The Respect Queuing Time (RQT) feature lets you control whether inbound calls remain in the queue for the maximum queue time configured for a team when agents are Offline or set to Unavailable. This article explains how RQT works, how to enable it, and how agent statuses affect call routing.
What is Respect queuing time
Respect Queuing Time determines how Aircall handles calls when agents are unavailable.
- When RQT is turned off, calls skip the queue as soon as all agents are offline or set to Unavailable.
- When RQT is turned on, calls remain in the queue for the configured maximum queue time, even if all agents are Offline or set to Unavailable, except when all agents actively decline the call.
By default, RQT is turned off for each number.
How RQT affects call routing
RQT turned off
When RQT is disabled, calls immediately move to the next distribution level if no agents are available.
RQT turned on
When RQT is enabled, calls continue waiting in the queue for the full queuing time, regardless of whether agents are Offline or set to Unavailable.
IMPORTANT:
If all agents in a team decline a call, the call skips to the next distribution level even when RQT is enabled.
Enable Respect queuing time
Administrators can enable RQT from the Aircall Dashboard for each number.
Steps:
- Go to Aircall Dashboard > Numbers.
- Select the number for which you want to enable RQT. You can also search for the number using the search bar.
- Go to the Settings tab and navitate to Call distribution options.
- Toggle Respect queuing time on.
Agent statuses and RQT behavior
The way calls are handled depends on agent availability and whether RQT is enabled.
| Agent status | RQT on | RQT off |
|---|---|---|
| Offline or disconnected | Call remains in the queue | Call skips |
| Unavailable | Call remains in the queue | Call skips |
| Busy (in-call, wrap-up, after-call work) | Call skips | Call skips |
| Available | Call rings | Call rings |
NOTE:
RQT does not affect Busy agents (in-call, wrap-up, or after-call work). Whether a call rings a Busy agent is controlled separately by the Wait for busy agents toggle in the Ring to Widget step of your Smartflow. See Smartflows widgets: Ring to and Redirect to for details.RQT and calls ringing agents directly
When RQT is enabled, ring time is also respected for calls that ring agents directly, outside of a team. This includes calls routed through call distribution or calls made by dialing an extension.
Admins can configure a custom ring duration, starting from a minimum of 10 seconds. With RQT enabled, these calls ring for the configured duration even if the agent is set to Unavailable.
When RQT is disabled and an agent is set to Unavailable:
- Calls routed directly to the agent are skipped.
- Calls dialed by extension go directly to voicemail.
NOTE:
Agents who change their availability from **Busy** or **Available** to **Unavailable**, or who log out while a call is ringing, are counted as declining the call.
Additional resources
To learn more about using this feature, see the following resources: