What are the latest trends and innovations in call routing technology and how do you leverage them?
Call routing is a key function of any contact center, as it determines how incoming calls are distributed among available agents. Efficient and effective call routing can improve customer satisfaction, agent productivity, and operational costs. In this article, we will explore some of the latest trends and innovations in call routing technology and how you can leverage them to optimize your contact center performance.
One of the most common and widely used call routing methods is skill-based routing, which assigns calls to agents based on their skills, knowledge, and proficiency. This ensures that customers are matched with the most qualified and suitable agents for their needs, reducing transfers, callbacks, and frustration. Skill-based routing can also help agents develop their expertise and confidence, as they handle calls that are within their scope and level. To implement skill-based routing, you need to define the skills and levels of your agents, as well as the types and priorities of your calls. You also need to monitor and update your agents' skills and availability regularly, using data and feedback.
Another emerging trend in call routing is intelligent routing, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to analyze various factors and determine the optimal routing strategy. Intelligent routing can consider not only the skills and availability of agents, but also the context, history, and preferences of customers, as well as the business goals and outcomes. Intelligent routing can also adapt and learn from the results and feedback of each call, improving its accuracy and efficiency over time. To use intelligent routing, you need to integrate your call routing system with your CRM, analytics, and AI platforms. You also need to train and test your AI models and algorithms, as well as ensure their compliance and security.
A third innovation in call routing is omnichannel routing, which enables you to route not only voice calls, but also other channels of communication, such as email, chat, social media, and video. Omnichannel routing allows you to provide a seamless and consistent customer experience across multiple touchpoints, as well as leverage the strengths and preferences of each channel. Omnichannel routing can also help you balance the workload and utilization of your agents, as well as optimize the cost and quality of each interaction. To achieve omnichannel routing, you need to have a unified platform that supports and integrates all the channels you offer. You also need to train and equip your agents to handle multiple channels and modes of communication.
A fourth trend in call routing is dynamic routing, which allows you to adjust and modify your routing rules and parameters in real time, based on the changing conditions and demands of your contact center. Dynamic routing can help you respond to fluctuations in call volume, agent availability, customer behavior, and service level agreements. Dynamic routing can also help you experiment and test different routing scenarios and strategies, as well as measure and compare their outcomes and impacts. To enable dynamic routing, you need to have a flexible and scalable call routing system that can be easily configured and updated. You also need to have a dashboard and reporting tool that can provide you with real-time data and insights on your call routing performance.
A fifth innovation in call routing is personalized routing, which allows you to customize and tailor your routing decisions and actions based on the individual characteristics and preferences of each customer and agent. Personalized routing can help you enhance customer loyalty, satisfaction, and retention, as well as agent engagement, motivation, and retention. Personalized routing can also help you create a unique and differentiated value proposition for your contact center and brand. To implement personalized routing, you need to collect and analyze data on your customers' and agents' profiles, behaviors, feedback, and preferences. You also need to segment and target your customers and agents based on their attributes and needs.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Telecom BSSWhat are the latest trends and innovations in telecom BSS for campaign and loyalty management?
-
Customer RetentionHere's how you can effectively identify and leverage customer touchpoints with strategic thinking.
-
Customer Service OperationsHow can you use CSO tools to personalize customer interactions?
-
Customer ExperienceYou want to be promoted in customer experience. What technologies do you need to master?