Callback (customer service)

A callback is a contact center option that lets a customer end the call without losing their place, after which the business calls them back when an agent is available or at an agreed time.

Queued callbacks. In Amazon Connect Customer, a flow stores the number to call with the Set callback number block, then creates the callback with the Transfer to queue block. The callback waits in a queue until an agent is free. When it reaches an agent, the system calls the agent first and dials the customer once the agent accepts. Administrators set an initial delay, a maximum number of retries and a minimum time between attempts. Callbacks are a voice feature here, and Amazon Connect reports them as their own contacts: callback contacts, those handled, and attempts the customer did not pick up.

Scheduled callbacks. Genesys Cloud lets an agent schedule a callback for a specific date and time. It offers an agent-first mode, where the agent is connected while the system dials, and a customer-first mode, where the agent joins only after the customer answers. Callbacks can also be created through the Genesys Cloud API with the number to call, a queue or routing data, and an optional scheduled time.

Why businesses offer them. A callback converts time on hold into time the customer can spend elsewhere, while the request keeps its place and is worked when an agent becomes free.

The same pattern between agents. A callback turns a synchronous wait into an asynchronous one. Agent protocols build this in. An A2A client does not need to hold a connection open while a task runs: it can check the task later with GetTask, reconnect with SubscribeToTask, or give the remote agent a webhook to receive push notifications when the state changes.

Neighbouring terms. Hold time is the wait a callback avoids. A push notification config is the A2A equivalent of leaving a number to call back.