Automatic Call Distributor - ACD Key Terms

Learn key terms to choose and use the most suitable ACD system for your business

Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) systems are essential in today's call center business environment. If your organization uses ACD technology to answer and route calls to service professionals, you need to know the key terms associated with the technology to choose the most suitable applications. Learning Automatic Call Distributor key terms will not only help you select the best systems, but will also help you use the technology optimally for business success.

Auto attendant solutions

Businesses with many service professionals providing information or assistance to clients often use auto attendant technology. These applications allow businesses to program their phone system to automatically answer calls using pre-recorded messages and route them to the appropriate service professional. This promotes efficiency in businesses by ensuring that calls are directed to the right person. It also saves money as auto attendant technology often replaces a full-time receptionist.

Call routing

ACD systems feature technology that allows automatic distribution of calls to the most suitable service professional in a call center. This is a basic feature of most ACD systems and many software and technology providers offer different levels of routing features. Depending on whether you have a large organization of many customer service representatives, or a smaller group, you will want to choose call routing features that best serve your customers needs.

Interactive voice recognition, IVR

Interactive voice recognition (IVR) technology allows companies to program solutions into the messaging system. Callers with simple requests may be able to receive satisfaction via automated prompts and pre-recorded voice commdands that can walk them through their needed solution. Another solution that touts efficiency and better accuracy, IVR software often replaces or precedes dealings with actual service personnel.

Virtual ACD

Virtual ACD systems enable call center businesses to program software to route calls to the next available agent. These solutions can not only route calls according to capacity, they can also include features that enable routing based on which call center employee has handled the most calls for the longest duration. This is said to ensure that every associate gets the same amount of work, promoting equality in the call center work environment.

Call monitoring

Most ACD systems feature the ability to monitor all service staff calls. This tool allows businesses to listen in on customer service professionals and monitor their interaction with clients. Call monitoring not only promotes customer service, it also provides indisputable proof of actual service and work completed as it also provides reports detailing hours worked, time spent on each call as well as other information.

Skills based routing

ACD systems increase productivity in the call center environment by allowing for calls from clients to be routed to the most experienced agent or staff member. They feature pre-recorded prompts that direct callers to input information based on the nature of the call. Either by dialing numbers or via voice recognition, the skills-based routing features of ACDs send callers to a representative who is skilled enough to handle their request.

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