What Is Call Routing & How It Benefits Small Businesses
This article is part of a larger series onVoIP.
呼叫路由,也被称为自动呼叫distribution (ACD), is a type of call management feature that automatically distributes inbound calls based on predefined rules or criteria. User prompts and call attributes—such as the call volume, language preference, time of day, agent availability, and department requested—establish the criteria for routing. This feature allows callers to reach the desired endpoint right away, ensuring a better call experience and fewer dropped calls.
Keep reading to learn more about what call routing is, how it works, and the ways you can use call routing in your business.
How Call Routing Works
As part ofcall management systems, call routing works by using the information provided by the caller. It occurs in several ways, depending on the rules you set in yourinteractive voice response (IVR) system.
- Qualifying phase:When a customer makes a call, an IVR will process their responses to identify the caller’s purpose and the type of help they need. The caller will use their voice or dial pad to respond to the series of prerecorded questions or call menu options.
- 呼叫排队phase:The IVR forwards the collected data to theautomatic call distributor (ACD)排队。来电bas ACD将队列ed on specific criteria, such as the type of query, waiting time, or agent skills.
- 卡尔l distribution phase:The calls will stay in queues until an agent is ready to take their call. The queuing process depends on the rules you’ve set for the call distribution method. For example, skills-based routing is used to route calls to the most qualified agent. This process ensures that a call is handled by the right individual or department.
Did you know?
A phone tree describes the set of automated menus that routes callers to the desired agent, extension, or department. Read our guide on how toset up a phone treeto create the right call flow for your contact center.
Types of Call Routing Strategies
卡尔l routing is part of a call management system that places callers in appropriate queues according to a predefined set of criteria. The call distribution strategy you adopt internally or request youranswering serviceemploy on your behalf depends on your business needs and objectives. The good news is that there are several types of routing options to minimize hold time and ensure faster call resolution.
Types of Call Routing |
How It Works |
Benefits |
---|---|---|
Time-based Routing |
Time-based routing routes calls to the contact center based on business hours or time zone. |
卡尔l center operations are distributed geographically, and companies ensure maximum operational efficiency at any given time. |
Skills-based Routing |
The phone system uses customer data to connect them to the most qualified agents needed to address queries quickly. |
There’s an immediate decrease in call handling time and improvement in first-call resolution rates. |
Round-robin Routing |
Using a phone system algorithm, calls are distributed evenly among agents in a call center. |
This creates a fair and equitable call center environment, where every agent is given a chance to succeed. |
Predictive Behavioral Routing |
Using artificial intelligence (AI), this routing strategy matches callers with the agent who matches the caller’s personality profile. |
There’s a decrease in customer frustration, and interactions become less stressful since customers are handled by teams who would best support them. |
Campaign-based Routing |
Customers are routed to the most relevant agents based on the campaigns that trigger the calls. |
This routing strategy enables companies to track the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives. |
Geographic Routing |
卡尔lers are connected to the local branches of a business using a universal phone number. |
There’s less time fumbling through IVR options since it blocks calls from areas where a business may not offer a service that is local to the customer. |
Business Rules Routing |
Some examples of business rules routing are connecting important clients to premier agents and routing callers who are closing their accounts to the retentions team. |
This enables companies to configure their routing method based on specific business goals. |
Benefits of a Good Call Routing System
Voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) call routing is one of the most essentialbusiness phone featuresof a contact center platform. It isn’t only beneficial for customers who need immediate answers, but it also offers plenty of benefits to any type of business that prioritizes the overall customer experience. Here are the benefits of including call routing in your contact center operations:
卡尔l routing allows you to transfer calls to the available agents when someone is busy with an incoming call—reducing potential customer wait time. Also, the less time callers spend waiting in a queue results in lower call abandonment rates since they don’t have to wait while being transferred.
Efficientcall handlingis the primary objective of any call center. Features likeauto-attendantandIVR systemsensure calls are attended promptly, but call distribution enhances the efficiency of the customer journey. A good call distribution system enhances customer satisfaction by sending them to the right agent who is able to assist them quickly. Doing so results in smoother transfers and improved customer experience.
Check out our guide on thebest auto-attendant phone systemsto discover which providers will help improve your customer journey.
A good call routing system allows you to run your call center operations even after business hours. Phone system solutions come with time zone-specific answering rules and even holiday routing. If you want to extend your business globally, call distribution makes your business reachable by routing inbound calls to business locations in different regions.
Knowing how to balance agents’ workload is an efficient way to manage high call volumes. There are different routing strategies that enable you to distribute the workflow among agents and prevent them from being overwhelmed by numerous calls. This means encouraging your team to focus on productivity and prioritize more important tasks.
Successful call distribution has a significant impact on the overhead costs of a business. The faster agents assist customers, the less money is spent on incoming call charges. This decreases the cost per interaction significantly since less time and resources are required to resolve call queries.
卡尔l Routing Best Practices to Follow
Now you know what call routing is, it’s time to learn how to deploy it correctly. Contact centers have various methods of routing calls because each will vary depending on the needs and objectives of the business running it. Still, they all follow the same best practices to make the routing process more streamlined both for agents and customers.
Here are the best practices to make the call distribution process much better:
Conducting feedback surveys after a call is a valuable practice for small businesses that want to learn more about customer needs and expectations. For example, a customer satisfaction survey helps you gain feedback on how long they waited before an agent attended to their call. This allows you to anticipate issues and develop the right routing strategy relevant to those needs.
Different call distribution strategies exist to help call centers find the most efficient ways to connect their customers to the right department or representative. In this case, choosing the appropriate distribution method may depend on the volume of calls, the number of agents, and business goals. Check out the list above to learn which类型的呼叫路由is appropriate for your business.
Keeping track of agent and customer interactions is an important aspect of measuring call center performance. Allowing customers to leave comments after the call will help you learn more about the customer journey and how to accommodate their needs appropriately. Consider metrics, such as average handle time, customer feedback, and abandonment rate, to determine your phone system’s efficiency.
Contact center solutions come with a variety of features included in the package you’ve purchased. These include call recording, call monitoring, and call forwarding. To ensure a better call handling process, it’s important to take advantage of other call management features. For example, call recording helps record calls between the agent and the caller, which is beneficial for future training sessions.
卡尔l Routing Mistakes to Avoid
A well-designed call distribution system has the ability to reduce overhead costs, boost call center efficiency, and improve the quality of customer service. However, there are a few practices that could get it wrong. Here are the common mistakes to avoid when designing your call distribution system:
Creating Lengthy Queues
Playing repetitive promotional messages while a caller is in the queue is the fastest way to annoy them. This increases the call abandonment rate and the number of irate customers in your business. During periods of high call volumes, consider using callback queues when no agents are available to attend a call.
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Making Customers Repeat Information Already Provided
When planning the call distribution strategy, it’s important to consider the prior engagements of your callers to serve them appropriately. One way to avoid this is to implement a system that automatically records data about the callers. Being able to retrieve the interaction history will help future agents better manage a situation without asking for information that’s already been provided. If possible, you may route the call to the previous agent who handled the case before.
Not Updating the IVR System After It Was Programmed
Once in a while, you will need to check on your call distribution scheme every time there are specific changes in your business. These include changes in the business hours, the type of product or service offering, or the number of agents attending the calls. This way, you avoid situations where a caller is routed to the wrong department or agent.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between call routing & call forwarding?
卡尔l routing is the ability to connect calls to a specific department or agents based on pre-established rules. Call forwarding is the process of redirecting incoming calls from one phone number to another for the same person should the initial line be unavailable.
Which are the top providers of call routing systems?
Many call center phone systems include call routing in their feature packages. While there are several of them in the market, the best providers include8×8,CloudTalk, andFreshdesk Contact Center. They offer advanced routing capabilities, such as intelligent routing schemes, skills-based routing solutions, and automatic callbacks.
Is it possible to route calls to another phone?
Yes. Call distribution is done automatically on contact center platforms. If an agent is not available to answer a call, the ACD will direct the call to the next available agent.
Looking for more providers of call routing systems?Read our guide about the最佳商业电话系统to learn which providers offer call routing functionality.
Bottom Line
Phone call routing is a modern contact center solution to boost the productivity of your business operations. It maximizes the opportunities to connect with your customers and boosts the efficiency of your call center. Whether your business regularly handles high call volumes or has multiple department extensions, call distribution will bring balance to managing customer calls.