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FAQ

To give you an understanding of the call center world, we created a succinct call center dictionary with the most important terms.

Abandoned  or Lost Call

The caller hangs up before the agent can answer the call.

Activity Code

This is a code, attached to the system by the agent to code the particular character of the call. This makes appropriate analysis possible.

After Call Work

This is the work the agent has to do after a call. This can be from the input of the gathered data to the transmission of calls.

Agent

An agent is a person which conducts incoming and outgoing calls.

Agent Group

The agent group is a group of staff, which has the same qualification level.

Announcement

The announcement is played for the caller before the call is answered.

Answered Call

A call answered by an agent.  

Application Based Routing and Reporting

The call center has the possibility of routing and to backtracking calls.

Automatic Call Distributor (ACD)

This telephone system collects all incoming calls, puts them into the waiting line, assigns them to the agents or creates reports about the conducted activities.

Available

Available is the status of those agents, who are logged onto the telephone system and answer calls.

Average Delay of Delayed Calls

The average queue time of calls on hold.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

This is the total sum of the average call time and the average post editing time.

Average Speed of Answer (ASA)

Average queue time of all calls.

Average Time to Abandonment

The average time in which calls are abandoned. 

Base Staff

This is the number of agents that are needed for ensuring the defined service level and the defined reaction time.

Busy Hour

The busy hour is the hour, in which the most incoming calls are counted.

Call

Apart from normal  telephone calls also other possible contacts ( e.g. internet) are stated as calls.

Callback

A call back is executed if the customer explicitly asks for it. The customer can apply for the call back with a form on the company homepage. The agent has the possibility to respond by himself or the system can generate a call back automatically. 

Call Center

Call center is a synonym for customer service center.

Call Forcing

An incoming call is automatically routed to a free agent.

Calling Line Identify (CLI)

The telephone number is automatically forwarded to the call center.

Calls in Queue

Calls which are routed into the queue line, because of no free lines.

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

This is the alliance between the telephone system and the IT system, which enables to make, answer, route and abandon calls automatically, to send and receive faxes and much more.

Day of Week Routing

Companies have the possibility to route all calls on specific days of the week (for example on the weekend). Furthermore they also can be routed beyond the normal working hours or on specific calendar days.

Delay Announcements 

Delay announcements are company specific announcements, which are played during the queuing time. This prevents abandoned calls.

Erlang

This is one hour telephone traffic in one timed hour. If 4 telephone lines are busy for 120 minutes telephone traffic within one hour, you get as a result 0,5 Erlang.

Erlang A. K.

Erlang A. K. was a Danish engineer. He was employed at a telephone enterprise at the beginning of the 20^th century and developed Erlang B, Erlang C and other formulas of the communication theory. 

Erlang B

With the Erlang B you can calculate the capacity of the telephone circuit allowing a certain loss probability. For those, who do not pass, it is assumed, that they will not try it a second time, which does not fit to reality. The formula is only appropriate for those periods, where no lost calls occur.

Erlang C

Here prognoses concerning the holding time are made, whereupon 3 things are basic therefore, the number of agents, the number of calls and the average working hours per call. Furthermore you can calculate the capacities, which are needed.

Escalation Plan

This plan comes in action, when the number of calls overburdens the available capacities.

Fast Clear Down

This is a caller, who hangs up immediately, if he hears the “Pease hold the lime announcement.

Handled Calls

This is the total number of all calls, handled by our agents.

Handling Time

This is the time, which is used for the complete process (call + finishing).

Historical Reports

The historical reports are data and call statistics, which are analysed on basis of the company demands. This can also be analysis concerning the behaviour of the agents. 

Inbound Call

This call is made from outside to the call center.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

see Voice Response Unit

Internal Call

Calls, which are made inside of the call center (for example because of query in case of an helpdesk).

Internal Response Time

It is the time, which is necessary to answer queries, which do not need an immediate reaction (e-mail,…).

Monitoring

For optimisation of the quality the calls can be listened to. This can be done by silent monitoring, side by side and recorded & review.

Multilingual Agents

The multilingualism is becoming more and more important, especially in the call center business.

Off-Peak

The times beyond the most intensive call periods are called Off-Peak.

Open Ticket

If a case is not closed entirely because certain actions still have to be taken, the case is called Open Ticket.

Outbound Call

Outgoing call by agent

Outsourcing

If certain or all call center services are passed to an external service company.

Overflow

If a multiplicity of calls incur at the same time and the capacities are blown up, the excessive calls are called Overflow and can be routed to another call center. 

Peak

Peak is the most intensive call period 

Queue

The caller is in the queue until the agent is available again.

Received Calls

Calls, which are perceived by the telephone system, whereupon no separation in lost and handled calls is made.

Response Time

This is the time  the agents need to respond to certain actions (answering an e-mail).

Service Bureau

The Service Bureau is a company, which conducts an in- and outbound call center for one or several companies.

Service Level

It is the percentage of incoming calls, which are handled within an exactly defined period. 

Skill Based Routing

The telephone system routes cautomatically to the agent who has the appropriate qualifications.

Speech Recognition

The Speech recognition is needed to decipher the spoken language.  

Supervisor

The team leader acts as a direct supervisor of a certain number of agents. He is responsible for the coaching and motivation of the agents.

Talk Time

This is the total time of an incoming call.

Universal Agent

This is the agent, who can handle all types of calls, inbound and outbound.  

Visible Queue

The caller always knows about his actual status and how fast it moves on.  

Voice Response Unit (VRU)

The VRU is also called Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVRU) or Audio Response Unit (ARU). If a caller enters figures or talks, the VRU reacts and can transfer information to the caller, if the VRU is connected to a database.