SMART CALL HANDLING WITH MICROSOFT TEAMS PHONE
Microsoft Teams Phone now includes a feature that helps businesses handle incoming calls more effectively: Call Priority. Whether you're using Calling Plans, Operator Connect, or Direct Routing, this tool gives you more control over how calls are managed and answered.
WHAT DOES CALL PRIORITY DO?
Call Priority lets administrators assign urgency levels to incoming calls, ensuring that the most critical ones are answered first. There are five levels to choose from: very high, high, normal, low, and very low. This setup helps teams respond faster to important calls while keeping routine inquiries in queue until someone is available.
Think of it as a way to streamline your call flow. For example, a call from a VIP client can be marked as “very high” and routed ahead of others, while general questions can be placed lower in the queue. This is especially helpful for organizations that receive a mix of internal, external, and customer calls.
WAYS TO SET UP CALL PRIORITY
There are three main ways to apply Call Priority:
- By phone number: Assign priority to the resource account linked to the number. Note that this method doesn’t support auto attendants, so features like holiday schedules won’t apply.
- Using auto attendant options: This is the most flexible method and allows you to keep auto attendant benefits while assigning priority.
- Forwarding to a call queue: Priority is set based on the resource account of the queue receiving the forwarded call.
You can mix and match these methods to suit your needs. Just keep in mind that if an agent belongs to multiple queues with the same priority level, the system will route the call that’s been waiting the longest.
WHY IT MATTERS
Here’s how Call Priority can benefit your team:
- Customers with urgent needs get help faster
- Agents spend less time juggling calls and more time solving problems
- Call flows can be customized to match business priorities
- Teams stay focused on what matters most
GETTING STARTED WITH CONFIGURATION
Setting up Call Priority is straightforward but should be handled by your IT or Teams admin. They’ll assign priority levels based on how calls enter the system, whether through a phone number, menu option, or transfer. Once configured, Teams will automatically route calls according to their assigned priority.
One thing to note: changes made in the Teams admin centre can reset priority settings, so it’s best to let your IT team manage updates carefully.
LICENSING DETAILS
Call Priority is included with the Teams Phone Standard license. You don’t need Teams Premium to use it, although premium licenses unlock additional features.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Before rolling out Call Priority, consider the following:
- Conflicts between auto attendants and queue settings may need testing
- Agents won’t see priority levels, which could affect how they respond
- Priority isn’t shown in call reports, limiting visibility into performance
- Lower-priority callers may face longer wait times: consider using call-back options or exception handling to improve their experience
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
📞Call Priority gives teams a smarter way to manage incoming calls. Have you tried it yet, or are you thinking about it?
📌What’s worked well for your team, or what challenges are you facing? Drop your thoughts in the comments or share your experience with the community.
