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This feature allows your team to send SMS messages to callers who are
waiting to be connected to an agent. By enabling this feature, the
caller will be able to provide necessary and important information to
the agent using SMS. Ultimately, by enabling your callers to provide
information about the reason they are calling in, the agent can make use of
the information collected for a faster resolution time.
Wait time SMS includes the following capabilities:
Sending preset, custom text messages while the caller is waiting in
queue on IVR calls using SMS.
Make the best use of your caller's time by using time spent waiting
in queue proactively.
Opening the SMS channel for the caller to send multimedia messages
with relevant content.
By enabling the customer to provide crucial information to the
agent or company before connecting with an agent, you can expect a
decrease in average handle time.
User flows
The caller and the agent have a unique experience while using this feature.
While the agent's experience is always the same, the caller has the option of
whether or not they will take part in the SMS exchange.
User flow: caller
The following are the steps over the caller user flow:
Caller dials into your IVR.
Caller enters the queue after selecting the queue or being placed in a queue
by a direct access point. More info in Direct Access
Points.
Overcapacity limit has been reached by the queue (settings can be adjusted
in Call
settings).
Caller is played the configured overcapacity options (settings can be
adjusted in Call Settings)
and selects "keep waiting."
If anything but "keep waiting" is selected, the caller won't continue on
this flow (for example if Callback is selected).
Caller is played Ask for Consent to Send Wait Time SMS message.
If response = No, the caller stays in queue and is not asked again.
If response = YES, the "Wait Time SMS Sent" message is played.
Caller is sent an SMS with the content of Global Wait Time SMS
Message Sent to Caller's Device message.
The caller can reply with any number of text or multimedia messages.
The call is assigned to an agent and connected with the information
they shared available to the agent in the agent's CRM ticket.
User flow: agent
The following are the steps over the agent user flow:
Agent is assigned a call.
Agent will see a banner on the call adapter alerting "Wait Time SMS
Received."
Agent can click the green banner to view the messages.
Agent can view the messages sent as comments in the CRM ticket.
Configuration
Steps to set up this feature:
Enable and configure global setting.
Set up messages and configurations.
Enable queue level settings.
Enable and configure global settings
In the CCAI Platform portal, go to Settings > In Call SMS.
Enable In Call SMS, and Wait Time SMS.
The interval at which the wait time SMS consent message will be
played is based on the global announcement setting. Click Edit
announcement intervals and you will be taken to the Call Settings
page. This setting is called Universal Caller Announcement
Intervals.
Check the box to limit the number of times the SMS consent message
is played. When enabled, set the threshold for the number of times
the caller will hear the message.
For more specific controls of when callers should receive the option
to use Wait Time SMS, enable the option by clicking the box.
Then set the minimum and maximum wait time that needs to be reached,
based on estimated wait time for the caller to hear the option to
use Wait Time SMS.
CRM record creation and abandoned call settings
CCAI Platform creates a record when the call is initiated, and not before.
Depending on your settings (Operation Management), CCAI Platform may
create a CRM record for all abandoned calls, so even if no call takes place you
have a record of this.
In an ideal scenario, the caller will call in, choose to participate in
Wait Time SMS, and the messages will be shared with the Agent - however,
this is not always how things play out. In the scenario where the caller
chooses to participate in Wait Time SMS, then abandons the call before
being connected to an agent, you can choose to create a ticket if the
system otherwise wouldn't create one.
Go to Settings > Operation Management.
To enable ticket or case creation for abandoned calls only when SMS has
been received, mark the box next to Create CRM ticket for
abandoned calls and also mark Abandoned calls with SMS data.
Setting up messages
Default message setup is made from the In Call SMS settings, but can
also be customized for each queue. Individual queue settings or messages
will override general messages and settings.
In the CCAI Platform portal, go to Settings > In Call SMS .
If you are using multiple languages in your IVR, repeat the following steps
for each active language you will be using SMS for. Refer to the Global
Numbers section of In call SMS
for more information.
Set up the Ask for Consent Message by either entering text to be
read to the caller, or by uploading a custom file by clicking on
Upload in the bottom-right. The message must contain two options
for the caller - "press 1" to approve SMS messages be sent to
their phone, and "press 2" to deny SMS messages be sent to their
phone. Refer (Consent message details)(#consent-message).
Set up the Wait Time SMS Sent message by either entering text to
be read to the caller, or by uploading a custom file by clicking on
Upload in the bottom right. The content of this message should
inform the caller that they will receive a message based on the
phone number they dialed in from, and to check that message for the
next steps.
Compose the text message which will be sent once the caller accepts
the SMS message channel by entering text in the field. Use your
brand name, and ask for important details as specifically as
possible.
Consent message details
Consent messages are provided to the end user in order to be able to notify them
of the ability to opt out.
Wait Time SMS consent message won't be triggered if:
The call is deflected to other option rather than "keep waiting".
Wait Time SMS is disabled globally or for the selected queue.
Caller already allowed or denied Wait Time SMS.
The max number of tries is reached.
The following are the caller's text responses are received and processed
by CCAI Platform.
Digit=1, the caller has allowed SMS
wait_time_sms_status = allowed
wait_time_sms_status = allowed
Send SMS
Call stays in queue
Digit=2, the caller has denied SMS
wait_time_sms_status = denied
Call stays in queue
Other Digits, considered wrong selection
"Incorrect Selected Number" message is played
Consent message repeated
No Digits, caller has made no selection
10 seconds response time is allowed
10 seconds response time is allowed
wait_time_sms_status = no_response
Call is sent back to queue
If applicable, message will be repeated at the interval set by
the Universal Caller Announcement setting.
Enable and configure queue-specific settings
In the CCAI Platform portal, go to Settings > Queue > IVR > Edit /
View.
Click the name of the queue to select it.
Toggle In Call SMS to On (if it isn't already).
Mark the checkbox to enable Wait Time SMS.
If you want to use a queue-specific setting and messages, click
Customize for this queue. There you can customize:
Wait Time SMS based on estimated wait time (Custom).
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-25 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThis feature enables teams to send SMS messages to callers waiting in a queue, allowing them to provide relevant information to agents via text or multimedia messages.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eBy using Wait Time SMS, callers can proactively use their time in the queue to send details about their issue, potentially reducing the average handle time for agents.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eCallers can choose whether or not to participate in the SMS exchange, with those who opt-in receiving a message and being able to send further messages that are visible to the agent.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAgents are notified of incoming SMS messages from the caller via a banner in the call adapter and can view the messages within the associated CRM ticket.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAdministrators can configure global settings for Wait Time SMS, including message intervals, consent message limits, and queue-specific settings that override global defaults.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Wait time SMS\n\nThis feature allows your team to send SMS messages to callers who are\nwaiting to be connected to an agent. By enabling this feature, the\ncaller will be able to provide necessary and important information to\nthe agent using SMS. Ultimately, by enabling your callers to provide\ninformation about the reason they are calling in, the agent can make use of\nthe information collected for a faster resolution time.\n\nWait time SMS includes the following capabilities:\n\n- Sending preset, custom text messages while the caller is waiting in\n queue on IVR calls using SMS.\n\n- Make the best use of your caller's time by using time spent waiting\n in queue proactively.\n\n- Opening the SMS channel for the caller to send multimedia messages\n with relevant content.\n\n- By enabling the customer to provide crucial information to the\n agent or company before connecting with an agent, you can expect a\n decrease in average handle time.\n\nUser flows\n----------\n\nThe caller and the agent have a unique experience while using this feature.\nWhile the agent's experience is always the same, the caller has the option of\nwhether or not they will take part in the SMS exchange.\n\n### User flow: caller\n\nThe following are the steps over the caller user flow:\n\n1. Caller dials into your IVR.\n\n2. Caller enters the queue after selecting the queue or being placed in a queue\n by a direct access point. More info in [Direct Access\n Points](./Queue_and_Menu_Setup/index.md#UUID-afeb7774-cb09-60c3-01d0-362b3843a7b6).\n\n3. Overcapacity limit has been reached by the queue (settings can be adjusted\n in [Call\n settings](./call-settings.md#UUID-5471c8bb-7f98-93fc-ebfc-70e8d560c6b8)).\n\n4. Caller is played the configured overcapacity options (settings can be\n adjusted in [Call Settings](./call-settings.md#UUID-5471c8bb-7f98-93fc-ebfc-70e8d560c6b8))\n and selects \"keep waiting.\"\n\n If anything but \"keep waiting\" is selected, the caller won't continue on\n this flow (for example if Callback is selected).\n5. Caller is played **Ask for Consent to Send Wait Time SMS** message.\n\n If response = No, the caller stays in queue and is not asked again.\n\n If response = YES, the \"Wait Time SMS Sent\" message is played.\n6. Caller is sent an SMS with the content of **Global Wait Time SMS\n Message Sent to Caller's Device** message.\n\n7. The caller can reply with any number of text or multimedia messages.\n\n8. The call is assigned to an agent and connected with the information\n they shared available to the agent in the agent's CRM ticket.\n\n### User flow: agent\n\nThe following are the steps over the agent user flow:\n\n1. Agent is assigned a call.\n\n2. Agent will see a banner on the call adapter alerting \"Wait Time SMS\n Received.\"\n\n - Agent can click the green banner to view the messages.\n\n - Agent can view the messages sent as comments in the CRM ticket.\n\nConfiguration\n-------------\n\nSteps to set up this feature:\n\n1. Enable and configure global setting.\n\n2. Set up messages and configurations.\n\n3. Enable queue level settings.\n\n### Enable and configure global settings\n\n1. In the CCAI Platform portal, go to **Settings** \\\u003e **In Call SMS**.\n\n2. Enable In Call SMS, and Wait Time SMS.\n\n3. The interval at which the wait time SMS consent message will be\n played is based on the global announcement setting. Click **Edit\n announcement** intervals and you will be taken to the Call Settings\n page. This setting is called **Universal Caller Announcement\n Intervals**.\n\n | **Note:** Changes to the universal caller announcement intervals are global and will impact other announcements in the platform such as Over Capacity wait options and Estimated Wait announcements when enabled.\n4. Check the box to limit the number of times the SMS consent message\n is played. When enabled, set the threshold for the number of times\n the caller will hear the message.\n\n5. For more specific controls of when callers should receive the option\n to use Wait Time SMS, enable the option by clicking the box.\n Then set the minimum and maximum wait time that needs to be reached,\n based on estimated wait time for the caller to hear the option to\n use Wait Time SMS.\n\n### CRM record creation and abandoned call settings\n\nCCAI Platform creates a record when the call is initiated, and not before.\nDepending on your settings (Operation Management), CCAI Platform may\ncreate a CRM record for all abandoned calls, so even if no call takes place you\nhave a record of this.\n\nIn an ideal scenario, the caller will call in, choose to participate in\nWait Time SMS, and the messages will be shared with the Agent - however,\nthis is not always how things play out. In the scenario where the caller\nchooses to participate in Wait Time SMS, then abandons the call before\nbeing connected to an agent, you can choose to create a ticket if the\nsystem otherwise wouldn't create one.\n\n1. Go to **Settings** \\\u003e **Operation Management.**\n\n2. To enable ticket or case creation for abandoned calls only when SMS has\n been received, mark the box next to **Create CRM ticket for\n abandoned calls** and also mark **Abandoned calls with SMS data**.\n\n### Setting up messages\n\nDefault message setup is made from the In Call SMS settings, but can\nalso be customized for each queue. Individual queue settings or messages\nwill override general messages and settings.\n\n1. In the CCAI Platform portal, go to **Settings** \\\u003e **In Call SMS** .\n\n2. If you are using multiple languages in your IVR, repeat the following steps\n for each active language you will be using SMS for. Refer to the Global\n Numbers section of [In call SMS](./sms-in-call)\n for more information.\n\n3. Set up the **Ask for Consent** Message by either entering text to be\n read to the caller, or by uploading a custom file by clicking on\n **Upload** in the bottom-right. The message must contain two options\n for the caller - \"press 1\" to approve SMS messages be sent to\n their phone, and \"press 2\" to deny SMS messages be sent to their\n phone. Refer (Consent message details)(#consent-message).\n\n4. Set up the **Wait Time SMS Sent** message by either entering text to\n be read to the caller, or by uploading a custom file by clicking on\n **Upload** in the bottom right. The content of this message should\n inform the caller that they will receive a message based on the\n phone number they dialed in from, and to check that message for the\n next steps.\n\n5. Compose the text message which will be sent once the caller accepts\n the SMS message channel by entering text in the field. Use your\n brand name, and ask for important details as specifically as\n possible.\n\n#### Consent message details\n\nConsent messages are provided to the end user in order to be able to notify them\nof the ability to opt out.\n\nWait Time SMS consent message won't be triggered if:\n\n- The call is deflected to other option rather than \"keep waiting\".\n\n- Wait Time SMS is disabled globally or for the selected queue.\n\n- Caller already allowed or denied Wait Time SMS.\n\n- The max number of tries is reached.\n\nThe following are the caller's text responses are received and processed\nby CCAI Platform.\n\n- Digit=1, the caller has allowed SMS\n\n - wait_time_sms_status = allowed\n\n wait_time_sms_status = allowed\n - Send SMS\n\n - Call stays in queue\n\n- Digit=2, the caller has denied SMS\n\n - wait_time_sms_status = denied\n\n - Call stays in queue\n\n- Other Digits, considered wrong selection\n\n - \"Incorrect Selected Number\" message is played\n\n - Consent message repeated\n\n- No Digits, caller has made no selection\n\n - 10 seconds response time is allowed\n\n 10 seconds response time is allowed\n - wait_time_sms_status = no_response\n\n - Call is sent back to queue\n\n - If applicable, message will be repeated at the interval set by\n the **Universal Caller Announcement** setting.\n\n| **Note:** when the Wait Time SMS Consent message and Wait Time SMS Sent message is being played, the caller is temporarily removed from the queue, meaning the agent won't be able to pick up the call when the caller is listening to the message.\n\n### Enable and configure queue-specific settings\n\n1. In the CCAI Platform portal, go to **Settings** \\\u003e **Queue** \\\u003e **IVR** \\\u003e **Edit /\n View**.\n\n2. Click the name of the queue to select it.\n\n3. Toggle **In Call SMS** to **On** (if it isn't already).\n\n4. Mark the checkbox to enable **Wait Time SMS**.\n\n5. If you want to use a queue-specific setting and messages, click\n **Customize for this queue**. There you can customize:\n\n - Wait Time SMS based on estimated wait time (Custom).\n\n - Audible Messages.\n\n - The Wait time SMS message."]]
