A Guide to the Best Call Routing Software for Busy Businesses

There hasn’t been a customer on earth who has ever said that they appreciate being transferred between departments and individuals several times before someone troubleshoots with them. Customers hate to wait to get an issue handled. They prefer to avoid repeating themselves several times in a row.

Also called automatic call distribution (ACD), call routing takes each business call that comes in and has it answered. From there, the caller is routed to a particular group or extension based on what they need from the call. It’s the simplest method to use a call routing app to connect available agents with the callers they have the means to assist.

What Are the Steps Associated with Call Routing?

People love texting. Many of them appreciate using it for personal and professional reasons. However, there are holdouts. Some customers want to speak with someone on the phone when they have technical support problems. Call routing strategies can enhance this experience for all of your customers.

There’s one call routing example that better explains the process. Nearly everyone reading this right now has experienced it themselves. Let’s say you call a customer support line with a problem. When you do, you may hear a script like “Please press one if you have technical issues. Press two if you need to know our hours of operation.”

This is what call routing is all about. It uses the customer data given at the start of the call to connect them with the most appropriate agent.

Step 1: Qualifying Calls

This process starts when a customer uses voice or their phone’s dial pad to input responses to a series of call menu options or pre-recorded questions. The interactive voice response (IVR) system will process calls based on the responses.

Step 2: Queueing Calls

At that point, the IVR moves the responses to the ACD. It’s tasked with queueing each of these calls. Some criteria may include waiting time, agent skills, and query type.

Step 3: Distributing Calls

With call routing, all calls sit in a queue until the right person can take them. Like the previous step, this ensures customers are placed with the correct department or person. A call routing icon may pop up on the screen or phone to inform the worker of the call’s details.

What Are IVR Systems?

Interactive voice response is an automated type of system technology. It uses pre-recorded or text-to-speech messages to respond to queries or access integral information without the caller needing to speak with an actual person.

In addition to that, there are numerous call routing features with an IVR system. This might mean prioritizing VIP callers or ensuring calls in specific languages go to the right people. This can reduce call queue time and lower abandon rates.

Helpful Call Routing Information

If you’re familiar with VoIP (voice over Internet protocol), call routing is one of its most popular features. It allows you to make and receive phone calls online rather than a traditional phone line. Several factors are used to determine where the call should be routed:

• Agent skills: This drives the caller to the right customer service technician for their problem using intelligent call routing logic.
• Auto-attendant selections: Caller input is collected when a caller responds to the auto-attendant menu filled with preset choices.
• Caller ID: This feature uses the phone number from the incoming call to ensure you know the customer’s location.
• Interactive voice response: When a caller responds in voice, the system for call routing uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to route the call.
• Time of day: This helps match a caller with the right customer service team based on time zone.

The Benefits of Using a Free Call Routing Service

There are several reasons to consider call routing. It’s for businesses of all sizes and in all industries as a way to increase revenue and keep customers happy. A few of the benefits include:

Less Waiting Time

When someone makes a call, they want to have an immediate conversation. Phone call routing does this by transferring inbound calls to suitable agents who can help with a problem. This leads to less waiting time for everyone.

Quicker Problem Resolution

Call routing makes issue resolution and customer assistance faster. If the routing is used to bring calls to agents with the right skills, it’s also more likely that problems will be resolved in the first interaction.

Better Productivity and Performance

When you have call routing, agents can focus solely on providing exceptional customer service. Agents can spend more time on assistance, which leads to elevated productivity levels.

Less Call Abandonment

Some customers will leave the call if a problem needs to be fixed quickly. This occurs when they are redirected multiple times or the agent doesn’t understand the caller’s needs. Effective call routing strategies can lower abandonment rates and create more efficient service.

Better Balanced Workload

Routing will ensure agents with a minor workload get calls to reduce idle time. The workload is more balanced, which means agents are less likely to experience burnout.

Best Practices for Call Routing on iPhone, Android, and Beyond

Having an appropriate contact method is essential for good customer service. There are a few ways you can ensure calls are handled quickly and correctly:

• Use research to plan for problems and set up a strategy.
• Choose the correct call routing method based on availability, type of concerns, call volume, skills, and more.
• Keep prompts brief and precise.
• Provide queue position and wait time when callers are on hold.
• Integrate with CRM to create a customer information database.
• Offer auto call-back options and language-based routing choices.
• Periodically pull data reports.
• Create separate phone numbers for busy departments to avoid callers hanging up.
• Record calls and review them to identify issues and monitor performance.
• Build automated customer surveys to get feedback.

The Many Types of Call Routing

Call routing strategies come in various varieties, and it’s essential to consider which is best for your business. A few of the top options are listed below:

Skill-Based Routing

With skill-based routing, data connects callers with agents with the right skills to address their issues. This can lead to better call resolution rates and decrease call handling time.

VIP Routing

Also called caller ID routing, the most valued customers are pushed to the beginning of the line. This ensures they get the best support whenever calling.

Round Robin Routing

An algorithm is used to distribute calls to agents in the queue. If one call goes to agent five, the next will go to agent six. This offers a fair work environment.

Time-Based Routing

In this case, routing brings calls to agents based on business hours and time zones. This can be used to increase operational efficiency across various locations.

Least Occupied Routing

The least occupied person gets calls with this strategy. This keeps other representatives from being overwhelmed with calls.

Predictive Behavioral Routing

This AI-based strategy uses customer data to connect callers to the agents they are likely to prefer. This considers behavioral profile, customer service history, past purchases, and preferred communication channels.

Sequential Routing

With this routing method, a list is used to handle call routing. It also keeps a particular agent at the top to receive custom calls over a certain period.

Esendex Can Help with Your Call Routing and Much More

If you need help with call routing, Esendex is here to help you. We offer various options for businesses to keep in communication with customers. Reach out to us today if you want to learn more.