A call queue holds callers in line while a pool of agents is rung by the strategy you choose — ideal for support and sales lines where callers should wait for the next free person. Create one under Call Flows. Teams that live in the queue all day can step up to the cloud contact center with skills-based routing, which adds queue callbacks, live wallboards, and supervisor monitoring.
Easy options
- Distribution strategy — how waiting callers are matched to agents (ring-all, round-robin, or fewest-calls / linear)
- Ring seconds — how long to ring each agent
- Agents — the member extensions
- Max wait → overflow destination — where callers go if they wait too long
Advanced options
Switch on Advanced mode for the full set:
- Max callers waiting — cap the line length
- Wrap-up seconds — protected time after a call before the agent rings again
- Retry seconds — pause before trying agents again
- Ring-in-use — whether to ring agents already on a call
- Join when empty / Leave when empty — behavior when no agents are available
- Announce position and Announce hold time — keep callers informed
- Weight — prioritize this queue against others
- Hold music — your company music or the default
Note
Agents' queue membership follows their device changes automatically, so you don't have to re-add someone when they switch phones.
Queue vs ring group
Use a ring group when everyone should get a shot at a call right away. Use a queue when callers should wait in line and be handed to the next available agent, with hold music and position announcements.