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What is an Automatic Call Distribution?

In a contact center, an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) is a telephony software system that automatically routes incoming calls to an available agent or a department within a company, based on the preferred call distribution algorithm. At the same time, it helps contact centers to quickly manage a large number of inbound calls ensuring customers to be served by an appropriate agent in the shortest possible time and it avoids overwhelming the agents. It is typically used in conjunction with an IVR: before the caller is queued and routed, they first go through the IVR which assigns the call to the most appropriate extension.

• IVR and ACD are often confused with each other and considered as synonyms, but they’re not. Let’s clarify here the main difference:
  Interactive voice response (IVR) is a technology used to collect the caller’s data: an automated answering machine talks with the caller and asks the caller to press keys on their phone to identify their issue as precisely as possible. For example, an IVR might ask you to “Press 1 if you want to access your billing history. Press 2 if you have a problem regarding your order”, etc. According to the caller’s selection, the IVR passes the call to a specific queue or service rather than send them to unrelated departments.
• When the two systems are used in conjunction on the same system, the ACD system comes after and uses the data collected by the IVR to sort and distribute the calls.

Advantages of having an Automatic Call Distribution software

• improved customer experience: the first important benefit is that the waiting time decreases as the system automatically takes the calls and immediately searches the most appropriate available agent to route the call to. Call management is faster and the agent picking up the call is always the most appropriate available, according to the call routing algorithm set. No one wants to wait too much before being served, so that’s a good point in favor of your customer service!
• better workforce performances: the ACD software increases agent efficiency and productivity as they will not be missing calls or wasting time. Call transfer is minimized as operators receive just request from callers they can actually help solve their issues. Moreover, all staff shares the same amount of work, avoiding overloads and idle times.
• VIP customer calls: ACD system recognizes VIP customer calls and assigns priority to them, automatically putting them on the top of the queued calls.