What is Call Center ACD Software and How Does It Work?

Calling into customer service doesn’t look the same way that it did 10 or even 5 years ago – thanks to modern call center ACD phone systems, millions of brands can offer much more efficient and empowering support experiences than they ever could before. 

What is call center ACD? 

ACD is short for automatic call distribution. Call center ACD is intelligent phone system software that’s designed to automatically receive incoming calls, sort them, and then route them to the right customer service agent without agents having to physically transfer calls themselves. 

Even in the age of self-service, chat boxes, and SMS, voice calls are still the preferred method of communication for consumers who are looking to resolve an issue quickly, so it’s important to know how ACD systems work so you can optimize your customer experience.

What’s the difference between IVR and ACD? 

Both IVR and ACD are systems that work in tandem with each other to streamline your customer experience. 

When a customer first calls a business with intelligent call center software, they’re greeted by an IVR, or an interactive voice response. 

For example, have you ever called into a business and heard “For hours of operation, press one, for questions about your order, press two” or some variation of that? That is an IVR phone system.

IVR can also operate in your branded app across digital channels so customers are routed to the best agent no matter how they’re choosing to communicate with you. 

IVR is the start of the customer journey that directs a customer on how to proceed, and call center ACD is the tool that sorts and sends that customer’s call to the best department or representative to help them. 

How does ACD work? 

ACD functions in a three-step process: 

1. It collects customer data through an IVR 
2. Customers are sorted into a queue based on that data
3. Calls are then routed to the appropriate representative 

Step 1: Data Collection 

When a customer calls into a business, a traditional IVR will greet them and give them a menu of options that can be accessed by pressing numbers on their keypad or speaking numbers out loud. An ACD phone system will collect that data as well as additional data like the customer’s caller ID—which can tell reps which language the customer speaks and what location they’re calling from—to inform which queue to put them in. 

Step 2: Queue Sorting  

Once a caller has connected to your IVR and used touch tone or voice input to select the kind of assistance they’re looking for, ACD will sort that caller into a queue, or a waiting list. 

When multiple customers are calling at the same time, their order in the queue will be determined by things like waiting time, customer status, and query type. Many ACD systems can be programmed to prioritize calls based on a brand’s specifications. For example, you may decide to route repeat or high-value customers to the front of the queue to build customer loyalty.

Step 3: Call Routing 

Once a customer’s data has been recorded and their call has made its way through the queue, ACD will then route and distribute that call to the most appropriate agent based on your recommendations. 

You might use ACD to route a customer to the first available representative in order to cut down on caller wait time. You might route them to the agent with the best skillset to address their concerns. Or you might route them to an agent with the least amount of logged call time to more evenly distribute workload among your team. By using an intelligent ACD, you have the freedom to determine how you’d like your calls to be distributed and to whom. 

Why does my business need ACD technology? 

Many call centers find themselves overwhelmed with a high volume of calls every day. This can lead to burned out and stressed out customer service representatives and customers who have to wait on hold for an indefinite amount of time before they get their questions resolved. 

To add grease to an already problematic fire, many customers end up waiting on hold for a long time and are then connected to the wrong customer service representative, who doesn’t know how to help them. It only takes one poor experience like this for a customer to drop your brand for good. 

ACD is a brand’s best friend, because it helps agents manage large volumes of calls in the most efficient way possible and eliminates much of the frustration customers can experience—and take out on your agents—when phoning in their queries. 

Here are just a few of the benefits of ACD:

• It leads to fast, first-call resolutions for customers: instead of hopping from agent to agent, customers are directed to the exact agent or resolution they need. That means their questions get resolved sooner and everyone can breathe a bit easier. 
• It improves productivity and efficiency: ACD streamlines the customer service process, allowing agents to work more efficiently and provide more meaningful customer service interactions. ACD also allows managers to distribute the call load evenly so that one customer service rep isn’t shouldering most of the work.
• It helps you personalize and strengthen employee training: through ACD, checking on your agents’ performance while they handle real-time calls is easier than ever. You can observe how they interact with customers and more effectively determine what resources they may need to improve. 

ACD allows you to do more as a business. It enhances the quality of the work your agents provide and substantially improves the experience for your customers. That means better customer service, more conversions, and long-term growth.