Call Routing
Call routing is the process of directing incoming phone calls to the appropriate agent, team, or automated system based on predefined rules, caller information, or AI-driven analysis.
In Depth
Call routing determines the entire trajectory of a phone support interaction. Traditional routing methods include direct inward dialing (calls go to specific extensions), IVR-based routing (callers navigate menus to reach the right department), round-robin (distributing calls evenly among available agents), and priority-based routing (VIP customers jump the queue). AI-powered call routing adds intelligence to this process: it can identify the caller from their phone number and pull up their history before they speak, analyze the first few seconds of speech to detect language, intent, and sentiment, predict the optimal agent match based on the caller's profile and the issue type, and dynamically adjust routing based on real-time queue conditions and agent availability.
This results in fewer transfers, faster connections to the right resource, and higher first call resolution rates.
Related Terms
Intelligent Routing
Intelligent routing uses AI and data analysis to automatically direct customer inquiries to the most appropriate agent, team, or AI system based on context, skills, and predicted outcomes.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
IVR is a telephony system that interacts with callers through pre-recorded voice menus and keypad inputs to route calls or provide automated self-service before reaching a human agent.
Automatic Call Distribution (ACD)
ACD is a telephony system that automatically routes incoming calls to the most appropriate available agent based on predefined rules such as skills, priority, wait time, or customer segment.
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