Call routing — it’s the system that determines where an incoming call ends up and sends it there automatically. Rather than every caller landing in a single place and then being shuffled around, call routing intelligently directs each caller to the right person or team. So a query about a customer’s bill goes to the billing team and a support call goes to – well, to whoever can actually help – all without anyone manually handling the transfer.
How does Call Routing work?
When a call comes in, the call routing system kicks in and checks it against a bunch of rules to decide where it should go. Those rules can be just about anything – what number the caller dialled, what time of day it is, where the caller is calling from, what they chose in that automated menu (you know, dial 1 for sales), which agents are free to answer, or even the caller’s history – the system’s got all this stuff to draw on. Typical approaches include spreading calls out evenly like they’re being handed around a circle (round robin), matching the caller to the agent who’s best equipped to help (skills based routing) and sending after-hours calls to voicemail or some other team because let’s face it, nobody’s available at 2am (time based routing). If the first place it gets routed to is busy, the call just hangs around in a queue or gets bumped to a backup.
How Onextel helps with Call Routing
Onextel lets you set up your call routing to send calls to the right place, whether that’s based on department, who’s available to take the call, the time of day, or how the caller chose to interact with your IVR system without having to put anyone on the phone to sort it out. It all works in harmony with IVR and outbound dialing, and because voice is one of the channels we support, a call can quickly be followed up with a text message on the customer’s preferred channel.
Why it matters
There’s nothing worse for a caller than being passed around from person to person, or stuck waiting for someone who’s not even available. Good call routing gets people to the right person right away, cuts down on waiting time, and stops the work from getting piled up on the wrong people. Which in turn means faster resolutions, less burnout for your agents, and a much nicer experience for the caller – less of a hassle and more of a smooth ride.