July 18, 2022
What could be the biggest nightmare for a business? It is when a customer calls a business and reaches a dead end rather than getting an answer to their query. Mostly, it happens as the caller gets connected to the wrong department or agent. But it is important to realize that even one such call could mean losing a billion dollar opportunity. So what should a business do to avoid its customers ending up with the wrong agents? The simple answer to this problem is Call Routing.
Starting a business, one might not give a thought about call routing. There are several other areas that need attention. But as the business grows up, the inbound call traffic increases and the need to manage these calls becomes an urgent priority. In such a situation, Call Routing is an effective service which comes as a core function of a business phone system.
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As the name suggests, Call Routing is a function that directs incoming calls to a business’s specific department or agent. It does so based on certain conditions such as the query of the caller, skills of the agent, time and day of the week, etc.
In simple words, a call routing software captures call data such as the query of the caller and determines the correct recipient for it. It works on the basis of preset rules and filters. An IVR system i.e. Interactive Voice Response plays a crucial role in this process. It presents the caller with the varied available options to choose from.
Typically, there are 3 phases associated with the call routing process, as mentioned below:
Call routing systems are also known as Automatic Call Distributors (ACD) as they work to automatically distribute inbound calls.
Suppose you want to call an online clothing brand regarding the delivery of your order. You dial the toll free number mentioned on their website. The auto-attendant presents you with several options: Buying Assistance, Discounts and Coupons, Payment/ Refund Queries, Help with your Account, Order and Delivery Status, etc.
You press the number for Order and Delivery Status. The call routing system will direct your call to an agent who handles these queries.
One of the major reasons why businesses must use a call routing software is that phone calls are still a popular choice when customers want to connect with a business. In other words, people like to talk to a real person when they have a query or concern with a business. When this happens, it is simply imperative to ensure that customers’ concerns are addressed and resolved as quickly as possible. Call Routing plays a crucial role in patching callers with the right agents and thus increases the probability of quick resolution.
The time duration for which a customer has to wait on call puts a direct impact on customer satisfaction rate. As per statistics, in 2021, customers spent an average of 46 seconds waiting for call centers to answer their calls. And 28% of these callers disconnected before they could speak to a business representative. Call Routing significantly reduces the waiting time that callers have to experience before they are connected to an agent.
Lack of agent availability can also lead to missed calls and voicemails. Studies tell that 80% of all business communications take place over the phone. Imagine the number of calls a business receives in a day. With call routing, callers have the privilege to connect with agents instantly which means the number of voicemails and missed calls will get automatically reduced.
Today’s buyers are more aware than ever before. Their buying journey involves different steps. These exploring solutions, comparing vendors, and then making the purchase. At each step, they may seek help from customer support by talking to agents. Call Routing ensures that buyers have their queries resolved in the best possible way. This increases the potential for more sales thus benefiting the business.
84% of customers say they’re more likely to stick with a brand that treats them like a person, not a number. Using call routing software, calls are distributed according to the skills of the agent and requirements of the caller which increases the probability of more satisfied customers.
Adopting Unified Communications (UC) Phone system, businesses can experience wonderful improvements. Studies tell that businesses can see a 52% improvement in workplace productivity with UC. This further results in a 25% increase in operating profit. Call routing helps employees in taking more calls per day which means they can get more work done on a daily basis.
Modern day cloud phone systems incorporate call routing as an essential feature. Businesses or companies with multiple employees and departments must use a business phone system with call routing feature. By doing so, they can they can significantly improve customer experience and employee performance.
As explained above, call routing comes as a core function with today’s cloud business phone systems. So you can look for a reliable business phone system that offers this feature.
KloudTalk offers an advanced set of communication features for businesses to add more efficiency to their call flow. Intelligent Call Routing and Management is a highlighting feature offered by KloudTalk that makes use of Artificial Intelligence. It works on different set of algorithms and consider various aspects of calling. These include caller priority, previous inquiries by the same caller, customer value, agent skills, etc. To know more or get a free 14 day trial, please get in touch with us.
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