If no agent is available, CMS waits a certain number of seconds, then answers the call and connects it to a delay message. The length of time CMS waits before answering the call is known as the answer delay. If an agent becomes available at any time during the answer delay interval or during the delay message, the call is immediately transferred to the agent.
If no agent has become available and the delay message is finished, CMS puts the call on hold. If your MERLIN II system has
As soon as an agent is available, CMS transfers the longest waiting call to the agent.
If the call has waited a certain amount of time (the intraflow threshold), it may be sent (intraflowed) to an available agent in the secondary split (if intraflow is on).
You can modify this basic sequence by using the CMS answer delay and force delay options, and by making one or more CMS lines priority lines. When no agent is available to answer the call, the answer delay setting determines how long a call rings before CMS answers and connects it to the delay message. With force delay active, all calls are connected to the delay message whether or not there are available agents, and callers are forced to hear the entire message before being connected to an agent. Calls coming in on lines that have been designated priority are answered before any other waiting calls.
More information about each of these aspects of CMS is included in the relevant sections of this manual. Additional CMS terms are included in the Glossary.
