Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) is a type of telephony technology that is utilized within a contact centre to manage and switch large numbers of incoming calls to the most suitable agent according to the routing rules and routing logic.
ACD call routing does not happen randomly. The system has certain protocols in terms of agent skills, availability, call priority, or language preference so that each call is directed to the most appropriate agent or department.
When any customer makes a call to a support number, the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system will first record the intent of the caller by selecting a menu or by voice. According to this input, the ACD examines the routing criterion and forwards the call to the appropriate agent or team.
An ACD can be used to predictively redistribute workloads among agents, minimize wait time and enhance the first-call resolution (FCR).
Automatic Call Distributors are the significant part of the modern contact centers that allows to effectively process the calls and to use the resources economically. An ACD helps organizations:
In the absence of an ACD, the customers may soon overload the agents, which adversely affects the customer experience.
This ACD feature ensures the customer reaches the right agent who can relieve them of their problems. The agent’s phones or devices are marked with a particular category for skills or departments. Whenever the customer specifies their requirement, the ACD will identify the agent who has that skill and transfer the call to their phone or device. It is the same technology used when calls are routed based on language preference.
Sometimes your agents might be busy all at once and that is absolutely normal in a call center. However, customers usually second-guess your service quality, when they get no response from you. So, it is best to deploy a call-back feature. When agents are busy, offer your customers a callback option and a notification is sent to the relevant agent’s dashboard. Once the agent is done with the task at hand, he or she can call back the customer.
Customers might get impatient in a call queue. While staying on hold, inform your customers about their position in the queue. Based on that, offer them a call-back option or deflect them to other digital channels. Customers can take an informed decision once they are aware of their position in the queue.
An Automatic Call Distributor is a basic technology of contact centers that make sure that the calls are directed efficiently, intelligently and fairly. ACD systems not only improve the performance of operations by connecting customers to the appropriate agents at the appropriate time, but also provide a more pleasing and relaxing experience to the customers.