Sharpen Q (Queue Configuration)
Overview
Sharpen Q is Sharpen's Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system. Queues are the backbone of how customer interactions are routed to agents; they are highly customizable and play an integral role in ensuring each customer reaches the best available agent based on your organization's specific needs.
This article covers the full configuration options available when creating or editing a queue in Admin → Configuration → Sharpen Q.
Creating and Editing Queues
From the Sharpen Q page, select an existing queue to edit it, or click New Queue to create a new one. Both options open the same Edit Queue form with identical configuration options.
Name & Extension
Name
Enter a name for the queue. This is an internal identifier and is not visible to customers.
Extension
Assign a unique internal extension to the queue. Like the name, this is internal only and not exposed to customers.
CallerID Settings
External-Facing Name
The name that will display to recipients when an outbound call is placed from this queue.
Outbound Phone Number
Select the phone number that will appear as the caller ID for outbound calls. This is chosen from a dropdown of existing Inbound Routes.
Music On Hold Options
Initial Music
The audio that plays to the customer while they are waiting in the queue before an agent answers.
Music On Hold
The audio that plays to the customer if they are placed on hold after the interaction has already started.
Q Strategy Options
These settings define how interactions are distributed to agents within the queue. They are optional and are provided to give you flexibility in your routing approach.
Strategy
Select the basic distribution strategy for incoming interactions.
Least Recent
The interaction is routed to the agent who has gone the longest without receiving an interaction in this queue.
Random
The system randomly selects the next available agent.
Alert Agent Hold Time
When enabled, an audio prompt plays the customer's current hold time to the agent just before the customer is connected.
Skills Routing & Required Skills
Determines whether Q Skills are considered when routing interactions to agents. When Required Skill Routing is enabled, interactions with required skills attached will only be routed to agents who have the corresponding skill assigned.
Skills must be named correctly and assigned to your Inbound Route or IVR to function as intended.
Messages
Enables the queue to receive SMS and MMS interactions. Note that toll-free numbers support SMS but do not support MMS.
Ring Agent Time in Seconds
The duration the system will ring an agent before moving on to the next available agent.
Queue Weight
When agents are logged into multiple queues, “Queue Weight” determines which queue takes priority. A higher weight means interactions from that queue will be offered to agents before lower-weighted queues, for example, always prioritizing Tier 2 interactions over Tier 1.
Pickup Timeout in Minutes
For outbound interactions, this is the amount of time an agent has to accept an outbound interaction before the system returns it to the queue.
Call Recording
Determines how call recording works within this queue.
Always
Every call is recorded and available for review in Insights.
On Demand
Agents can manually start recording through the interface when needed.
Email Settings
Inbound Queue Email Address
A Sharpen-generated alphanumeric email address assigned to this queue. To receive email interactions in the queue, configure your organization's customer-facing email address (e.g., support@yourcompany.com) to forward to this address.
Outbound Queue Email Address
The email address agents will send from when emailing customers, rather than using individual agent addresses. It is recommended to match this to your inbound forwarding address (e.g., support@yourcompany.com) so that customer replies re-enter the queue automatically.
For full setup instructions, including the validation process required before outbound email can be used, see the Q Email article.
Outbound External Transfer CID Override
Allows you to customize the caller ID information displayed to an external party when a call is transferred out. This can be helpful when the receiving party needs specific identifying information to pull up a customer record, ensuring a seamless transfer experience.
Scorecards
Scorecards are internal evaluation forms used to assess and provide feedback on specific interactions. Scorecards can be assigned to individual queues from this section.
Sharpen supports two types of scorecards:
Standard Scorecards
Manually completed evaluation forms that supervisors or QA staff fill out when reviewing a recorded interaction. These are configured in Admin → Configuration → Sharpen Tables.
AI Scorecards (requires Usable AI bundle)
AI-powered scorecards that automatically evaluate every interaction against your defined criteria, no manual review required. The AI scores each interaction and provides a written justification per question, making it easy to identify trends, surface coaching opportunities, and deliver consistent feedback at scale. AI Scorecards are configured in Admin → Configuration → Scorecards and assigned to queues directly from that page.
For more information on AI Scorecards, see the AI Scorecards article.
Toggle Switches
The following settings are controlled by toggle switches. Most contain sub-options that are hidden until the toggle is enabled.
Chat
Enables web chat interactions and logging for this queue. Additional chat theme configuration options are available in Admin → Configuration → Sharpen Chat.
Chat Case and Ticket Settings
When enabled, allows you to pull Case and Ticket information from your database to associate with chat interactions.
Email Chat Log
Sends a chat transcript to one or more specified email addresses at the end of a chat interaction. Use the Add Another Email button to include multiple recipients.
Custom IVR
Enables a unique Auto Attendant for this queue. Useful for processing queues where you want to set custom announcements and options. Configuration options are the same as a standard Auto Attendant. For more information, see Admin → Configuration → Auto Attendant.
Queue Announcements
The following options notify callers of queue status information. Each includes a configurable frequency that determines how often the announcement repeats.
Be mindful of how these settings interact with each other. If multiple announcements are enabled with short intervals, they may overlap or become repetitive and disruptive to the caller experience. For example, if Queue Callback repeats every 30 seconds and the announcement takes 20 seconds to play, callers only have a 10-second pause before hearing it again.
Queue Callback
Gives callers the option to hold their place in the queue and receive a callback rather than waiting on hold. This is an effective tool for reducing caller frustration while maintaining queue flow.
Caller Position
Automatically notifies the caller of their current position in the queue. Use this when implementing a visible queue experience.
Average Wait Time
Automatically notifies the caller of the estimated wait time before their call is answered. This is an additional option for visible queue setups.
Max Wait / Exit No Agents
Configures queue behavior when callers cannot be serviced normally, including defining the maximum time a caller can wait in the queue and specifying how calls are handled when no agents are available.
Max Wait Time
Sets a maximum time a caller can wait in the queue. If the limit is reached, the caller is routed to a specified destination.
If Max Wait Time is Reached
Select where the caller should be routed if the maximum wait time is exceeded. Available options include External Number, Auto Attendant, Ring Group, Extension, Voicemail, Time Control, Voicemail Broadcasting, Sharpen Q, Sharpen Q Voicemail, and Sharpen Q Force Callback.
Exit No Agents
Determines where calls are routed when no agents are logged into the queue. The system continuously monitors this condition, if all agents log out while callers are waiting, those callers will be routed based on this setting.
Include All Paused Agents
Controls how paused agents are treated in relation to the Exit No Agents setting.
Enabled: Paused agents are treated as if they are not logged in, the Exit No Agents routing will still apply.
Disabled: Paused agents count as available, keeping callers in the queue rather than triggering the Exit No Agents routing.
If No Agents
Select where callers should be routed when no agents are available. Available options are the same as the Max Wait Time routing options above.
External Number
Auto Attendant
Ring Group
Extension
Voicemail
Time Control
Voicemail Broadcasting
Sharpen Q
Sharpen Q Voicemail
Sharpen Q Force Callback
Exit no Agents Chat Message
If Chat is enabled, enter the message to display to customers who start a web chat when no agents are available.
Alert via Email
If Chat is enabled, sends an email notification when the Exit No Agents message is triggered for a chat interaction.
Queue Stats
Enables tracking of queue statistics and configures email notifications when the Exit No Agents message is triggered via chat.
Queue Stats Refresh in Minutes
How frequently queue stats update for QVue display.
Queue Stats Reset Time (UTC)
The time (in Coordinated Universal Time) at which daily queue stats reset each day.
Queue Stats Target Hold Time in Minutes
Sets your SLA threshold for hold time in QVue. If the average hold time exceeds this value, the stat will be highlighted in red on the QVue Stats page and Big Board.
Payment Info
Enables agents to securely take payments from customers without leaving the Sharpen platform. Customers enter their card information in a PCI-compliant interface and are automatically transferred back to the agent when complete.
To use this feature, the Payment App must first be installed from the Sharpen Store, and the appropriate settings must be entered in Admin → Configuration → Sharpen Tables → fvPayment Settings.
Account
Select the payment account configured in the fvPaymentSettings table.
Webhook URL
An optional field for sending non-credit card information to your organization's own API endpoint.
Additional Toggle Settings
Hide Call Notes
Hides the call notes field within the Interaction Window. This can reduce confusion when call notes are managed in a separate system.
Standard Transcribe
Enables call transcription at the queue level. When enabled, transcripts are available in the Contact Card and are searchable in Insights. This setting also adds a Create Transcription button to the Contact Card, allowing manual transcript generation for past calls, provided a recording exists.
AI Transcribe (requires Sharpen AI Bundle)
Extends standard transcription with automatic redaction of sensitive data from call recording transcripts, helping your organization protect customer information and maintain compliance with privacy and regulatory requirements. When enabled, additional redaction options are available nested within the Transcribe section. Three redaction categories are supported:
Redact PCI — Automatically redacts Payment Card Industry data, including credit card numbers, expiration dates, and CVV codes.
Redact PII — Automatically redacts Personally Identifiable Information, including names, addresses, Social Security Numbers, dates of birth, and more.
Redact PHI — Automatically redacts Protected Health Information, including medical conditions, medications, and health-related data.
For more information on “Transcript Redaction,” see the Transcript Redaction article.
Multiple Interactions
Enables agents to switch between multiple active interactions within this queue.
Desktop Recording
Records all connected agent screens from the time an inbound call is answered until the agent clicks Save at the end of wrap-up. Use the sliders in the queue settings to configure the targeted percentage of calls to record and the retention duration for recordings.
For more information, see the Desktop Recording article.
This is one article in a series covering Admin Configuration topics.