Imagine a busy day at work. The calls are pouring in and agents are trying to receive and handle all incoming calls and then forward them to other departments or escalate urgent matters to technicians. There are many calls in line and for each call received, it takes time to figure out where the call should land.
It is at these times that an ACD can work wonders for both employees and customers.
First of all – what is an ACD?
In the world of telecom, ACD stands for Automatic Call Distributor and is a software that can sort and distribute calls that is received by a group number.
It is easy to confuse ACDs and IVRs. Something that can be completely understandable because an IVR and an ACD, at first glance, look similar. They are both systems that distribute calls. But we who work with this every day know that the difference is very big. An IVR receives the calling customer and gives it different choices. It is up to the customer to make the right choice, based on their needs. An ACD, on the other hand, identifies and analyzes incoming calls based on various factors. It can be area code, time, etc. An ACD can recognize an important customer and ensure that they come to the right agent with the right knowledge.
What are the benefits of an ACD?
1 The right call to the right agent
An ACD helps the customer by directing the calls correctly. With the help of pre-programmed regulations on how calls should be sent, you can streamline the work. For example, you can directly send calls from customers with a more complex solution to agents with a higher skill level. Or if a call comes from Germany, this can be sent directly to a German-speaking agent.
2 A more even distribution to the agents
With an ACD system in place, you can also ensure that calls are distributed more evenly between agents. The system works its way through the list of agents in a systematic way to ensure that everyone has an even division of labor. The system recognizes the agents’ working hours, can see who has been inactive the longest or who has received the least cases.
3 Call monitoring
Being able to monitor calls is an important function for all support teams and customer centers. In this way, managers and team leaders can both review the performance of their staff while he or she can help and support their employees. Through something called “Whisper Coaching”, a new agent can be supported by the supervisor listening to the conversation and giving the agent tips and advice during the conversation. The customer can not hear the supervisor but only the agent.
4 Less queuing times for your customers
An ACD helps companies provide their customers with better service. Since calls are sent to the right recipient with greater precision, long queue times to a first-line are also avoided.
5 High priority calls can get faster answers
By pre-setting who are priority customers, you can ensure that their calls are handled faster. This can either be a customer who is of extra importance, a customer who pays for premium support or a customer who has had extra problems lately.
A properly tuned ACD can work wonders for both employees and customers. Want to know more about what an ACD could do for your business? Then you are warmly welcome to call us on +4610-410 50 00, or email us at info@dstny.se and we will tell you more!