WHAT IS A ROUTER?
A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet. Data sent through the internet, such as a web page or email, is in the form of data packets
A router is hardware device designed to receive, analyze and move incoming packets to another network It may also be used to convert the packets to another network interface, drop them, and perform other actions relating to a network. The picture shows the Linksys BEFSR11 wireless router and is what many home routers resemble.
WHAT IS AN ANSWERING MACHINE ROUTER?
What Is Call Routing?
Virtual Call Routing System for Small Business | Call Routing Service
WHAT IS CALL ROUTING?
In today’s growing “gig economy,” where workers are likely to be dispersed across multiple physical and geographic locations, the ability to route calls quickly from a central number to remote staff, remote offices, cell phones and VoIP (voice over internal protocol) desk phones is a must have. A cloud-based, hosted service offers small businesses control and flexibility for ensuring that their callers quickly get to the person or information that they need.
Better yet, today’s phone number routing technology means a seamless user experience (for you, and your callers) and high-end functionality—all at a reasonable price. No matter the size of your business, a cloud-based virtual call routing system will convey a big company image, and ensure a positive customer experience.
Virtual call routing systems puts control in the caller’s hands. They dial a number and are presented with a customized menu of options that can include departments, staff members or pre-recorded frequently requested information. Behind the scenes, their call may then be forwarded to one or more numbers, or extensions, until reaching a live person or an option to leave a voicemail message (which can be emailed as an audio file along with a transcription for at-a-glance message review). Today’s sophisticated phone systems provide an exceptional, seamless, experience for your callers.
Call routing automatically answers incoming business calls and directs them to individual extensions or groups based on rules and criteria you set.
Routing calls means that people can always reach the right person or department they need right away without dialing a separate phone number. Call routing is also known as Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) and also works hand-in-hand with auto attendants..
The easiest way to know what this is with an example.
Virtual Call Routing System for Small Business | Call Routing Service
A Real-Life Call Routing Example
Let’s say you want to increase your spending limit with your business credit card. You call the toll free phone number on the back of your card.
Then the phone system presents you with several options: open a new account, account statements, dispute a charge, set a travel alert, or to seek a credit limit increase. All you have to do is press a number or say what you want verbally.
The company’s phone system knows that you are already a cardmember. It directs you to the team that handles credit limit increases, instead of general customer care.
Behind the scenes, call routing identified you and seamlessly directed you to the right person that’s qualified to solve your concerns.
How Does Call Routing Work?
A Voice over Internet Protocol VoiP phone system can route calls a variety of ways. When a person calls your company, your cloud-based phone system accepts the call, provides an auto-attendant menu, and transfers the call to your team.
What Is Call Routing & How Does It Work?
Some of the criteria used to determine how a call is handled includes:
- Time of day — Both the caller and the contact center in different time zones
- Caller ID — The phone number of the incoming call, which also informs about the caller’s location.
- Auto-attendant selections — Input from the caller in response to an auto-attendant menu of choices.
- Agent skill – Direct calls to members of your team better suited based on intelligent call routing logic.
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) — If the caller voices their needs, your phone system can use artificial intelligence and machine learning to route the call.
Pro-tip: If you think call routing is hard to set up, don’t worry. It helps to map out what you want to happen on the back of a napkin or a whiteboard. Get your ideas out first, then implement them.
Different Ways to Route Calls
Call routing can occur in several ways. Types of call routing rules will suit various business needs. To know which ones are available to you, talk to your phone system provider.
Here are call routing policies you should consider:
Round-robin
This type of call routing means that calls will be distributed in an equal fashion among your team.
Example: If there are five agents in the call center, the first call will go to the first agent. After they successfully accept that call, the next one goes to the second agent. After the fifth agent, the first agent receives a call.
Regular
The regular type of call routing requires a specified order to be determined.
Example: if there are three agents assigned to the call center, the policy will always insist on routing in chronological order. If agents one and two are unavailable, calls will be directed to the third agent.
Uniform
The uniform type of call routing will route the call to the agent who has been available the longest. Once they accept a call, they are now at the back of the line until they have the longest available time.
Example: If you have five agents on your team. Agent number one took a call 12 minutes ago. Agent number two received a call 32 minutes ago. The next call would be routed to agent number two.
Simultaneous
This call routing type is simple: it will make all the assigned users’ phones ring at the same time. Routing calls this way is ideal when speed is essential to your business.
Example: If you have three members of a call group, all of their phones will ring when a new call comes in. The one who answers it first takes the call.
Weighted
This call routing type lets administrators set a ratio of calls to be routed to each call center agent. It must add up to 100%. This inbound call strategy works much like a sales pipeline for new leads. Routing calls this way is great for onboarding new employees, or slanting calls toward high-performers.
Example: Let’s say you have 100 calls come in and three live agents. The first agent has an 80% weighted call distribution, the second agent has 15%, and the third agent has 5%. The call routing policy will deliver 80 calls to agent one, 15 calls to agent two, and five to agent three.
The Benefits of Call Routing
Call routing isn’t just a call center technology. Call routing is an invaluable feature for companies of all sizes and industries. Small businesses, solo entrepreneurs, enterprises with thousands of customers, and support and sales teams all benefit from routing calls effectively to its workforce.
Top benefits of call routing
- Improves the customer experience by directing inbound calls to the best person
- Reduces the time on hold because agents are more productive
- Limits phone calls from coming in outside of business hours
- Forwards calls to a business partner when you’re unavailable.
As a result, call routing increases immediate customer satisfaction and increases revenue-generation activities. Instead of calls ending up in a voicemail, they are answered by the right people at the right time.
Connecting a Telephone or Answering Machine
Virtual Call Routing System for Small Business | Call Routing Service
WHY IS VIRTUAL CALL ROUTING IMPORTANT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES?
Even in an internet-driven environment where it often seems that most business transactions take place via clicks rather than calls, studies support the fact that businesses still want those live calls coming in. In fact, survey data from BIA/Kelsey¹ indicates that calls remain the most valued source of leads—more than clicks, more than social mentions.
Importantly, though, when those calls come in, it’s crucial that they’re answered quickly and that the callers can most efficiently reach the person or department that can best serve their needs.
That’s where an automated phone routing service comes into play. A call routing service ensures that a caller is able to be directed, efficiently, to someone who can best answer their questions or address their needs. The smoother the process, the more satisfied the customer.
A thorough understanding of your customers’ needs, and an automated way to quickly get them connected to meet those needs is a must. AccessDirect can provide the resources to help address both of these issues—working with you to develop the scripts and menu options to quickly get customers where they need to be, and offering systems like find me, follow me which allow calls to be routed from one phone to another, and another, until someone is physically available.
Connecting a Telephone or Answering Machine
You must connect your product to a telephone wall jack to send or receive faxes. If you want to use the same telephone line to receive calls, you can connect a telephone or answering machine to your product using an additional phone cable. Note: If you do not connect a telephone to your product, make sure to turn on Auto Answer. Otherwise, you cannot receive faxes.
- Connect the phone cable to your telephone wall jack and to the LINE port on your product.
Note: If you have DSL or ISDN connection, you must connect the appropriate DSL filter, or ISDN terminal adapter or router to the wall jack to be able to use the line for faxing or voice calls using your product. Contact your DSL or ISDN provider for the necessary equipment.DSL connection
1Telephone wall jack2DSL filter3DSL modemISDN connection (one phone number)
1ISDN wall jack2Terminal adapter or ISDN routerISDN connection (two phone numbers)
1ISDN wall jack2Terminal adapter or ISDN router - If you are connecting a telephone or answering machine to your product using a second phone cable, remove the cap from the EXT port on your product.
- Connect the second phone cable to your telephone or answering machine and to the EXT port on your product.
Note: If you connect an answering machine and Auto Answer is turned on, make sure the product’s Rings to Answer setting is set higher than the number of rings your answering machine is set to answer a call. Any phone or answering machine must be connected to the EXT port for your product to detect an incoming fax call when the phone is picked up. Epson cannot guarantee compatibility with VoIP, cable phone systems, or fiberoptic digital services such as FIOS.
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