# Place a visitor on hold

> Pause a visitor without losing their place — to hand them to a colleague with the right skills, or while they step out — and pick them up again from On Hold.

How-to guide · Queue Management › Managing the queue · Last updated 15 September 2026

URL: https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/place-a-visitor-on-hold/

Placing a visitor on hold moves them to the **On Hold** view without sending them back to the end of the queue. Use it to hand a visitor to a colleague with a different skill set (for example escalating to a manager), or when the visitor needs to step out briefly. The option must be turned on by an HQ Admin first.

## Before you begin

- A Retail Admin sign-in for your store — see [Sign in to the Retail Admin site (no SAML/SSO)](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/company-set-up-and-users/sign-in-to-the-retail-admin-site-no-saml-sso/), or use single sign-on if your organisation has [Integrate single sign-on (SAML) for store staff](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/company-set-up-and-users/integrate-single-sign-on-saml-for-store-staff/).
- **Allow Staff to Place Visitor "On Hold"** is on under **Platform Admin → Queueing / Appointments → Queue Settings** — see [Queue settings reference](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/queue-settings-reference/).

## Place a visitor on hold

1. In the left navigation of Retail Admin, select **QUEUEING & APPTS**.
2. Open the visitor you are serving.
3. Select the on-hold option. A dialog opens.
4. Either enter a note explaining what the visitor needs, for example `Needs a manager`, or choose a language from **Languages Spoken**.Only languages spoken by staff currently on shift are listed.

5. Select **Place Visitor On Hold**.

## Pick a visitor up from On Hold

1. Select the **On Hold** view. Each card shows the note or language in square brackets next to the visitor's name.
2. On the visitor's card, select **Pick up**, then continue as in [Pick up a visitor from the queue](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/pick-up-a-visitor-from-the-queue/).

## Verify it worked

The visitor's card moves from **In Progress** to **On Hold** with the note or language shown, and your own status returns to **Available**.

## Next step

[Add additional information to a visitor in the queue](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/add-additional-information-to-a-visitor-in-the-queue/)

## Related

- [Handle visitors with special requests (language or business customers)](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/handle-visitors-with-special-requests-language-or-business-customers/)
- [Pick up a visitor from the queue](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/pick-up-a-visitor-from-the-queue/)
- [Update the languages you speak](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/update-the-languages-you-speak/)
- [Queue settings reference](https://personalisationhub.com/support-centre/queue-management/queue-settings-reference/)