Voicemails and queue wait time

Ref: B05 · Track: Channels · Time to complete: ~3 min

Why this matters

When all agents are busy, callers queue. When they've been queued too long, they go to voicemail. Both states create tickets you need to work.

How the queue works (defaults; admins can tweak)

• Up to 5 calls can be waiting for an agent at the same time.
• Each caller waits up to 5 minutes.
• While queued, callers hear hold music and periodic "thank you for your patience" messages.
• If an agent becomes Online during the wait, the call routes to them.
• If no agent picks up within the 5 minutes, the call is offered a choice (per your IVR setup): leave a voicemail, request a callback (see B13), or disconnect.

When someone leaves a voicemail

1. Caller records a voice message.
2. Zendesk creates a voicemail ticket containing the recording as an audio file attachment.
3. The ticket lands in the Talk / voicemail view (your admin names the view).
4. An agent listens, then calls the customer back from the ticket (see B04).

The voicemail ticket is tagged voicemail (or similar) so it can be reported on separately.

Working a voicemail ticket

1. Open the ticket from the voicemail view.
2. Click the audio player in the ticket timeline. Listen.
3. Decide: can you solve this via email, or do you need to call back?
4. If calling back: - Click the phone icon next to the caller's number. - Introduce yourself: "Hi, this is Hugo from Gravity — returning your call from earlier." - Handle the conversation on the same ticket.
5. If solving via email: - Write a public reply answering whatever the voicemail asked. - Set status appropriately.

What the caller experiences

• Queue hold music, periodic reassurances.
• At the wait-time cap: a short "we're still busy — leave a message or request a callback" prompt.
• After leaving a voicemail: a confirmation message and the call ends.

Customers generally prefer a callback to a voicemail. If your org offers both (B13), expect most callers to pick callback.

Abandoned calls

Different from voicemails: the caller hangs up before leaving a message (often they abandon while still in the queue). See article B06 for how those are handled.

Gotchas

• Listening to the voicemail isn't enough. You still need to get back to the customer. Don't mark a voicemail ticket Solved just because you listened.
• Recordings have retention policies. Your admin may delete recordings after a fixed time. If you need a transcription, do it before the audio disappears.
• Voicemail tickets are full tickets. They count in your queue, your SLA, your volume.

Quick check — have you got this?

• All 5 queue slots full, a 6th caller rings in. What happens?
• A caller leaves a voicemail. Where does it go?
• You listen to a voicemail and decide email is faster. Do you still need to call back?

Related articles

• B04 — Outbound calls and calling back from a ticket
• B06 — Abandoned calls: handling them per line
• B13 — Customer callbacks requested from phone tree