Using Omnichannel Callback for Customer Service Management

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Using Omnichannel Callback for Customer Service Management

    The ServiceNow® Omnichannel Callback for Customer Service Management app enhances customer experience by offering a callback option when wait times to reach a live agent are long or agents are unavailable. This feature helps reduce customer wait frustrations by allowing immediate or scheduled callbacks, integrating seamlessly with ServiceNow’s Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) for efficient agent allocation and management.

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    Callback Flow and Functionality

    • Customers are offered a callback option based on estimated wait times or agent availability.
    • Customers provide key details including name, contact information, and callback reason.
    • Callbacks can be requested immediately or scheduled for a preferred date and time.
    • For scheduled callbacks, a callback interaction is generated shortly before the requested time; for immediate callbacks, it is created instantly.
    • AWA assesses agent availability, creates a callback work item, and queues it for agents.
    • Agents receive callback notifications in their workspace inbox and can review context such as knowledge base articles and Virtual Agent conversations before calling.
    • Upon customer acceptance, the interaction is marked complete; if declined, agents can retry or manually close or re-queue the callback.

    Callback Request Options

    • Immediate Callbacks: Customers see the estimated wait time and can request a callback without waiting in queue.
    • Scheduled Callbacks: Customers select a preferred callback date and time, receiving email confirmation.
    • Rescheduling: Customers can adjust scheduled callbacks via available upcoming dates and times.
    • Cancellation: Customers can cancel scheduled callbacks through the self-service channel used to request them.

    Supported Callback Channels

    • Callbacks can be requested during Virtual Agent or Engagement Messenger chats, or from the Customer Service Portal.
    • Customers may choose between phone callbacks and video callbacks via Zoom.
    • Video callbacks require scheduling, while phone callbacks support both immediate and scheduled requests.

    The ServiceNow® Omnichannel Callback for Customer Service Management app enables a callback option for customers when there’s a long wait time for a live agent.

    For more information, see Omnichannel Callback.

    Callback flow

    The callback workflow proceeds as follows:
    1. Customers are presented with an option to request a callback when the estimated wait time to reach an agent is too long or when agents are unavailable.
    2. The customer enters callback details such as name, contact details, and the reason for the callback.
    3. Customers request a callback as soon as possible or at a specified date and time.
    4. A callback interaction is created immediately for an immediate callback request or a minute before the selected time for a scheduled callback request.
    5. The ServiceNow® Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) application determines the availability of agents and creates a callback work item for an available agent. AWA adds the callback task to the callback queue. The agent then receives a Callback notification in the workspace inbox.
    6. The agent can choose to review the callback context such as knowledge base article views, searches, and Virtual Agent conversation before calling the customer.
    7. The agent calls the customer.
      • If the customer accepts the call, the interaction is marked as complete when the call ends.
      • If the customer doesn’t accept the call, the agent can retry the callback later.
    8. The agent can decide to close the interaction or queue the callback again manually from the workspace.
    Figure 1. Callback flow diagram
    Callback flow diagram

    Callback requests

    Immediate callback request
    Customers can request a callback immediately. The customers are shown the average time that the agent will take to call back. This request prevents them from having to wait in the queue to connect with an agent.
    Scheduling a callback request
    Customers can request a callback by selecting the preferred date and time. The customer will receive a confirmation of the scheduled callback request via email.
    Rescheduling a callback request
    Customers can reschedule the callback request by choosing from a list of upcoming dates and times for callback requests.
    Cancelling a callback request
    Customers can cancel scheduled callbacks from the self-service channel they requested the callback from.

    Callback channels

    Customers can request a callback during a chat on Virtual Agent or Engagement Messenger, or from Customer Service Portal. They can request either a phone callback or a video callback on Zoom. Video callbacks must be scheduled but phone callbacks can be requested immediately or scheduled.