Navigating Automated Call Distribution: Common Problems and Solutions
Automated call distribution is a popular VoIP feature for businesses of all sizes. Not only does it help ensure that you never miss a customer call, it also allows you to direct callers to the first available employee with the skills needed to assist them.
But despite its popularity, businesses can still experience problems with this feature. To help address these issues, we’ll discuss 4 automated call distribution problems and how you can avoid them.
Incoming calls are being routed incorrectly
Automated call distribution works by taking incoming calls and routing them to a specific employee or department based on a variety of factors, including geographic location, skills-based routing, and time-of-day routing. So if you find that incoming calls that should be routed to John, your top sales agent, are actually being routed to the IT department, you have a real problem on your hands.
If you notice that calls are being routed incorrectly, double check the rules that you currently have in place. You may find that some of your existing settings are causing the calls to be delivered in this way. If you can’t change these settings on your end, contact your provider for assistance.
Calls are immediately sent to voicemail
If you’re using automated call distribution, you probably have a VoIP phone system. Since VoIP runs entirely over the Internet, service issues or downtime might explain why some calls are being sent directly to voicemail.
If you’re experiencing this problem, first make sure that your system is correctly connected to the Internet. If you’re still having issues, contact your Internet provider to make sure that the service is performing well on their end. (You may even find that there isn’t enough bandwidth to handle incoming calls; if this is the case, your provider can help you calculate how much bandwidth is needed for your VoIP system.)
You have callers from a new location
One of the more popular ways that automated call distribution is used is with geographical routing. This feature allows you to route certain incoming calls to specific employees or departments based on the caller’s location.
If you’re receiving calls from a new area that is not already set up on your system, these calls will be delivered based on other routing rules. So if you know that you have customers in a new location, make sure that you add their area codes and locations set up in your system. That way, you can ensure that their call is routed to the employee or agent who can best help them.
You've increased or decreased the size of your team
Automated call distribution not only helps you manage all incoming calls, but it also helps you manage your employees. If you’re adding or removing members from your team, it’s important to change the settings on your system. Make sure that you add new employees to distribution lists and remove those who are no longer on the team.
With these settings in place, your customer will reach the correct employee right away, rather than being transferred multiple times or sent to voicemail.
Automated call distribution problems can be easily prevent by keeping your call routing rules up to date and working with your provide to make changes as needed. By using this feature correctly, your business will enjoy increased flexibility, a higher call answer rate, and happier customers.
