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What is skill based routing?

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Table of Contents

Skill based routing (SBR) is a strategy for call assignment used in call centers which can assign inbound calls to agents who are most qualified or suitable for the job, instead of assigning it to an idle agent who may or may not have the skills required to deal with the situation at hand. 

Automatic call distribution systems (ACD) are often used to manage skill based routing in a call center. 

For example, German speaking callers are routed to agents that are proficient in German. SBR reduces the chances of customers being directed to agents who are not equipped with the right skillset to help them with their issue.

01

Why do companies
need skill based routing?

There are multiple benefits to employing skill based routing in a call center. There are improvements to agent productivity as well as customer satisfaction.

Improved customer engagement and satisfaction

By using skill based routing, businesses can ensure that their customers are always assisted by qualified agents who have the skills necessary to resolve caller concerns effectively. Coaching agents to develop specialized skills helps your business perform better in CES, CSAT and NPS® surveys as your contact center is a key touchpoint for most customers.

Improved agent productivity

When you transfer calls based on agent skill, your first call resolution rate increases as well. First call resolution is an important metric for call centers which gauges the ability of your agents to resolve issues and queries within the first call with a customer. Skill based routing uses tools like automatic call distributor to route calls to agents with relevant experience. This ensures that your agent and overall call center productivity is high.

Performance management

Skill based routing goes a long way in improving the productivity and performance of your agents. By assigning calls to agents in line with their qualifications and experience ensures they spend less time per call, allowing them to assist more people every day. 

Less agent training required

Even though your agents need to be trained to deal with every situation, there will always be some agents who are more adept at dealing with certain scenarios than others. This requires lesser training for agents on skills they may not use often.

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02

How does skill
based routing work?

In any type of call center (omnichannel or traditional) the call distribution process mostly follows the same path. 

Omnichannel routing

In an omnichannel call center, your customers can get in touch with you via sms, chat, email, etc. alongside phone calls. The process generally looks like

  • An IVR software is alerted by an incoming call and helps determine the type of issue faced by the customer (sales, support).
  • An ACD queues the inbound calls based on what the IVR has recorded and assigns agents based on the skill set required by the issue at hand.
  • The call is routed to the agent who is available and most qualified to deal with the caller.
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03

Best practices for
skill based routing

Use customer data to set agent skills

Your call centers are a huge source of data, and can help generate insights into your customers. CES, CSAT and NPS® surveys help determine customer intent and how they feel about your brand. These insights can be factored into determining skill based routing. Their IVR and ACD data should also be used for the same.

Use an ACD system

Automatic call distribution systems can help optimize call distribution at your call center. Instead of directing calls straight to idle agents, ACDs put callers in a queue till an agent who is most qualified to deal with their concerns is ready.

Quality control

Setting rules for skill based routing isn’t a one time deal. You have to keep optimizing based on customer feedback and call analytics. Voxco’s telephony solutions allow supervisors to monitor calls easily, which is useful for determining if your skill based routing is working as intended.

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04

Voxco telephony tools

Voxco IVR

Class leading IVR software (Interactive voice response). Direct your callers to their agents efficiently and conduct intuitive self-complete surveys for insights!

ACD

Our Automatic Call Distribution system can help improve call center productivity and improve customer satisfaction levels with your brand. Implement comprehensive skill based routing procedures with Voxco’s ACD

Voxco CATI

Efficiently manage all your telephony solutions including phone surveys with Voxco CATI. Get detailed responses from your callers by implementing CATI for feedback management in your call center!

Cloud based dialer

An integrated telephony system designed to drive efficiency. Choose features that are best suited for your call center, irrespective of whether your agents are working remotely or on premises.

Analytics

Powerful analytics tools that can help turn caller data and feedback into insights! Monitor your agents productivity via an intuitive dashboard and uncover insights to develop better skill based routing strategies that suit your business.

Switch to Voxco Telephony System to improve your Call Center Productivity by 400% or more 

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05

Skill based routing FAQs

Essentially, skill based routing monitors the skills required to complete a task. These skills are then matched to qualified agents using an ACD.

Agent skills can include

  • Proficiency with a language
  • Ability to placate and retain customers
  • Ability to make a sale
  • Product or domain knowledge

Yes, you can use skill based routing for outbound survey calls. Voxco CATI allows supervisors to set rules for skill based routing while assigning respondents to an agent.

Yes, skill based routing can be achieved with Voxco’s call center software and phone survey platform by inputting custom rules for inbound calls in the Automatic Call Distributor.

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