Don't remove the Call Queue!

[larissa]

I have been notified that the Call Queue is being replaced completely with the Task Queue sometime this month (May). Although the addition of the Task Queue is very helpful, it should not replace the Call Queue completely. Calls and Tasks are put at different prioritie levels.

I make calls to the same person everyday, so having to set tasks each day for each contact would be innefficient. I tried to enroll them in sequences to auto-task to prepare for the change but ran into the problem of unenrolling once they responded to an email. Tasks are for followups and things that need to be set for the future. Tasks are always last priority of the day and if they are mixed with the most important things it would get confusing and be a waste of time to try and seperate contacts into different Task Queues everyday.

[mmdeneen]

I agree with Sowers sentiments and complaints.  Product and development team- are you considering reinstating the Call Queue?  I love to go back to the era where Hubspot helped me save time and productivity!!  

[sowers]

Tasks are burdensome and inflexible. We have to do something to convince the product team to bring back the Call Queue. Does anyone have any ideas? The Call Queue can exist in addition to the Task Queue. It doesn't have to be one or ther other. To someone's earlier point, tasks may be fine for lead followup but they are not fine for prospecting... and we won't have any leads if we can't prospect efficiently.

Is it just me or was this an incredibly counterproductive decision by Hubspot? Between the lack of the Call Queue and the Task Queue bugs I am losing major productivity.

I propose that everyone start blowing up this thread so we get the product team's attention. I want to know if rolling back the deicsion is even under consideration.

[mmdeneen]

It is completely counterproductive!!  What is productive is having the call queue and task queue separate.  Call queue for prospecting and task queue for following up based on their prospects and the conversations.

HUBSPOT DEVELOPMENT TEAM- ARE YOU OUT THERE?  DOES ANYONE FROM YOUR TEAM EVEN MONITOR THESE THREADS?!  CAN THEY RESPOND!?

[sermann]

As a new user, having tried to emulate a proper call list with the new 'task queue', I don't think that it is a proper replacement.

1. Adding a contact to a dedicated task queue is way too complicated - it requires typing in a title, accepting the mandatory due date, selecting a type, no email reminder, and pick the queue. All we need is a one (or two) click option to add a contact to a call list...
2. Picking a due date should not be mandatory. While certain calls should be done on certain days, like following up on incomming leads, there are plenty of 'to be done when time permits' calls. These should not require having a due date. It is (A) a waste of precious time, (B) misleading as it forces us to add a due date when not needed, (C) likely to make us miss calls that really have a due date as they will now be submerged in less time critical calls, (C) likely to clog up the tasks view with tasks that do not need to happen on that day...
3. Allowing us to mute a task queue. As you are forcing us to pick a fake due date for the call lists, they are likely to generate unneeded reminders. Please give us a way of muting a whole queue...

If you really, absolutely want to enforce using these 'task queues', may I suggest:

• Enable us to enter tasks without due date. We'll get to them when we have time;
• Make it easier to have a few predefine 'task queues' with predefined default settings. I would probably use two: one for incomming leads that I should call immediately, and a list of people to call, time permitting;

Or, just bring back the old 'add to call list' button...

Thanks,

Stephen

[roisinkirby]

Hey @mmdeneen please see my earlier comment from the HubSpot product management team regarding this feature change. 

I will continue to pass on all of the above comments on this recent change to the product management team, and this thread will be monitored in order to collate and quantify feedback. @sowers as of now this feature change will not be rolled back, this is why the status of 'Not Currently Planned' has been applied. However, as we continue to develop the Task Queue and its features your feedback is important as we evaluate what can be further incorporated and improved. 

I appreciate the time all of you have taken to post your comments. I recommend including as much detail about the specific goals you have when using the Task Queues and the features that are missing to help you meet them. Including as much detail and examples as possible is incredibly helpful.

If I can assist anyone on this thread in using the Task Queue then please let me know and I'd be happy to help.  Here’s a quick blog post with the basics, or a two-minute video if you’d prefer. Furthermore if you'd like to connect with members of the Community who have had success with the new Task Queue I'd be happy to start a conversation. 

Many thanks,

Róisín

[mmdeneen]

@roisinkirby- what was the comment regarding this feature change?

The only comment from HubSpot in this thread (page1) was "As we move away from the old Call Queue to our new Task Queue (in beta now: https://ux.hubspot.com/beta/crm-tasks-queue) we will be adding the ability to create tasks in the way that "Add to Call Queue" used to do." 

Like many have said before and I will make very clear and detailed (per your request now), the "add to call queue" within task queue is NOT LIKE IT USED TO DO (which Hubspot said it would be)!  Before it was simply ONE BUTTON and added them to the list.  Now to add them to my queue, I need to type a subject line, create due date (WHICH I NEVER HAVE CAUSE I JUST WANT TO SEE IF THEY PICK UP, SO HUBSPOT IS FORCING TO MAKE THIS UP), add time, say yes or no to an email reminder, pick a type, select what queue.  All of these extra steps is such a time waster for employee time.  

The call queue button and feature was amazing for creating a QUICK list of people I need to try by phone in follwing up.  I would go through the list.  Anyone that answered and I talked with, I would then remove the contact when I was finished with the my call queue list.  Then I would go through the list again once more or two more times THAT DAY.  

What I suggest is bring back the call queue button on the contact's page (there is space on the contact page to do it!).  The button would then lead/connect to a specific queue list in the task queue.  Then I have my call queue within the task queue.  Then my other queue lists within the task queues are for other tasks like "reach out to James in two weeks and see if he is ready".  Way future tasks, reminders, etc.  

If someone on the development team would like to talk with me, I am more than happy to do so.

[sowers]

@roisinkirby Thanks for the reply. Sad to hear that there is not plan to reinstate the Call Queue. The Task Queue is not a replacement. It is really something different altogether. It is unfortunate that your team is not understadning this.

Thank you @mmdeneen for your attempt to clarify the issue for the Hubspot team. Your example of needing to create a quick call list to cycle through several times in a day is something that is much harder to do with Tasks (although I acknowledge it can be done). I want to point out though that simply bringing back a call queue button that adds contacts to a Task Queue would NOT solve the problem. The lack of a button is only the beginning of the problem. Task Queues are totally different than the old Call Queue. Creating tasks is inefficient and burdensome for quick and changing call lists. Furthermore, Task Queues do not provide the ability to order by Contact properties which is imperative for prioritization. Setting priorites can require ordering by something other than Task due date.

Here is the real problem:  Most CRMs (other than Hubspot) have the ability to custom filter and custom order contacts and then cycle through them one by one. That is what the Call Queue did. Yes, we can filter and order contacts but then we can only view them in lists (of 25 at a time). That list view does not provide a full view into each Contact because there is not enough screen space to display it. That is why you need to view one contact at a time like the Call Queue did. I recommend that a second view be added to the Contacts screen. Keep the current list view and add a view that looks and acts exactly like the Call Queue which displays one contact at a time and the ability to cycle through forwards and backwards. The only possible problem with that solution is it doesn't give users the ability to create random call lists that cannot otherwise be created with filerting. Personally, I can create my lists with filters but I presume some users lists are more random than mine.

@roisinkirby I cannot stress enough that your product took a major step back and now compares much less favorably to virtually every other CRM which all provide a way to efficiently cycle through custom contact lists one at a time.

[willerdmann]

I would follow what many have already stated.  Apparently Hubspot IS NOT LISTENING TO ITS PAYING CUSTOMERS!

BRING BACK THE CALL QUEUE! The Task Queue is ineffective, and now with recent changes to it, my team is rendered completely ineffective.  The changes you've made have made your product WORSE, NOT BETTER.

I'm completely frustrated, and unfortunately I can see now that I'm not the only one in this boat.

WHY DOES HUBSPOT NOT LISTEN TO US?!

[cbierwerth]

It would be nice to be able to add the time zone, currently, I have to add that by hand in the subject line

[mmdeneen]

I still don't know why HubSpot decided to just not have call queue anymore.  Many people were using it and it seemed unnecessary to get rid of it all together.  Having a one click button to make a call list was simple, fast, and productive. On top of that, it automatically went to the next contact (you could set how many seconds in between calls).  Another thing that task queue (which they say replaced it) doesn't do.  

Now I have to manually create a task to make a list to make my calls.  Instead of a button, this is what they make you do now: having to type something, have to make a "due date" which is mostly never needed, and then select what list I want it to go under.  All this extra work when the button was just there! It is actually annoying all the extra work I have to put in. There is no way this task queue simplified things over the call queue.  It made more time spent, less productive, and more confusing.  On top of that it is really more difficult to remove something from a task queue, than it was for the call queue, again adding more time.  

[willerdmann]

Just to follow back on this.  We don't even use the Task Queue.  We refuse to because it makes our work flow more complicated.  Does Hubspot care that their product is used less efficiently? Nope.  But do you know when topics like this become super helpful?  During renewal time when we are deciding if we want to stay with Hubspot or not.

BRING BACK THE CALL QUEUE

[jetguy]

I am considering leaving HubSpot - I have been with these guys a long time and they keep taking away tools that I love in an attempt to promote their vision of the sales process. I get it you want us to sign up for other products and ascribe to your methodology, but please understand that getting rid of the call queue changes the way I do things on a daily basis, but it does not change the foundation of "inbound" marketing. I have also recommended your software based on these functionalities and day by day you widdle away the things that make your software unique. 

Does anyone have any other CRM suggestions?  

[mmdeneen]

Maybe under their new "Conversations" tab, they could actually add in "Call Queue", you know because with call queue we are actually CONVERSING with people!  but no no no that would be too hard for them to understand in the Sales CRM!  Instead they only add things like bots, snippets under "conversations" focusing on the written form like email blasts, inbound marketing messaging- not PHONE CALLS for sales lead generation.  

As to why Hubspot can't just keep and bring back the old features like Call Queue is beyond me. They have never answered in this thread on why they won't do it and bring it back.  When they do speak up, its about how amazing this task queue is.  Uh, like it's not even similar and less productive than call queue!  Just tell me why you can't just bring it back!

This HubSpot company is taking more and more things away from their Sales CRM and blending it too much with the their marketing CRM.  To that end, we are already looking at other Sales CRM companies for our entire sales division because without ease of calling which they took away last year we are seeing the impact. it has majorly affected our revenue, daily responsibilities of sales staff, and lead generation.