---
title: "Queues"
slug: "inbound-queues"
description: "Queues are the point of entry for inbound interactions. Queues hold and distribute inbound interactions to agents assigned to the queue."
tags: ["failover", "users", "queue", "Inbound", "voice", "callback"]
updated: 2025-09-23T14:41:44Z
published: 2025-09-23T14:41:44Z
canonical: "docs.voiso.com/inbound-queues"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.voiso.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Queues

**Who should read this article**: Administrators, Supervisors

Queues are the point of entry for inbound interactions. Queues hold and distribute inbound interactions to agents assigned to the queue.

## Introduction

The **Queues** page enables you to create and maintain your Queues. [Flows](/v1/docs/inbound-flows) direct inbound interactions to queues, then queues distribute interactions to agents based on configured agent and queue parameters. Configure parameters in the **[Add queue](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#add-queue)** page.

To display the **Queues** page, from the Voiso navigation bar, navigate to **Inbound > Queues**.

The **Queues** page contains a table listing all your queues. Next to the name of each queue is the number (extension), the strategy, music on hold (MOH), and the number of Skills and agents assigned to the queue. Use the **Search** field to find a specific queue based on its name or extension. Click the name of a queue to display the **[Edit queue](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#edit-queue)** page. Click **Add queue** to add a new queue to your contact center.

![Inbound Queues View](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Queues%20View.png)

## Add queue

On the **[Queues](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#introduction)** page, click **Add queue**. The **Add queue** page enables you to specify the parameters for a new queue.

![Inbound Add Queue View](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Add%20Queue%20View.png)

The following subsections describe the contents of the **Add queue** page. Set up the queue parameters, then click **Save**.

### General

The **General** section of the **Add queue** page contains the basic parameters that define how the queue handles an interaction before distributing it to a destination.

| Parameter | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Queue name | A unique name that identifies the queue in the **[Queues](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#introduction)** page table. |
| [Extension](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#extension) | The three- to twenty-digit extension of the queue within your contact center. Specify the extension length on the **[System Settings](/v1/docs/administration-system-settings)** page on the **Contact center** tab. Users can dial this extension using the **[Agent Panel](/v1/docs/agent-panel)** for transfer, conference, or consult calls. |
| Strategy | Specifies how interactions are distributed to agents. Refer to the [Strategy](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#strategy) subsection for more information. |
| Music on hold (MOH) | The [media file](/v1/docs/administration-media), of type **MOH**, that is played to a contact while they wait to be connected to an agent. |
| In-queue announcement interval | The number of seconds between replaying the **In-queue announcement voice message**, **Announce the queue position**, and **Announce the estimated wait-time** messages. |
| In-Queue announcement voice message | The [media file](/v1/docs/administration-media), of type **Voice Message**, that is played to a contact periodically, according to the value specified for **In-queue announcement time**, while they wait in the queue. |
| Announce the queue position | An automatic announcement of the position in-queue. The message is updated and repeated periodically, according to the value specified for **In-queue announcement time**. |
| Announce the estimated wait-time | An automatic announcement of the estimated in-queue waiting time before the contact is connected to an agent, repeated periodically according to the value specified for **In-queue announcement time**. |
| Failover destination | Specifies where the interaction is routed when the duration defined by the **Failover wait-time** setting is reached. The following options are supported: Queue, Agent, 3rd-party number, Voicemail, or Terminate. Refer to [Failover destination](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#failover-destination) for more information about setting destinations. |
| Failover wait-time | The number of seconds to wait for an inbound call to be answered before failing over to the **Failover destination**. |

#### Extension

You must assign an extension to every queue that will be used as a target for [transfer, consult, and conference](/v1/docs/agent-panel-transfer-consult-and-conference) calls from users. Although agents may search for users and queues by name in the **Agent Panel**, Voiso requires the target to have a unique extension to route transfer, consult, and conference calls.

#### Announcements

Queues support three different optional announcements (refer to the table above):

- In-Queue announcement voice message
- Announce the queue position
- Announce the estimated wait-time

If you specify a value for the **In-queue announcement interval** repeat option, the announcements you select are repeated sequentially in the above order.

#### Strategy

Use the **Strategy** menu to specify how an interaction is directed to an agent. The **Ring all** strategy directs the interaction to all agents, and the interaction is handled by the first agent to answer it. For the other strategies, the first available agent meeting the criteria for the strategy receives the interaction first.

The following strategy options are available:

| Strategy | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Ring all | All available agents assigned to the queue receive the interaction, and the interaction is handled by the first agent to answer it. |
| Circular | Interactions are distributed to a list of agents as a round-robin. The first interaction is assigned to the first available agent, the second interaction to the second available agent, and so on. Once all agents have received an interaction, the process repeats, starting with the first agent. The order of the agents is determined by the order you select when you add them to the queue. |
| Least recent | The interaction is routed to the agent who least recently handled an interaction. |
| Fewest calls | The interaction is routed to the agent who has handled the fewest interactions. |
| Linear | Following the order of the agents assigned to the queue, interactions are routed to the next available agent in the list. Each time an interaction is placed in queue, it is always routed to the first available agent, following the list order. |

          Important

          

- The **Agent answer timeout** timer in the **System Settings** determines how long a call rings before the call is directed to the next agent for the Circular, Least recent, Fewest calls, and Linear strategies.
- [Skills](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#skills) take priority over the agent order for the Circular, Least recent, Fewest calls, and Linear strategies. Skills are ignored for the Ring All strategy.

#### Failover destination

When an interaction waits in queue longer than the duration specified by the **Failover wait-time** timeout setting, the interaction is redirected to a failover destination specified by the **Failover destination** menu.

![Inbound Queue Failover Destination Specification](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Queue%20Failover%20Destination%20Specification.png)

          Important

          

The **Failover wait-time** timeout setting is displayed after you select a failover destination. It specifies the number of seconds that an interaction waits in queue before being redirected to the specified failover destination.

The following failover options are supported:

| Destination | Description |
| --- | --- |
| None | The feature is disabled. The interaction is Terminated when the **Inqueue timeout** duration is reached. |
| Queue | Choose a different interaction queue from the menu that is displayed when this option is selected. |
| Agent | Choose a specific agent from the menu that is displayed when this option is selected. |
| 3rd-party number | Specify an external phone number in the **Transfer number** field that is displayed when this option is selected. |
| Voicemail | Specify a [media file](/v1/docs/administration-media), of type **Voice Message**, in the **Voicemail message** field that is displayed when this option is selected. You can choose also to have the Voicemail message sent to an email recipient by selecting the **Send VM via email** option. In the **Recipients** field, specify the email addresses to which the voicemail is directed. |
| Terminate | End the interaction (hang up). |

### Queue callback

Enable this option to enable the in-queue Callback feature where a contact is given the opportunity to request a callback from the system when an agent is available rather than waiting on hold in the queue. The use of this feature improves the Call Abandonment Ratio and reduces your cost by limiting the amount of time a contact remains connected to your contact center. The callback occurs only on the number from which the contact called (ANI).

When you select the **Enable** option, the following additional parameters are displayed:

![Inbound Queues Enable Callback Options](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Queues%20Enable%20Callback%20Options.png)

| Parameter | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Callback announcement time | Specify the duration between announcements prompting the contact to press **2** to receive a callback. |
| Caller ID group for callbacks | Specify a [caller ID group](/v1/docs/outbound-cid-groups) for an outgoing callback to the contact. |
| Callback offer voice message | Specify the [media file](/v1/docs/administration-media), of type **Voice Message**, that is played to a contact to offer a callback option. |
| Callback confirmation voice message | Specify the [media file](/v1/docs/administration-media), of type **Voice Message**, that is played to a contact confirming that they will receive a callback. After the message plays, the call is Terminated. |

          Tip

          

When a callback is routed to an agent, the **[Agent Panel](/v1/docs/agent-panel)** displays information specifying that the call is a callback.

          Information

          

If the contact does not answer the callback call, Voiso redials every 300 seconds for up to 48 hours (Time To Live) until the [disposition](/v1/docs/reporting-cdr) becomes either **Answered** or **No answer**.

### Post call rating

The Post Call Rating feature allows contacts to evaluate the interaction by asking them to participate in a survey. Refer to [Post Call Rating](/v1/docs/use-case-post-call-rating) for more information.

Three menu options display when post call rating is enabled:

![Post Call Rating Enable Options](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Post%20Call%20Rating%20Enable%20Options.png)

| Parameter | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Post call rating notification voice message | The greeting message that plays when a contact calls the inbound number associated with the queue. Select the default greeting message, **Post call survey greeting**, or choose another voice message from your [media library](/v1/docs/administration-media). The default message is: "*Please rate our service after the call*". If you leave the field blank, no message will be played for this stage – instead, you might want to have your agent request that the contact participate in the survey. |
| Post call rating instructions voice message | The reminder message that plays when the agent ends the call. Select the default post call message, **Post call survey rate from 1 to 5**, or choose another voice message from your [media library](/v1/docs/administration-media). The default message is: "*Please rate your experience with our company on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is outstanding.*" If you leave the field blank, no message will be played for this stage – instead, you might want to have your agent request that the contact participate in the survey. |
| Post call rating complete voice message | The "thank you" message that plays after the contact makes a selection. Select the default thank you message, **Post call survey gratitude**, or choose another voice message from your [media library](/v1/docs/administration-media). The default message is: "*Thank you for participating in our survey.*" If you leave the field blank, no message will be played for this stage and the system automatically ends the call. |

### Assigned agents

[Users](/v1/docs/users-users) with the **Agent** role are the routing object for inbound interactions. The queue routes interactions to agents based on their [availability](/v1/docs/agent-panel-getting-started#status-menu). The queue only routes interactions to agents who are associated with the queue. To add agents to a queue, click **Manage** in the **Agents** section of the **[Add queue](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#add-queue)** page. Select agents from the **Agent assignment** panel, then click **Save**.

          Tip

          

Users with the **Supervisor** and **Admin** roles may also be assigned as agents on the queue; however, that means that interactions are routed to them when their status is **Available**.

### Assigned supervisors

[Users](/v1/docs/users-users) with the **Supervisor** or **Admin** role may be assigned as a supervisor for a queue. When a user is assigned as a supervisor for the queue they may access interactions to that queue in the [CDR](/v1/docs/reporting-cdr) page.

To add supervisors to a queue, click **Manage** in the **Supervisors of queue** section of the **[Add queue](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#add-queue)** page. Select users from the **Supervisor assignment** panel, then click **Save**.

### Assigned channels

In Omnichannel environments, you can include text-based Channels on the queue for routing. To add message channels to a queue, click **Manage** in the **Assigned channels** section of the **[Add queue](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#add-queue)** page. Select one or more channels from the **Channel assignment** panel, then click **Save**.

Assign priority to each channel where **1** is the *lowest* weighting. Interations arriving from channels with a higher priority value are given precedence over those with lower priority values. Channels with the same priority value are handled as first-in, first-out.

![Omnichannel Add Queue Connected Channels Settings](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Omnichannel%20Add%20Queue%20Connected%20Channels%20Settings.png)

### Assigned skills

Skill-based interaction routing helps to ensure that interactions are routed to the most qualified person based on their skills and experience. Skill-based routing works by directing interactions to the available agent with the highest skill level. It enhances agent productivity by minimizing the time agents spend handling inquiries outside of their skillset.

          Important

          

To use skill-based routing, [agents assigned to the queue](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#agents) should have all of the skills associated with the queue. Interactions with an associated skill requirement are not routed to agents who do not have the skill assigned.

To use skill-based routing, follow these steps:

1. [Create skills](/v1/docs/users-skills) relevant to your organization in the **Users > Skills** page. Assign the relevant skills and skill value (weight) to each [user](/v1/docs/users-users) with the **Agent** role.  

![Inbound Queues Users Skills Add Skill](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Queues%20Users%20Skills%20Add%20Skill.png)
2. Add or edit a queue from the **Inbound > Queues** page:
  1. On the **Add queue** or **Edit queue** page, scroll to the **Assigned skills** section and click **Manage**.
  2. In the **Skill assignment** panel, select the relevant skills.  

![Inbound Queues Add Skills In Queue](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Queues%20Add%20Skills%20In%20Queue.png)
  3. Click **Assign**.
  4. On the **Add queue** or **Edit queue** page, click **Save**.
3. To specify the priority for the skills, drag and drop the skills into the order or priority.  

![Inbound Queue Change Skill Priority](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Queue%20Change%20Skill%20Priority.gif)

          Important

          

Skill-based routing is ignored if the **Ring all** strategy is used. Skill proficiency is prioritized for the other [routing strategies](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#strategy).

## Edit queue

You can make changes to queue parameters at any time, including adding and removing agents, modifying the strategy, changing announcement audio files, and enabling or disabling Callback.

To modify queue parameters, click the name of the queue in the **[Queues](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#introduction)** page. Refer to the **[Add queue](/v1/docs/inbound-queues#add-queue)** section for information about queue parameters.

![Inbound Edit Queue Page](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Edit%20Queue%20View.png)

## Deleting a queue

You can delete a queue from two different places:

1. From the **Queues** page, hover your mouse pointer over a queue row, then click **Delete** (the trash can icon) on the right side.  

![Inbound Queues Delete Queue](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Queues%20Delete%20Queue.gif)
2. From the **Edit queue** page, click **Delete queue** on the top right side.  

![Inbound Edit Queue Delete Queue Button](https://cdn.document360.io/44ae307a-3737-4fbf-98e0-9b888deb90dc/Images/Documentation/Inbound%20Edit%20Queue%20Delete%20Queue%20Button.png)

A technology that places inbound voice calls and omnichannel interactions into a virtual waiting line in which contacts waits to be connected with an agent. Queues direct calls to the best available agent to reduce waiting times. Interactions with different priorities can be assigned to different queues. Queues can play music and other messages to callers waiting to connect to agents. Voiso queues also offer contacts a callback option if the wait time on the queue is long.

For inbound calling, a strategy is a method for deciding the best way to direct a call to the resource best suited to resolve the reason for the call.

For outbound calling, a strategy is a method for determining the optimum rate of automatic dialing to ensure that agents connect only to answered calls and contacts are not waiting to be connected to an agent.

When a call is placed on hold, the contact and agent are temporarily unable to communicate with one another. The call is still held by the network and the agent is able to reconnect with the contact. Music on hold (MOH) or other pre-recorded media is played to the waiting contact.

Music on Hold. The music played to a caller while their call is on hold either in queue or by an agent. A media file of type audio file.

An agent attribute that can be used to help target calls to the best agent. A capability, such as product expertise, spoken language, specialty, or personality trait that an agent offers to contacts.

A feature that enables an agent to redirect a call to a target, such as another agent or a queue. Voiso supports both one-step and two-step transfers. A one-step transfer is also known as a Blind transfer. A two-step transfer can be performed as part of a consultation call.

A feature that enables an agent to ask another internal target, such as another agent or a queue, to join the current call. The agent, contact, and conference target can all talk on the same call.

Consultation is a feature that enables an agent to place their contact on hold while they place a call to an internal target, such as another agent or a queue. The agent can talk to the other person while their contact waits on hold. When they are finished talking to the consultation target they can either end the consultation call or transfer the call with the contact to the consultation target – this is also known as a two-step transfer.

When a call cannot reach an agent and is either terminated, sent to voicemail, or redirected to a different system. Failover might also refer to a method of protecting computer systems from failure, in which standby equipment automatically takes over when the main system fails

To end a voice call. Hang up a voice call either manually or automatically.

A phone number that is outside of the contact center dialing system. Within an organization, an external phone number might refer to a cellphone, softphone, or hardware phone that cannot be reached by dialing a contact center extension number.

Sometimes abbreviated as VM. An electronic system that stores voice messages from telephone callers. Voicemail can also refer to a spoken message left by a caller on a voicemail system. In the Voiso contact center, calls can be directed to voicemail when no agents are available to answer the call.

An abbreviation for Voicemail. An electronic system that stores voice messages from telephone callers. Voicemail can also refer to a spoken message left by a caller on a voicemail system.

If no lines or agents are available, a queue can offer a caller the option to have the system call them back when an agent becomes available.

The percentage of inbound phone calls made to a contact center that were abandoned by the contact before speaking to an agent. It is calculated as abandoned calls divided by total inbound calls. Abandon rates have a direct relation to waiting times. Also, the percentage of Dialer campaign phone calls that were abandoned by the contact before being connected to an agent.

Automatic Number Identification. A service that transmits the phone number of the caller for rapid contact identification. Also referred to as Calling Line Identification (CLID) or Caller ID (CID).

A user who handles inbound and/or outbound interactions with contact. Sometimes referred to as a Customer Service Representative (CSR). The front-line employee who interacts directly with contacts and assists with tasks such as placing orders, resolving billing issues, and answering policy questions.

In a contact center, the person responsible for leading, monitoring, and training a team of agents.

A contact center user with privileges to manage most contact center settings and perform administrative tasks.

Contacts can move seamlessly between one communication channel and another, while the contact center tracks all the interactions as a single conversation. A conversation might begin as a webchat, progress to a phone call, and conclude with a offer being made by WhatsApp. This is an advance over multichannel where a contact center offers multiple, but unrelated communication channels, such as voice, webchat, WhatsApp, and so on.

Voice and digital communication mediums, such as phone, SMS, webchat, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram, that enable contacts to interact with your contact center.

## Related

- [Users](/users-users.md)
- [Flows](/inbound-flows.md)
- [Numbers](/inbound-inbound-numbers.md)
- [Inbound calls](/agent-panel-inbound-calls.md)
- [How to start receiving calls](/how-to-start-receiving-calls.md)