What is Call Management?

by Audrey Oh

Call management generally refers to the processes and systems businesses use to handle incoming calls. If your company uses a call centre, you’ll need an efficient call management system to track calls, collect useful data and route calls to the right place. In this beginner’s guide to call management, we’ll take a closer look at how call management systems work, their benefits and common features.

How Do Call Management Systems Work?

Call management software uses a set of predefined parameters and rules to route calls through telephone systems. There are several different types of call routing and your small business may benefit from utilising all of these.

Time-based routing can be used to redirect calls to a specified destination at certain times. For example, calls outside of office hours may route to voicemail. Skills-based routing ensures customers quickly reach the best person to deal with their enquiry. A rule may be established to send important calls to the sales agent with the highest close rate or calls concerning a particular product might be routed to an agent with specialist knowledge about that product. Round robin routing is a popular way of fairly sharing calls between agents, so each employee has access to the same number of leads. 

Call features such as call queues, hunt groups (a group of people set up to take incoming calls) and IVR (Interactive Voice Response) menus may also be used to route calls.

Call management systems also offer call recording, enabling companies to monitor employee performance and make improvements to processes and procedures as required. 

How Can a Call Management System Help My Business?

There are many business benefits to implementing a call management system. If your company receives a high volume of incoming phone calls, call management software could transform your business.

1. No More Lost or Abandoned Calls

   By analysing the data collected, a company can dramatically reduce the number of lost, abandoned or missed calls. Effective call routing will also ensure calls are responded to quickly and appropriately.

2. Manage Staffing Levels Effectively

   Call management software gathers useful information and statistics that can help a business to identify peaks and troughs in call volumes. This data can be used to effectively manage staff levels, ensuring customers are never left waiting long during peak times and staff are not underutilised in quiet periods.

3. Enhance Customer Service

   Call routing can be set up so customers are quickly put in touch with the agent who is most qualified to respond to their enquiry or concern. The agent can access a record of any previous interactions or information collected by the system regarding a customer’s particular needs. As a result, customers are dealt with quickly and effectively, resulting in positive customer experience.

4. Improve Performance Management

   Recording and monitoring calls is a great way to assess employee performance. It can help managers to spot any potential issues, identify training needs and ensure agents who are excelling receive appropriate recognition.

5. Cut Costs

   As productivity and efficiency increase, business costs drop. With a call management solution, your company will no longer be paying for agents to sit idle during quiet times and there will be less staff time needed to manage customer service, making it a cost-effective solution.

Callstream’s Nucleus call management platform offers a host of benefits. Find out more here. 

Which Call Management System Features Do I Need?

Every business has its own needs and objectives. You must find a call management system that provides the best solution for your company. However, there are some fundamental features to look out for.

• Easy Integration with Existing Systems

  Look for a call management system that can integrate with your existing systems and technology. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is at the heart of many companies. Callstream’s Nucleus platform easily integrates with your CRM and reporting systems making it easy to implement without any break in business services.

• Capacity to Manage Outbound Calls

  Although call management systems tend to focus on inbound calls, for many businesses, outbound calls are just as important. Nucleus allows inbound and outbound calls to be recorded on a single platform across your whole contact centre infrastructure.

• Call Routing

  Call routing is one of the most fundamental features of a call management system. It should be easy to set up and to change as new business needs arise. Callstream Nucleus is accessed via our web-based portal, allowing you complete control over call routing.

• Real-Time Reporting

  Call centres are fast-paced environments where change can happen quickly. Your business systems need to allow you to manage change effectively. The Nucleus platform provides a single view of exactly what is happening in real-time. Make instant changes to how calls are handled and maintain a consistently excellent standard of customer service.

Callstream has long-standing and proven expertise in managing inbound call routing. Our feature-rich Nucleus call management platform puts you firmly in control of your business. Contact our team today to find out more and gain peace of mind from having a business continuity plan in place or any eventuality.