Automatic call distribution (ACD) is a technology used in call centers to distribute incoming calls evenly among customer service agents. ACD helps you make sure every calling customer is connected to an agent as quickly and efficiently as possible.

ACD might sound like a great idea for every type of call center, especially when you handle high volumes and a variety of complex metrics. However, it might not be so effective for a small team that only needs a receptionist or a simple interactive voice response (IVR) system. 

So, when should you use ACD and when are you better off with other options? 

ACD vs IVR: Mistakenly Interchangeable

A lot of people think these two solutions are one and the same. Actually, ACD technology is a complex way to automatically route incoming calls to the right agents, whereas an IVR system uses caller input to direct a call.

These technologies are used at different points in the call, too. ACD routes calls that are already connected, while IVRs are used for pre-call routing. Where an ACD system can use IVR technology, an IVR system does not necessarily need automatic call distribution.

That’s why an interactive voice response system is enough for a team that handles a low volume of calls. They don’t need the automatic distribution part—they just need a smart, easy, and customer-friendly way to route calls to the best agents.

A Closer Look at When ACD Makes Sense

There are plenty of situations where an ACD can come in very handy, such as:

  • When you manage high call volume. ACD ensures that your agents are being utilized to their fullest capacity by evenly distributing calls among them.
  • When your team handles complex, hard-to-classify issues. ACD can help you automatically direct customers to agents with very specific expertise.
  • When your call recordings show calls being routed to the wrong agents. ACD helps resolve a customer’s issue as promptly as possible without pushing them around.

If you find yourself in any of the following situations, an automatic call distribution system may not be the most pressing need:

  • Your current setup is working fine and your customer satisfaction score and net promoter score are doing well.
  • You don’t handle a lot of calls every day.
  • You only manage a handful of types of issues on a regular basis.

How to Create Your Own Rules for Automatic Call Distribution

Every automatic call distribution software works differently. Learning how to work with the tool isn’t the difficult part, however. Setting your own automatic call rules is. 

Here are some general and omnichannel guidelines to help you nail your configuration regardless of the software you use.

Step 1: Identify the Caller

There are multiple ways to do this. To begin with, you can use a classic caller ID, which will show your agents who is calling. This is not particularly useful when you have thousands or even hundreds of thousands of callers every day.

Next, you can use an IVR menu to identify the basic needs of a caller. You’ll ask them to input their phone number or another numerical identifier to match them with a database entry. Or, if you want to keep things simpler, you can just match the caller with an agent based on their specific need.

Lastly, you can use CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software. This type of tool integration allows your agents to see not only who is calling, but also their history with your company, the kind of products or services they buy, and what other previous interactions they may have had with your call center.

Step 2: Add Them to the Queue

There are multiple ways to do this next step, all based on your chosen call distribution model. Some of the more widespread examples include:

  • Placing customers in a regular queue, where they will be handled whenever they get their turn with an agent.
  • VIP or urgency services, in which you push important customers or those with very urgent matters to the front of the line to have their issue handled as quickly as possible.
  • Active redistribution, when an agent is either not available or not willing to handle a particular call, you can re-distribute it among other agents.
  • Offering a callback, if no agents are available.

Step 3: Route to the Right Person or Team

Once your caller has been placed in the right queue, it’s time to connect them with the right agent or team. The selection can be done a number of ways:

  • Skills-based. Agents with technical skills pick up technical questions, those with sales skills pick up commercial inquiries, and so on.
  • KPI-based. Calls are routed to the team or agent that has the best history of resolving a specific type of problem, question, or inquiry.
  • After-hours. You connect your callers with agents that are available outside of regular business hours.
  • Straight to voicemail. You don’t currently have enough agents available, so the call goes straight to voicemail.
  • Choice. You give your caller multiple options and let them choose who they want to talk to.

Step 4: Ongoing KPI Monitoring

To make the most out of your ACD software, you need to measure its efficiency. Or, more specifically, how efficiently your agents are using it.

Some of the call center KPIs you can track include:

  • Cost Per Call (CPC): If your CPC is climbing, you need to reassess your ACD rules.
  • First Contact Resolution (FCR): If your FCR is dropping, you’ll probably do well to change your rules as well.
  • Average Handling Time (AHT): If the AHT is up, you should revisit your ACD rules.
  • Call Abandonment Rate (CAR): If more people are abandoning calls, the issue could be poor automatic call distribution or high wait times. In this case, you probably need to update your scheduling and staffing procedures.
  • Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): If this metric is not changing after you implement ACD, you might want to reassess your rules. Likewise, if your CSAT drops, you should see if this is in any way connected to how calls are distributed.

Automatic call distribution systems aren’t just a call center trend. They can make a whole lot of difference if chosen correctly, set up intelligently, and monitored well.

Just make sure that you don’t leave it on autopilot. The “automatic” part of “ACD” is only meant to make your life easier, not take away your control over it.