What is ACD (automatic call distribution)?
Route calls efficiently to the best-suited agents with automatic call distribution.
![An agent receives a call routed by the RingCentral automatic call distribution feature](/content/dam/rc-www/en_us/images/content/seo/cx/automatic-call-distribution/hero-desktop-jpg-rendition.webp)
![An agent receives a call routed by the RingCentral automatic call distribution feature](/content/dam/rc-www/en_us/images/content/seo/cx/automatic-call-distribution/hero-jpg-rendition.webp)
![An agent receives a call routed by the RingCentral automatic call distribution feature](/content/dam/rc-www/en_us/images/content/seo/cx/automatic-call-distribution/hero-tablet-jpg-rendition.webp)
Anyone who’s ever worked in a contact center knows how difficult it is when customers call at the same time. Which caller do you prioritize first? What if there are no more agents available to talk?
One way cloud contact centers prevent problems like these is by having a good ACD system. Let’s take a look at what ACD is, what tools it has to improve your customer engagement, and how it can benefit your business as a whole.
![A female agent talking to a client waiting for 5 minutes](/content/dam/rc-www/en_us/images/content/seo/cx/automatic-call-distribution/z-card-1-jpg-rendition.webp)
![A female agent talking to a client waiting for 5 minutes](/content/dam/rc-www/en_us/images/content/seo/cx/automatic-call-distribution/z-card-1-tablet.jpg)
What is ACD?
ACD is short for automatic call distribution. It is a telephony system that automatically receives incoming calls and distributes them to an available agent.
Its purpose is to help inbound contact centers sort and manage large volumes of calls to avoid overwhelming the team. It also improves customer experiences by making sure they are connected to a capable agent in the quickest time possible.
But before the caller is queued and routed, they first have to go through the IVR. IVR and ACD are often confused with each other, so let’s take the time to differentiate the two terms.
What is the difference between IVR and ACD?
Interactive voice response (IVR) is a technology that lets users interact with an automated answering machine before they are sent to an agent. IVR systems are commonly used to determine what the user’s query is and, by extension, the kind of assistance they need.
IVR systems do this by asking the user to press keys on their phone that correspond to their issue. For example, an IVR might ask you to “Press 1 if you want to purchase a product.” The ACD will then take your response and assign a sales agent rather than send you to unrelated departments.
So IVR is used to collect customer data. ACD then uses that data to sort and distribute the calls. When used together, these two tools can really improve customer satisfaction and workforce engagement in your contact center.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at the distribution process to get a better understanding of how the entire system all works.
![The interactive voice response call flow chart](/content/dam/rc-www/en_us/images/content/seo/cx/automatic-call-distribution/z-card-2-jpg-rendition.webp)
![The interactive voice response call flow chart](/content/dam/rc-www/en_us/images/content/seo/cx/automatic-call-distribution/z-card-2-tablet-jpg-rendition.webp)
How does an ACD system work?
The call distribution process can be summed up in three steps:
1. Caller information and identification
2. Call queueing
3. Call routing
2. Call queueing
3. Call routing
![The automatic call distribution process flow chart](/content/dam/rc-www/en_us/images/content/seo/cx/automatic-call-distribution/diagram-jpg-rendition.webp)
STEP 1. Caller Identification
As mentioned above, the first step is asking the caller’s purpose through an IVR. Caller ID systems can also be used to determine factors like language and location. This will allow the ACD to distribute the caller to an agent that’s best equipped to handle their concern.
STEP 2. Call Queueing
The next step is to sort the callers into a waiting list. The automatic distributor quickly determines the order of the queue based on a number of factors such as:
- Status
- Waiting time
- Query
VIPs are usually prioritized over others, but the system can also be programmed to sort callers based on the other factors mentioned above.
STEP 3. Call Routing
The last step is call routing. The ACD system will route the calls based on your preferred type of distribution method.
Want to minimize customer waiting time? The ACD can distribute the incoming call to whoever’s immediately available. Want your customer to be handled by the best agent? You can set the system to distribute based on an agent’s skills.
There are many types of distribution methods for you to choose from. To help you determine which one is the best for your business, let’s look at the most commonly used methods in contact centers.
Contact center overflow tools
Contact center overflow happens when there are not enough agents to handle the inbound calls. Not giving customers a reply or putting them on hold for too long will make them frustrated. So, you can choose between two options: to either send them to voicemail or automatically call back.
Voicemail
Allows customers to leave a recorded message for the agents. Agents can then assess the issue and try to resolve it, or call the customer back.
Automatic callback
The customer can also make an automatic callback request themselves. Once the agent is available, the system automatically calls the customer for the agent.
What are the benefits of ACD?
Now that we know all about ACD, how can it benefit your contact center?
- Better workforce management - An ACD prevents your team from wasting time by routing calls in an orderly and systematic manner. It also makes sure that your team shares the same amount of workload, and reduces your agents’ idle time by distributing calls fairly and equally.
- Improved customer experience - In addition to customer management, smart routing directs customers to the agents that can best handle their concerns. The fast distribution also ensures that your customer is attended to immediately, resulting in higher satisfaction levels.
- Easier agent coaching - With call monitoring, you’ll be able to check on your agents’ performance while they are handling a call in real-time. This gives you a better understanding of your agent, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they can improve in delivering quality customer service across all channels of communication.
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