What Is a Sticky Agent?
A sticky agent is a routing rule that connects a repeat caller to the same agent who handled their last call or owns their record. The caller skips the queue and the repeated explanation, and the agent picks up a conversation they already know, which shortens calls and improves first-call resolution.
How it works in Salesforce
When a call arrives, the routing system identifies the caller and checks Salesforce for a related agent, such as the last agent who spoke to them, the record owner or the owner of an open Case. If that agent is available, the call goes straight to them.
Good sticky routing always has a fallback. If the agent is busy, offline or doesn't answer within a set time, the call moves to the normal queue so the customer isn't left waiting. Some teams limit sticky routing to a time window, for example calls within seven days of the last conversation.
Sticky agent routing works best for account managers, collections, healthcare follow-ups and support teams with ongoing Cases.
Example
A patient calls back about an appointment they discussed yesterday. The system recognizes the number and routes the call to the same coordinator, who already has the patient's record open.
How 360 CTI handles it
360 CTI includes Salesforce sticky agent routing, so repeat callers are connected to the same agent to keep context. See AI Call Routing.
Related questions
Follow-up questions
What happens if the sticky agent is busy?
The call falls back to the normal queue, or to another agent, after a set time.
Is sticky agent the same as skill-based routing?
No. Skill-based routing picks an agent by skills. Sticky routing picks the agent the caller already knows.
Does sticky routing work for outbound callbacks?
It's mainly for inbound calls, but callbacks are usually assigned to the record owner, which has the same effect.
See how 360 CTI handles this in your Salesforce org.