For businesses that handle a large call volume every day, having an efficient call center is a must. But for your call center to run efficiently, there have to be processes in place to prioritize calls, respond to them, and route them to the right person. One method for doing this is called ACD, or Automatic Call Distribution. If you’ve never heard of automatic call distribution, that’s okay. In short, it is an efficient way to handle a large volume of inbound calls to support your business and ensure that your customers are happy with their call center experience and feel well taken care of. If you think ACD might be the right tool to meet your needs, read on to learn more.
What is ACD and What are the Benefits?
ACD is a telephone system that automatically sorts inbound calls and routs them to the appropriate team member(s) without a person having to answer the call and make that happen. The goal is to make the process quicker and easier for everyone involved without anyone having to devote a lot of time to a call they aren’t equipped to handle. ACD uses IVR but is not the same thing (more on that in a moment). An ACD system that works effectively will have many benefits, including improving efficiency and limiting wasted time, improving customer experience, and making it easier to coach and train employees.
What About IVR?
IVR, or interactive voice response, is a telephone technology that lets callers use their voice or the phone keys to interact with a menu of options before the call is routed. This information gathering portion is the first step in ACD, followed by queuing and routing. Having callers go through the process of IVR is what allows the ACD system to quickly and efficiently rout the call to the correct person.
What Distribution Methods are Available?
Once the system knows where to rout the call based on the customer inputs from the IVR, there are several ways to distribute the calls to various agents. Rotary distribution doles out the calls in a rotation. Fixed order distribution sorts calls to a list of people in order (often in terms of seniority) and the call will only go to the next agent if the first one is busy. Simultaneous distribution sends the call to all agents allowing whoever can to pick it up (this is the fastest method). Skill-based distribution uses the information gathered by the IVR to rout the call to the team or person who has the skills to best handle it (your sales rep versus your maintenance team, for instance). Finally, talk-time distribution monitors how much time the agents have spent on the phone and tries to balance the workload between available representatives.
Phone System Solutions from Delta Intellicom
Want to learn more about the ways we can help improve your business? Delta Intellicom can satisfy all of your telecommunication needs, whether you need help with your new VoIP system or just want to streamline your existing office phone network. We have served the Maryland, Washington, D.C, Northern Virginia, and Pennsylvania areas for over 20 years and offer an unparalleled customer experience. We have the expertise and products to fulfill all of your phone service and data needs. For more information, contact us online or give us a call at 1-800-946-3358. For more tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.