Glossary

Agent Utilization

A metric that measures the percentage of time contact center agents spend actively handling customer interactions compared to their total available working time.

ANI

Automatic Number Identification (ANI) is a feature in telephony that automatically detects and displays the phone number of an incoming caller.

ACD

An Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) is a telephony system that answers incoming calls and distributes them to specific agents or departments based on pre-defined criteria.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

AHT measures the total time an agent spends on an interaction, including the call duration, hold time, and after-call work.

Blended Contact Center

An environment where agents handle both inbound and outbound communications, maximizing productivity by balancing workload.

Call Abandonment Rate

The percentage of inbound calls disconnected by the caller before speaking with an agent, often indicating long wait times.

Call Barging

A feature allowing supervisors to join active calls in real-time for training purposes or to assist with difficult interactions.

Call Blending

The process of managing both inbound and outbound calls within the same team to optimize resource use.

Call Forecasting

Predicting incoming call volumes to ensure the right number of agents are scheduled to meet expected demand.

Call Monitoring

Real-time observation or review of interactions to assess agent performance and ensure protocol compliance.

Call Routing

Directing incoming calls to the most appropriate resource based on criteria like caller needs, skills, or availability.

Cloud Contact Center

A customer service hub hosted on the cloud, allowing businesses to manage interactions through the Internet with high scalability.

Contact Center

A centralized department handling customer communications across various channels including phone, email, chat, and social media.

Conversational Intelligence

Analyzing speech and text data from conversations using AI to create insights that drive business action.

Customer Churn Rate

The percentage of customers who stop using a company's products or services over a specific period.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

Measures the ease with which customers can achieve their goals when interacting with a company.

Customer Experience (CX)

Encompasses every aspect of a customer’s interactions with a company, from initial contact to post-purchase support.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

A metric used to gauge how satisfied customers are with a company's products, services, or overall experience.

CIM

Customer Interaction Management (CIM) refers to strategies and technologies used to manage communications across all channels.

Customer Journey Mapping

A visualization technique outlining the steps a customer takes when interacting with a company.

Disposition Code

A label used by agents to categorize the outcome of a call after it ends to track reasons for contact.

Escalation

Transferring a customer issue to a more specialized team member when it cannot be resolved at the frontline level.

First Call Resolution (FCR)

The ability of a contact center to resolve customer issues during their initial interaction without follow-up.

IVR

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an automated system that gathers information and routes calls via voice prompts.

Knowledge Management (KM)

Capturing and organizing information to ensure agents have access to accurate data to resolve inquiries.

Multichannel

The use of various independent communication channels (phone, email, chat) to interact with customers.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

A loyalty metric measuring the likelihood of customers recommending a company’s products or services.

Omnichannel

An integrated approach providing a seamless experience where interactions are connected across all channels.

Predictive Dialer

An automated system that dials numbers and connects answered calls to available agents to reduce idle time.

Real-Time Adherence (RTA)

Tracking agents' adherence to their scheduled tasks in real-time to maintain service levels.

Service Level

Measures the percentage of calls answered within a specific time frame, indicating responsiveness.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A formal contract outlining expected service levels, including response times and issue resolution timelines.

Skill-Based Routing

Directing calls to agents based on specific skills like language proficiency or product knowledge.

Speech Analytics

Analyzing recorded calls to gather actionable insights from patterns, keywords, and sentiments.

Quality Assurance (QA)

Monitoring and evaluating interactions to ensure they meet established standards and identifying training needs.

Queue Time

The duration a caller spends waiting in line before reaching an agent; a critical indicator of efficiency.

Virtual Call Center

A model where agents work remotely, connected via the internet to provide customer service.

Virtual Hold

Technology allowing customers to request a callback instead of waiting on hold in the queue.

Wrap-Up Time (ACW)

The period immediately following a call for agents to complete administrative tasks like logging details.

Workforce Management (WFM)

Strategies and tools used to optimize agent productivity through forecasting, scheduling, and operations.