Automatic Call Distribution System: Streamline Inbound Call Performance

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) is a call-routing system that comes as part of business phones and contact/call center software solutions. It answers incoming calls and queues and routes them to the best available agents or departments based on the instructions and call distribution criteria you establish.

An ACD distributor system works alongside other call management tools like Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to distribute calls using customer inputs. You can distribute calls based on time of day, language, agent availability, agent skills, agent idle time, and other criteria and IVR selections.

For instance, an ACD system allows you to route calls from Spanish customers to Spanish-speaking agents. You can also direct calls to departments requested by the customers or to agents who have received the fewest calls. The system further helps you identify VIP callers and attend to them without much hold time.

An automatic call distribution system routes inbound calls to appropriate agents/departments using the inputs customers provide through your IVR. It typically works the following way:

• Customers call your business phone line.
• Your IVR system answers calls and presents callers with an automated voice menu.
• Callers interact with the menu and give inputs regarding the purpose of their call.
• Your ACD distributor system uses these inputs to place calls in queues based on waiting time, call history, and other factors. It can also identify VIP callers and prioritize their calls in queues.
• It directs queued calls to appropriate agents/departments based on some pre-established rules, such as
  • Any available agent
  • Agents who have been idle the longest
  • Agents with the required skills
  • Agents/teams in a different time zone/location
  • Departments requested by the caller
  • Agents who speak the language preference of the customer

If you have high-priority clients calling during high call times, Automated Number Indication (ANI) allows you to identify these calls and send them to their account manager’s direct line without further delay, or open the client’s file right on the computer screen of the agent taking the call.

• 1. Fixed
  Calls are routed directly to a specific group of agents, (aka "hunt groups") having a particular skillset (language, technical expertise, etc.) in the same order every time. Incoming calls will ring each time to the first person in the group, and if their line is busy, to the next, and so on.
• 2. Round-robin
  With Round-robin call distribution, calls are routed in a loop for more even distribution; in other words, only once the last agent has taken a call will the next incoming call go to the first agent on the list, restarting the cycle.
• 3. Least active
  Calls ring each time to the agent who has been idle the longest, so that no single agent receives more or fewer than his or her fair share of calls.
• 4. Time-based
  Incoming calls ring in pre-set order to a group of agents having marked themselves as available for a given time period. For example, on Tuesday morning callers may be routed to Tom, Jenny, and Marcela in that order, while afternoon callers will be routed to Tom, Marcela and George, since Jenny will be busy running a training seminar, and George will not arrive until after lunch. There are a lot of time-based routings.
• 5. Simultaneous
  Calls ring to all available agents at once, so the one who handles the call is simply the first to pick up each time.
• 6. Weighted
  Calls are routed to agents according to a certain call volume percentage pre-assigned to each. For example, Sally, who is the most experienced in her group, will receive 60% of incoming calls, Bob will receive 30%, and Emma, who just started last week and is still learning, will handle 10%.
• 7. Value-based
  Also known as “smart routing”, this type of routing operates on a higher level of complexity and uses much more detailed information than the others. More geared toward profit generation than time-saving, it involves assessing callers based on such factors as demographics or past history with the company to determine if the caller might be a good candidate for an upgrade or more open to purchase additional products or services.
• 8. Data-based
  Similar to value-based routing, this routing uses data on a caller’s current status. For example, even though a caller may have called the tech support number, the system may flag their overdue invoice or soon-to-expire membership and route them first to the department for payment processing or subscription renewals.
  Keep in mind that the above call distribution methods described are just a few examples of the many that exist today. As technology gets smarter and faster and the needs and wants of companies and consumers evolve, some of these will adapt and become even more important, while others may be obsolete within a few years.

Automatic Call Distributors (ACD) and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) are tools for managing incoming calls. They often work hand in hand to answer calls and distribute them to agents/departments.

An IVR collects customer data and understands more about the query using automated menus – press 1 for sales support, press 2 to speak to an executive, etc. Customers can interact with this IVR menu and give their input through keys or speech responses. If the customer query is simple and does not require an agent, it lets them find answers on their own through self-servicing.

An ACD distributor system uses these inputs and responses from IVR to sort calls and direct them to appropriate agents or departments based on pre-established call distribution criteria. For instance, if a customer has requested for the sales department on the IVR menu, your ACD will direct the call to agents from that department.

Aside from allowing shorter queue times and more direct channels of communication between your clients and the exact person they need to speak with to obtain the solution they’re looking for, there are further advantages of implementing Automatic Call Distribution through our solution. Even if you’re a start-up with only a few employees, you too can boost performance across all levels with the following features:

• Mobility/flexibility: The world is moving at a faster pace than ever, and it’s not stopping anytime soon. Your clients are increasingly on the move, so why shouldn’t you and your team be? Ringover puts all the features of a state-of-the-art corporate phone system at your fingertips whether you’re travelling overseas, at home or in the office. Manage your team and connect with collaborators - no matter where you are, and no matter where they are - just as you would in the boardroom and ensure each client call is treated with the prompt attention it deserves.
• Training/coaching: Whispering and call intervention allow supervisors to listen in directly on calls, feeding vital tips and information to struggling agents without the caller being any wiser, or even taking over the call if necessary. Call recording allows newer recruits to listen to their own calls again to identify areas needing improvement or hear veterans handling tough situations.
• Advanced statistics/monitoring: Always know in a glance who’s on the line, who’s taking a break, and who’s available, thanks to our convenient and user-friendly interface. Use such parameters as Average Talk Time (ATT), Average Handle Time (AHT), Average Speed of Answer (ASA) to gain a clear image of exactly where your phone support stands at any given moment. Use this information to identify strong and weak points in your customer service provision, adjust staffing during low and peak call times or hire people as necessary, provide better training to new team members and veterans alike - and ultimately save valuable time and resources.
• CRM Integration: Whether you’re using Salesforce or software designed in-house to manage client files, Ringover can link it to your phone activity. You’ll then be able to take advantage of such features as automatic file retrieval, so that any agent picking up a call will have instant access to all available information on the caller. Have all call activity automatically sync with your system information - no further need to manually enter the dates and times of conversations, or send clients bouncing around your phone system until they get lucky enough to reach someone able to help them.
• Personalised greetings/music on hold: Establish your company’s image instantly for first-time callers and maintain it in the eyes of your most loyal clients with our 100% customisable greetings and music on hold. Select music from our collection or upload it yourself to ensure that it speaks to your brand, adding timely messages and news as desired - all from our user-friendly online studio.

ACD routing is the process in which your Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system routes inbound calls to the appropriate agents/departments based on IVR inputs and the criteria and rules you establish beforehand.

An ACD distributor system can route calls using the following techniques:

• Round robin – routes calls to agents equally in a circular manner.
• Skill-based routing – routes incoming calls to agents with the skills required to address the query.
• Talk time – routes calls to agents based on who has been idle the longest and has the least talk time.
• Time-based – assigns calls to agents within specified business hours of a day.
• Simultaneous – routes incoming calls to all available agents simultaneously, and the first agent who picks the call handles the customer.
• Weighted – routes a certain percentage of calls to specific teams – 20% to Team A, 40% to Team B, 40% to Team C, etc.- adding up to 100%.

A Private Branch Exchange or PBX is a private network that handles internal and external calls of an organization. It comprises several components and functionalities and manages and routes both inbound and outbound calls.

An automatic call distribution system or ACD system is a telephony tool that receives and distributes incoming calls to agents/teams based on the criteria you have already established. Many PBX systems include ACD functionalities to connect outside callers with company agents.

Modern PBX systems, such as cloud-hosted PBX, offer call distribution as part of their offering. Typically, it works hand in hand with other cloud PBX features like Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Caller ID screening to answer calls and direct them to agents or departments best suited to handle the concern.

Handle inbound calls effectively with an Automatic Call Distribution system. It intelligently routes calls to the best-suited agents or departments, thus reducing hold time, increasing first-contact resolution rates, enhancing productivity, and improving customer satisfaction. A must-have tool for inbound call centers and businesses with high-volume calls, it works with other features in your business phone systems to optimize efficiency.