An automatic call distributor refers to a telephony system that automates the routing of incoming calls to the right department or agent. The call distribution is based on pre-defined parameters that work in conjunction with an interactive voice response system to ensure a seamless experience for the callers.
There are a number of benefits of ACD, however, for this discussion, we will focus on a few of them.
Benefits of ACD – Taking your Customer Experience to the Next Level
Intelligent Call Routing
The ACD routes the call to the most suitable agents or departments based on the parameters predefined by the supervisor. These rules can be based on the region from which the caller is calling, the product/service, and the skill of the agent. For example, if the caller chooses Tamil as their preferred language, the call is routed to an agent who speaks Tamil. Thus, as mentioned earlier, both, IVR and ACD need to work in tandem to deliver a smooth routing experience and in turn, a great customer experience.
Faster Response Time
You might have experienced a long wait time when you called to seek customer support. On top of it, if you connect to an agent and they tell you to get in touch with a different agent or depart – that’s not fun at all. Bouncing from agent to agent not just frustrates the callers more but also leaves a bad impression. That’s where ACD comes to the rescue. It ensures the calls are answered immediately and are transferred to the most appropriate agent. Thus, optimizing the waiting queues while providing the callers with an option to schedule a callback too.
Improve Agent Efficiency
When the calls are routed to the right agent in the first go itself, it not only reduces the response time but also saves the agents’ time in transferring them. At the same time, an advanced call center software integrates with other tools and systems to ensure contextual conversation. For example, when an agent receives a call she/he can view caller details with the help of CTI integration. Having this information at their disposal helps them to resolve the customer query faster and effectively.
Manage Peak Call Volume
Busy periods in a call center can be chaotic with high call traffic, long wait times, and overburdened agents. All this leads to dissatisfied customers and agents. By using ACD software, a business can easily tackle this issue. Since the callers will be directed to the right agent, the wait time reduces. At the same time with pre-recorded prompts and messages, brands can keep the callers updated on their queue position along with providing them with an option to request a callback at a convenient time. Similarly, this can also be helpful in managing after-business-hours queries – just define the rules to allow the callers to leave a voicemail. The agents can then get back to them the next day.
Better Brand Reputation
When you don’t make the customers wait, when they are not transferred from agent to agent, when their queries are resolved quickly and effectively then you have happy customers at your hand. These satisfied customers are your best brand ambassadors as they can personally vouch for the good experience that they have had with your brand. The more call centers can personalize their caller conversations, the more callers will spread these positive experiences. Thus, gaining loyal customers while boosting your brand reputation.
Conclusion
ACDs are a great example of utilizing technological improvements to add significant value to a business. The benefits of ACD as mentioned above are multi-fold – from streamlining your business processes to increasing agent productivity and improving customer support experience. Thus, it is safe to say that call centers need to invest in ACD technology if they want to maintain a competitive edge.
