It’s So Random: Changing the Culture of ‘Who’s Up Next’ with Intelligent Call Routing

With comprehensive information at everyone’s fingertips, few people now book a hotel room in a far-off location, make a reservation in an unfamiliar restaurant or hire an unknown contractor without carefully reviewing all relevant feedback. For the most part, businesses are even more cautious about making moves, industriously uncovering everything about prospective employees during the hiring process, and thoroughly investigating every angle of any potential partnership, investment strategy or technology purchase.

Yet, with all the rich data resources available to them, most organizations leave one crucial business process almost entirely to chance: which front-line representative takes the lead in customer interactions. Startlingly, 95 – 99% of companies still randomly route customer calls to the next available agent. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way. Intelligent routing systems—with the capability to identify the caller and the reason for the call to assign the customer to the agent best skilled to handle the specific inquiry— have been around for years and are constantly becoming more efficient and affordable.

Rather than adhering to the circuitous procedure of using interactive voice recording (IVR) to send the customer to the most appropriate department or to an initial operator who will forward the call, intelligent call routing totally streamlines the process. It taps directly into customer records to retrieve information about the caller based on previous interactions and instantly directs the call to whom it judges to be the most qualified agent to handle the issue. In making split-second routing determinations, such systems not only take into account an agent’s track record, training and skills, but also consider caller priority, long-term customer value and more. Sometimes, the best responder for a specific call may already be engaged in another ongoing conversation that started only a few minutes earlier. Depending on how long the caller may have to wait, how wait time impacts that individual’s satisfaction and the skill level of others available, intelligent call routing decides to either have the caller wait or assign them to the next best agent.

With the increasing volume of available data on customer history and improved knowledge of agent capabilities, the traditional legacy routing strategy is evolving to become more intelligent, personalized, and able to effect specific improvements in a company’s metrics. Integrations now enable the use of data gleaned from previous interactions to provide insight into a customer’s personality and behavioral characteristics. By applying this knowledge, companies can gauge their customer’s communication preferences–intelligent routing can go beyond calls, helping to shape better outcomes on email, chat or messaging channels– and deliver the optimal experience.

Learn how your company can use this vital and improving technology to both reduce customer effort and create more personalized connections. Listen to a complimentary webcast “How Intelligent Call Routing Can Deliver Business Results,” presented by NICE Nexidia.

6 Contact Center Technologies to Delight the Customer

Sometimes you have to rethink how you service clients in order to continue improving the customer experience. These six contact center technologies are sure to enhance each customer’s journey, which helps retain them, improves word-of-mouth marketing and elevates your reputation.

1. Call-Back

If a caller wants to speak with a live agent even though there’s a long wait time, let them opt to get a call back when an agent is available. Allowing the customer to continue with whatever they were doing, instead of having to hang on the phone for several minutes, will keep them happy and let both the customer and the agent deal with the issue efficiently.

2. Contact Routing Software

Contact routing software passes customers along to the right agent quickly. This technology encompasses all communication routes, including chat, email and voice. Instead of speaking with an agent and then being put on hold to be transferred, the software gets the customer to the correct agent the first time

3. Interactive Video

When customers call to speak with a live agent via their mobile device, interactive videos play ads, entertainment or promotions during hold time. Not only does this keep the customer’s attention, but it may answer one of their questions or tell them about a product or service they might want.

4. Two-Way Social Media Conversations

Brands have known for a while that they need a presence on social media, but now customers want a two-way conversation. It’s no longer acceptable to give customers a place to go just so they can provide feedback or learn more about you. Your agents have to actually respond now, quickly and in a personalized way.

5. Unified Communications

“Omnichannel” has been a buzzword for a long time, but not enough companies are truly embracing it yet. The best customer experience is when the agent can be reached on any device and access up-to-date purchase, service and communication history. Going into a conversation and already having context is imperative.

6. Voice Response Software

The days of having to listen to lengthy menus and submenus, trying to remember the different numbers to punch in your phone, are gone. With integrated voice response software, the customer can access the right self-service selection by speaking in a natural way.

Contact centers that want to compete need to embrace digital transformation and modern technology.

ACD Technology and Benefits

Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) technology answers incoming phone calls and uses pre-defined information to route them to the appropriate department or agent.

5 Types of Call Distribution

1. Linear: Call distribution is based on a pre-determined list, starting with the same agent each time.

2. Circular: Calls are distributed based on a pre-determined list, starting with the agent following the last agent who handled a call. This process goes along a continual loop.

3. Uniform: Calls are distributed to the agents who have been idle for the longest period of time.

4. Simultaneous: Every agent is alerted to the call at the same time and the first person to answer the phone handles the call.

5. Weighted: Calls are distributed based on a pre-determined percentage of calls that each agent can handle.

6 Advantages of Using an ACD

1. Multiple waiting queues can be setup for different agents, teams, departments or numbers dialed. Callers can also dial the extension of the specific agent they want to speak to.

2. Helpful usage data is gathered, including how long an agent spends working with a caller, the total number of both incoming and outgoing calls, call length, and wait time before calls are answered.

3. Contact centers that are dispersed across the globe can be integrated and remote agent monitoring is simple. ACDs are able to route calls to remote agents, numerous contact center sites, mobile phones and international numbers. Managers are also able to monitor calls no matter where the remote agents are working.

4. Agents become more specialized in certain areas. Since agents are often routed specific types of calls, they become proficient at handling certain questions and issues. The more expertise the develop, the faster they’re able to complete a call.

5. There’s no need to search through a variety of databases and business tools to piece together customer information. Agents can access all customer interactions and information from one shared interface.

6. Response time is expedited, increasing customer satisfaction. When a customer calls, the call is immediately answered and transferred to the right agent. If the customer goes into a waiting queue, they’ll have the option to be called back by an agent. VIP customers are immediately identified and directed to the agents who are assigned to receive VIP calls. If an agent isn’t available to take a VIP call, the caller will be placed at the front of the queue.