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Sticky Agent

Sticky Agent is a call routing feature that ensures a returning caller is connected to the same agent they previously interacted with. This provides continuity in customer conversations, reduces context-switching, and improves customer satisfaction.

How Sticky Agent Works​

When Sticky Agent is enabled, Exotel maintains a mapping between a caller's phone number and the last agent who handled their call. On subsequent calls from the same number, Exotel attempts to route the call directly to that agent.

First Call:
Customer A calls → IVR → Connect → Agent 3 answers
    Exotel saves: Customer A ↔ Agent 3

Second Call (within sticky period):
Customer A calls → IVR → Connect → Agent 3 rings first
    If Agent 3 answers → Connected (continuity maintained)
    If Agent 3 busy/no answer → Falls back to other agents

When to Use Sticky Agent​

ScenarioWhy Sticky Agent Helps
Ongoing support ticketsCustomer resumes conversation without repeating the issue
Sales follow-upsProspect speaks to the same sales rep who understands their needs
Account managementDedicated agent relationship for high-value customers
Complex issue resolutionMulti-call issues stay with the agent who has context
Healthcare or legalContinuity is critical for sensitive conversations

Setting Up Sticky Agent​

Via the Dashboard​

  1. Log in to the Exotel Dashboard.
  2. Open your call flow in App Bazaar.
  3. Click on the Connect applet that routes calls to your agents.
  4. In the applet settings, enable Sticky Agent.
  5. Configure the sticky duration (how long the caller-agent mapping persists).
  6. Save and publish the flow.

Configuration Options​

SettingDescriptionRecommended Value
Sticky AgentEnable/disable the featureEnabled
Sticky DurationHow long the mapping persists (in days)7-30 days
Fallback behaviorWhat happens if the sticky agent is unavailableRoute to other agents in the group
PriorityWhether sticky agent gets priority or exclusive accessPriority (with fallback)

Via the API​

When using the Connect Two Numbers API or Connect to Flow API, you can implement sticky agent logic on your server:

  1. Before making the API call, look up the caller's number in your database to find their assigned agent.
  2. Set the From parameter to the assigned agent's number.
  3. If the agent is unavailable, fall back to a general queue or round-robin.
# Route to sticky agent
curl -X POST 'https://<api_key>:<api_token>@api.exotel.com/v1/Accounts/<account_sid>/Calls/connect.json' \
  -d 'From=<sticky_agent_number>' \
  -d 'To=<customer_number>' \
  -d 'CallerId=<exophone>'

Using Passthru for Dynamic Sticky Routing​

For more control, use the Passthru applet to implement sticky agent logic on your server:

  1. Add a Passthru applet before the Connect applet in your flow.
  2. The Passthru calls your server with the caller's number.
  3. Your server looks up the assigned agent and returns the routing instruction.
  4. The flow routes accordingly.
Incoming Call → Passthru (lookup sticky agent)
                    |
                    Agent found → Connect (specific agent)
                    |
                    No agent → Connect (general agent group)

Sticky Agent Behavior​

When the Sticky Agent is Available​

The call is routed directly to the mapped agent. The agent's phone rings, and if they answer, the call is connected.

When the Sticky Agent is Unavailable​

If the sticky agent does not answer, is busy, or is offline, the system falls back based on your configuration:

Fallback StrategyBehavior
Round-robin to groupCall is distributed to the next available agent in the group
Sequential ringingCall rings the remaining agents one by one
Parallel ringingCall rings all remaining agents simultaneously
VoicemailCaller is sent to voicemail for the sticky agent
CallbackSystem captures the caller's number for a callback from the sticky agent
tip

Use the "round-robin to group" fallback for high-volume support teams. This ensures callers are not left waiting when their sticky agent is busy.

Sticky Duration Expiry​

When the sticky duration expires, the mapping is cleared and the caller is routed through standard logic (round-robin, IVR, etc.) on their next call. A new mapping is created when they connect with an agent.

Sticky Agent with Multiple Teams​

If you have multiple teams (e.g., Sales, Support, Billing), sticky agent works within each team independently:

  • A caller who spoke to Agent A in Sales will be routed to Agent A when they call Sales again.
  • If the same caller calls the Support line, they are routed through the Support team's normal routing (no cross-team stickiness).

To implement cross-team stickiness, use the Passthru applet with a centralized CRM lookup.

Monitoring Sticky Agent Performance​

Track how often sticky routing succeeds:

MetricWhat It Measures
Sticky hit ratePercentage of calls successfully routed to the sticky agent
Sticky miss ratePercentage of calls where the sticky agent was unavailable
Repeat caller ratePercentage of callers who call back within the sticky period
First-call resolutionWhether sticky routing reduces repeat calls

Use Call Analytics to monitor these metrics.

Best Practices​

  • Set an appropriate sticky duration -- For sales, 30 days works well. For support, 7 days may be sufficient unless issues are long-running.
  • Always configure fallback -- Never leave a caller waiting indefinitely for a specific agent. Always provide a fallback route.
  • Combine with agent status -- If your agents log in and out, combine sticky agent with agent availability checks so calls are not routed to offline agents.
  • Review mappings periodically -- If an agent leaves the team, their sticky mappings should be cleared or reassigned.
  • Use with parallel ringing -- Set the sticky agent as the first to ring, but ring the rest of the group simultaneously after a short delay (e.g., 5 seconds).
warning

Sticky agent can overload popular agents if many callers are mapped to the same person. Monitor agent workload and consider rebalancing if one agent consistently receives more calls than others.

Troubleshooting​

IssueCauseSolution
Caller not routed to sticky agentSticky duration expiredIncrease the sticky duration
Same agent always gets callsMany callers mapped to one agentReview and rebalance sticky mappings
Sticky agent rings but no answerAgent is AFK or busyConfigure fallback to route to other agents after timeout
New caller routed to specific agentSticky mapping exists from a previous interactionClear mapping if the agent reassignment is needed
Sticky not working after flow changeFlow republished without sticky enabledRe-enable sticky agent in the Connect applet