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A call center is an automated telecommunications system used to process large volumes of telephone calls for deployments such as help desks and appointment scheduling.
Call centers handle inbound calls as well as outbound calls. For example, call centers can be used for the following:
The best way to manage call center call volumes and staffing is to enlist the help of Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), a function of the telephone system which routes calls from one telephone number to multiple answering points called "agents."
Incoming calls are queued in the order they are received by the ACD. It plays a custom announcement and sends calls to agents based upon predetermined criteria, such as longest idle and queuing priority. Customers receive a hold message that informs them their calls are important and are in queue for an agent to answer.
ACD works best when combined with Centergy.
Centergy is a tool which enables supervisors to view call traffic data from their ACDs. A Centergy client is loaded on the supervisor's computer; no separate equipment is necessary. At this time, Centergy requires a Windows PC using 2000, XP, NT, or newer.
Centergy provides:
Consulting and design of call center services such as ACD are billed at an hourly rate. Normal rates for equipment and installation apply.
Call Center services such as ACD and Auto-Attendant are considered University common good and do not have monthly recurring charges if billed to a University EFS number.
Auto-Attendants are a function of the voicemail system and are frequently used in conjunction with an ACD. An Auto-Attendant automatically answers incoming calls and presents customers with a previously recorded voicemail menu enabling them to select options and route themselves to certain numbers or recorded messages.
A college, department, or unit would use an auto-attendant to manage call volume before it goes to a receptionist, provide backup for a receptionist if the phone is busy or unanswered, or provide customers with directions or contact information such as an address.
For additional information please email questions to nts-callcenter@umn.edu.
Departments can: