Tell Me More: Automatic Call Distribution – ACD

One of the most popular reasons to upgrade a business phone system and call center software is to get access to automatic call distribution (ACD). Once, ACD was exclusively the domain of massive call centers with hundreds of employees. Now, technology improvements and dropping prices have made ACD accessible to customer centers as small as 5 or 10 agents.

ACD is one of the defining characteristics of modern call center software. ACD uses caller ID information to match an incoming call to your customer database. If a match is found, the call is routed according to which products the customer uses, how much they spend with you, their contract status, or any other piece of information you have about them. You can even specify individual agents who should help particular customers.

Advanced ACD applications include conditional routing, which changes call routing based on specific situations. For example, “If group A’s queue times exceed two minutes, and at least one agent in group B is available, route group A calls to group B until hold times are less than one minute.”

Why use ACD?
ACD goes a long way towards increasing customer satisfaction: by connecting customers to the right agent before the line is even picked up, you greatly reduce additional hold times during transfers. You can also improve sales results and reduce call handling times by playing to your agents’ strengths. Skill-based routing allows you to list each agent’s strong points – sales, specific products, or technical skills – and have callers distributed based on those skills.

Finding ACD for your business
You can find experienced call center software vendors that provide ACD and other feature-rich applications to get the most out of your call center. BuyerZone can help with a free request for ACD and call center software quotes service. Complete a quick and easy form and we’ll match you to multiple vendors who will assess your business needs and suggest the best solutions.