Which approach to use
Start with the first. Move to the second when you find yourself writing contradictory instructions into one
agent.
Routing by what the caller asks for
Add one transfer action per destination, then tell your agent which is which. The instructions do the routing, so be specific about the words callers actually use rather than your internal department names.Routing by the number dialled
Give each department its own number, attach each to its own agent, and each agent gets a greeting and knowledge of its own. See Buy a phone number and Assign a number to an agent. This is the more predictable of the two, because nothing depends on the agent interpreting what the caller wants. It costs an extra number per department and it means maintaining more than one agent.What to test
- Ask for each destination in turn, in the words a customer would use, and check the right phone rings.
- Be deliberately vague. Does your agent ask a clarifying question rather than guessing?
- Have one destination not answer. Does the fallback work?
- Ask for something none of the routes cover. Does it take a message rather than picking a route at random?
FAQ
Can calls go to different teams?
Can calls go to different teams?
Yes. Add a transfer action per destination and tell your agent in its instructions which situations go where.
Alternatively give each team its own number and agent, which is more predictable.
Can I route by what the caller says?
Can I route by what the caller says?
Yes, and that is the point of the first approach. Describe the routes in the words your callers use rather
than your internal team names, since your agent is matching what it hears.
Should I use one number per department instead?
Should I use one number per department instead?
Use separate numbers when the departments need different greetings, hours, or knowledge, or when the cost of
misrouting is high. One agent with several transfers is simpler and enough for most businesses.
What happens when the chosen team does not answer?
What happens when the chosen team does not answer?
The fallback number on that transfer is tried, and then your agent returns to the caller and follows your
instructions. Set a fallback on every transfer, because an unanswered department is the most likely failure.
Can I change routing without rebuilding my agent?
Can I change routing without rebuilding my agent?
Yes. Routing lives in your instructions and your transfer actions, so changing where a type of call goes is an
edit rather than a rebuild. The next call uses the new routing.
Why is my call going to the wrong place?
Why is my call going to the wrong place?
Usually the instructions describe the routes in your language rather than the caller’s, so your agent matches
the wrong one. Read the transcript to see what the caller actually said, then rewrite that route in their
words.
Related
- Pass the call to a person to set up each destination
- Assign a number to an agent for the number per department approach
- When a caller asks for a person for the simplest case
- Write what your agent says where the routing rules live
- Read a call transcript to see why a call was routed wrongly
