What is the Contact Queue?

There's a lot to learn when you first start using Virtuous. From understanding the difference between Contacts and Individuals to navigating the system and learning the finer points of Queries and Gift Processing, maybe you haven't had time to explore the Contact Queue yet. But it's a handy feature that could save you time and frustration every single day.

What is it?

Quite simply, the Contact Queue is a custom list of Contacts. You can access it from the row of icons visible at the top right of almost any screen in Virtuous.

But What Does it Do?

Well, there are two main ways to use the queue, though I'm sure you may even find other uses for it:

Quick To-do List

The queue provides a quick and easy way to take note of Contacts you may need to revisit later in your day.

For instance, maybe you realize that you need to find some time to give a particular donor a call since you haven't talked to them in a while. You don't have time to call them right away, and you don't want to forget later. Just navigate to their Contact record, and in the upper right just below the Virtuous Scoring & Asks, you'll see a similar icon that will say "Add to Queue" when you hover over it.

Just click, and then voila! You'll have added that Contact to your queue.

You're also able to add specific Contacts from the result of a Query or Filter by selecting the 3 dot icon to the right of the Contact. 

Then, you will find that quick list of the records in your queue. These Contacts will remain in your Queue until you remove them. Select a Contact to view that record, or you can opt to "View Entire Queue" to do just that, on a new screen.

This makes it easy to go back to records you've saved so you can make calls, or take other actions if needed.

If your To-Do list includes adding addresses, emails, or phone numbers to the Contact Records, you're able to do this easily from the main Contact Queue page as well by selecting any of the blue + buttons. 

Bulk Actions

The Queue also provides an option for performing bulk actions on Contacts in situations where it might not be possible to use a query.

For example, maybe you have just had a great lunch meeting with a group of Contacts, and you want to make a note of the meeting and create tasks to follow up with each attendee in a few weeks. Instead of copying and pasting the same note and task several times, just add each Contact to your queue, and then select the 'View Entire Queue" option to go to the queue page.

There, click on "Actions" in the upper right, and you'll see a list of bulk actions that you can perform on the records listed in your queue.

Use the checkboxes to the left of each record to select or de-select only specific records for your bulk action, if needed. Once you have selected an action, you'll be able to fill in details, like the note type and content or a task description and assignment. You'll need to manually check the box near the top of the form to process your bulk action.

Always check the number of records to ensure that you are editing all of the records you want to, especially if you have manually selected only a few records out of your entire queue.

How Do I Clear My Queue?

Once you have finished working with the records in your queue, you can select all and use the "Remove From Queue" bulk action to clear out records. 

You are also able to "Dequeue" a single Contact Record by selecting the three-dot icon  to the right of the Contact. 

Now that you know about the Contact Queue, you'll be able to keep track of certain Contacts and update multiple records quickly and easily. And even better, you won't have to wonder what that icon is anymore. 😉