31 Must Know Call Center Terminologies

In our everyday conversations, we often use abbreviations and terms without fully understanding their meaning or the way they’re meant to be used. Sometimes, we might be familiar with these terms. However, the person we’re talking to could have no clue about them.

In the contact center and customer service industry, efficiency and clarity are essential. This is where having a firm grasp of common call center terminology can make all the difference. This blog post aims to clear up the confusion surrounding the most frequently used terms in this industry.

List of Call Center and Contact Center Terminologies

Here are 31 call center terminologies you should definitely know about:

Agent

An agent is the person responsible for handling customer calls at a call center. They’re also commonly referred to as Customer Service Representatives or CSRs, as their role revolves around assisting customers with their inquiries.

Agent Status

This term refers to the current work status of a call center agent. It provides real-time information about whether the agent is busy, wrapping up a call, idle, available, or unavailable to take new calls.

Automatic Call Distributor (ACD)

ACD refers to a phone system that manages incoming calls and routes them to the most appropriate agent available. It helps ensure calls are directed efficiently, and it also tracks call agent performance to generate valuable management data.

Average Handling Time (AHT)

AHT measures the total time an agent spends on a customer interaction. This includes the time spent talking, holding, and completing related tasks once the call ends. It’s an essential metric to gauge efficiency in call centers.

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)

ASR is a technology that enables automated speech recognition during customer calls. It allows for natural language interaction and can minimize the need for agent intervention to streamline call center operations.

Average Talk Time

This refers to the time an agent spends speaking with a customer during a call. It excludes any time the customer spends on hold or time spent by the agent on follow-up tasks before or after the call.

Abandoned Call

An abandoned call occurs when a customer initiates contact with the call center but disconnects before the call is answered or before communication takes place. This often indicates frustration or impatience on the customer’s part.

Agent Utilization

Agent utilization refers to the percentage of an agent’s total available work time that is spent on productive tasks, such as handling calls and performing other job-related duties.

Blended Agent

A blended agent handles both inbound and outbound calls and balances various responsibilities depending on the center’s needs. This type of role requires agents to be versatile and adaptable in managing different types of customer interactions.

Blended Universal Queue System (BUQS)

BUQS is an integrated system that combines email, chat, and calls into a universal queue. It allows for efficient management of all types of customer interactions and blends them with inbound/outbound calls to optimize agent workload.

Call Blending

Call blending is a strategy used to balance the demand for inbound and outbound calls. When there’s an increase in one type of call, the agent can transition between both to maintain smooth operations and prevent idle time.

Call Center Manager

A call center manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the call center. This includes managing budgets, driving performance, and setting the direction for the call center’s operations and the use of call center management software.

Call Handling Analysis

Call handling analysis refers to the evaluation of how effectively agents manage customer calls. This approach measures the quality and efficiency of the calls. It helps identify areas for improvement and ensure high-quality customer interactions.

Coach

In a call center, a coach is responsible for providing ongoing support and guidance to agents. They offer technical training and help agents develop their skills to ensure they can handle customer queries efficiently and maintain high standards of service.

Customer Experience Management (CEM)

CEM encompasses the strategies and processes a company uses to manage and improve customer interactions with agents. The goal here is to enhance the customer experience at every touchpoint and ensure the service provided aligns with the customers’ expectations.

Calling Line Identity (CLI)

CLI is a technology used to identify a caller by matching their phone number with their previous call records. It is integrated with Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) software and enables agents to see relevant customer information before answering the call, thereby improving personalization and efficiency.

Call Recording

Call recording technology allows call centers to capture and store conversations between agents and customers. Agents must inform customers about the call being recorded for quality assurance, training, and compliance purposes.

Call Routing

Call routing is the process of directing incoming calls to the appropriate agent based on specific criteria, such as skills or familiarity with the customer’s issue. It ensures that calls are handled by the most capable agents. This can ultimately improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

CTI is the technology that allows call centers to integrate voice and data at the agent desktop. This enables customer information to automatically appear on an agent’s screen when a call is received. This screen pop feature can streamline the agent’s workflow and help deliver quicker, more informed responses to customers.

Call Center Schedule Adherence

Schedule adherence measures whether call center agents are working the scheduled hours they’ve been assigned. It ensures the center has the right number of agents available at the right times to maintain service levels and reduce wait times.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

CRM is a system that helps businesses manage interactions with their customers. It centralizes customer information and enables companies to offer personalized service, track customer needs, and optimize sales/marketing efforts to improve the overall customer experience.

Cloud Contact Center

A cloud contact center enables businesses to communicate with customers across multiple channels. These include voice, SMS, email, and social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, and Messenger. It allows organizations to manage all call center operations remotely from any device.

Call Center Agent Scorecard

A call center agent scorecard is a tool designed to assess and track the performance of agents. It uses specific metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure their effectiveness.

Contact Center as a Service

Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) is a cloud-based platform that provides businesses with a scalable and adaptable contact center solution. It eliminates the need for heavy on-site hardware.

Document Management System (DMS)

DMS is used in call centers to handle large volumes of incoming emails that can’t be checked manually. The system scans and sorts the documents electronically for efficient distribution and management, while ensuring important communications are not overlooked.

Expected Wait Time (EWT)

EWT refers to the estimated wait time that a customer is informed about when calling a contact center. This metric helps manage customer expectations and ensures efficient call handling.

First Call Resolution (FCR)

FCR is a performance metric that tracks whether a customer’s issue is resolved during the first interaction with a call center agent. A high FCR indicates a higher quality of service, as it shows that customers’ concerns are addressed quickly and efficiently.

Hosted Call Center

A hosted call center is a cloud-based system that enables businesses to handle inbound/outbound calls and voice-driven self-service options, from any location in real-time. Unlike traditional on-premise call centers, hosted solutions are managed by a third-party provider and accessed through the cloud. 

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR is an automated system that guides customers to the appropriate department or service by asking them to press keys on their phone. It helps route calls efficiently and ensures customers reach the right agent/resource for their query without unnecessary delays.

Predictive Dialer

A predictive dialer is a system that automatically calls a list of numbers in sequence. It also screens out no answers, busy signals, answering machines, and disconnected numbers. This ensures agents spend more time engaging with live customers rather than dealing with possible interruptions.

Power Dialer

A power dialer automatically calls a list of numbers but only when agents are available to handle them. This ensures agents are always available when a call is picked up, improving connection rates and reducing wasted time on unanswered or busy calls.

Voice Response Unit (VRU)

A VRU is an interactive system that allows users to communicate with a computer via voice or Dual-Tone Multifrequency (DTMF) signals. It automates responses and guides users through a set of options, thereby reducing the need for live agent intervention in simple queries.

Workforce Management (WFM)

WFM is a set of integrated processes used to optimize agent productivity in call centers. It includes tasks such as scheduling, forecasting demand, and tracking adherence. This ensures the right number of agents are available at the right times to handle customer inquiries efficiently.

Wrap Time

Wrap time is the period after a call when an agent completes any necessary administrative tasks or follow-up actions. This may include entering data or resolving the customer’s issue. It’s a critical metric for understanding how much time agents spend on tasks beyond the call itself.

Web Self-Service

Web self-service enables customers and agents to access information and perform tasks over the Internet. This reduces the need for direct interaction with agents and provides a quicker, more efficient way for customers to manage queries on their own.

With these essential terms in hand, both agents and managers can deal with call center operations more effectively and provide superior customer service.