In the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, pay-per-call advertising has become a powerful strategy for businesses to connect with potential customers in real-time. And at the core of pay-per-call marketing is call routing.

While many businesses use basic call routing strategies to connect customers to call center agents, there is tremendous potential to maximize conversions and improve customer experience using advanced call routing techniques.

As a pay-per-call marketer, you must remember that we live in a world where competition is fierce, and attention spans are fleeting. Therefore, basic call routing strategies might not be enough to truly harness the potential of your pay-per-call campaigns.

But what exactly is advanced call routing, and how can it help your business achieve unparalleled success in Pay-Per-Call campaigns?

This blog post delves into the depths of this cutting-edge call routing approach, uncovering how it redefines the Pay-Per-Call campaigns landscape. Read on to learn more.

How Does Call Routing Work?

Before we dive into the specifics of advanced call routing, let us start with the basics.

Generally, contact centers use a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system alongside Computer Technology Integration (CTI) to build an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and call Routing system.

Put another way, when customers call, they reach the IVR, where they pick pre-programmed options. Their inquiries are resolved in IVR, or the call is redirected to an agent.

The routing technique varies based on the information provided, including:

• Caller ID – The customer’s ID or phone number
• Time of the day – The caller’s and contact center’s time zone
• Location – The caller’s location
• IVR – Pre-determined options that enable the caller to reach the correct department.
• Self-service – Many basic queries are solved in IVR using artificial intelligence.
• Agent skills – The call is routed to the suitable agent based on the option chosen in IVR.

Types of Call Routing Techniques

There are several types of call routing methods. Some include:

a). Most idle/least occupied routing

In this call routing technique, the agent who is idle at the time of the call picks it up. Call centers using this method collectively train agents on all handling calls, not necessarily from a specific caller.

Most idle routing is also called least occupied routing because the agent with more idle time happens to be the least occupied when a customer calls.

b). Skill-based routing

Skill-based routing separates agents based on their unique skills. These can be process-based, language-based, or other skills a particular business requires.

The IVR classifies the type of client calling and then redirects or reroutes the call to the correct agent. For instance, a call from a customer who speaks German only will be forwarded to a German-speaking agent.

c). Department-based routing

The IVR redirects calls to the corresponding department, depending on the customer’s choice. Departments can range from service, sales, billing, or technical support.

When customers call, they pass through the IVR to choose any pre-programmed options. The call is then routed to the appropriate agent in that department.

d). Value-based routing

Also called smart routing, value-based routing entails forwarding the call based on the customer value. Customer value could be demographics, prior action on the call, or low customer satisfaction.

The system examines data based on the customer’s value and then reroutes the call to the appropriate agent.

e). Geography-based routing

With this routing, the IVR assigns calls to agents based on their geographic location. The system uses GPS to identify the caller’s location and phone number, then reroutes their call to an agent in that location.

Geography routing works best for contact centers with many branches to support their client base locations.

f). Round robin routing

Round robin evenly distributes calls across the agents one after the other. When a customer calls, the system finds the agent who answered the last call and reroutes the new call to the next agent.

A subsequent call will go to the next agent. The system is pre-programmed with the sequence of agents taking calls.

A major drawback of round robin routing is that it poses uneven wait time distribution since the caller may have to wait for that specific agent to pick up.

Problems of Basic Call Routing

As your company grows, the number of customer calls might overwhelm you. You may find it difficult to effectively manage the high influx of calls using basic call routing.

Many customers may be forced to wait on hold, and missed calls might stack up. Such a problem can be costly to your business.

That is where advanced call routing (ACR) comes in. ACR streamlines the calling process, increasing your company’s chances of success and keeping customers satisfied.

What Is Advanced Call Routing?

Unlike basic call routing, advanced call routing is cloud-based and is powered by AI. It can route calls to many channels for self-service or live agent support.

Advance call routing can help you maintain existing customers and attract new ones by improving the call queue experience.

When a customer calls your call center, the system routes the incoming call to the correct agent. The system automates the process, enabling your agents to manage the call volume.

How Does Advanced Call Routing Work?

ACR assumes a two-step process. First, the incoming call goes into an IVR, where answers to automated queries help establish the caller’s purpose.

If you have ever made a call and got “press 1 to speak to an agent”, then you have used that business’s IVR.

Secondly, the automated call distributor (ACD) reroutes the call to the correct or available agent based on the caller’s choice. The ACD can be pre-programmed to reroute calls called based on what you select.

Benefits of Advanced Call Routing

An advanced call routing system can make your business call center solution more reliable and accessible for local and international inbound calls. An advanced call routing system can:

1. Reduce wait time and call abandonment

Advanced call routing enables you to manage incoming calls in many ways. You can enable calls to ring on several phones simultaneously so that any available agent can answer them. That way, calls will be answered quickly.

You can also send calls to a list of pre-programmed agents so that when one is occupied, the call goes on to the next. Any of these options will help reduce wait times.

Callers are less likely to abandon calls when they spend less time waiting. That means they get answers to their queries quickly, which results in higher customer satisfaction.

2. Reduce missed calls

In this age of remote working, even small businesses can attract a global talent pool. This can be quite beneficial, especially with advanced call routing.

You can route calls to different office locations, making it easy to link callers to employees working in other time zones. You can ensure callers get the support they need, and your workers will not have to work overtime.

Having calls answered during non-business hours will help lower the number of missed calls.

3. Voicemail and self-service options

Having customers waiting is not advisable. With advanced call routing, callers can leave a voicemail when agents are busy and be called back when an agent is available.

This lowers customers’ waiting time on the phone so they can move on and still be sure you will solve their problem.

Pre-recorded messages can also ask callers to submit a ticket or use online support guides independently. Self-service options equip customers to be in control of their individual support experience.

Sometimes, they may not even need to speak to an agent anymore, saving your business time and money.

4. Use custom greetings

Custom greetings pre-recorded by real humans, not automated messages, allow customers to navigate your company’s phone system. The messages inform them of updates, new services and features, and additional information about the company.

You can have custom greetings for specific types of callers using caller ID to identify their location. By doing this, you can give your business a human touch.

5. Balance workloads

Effective call routing systems allow even distribution of calls among employees, leading to a more balanced workload.

Your employees will not be overwhelmed with many calls while others are idle. Furthermore, this strategy helps you manage higher call volumes efficiently.

Summary

An advanced call routing system can improve your communication with customers. It can allow you to respond to their queries more efficiently, provide self-service options, and reduce wait times.

Overall, advanced call routing can upgrade your customer service operation, ultimately marking positive results in workforce management and customer satisfaction.

At PALO, we understand the value of correct call routing in pay-per-call campaigns. We have been in the game for over a decade and are ready to help your business achieve tremendous success.

If you are looking for a reliable partner to help you with your pay-per-call marketing, contact us today, and let’s get started on transforming your marketing landscape.