows agents to collaborate more effectively without losing the caller’s connection. An agent simply parks a call and notifies the appropriate team member, meaning they can easily share information and work together to resolve customer inquiries efficiently.
As communication systems become more integrated with artificial intelligence and automation, call parking may incorporate features such as intelligent call routing and predictive analytics. Additionally, as remote and hybrid work models become more prevalent, call parking will continue to play a vital role in ensuring effective communication among distributed teams.
