inbound
Call queue
A holding line where inbound callers wait until an agent is free, with their place in line, hold music, and routing rules managed while they wait.
A call queue is the holding line that inbound callers sit in while they wait for an agent to pick up. When more people call than you have agents free, the queue keeps them in order, plays them something to listen to, and hands each one off the moment a rep becomes available.
In VICIdial, inbound calls flow into an Ingroup, and the queue is the waiting area attached to it. Each caller gets a Place in line and hears Music on hold or a recorded message until their turn comes up. You can also play an Estimated hold time so people know roughly how long they're waiting.
What the queue decides
The queue isn't just a line — it's where routing logic runs. With Skills-based routing it can match a caller to the right agent rather than the next one. With a Virtual queue it can offer a callback instead of making someone hold, freeing the line while keeping the caller's place.
- Calls are normally answered oldest-first, but priority rules can jump some ahead.
- Long queues hurt experience, so watch how many callers are waiting in real time.
A healthy queue is short and moves fast. If yours backs up regularly, that's a sign you need more agents on the Ingroup or smarter routing in front of it. Tuning the queue is one of the most direct ways to make inbound callers feel looked after instead of stuck on hold.
Related terms
Estimated hold time
Estimated hold time is the system's guess of how long a waiting caller will sit in the queue before reaching an agent, often announced to the caller.
Ingroup
An inbound group in VICIdial that routes incoming calls to a pool of agents, the inbound counterpart to an outbound campaign.
Music on hold
Music on hold is the audio inbound callers hear while waiting in the queue, often mixed with periodic announcements about their wait.
Place in line
Place in line is a caller's numbered position in the waiting queue, often announced so they know how many callers are ahead of them.
Skills-based routing
Skills-based routing sends each inbound caller to the agent best equipped to help, matching the caller's need against the specific skills each agent has been tagged with.
Virtual queue
A virtual queue holds inbound callers who are waiting for an agent, ordering them and tracking their wait while they listen to messages or hold music.