US Patent 11936813 Collaborative virtual waiting room with connection modes

A request for a contact center agent interaction is received from a user device associated with a user. The user device is connected to a virtual waiting room according to a connection mode that is selected from a set that includes a private connection mode. The private connection mode enables the user to observe communications of at least a subset of waiting users of a contact center queue and hides a presence of the user from the waiting users. Responsive to an indication to activate a private session between the user device and an agent device associated with a contact center agent, the user is removed from the virtual waiting room.