Call routing is an essential feature for businesses of all sizes, ensuring that calls are directed to the appropriate department or person. It improves customer service, reduces wait times, and increases efficiency. Setting up call routing for different departments in your business allows you to optimise your phone system, ensuring that callers always reach the right team. This guide will walk you through the steps to effectively set up call routing to enhance your business communication.
Table of Contents
- What is Call Routing?
- Benefits of Call Routing for Your Business
- Types of Call Routing
- Steps to Set Up Call Routing for Your Business
- Best Practices for Effective Call Routing
- Troubleshooting Call Routing Issues
- Conclusion
1. What is Call Routing?
Call routing is a process that directs incoming phone calls to a designated department or person within your business. It is an automated feature in phone systems (including VoIP and cloud-based systems) that ensures the right team members handle customer queries, inquiries, or support requests, based on the type of call.
Call routing can be set up in various ways depending on the size of your business, the number of departments, and the complexity of your customer service operations.
2. Benefits of Call Routing for Your Business
Setting up call routing in your business offers several advantages:
- Improved Customer Service: Calls are quickly directed to the right department, reducing customer wait times and improving satisfaction.
- Increased Efficiency: Employees can focus on the calls that are relevant to their roles, helping them perform their tasks more efficiently.
- Better Call Management: Calls can be tracked and recorded for performance monitoring, ensuring that service standards are met.
- Cost-Effective: Call routing helps optimise resources, ensuring that calls aren’t missed and are handled by the appropriate person without wasting time or resources.
3. Types of Call Routing
There are several types of call routing options you can use, depending on your business needs:
- Time-Based Routing: Directs calls to different departments based on the time of day. For example, calls might be routed to customer service during working hours and redirected to voicemail or a support team after hours.
- Skill-Based Routing: Routes calls to specific employees based on their skills. For example, a technical support request might be directed to a technician, while sales inquiries go to the sales team.
- IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Routing: Allows customers to choose the department they want to speak to by following prompts on a voice menu. This method is ideal for businesses with multiple departments and common inquiries.
- Geographical Routing: Routes calls based on the caller's location, sending them to the nearest office or team that can assist them.
- Round-Robin Routing: Distributes calls evenly across team members, ensuring that no one person gets overwhelmed with calls.
4. Steps to Set Up Call Routing for Your Business
Here are the steps to set up call routing for your business effectively:
a) Assess Your Business Needs
Identify how your business operates and how calls should be routed. Think about the departments you have (e.g., sales, customer service, tech support) and the types of calls they typically handle. Also, consider if you need to set up multiple routing options, such as after-hours call forwarding or skill-based routing.
b) Choose a Phone System with Call Routing Features
Ensure that your phone system supports call routing. VoIP systems, cloud-based phone systems, and advanced PBX systems typically offer built-in call routing features. Choose a system that allows flexibility and customisation to set up routing rules based on your business requirements.
c) Set Up Your Call Routing Plan
- Create a Call Menu: If using IVR (Interactive Voice Response), design a call menu that clearly guides callers to the appropriate department. For example, “Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support, Press 3 for Billing.”
- Route Calls to Departments: Use your phone system’s settings to create rules for routing calls to the appropriate departments. If you're using skill-based routing, you’ll assign calls to specific team members based on their expertise.
- Set Time-Based Rules: Set up time-based routing to direct calls to the right place depending on the time of day. For instance, during business hours, calls may go to a live representative, and after hours, they could be routed to voicemail or a 24/7 support line.
d) Test Your Call Routing System
Once set up, thoroughly test your call routing system to ensure that calls are being directed correctly and efficiently. Have a few team members test the different departments and routing paths to verify functionality. Pay attention to wait times, call clarity, and correct call direction.
e) Monitor and Adjust
After the system is live, monitor its performance. Gather feedback from both employees and customers about the routing process. You may need to make adjustments to improve efficiency, such as adding more options to the IVR or changing the call routing order based on demand.
5. Best Practices for Effective Call Routing
To make the most out of your call routing system, consider these best practices:
- Use Clear IVR Prompts: Ensure that IVR menus are easy to follow and concise. Avoid long menus with too many options.
- Maintain a Human Touch: While IVR and automated systems are effective, give customers the option to speak with a live agent if needed, especially for complex issues.
- Ensure Accessibility: Make sure that call routing is accessible to all customers, including those with disabilities, by offering alternative methods of communication such as email or live chat.
- Set up Call Monitoring and Reporting: Keep track of call data and use analytics to assess how calls are being routed and whether improvements can be made.
- Regularly Update Your Routing Options: Review your call routing system periodically and adjust it as your business grows or as customer needs evolve.
6. Troubleshooting Call Routing Issues
If you experience issues with your call routing, here are some common problems and solutions:
- Misrouted Calls: If calls are being sent to the wrong department, double-check your routing rules and ensure that they are configured correctly.
- Call Dropping or Poor Audio Quality: Check your network infrastructure for issues that might be affecting call quality. Ensure that your internet connection has enough bandwidth to handle the call load.
- IVR System Overload: If your IVR system is overwhelming callers, consider simplifying the options or adding a ‘speak to an agent’ option to bypass the menu.
- Technical Support Delays: If call routing is causing long wait times, consider increasing the number of agents available or setting up a callback system to reduce hold times.
7. Conclusion
Setting up call routing for different departments in your business is a powerful way to improve customer service, streamline communication, and ensure that calls are directed efficiently. By carefully considering your business needs, choosing the right phone system, and implementing best practices, you can enhance the overall effectiveness of your business phone system and provide a better experience for both customers and employees.
