How anyone callbacks go back into the hopper

An ANYONE callback is the shared kind: once it is due, any available agent on the campaign can take it. But how does VICIdial actually get that record in front of an agent at the right moment? The answer is the hopper, and the timing is what makes the whole thing feel reliable.

What the hopper is

The Hopper is the short staging queue VICIdial fills with leads that are ready to be dialed right now. The dialer pulls from the hopper, not from the whole list at once. So if you want a Lead called soon, it needs to be in the hopper. That is exactly where a due ANYONE callback ends up.

The trigger moment

When an ANYONE callback's scheduled date and time is reached, VICIdial does two things. First, it places the record back into the campaign's hopper. Second, it changes the lead's Status (lead status) to CALLBK. That status tells the dialer this record is a waiting callback that should be prioritized, so it gets dialed quickly instead of sitting behind newer leads.

That combination, back in the hopper plus the CALLBK marker, is the mechanism that makes a 2pm callback actually go out around 2pm. The Agent who eventually takes the call may not be the one who set it, and that is by design for the ANYONE type.

sequenceDiagram
  participant CB as Callback record
  participant SYS as VICIdial
  participant HOP as Hopper
  participant AG as Available agent
  CB->>SYS: Scheduled time is reached
  SYS->>CB: Set status to CALLBK
  SYS->>HOP: Place lead back in hopper
  HOP->>AG: Dialer picks it up next
  AG->>CB: Calls the customer

Why timing can drift

A callback rarely fires to the exact second, and that is normal. A few things affect how fast it actually dials:

• Hopper depth and refresh rate on the Campaign decide how often new records flow in.
• Call time and timezone rules can hold a record until the customer is in a legal calling window.
• Agent availability matters, since the call still needs a free rep to connect to.

If a due callback never seems to dial, it is usually one of these, not a broken callback. The record being marked CALLBK but not appearing means the hopper or call-time rules are worth a look.

It also helps to remember what does not happen here. An ANYONE callback does not stay tied to the agent who set it. The original rep gets no special claim once the time is reached, so whoever is free dials it. If you need the same person to handle the follow-up, that is a job for the USERONLY type, not ANYONE. Choosing the right type up front saves a lot of confusion later.

Managing them in bulk

Administrators can view callbacks by user, campaign, or list and purge old ones, which keeps stale CALLBK records from clogging the hopper. A manager with lead-modify permission can also convert an ANYONE callback to USERONLY, or close it with a fresh Disposition if the plan changed.

For the bigger picture, see our scheduled callbacks guide. The CALLBK status itself is worth its own read in what the CALLBK lead status means.

Keep your hopper healthy

Callbacks only fire on time when the dialer underneath is fast and stable. VICIfast hands you a managed VICIdial server that is live in under 40 seconds and tuned so the hopper stays full. See our pricing to pick a plan.