Optimizing Call Routing With VoIP for Faster Resolution Times

Is your call center plagued by long wait times, frustrated customers, and frequent call transfers?

You’re not alone. A recent study found that 5% of consumers hang up immediately after being placed on hold and 28% after 5 minutes or less. 

And if that’s the case for your call center as well, it’s time to upgrade your call center telephony operations.

That change can easily be brought about by optimized call routing powered by VoIP. With it, you can create a call center experience that’s efficient, pleasant, and leaves customers happy.

So, let’s get going with this blog, where you’ll learn everything about VoIP call routing, its importance, and what strategies to use when actually implementing it.

Understanding VoIP Call Routing

VoIP call routing optimization involves adjusting how voice calls are directed through Internet protocol (VoIP) networks to make them more efficient, save money, and make the customer experience better.

Furthermore, optimizing VoIP call routing frequently includes connecting with other systems like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to get important customer information during calls. This lets agents give tailored help based on the caller’s past interactions and preferences, making the customer experience even better.

Overall, optimizing your  VoIP call routing can help your business simplify communication methods, make better use of available resources, and provide excellent customer service in today’s digital age.

The Importance of Optimizing Call Routing with VoIP

• Improved First Call Resolution (FCR) Rate: FCR signifies the percentage of calls you resolve definitively during the initial interaction, eliminating the need for bothersome callbacks and multiple engagements. This focused approach significantly improves your chances of resolving issues on the first call.  

• Reduced Wait Times and Abandoned Calls: Streamlining call routing reduces hold times, resulting in fewer abandoned calls and better utilization of agent resources. This saves costs and prevents frustration when abandoning calls before connecting with an agent.

• Integration with Business Processes: Integrating VoIP call routing with other business applications like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can streamline workflows and offer more personalized customer experiences. For instance, you can route calls based on customer data stored in the CRM system, enhancing efficiency and service quality.

• Enhanced Customer Loyalty: When you prioritize quick and effective service, you ensure a positive customer experience, which fosters loyalty and encourages repeat business. In today’s competitive environment, adopting a customer-focused approach facilitated by optimized call routing can be a crucial factor that sets you apart.

• Remote Work Enablement: With the rise of remote work, optimized VoIP call routing facilitates seamless communication among distributed teams. Calls can be routed to remote workers’ devices regardless of their location, enabling collaboration and productivity from anywhere with an internet connection.

Strategies for Optimizing Call Routing with VoIP

1. Dynamic Routing

Dynamic routing goes beyond standard call routing optimization by leveraging live data and AI algorithms to instantly determine the best routing path. It makes routing decisions by analyzing factors such as agent availability, caller location, call history, and sentiment analysis to connect calls with the most suitable agent at the moment.

AI algorithms in dynamic routing actively analyze multiple real-time data points, including agent availability and skillsets, caller location and wait time, call history and past interactions, and sentiment analysis of the caller’s voice tone.

2. Skills-Based Routing

In VOIP call routing, skill-based routing is utilized to match callers with agents possessing the necessary expertise for their inquiries, ultimately improving customer experiences and streamlining call handling times by eliminating superfluous transfers.

Typically, skilled-based routing structures itself around three key criteria, aiming to connect caller inquiries with agents who possess specialized expertise, certifications, and skills, such as technical support, language proficiency, and product knowledge.

Using customer data from the CRM system to review past interactions or purchase history, calls are directed to agents who are familiar with the specific needs of the caller. Additionally, the caller’s location is taken into account when routing calls to agents who are knowledgeable about the area or product offerings.

In a real-time scenario, skilled-based routing operates on an e-commerce platform, connecting customers inquiring about a specific clothing line to agents with extensive product knowledge. This speeds up the resolution of order issues or returns processing.

3. Time-Based Routing

In VoIP call routing, you can strategically incorporate time-based routing to allocate additional agents during peak hours, reducing wait times, managing fluctuations in call volume, and ensuring timely customer service by routing calls based on the time or day.

Most often, the routing process can smoothly integrate with your current scheduling software, allowing for adjustments based on historical call data. You can set specific timeframes (e.g., weekdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm) to allocate the required number of agents or create service level agreements. Moreover, you can configure holiday routing for particular holidays or blackout periods.

For instance, during weekdays when the stock market is open, an online financial services company may encounter increased call volume. Implementing time-based routing enables the company to have more agents available during these peak hours, aiding customers with investment queries or account management requirements. 

4. Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a VoIP feature that allows you to automate basic calls interactions by using pre-recorded messages and keypad selections. It offers a self-service option for efficient call routing, guiding callers to their preferred department or agent based on their input and eliminating the need to wait in a queue for agent assistance.

A study by Dimension Data revealed that 67% of customers prefer using self-service options like IVR for simple inquiries. This reduces wait times and gives customers the control to resolve their issues efficiently.

When developing your IVR system, prioritize creating clear and concise menus to offer callers a user-friendly experience, allowing them to connect with a live agent for complex inquiries at any stage of the IVR interaction. Some service providers state that IVR functionalities include voice recognition, multi-language support, and dynamic routing based on customer selections.

For example, as an internet service provider, you can leverage an IVR system to enable customers to troubleshoot common connection issues, check internet usage data, or make bill payments. These self-service options offer a quicker resolution for basic inquiries, reducing the volume of calls directed to agents.

5. Real-Time Analytics and Reporting Monitoring

To improve call routing with VoIP, real-time analytics and reporting serve as the foundation of a data-driven approach. Leveraging VoIP technology gives you access to valuable insights into various call center metrics. This allows you to pinpoint areas for improvement and continuously refine your call routing strategies to achieve the best possible performance.

By constantly monitoring these metrics, you can keep track of call volume and wait times, agent performance metrics such as average handle time and call resolution rate, abandonment rates, and the effectiveness of IVR (completion rates and user satisfaction) using VoIP call center analytics.

The Center for Customer Service Excellence (CCSE) conducted a study revealing that companies that utilize real-time call center analytics saw a 20% improvement in first contact resolution (FCR) rates.

For instance, if you notice a surge in call abandonment rates at certain times, it may signal inadequate staffing. By adapting your time-based routing strategy to guarantee sufficient agent availability, you can reduce wait times and enhance the overall customer experience.

6. Geographic Routing

Geographic routing, an integral part of VoIP call routing, utilizes caller location data to direct inquiries to the most appropriate agent or department. This ensures that callers are connected with agents who have knowledge of local regulations, products, or services, leading to a personalized and efficient customer experience.

You can implement geographic routing using different location data sources, such as caller ID information or IP address geolocation. By defining specific routing rules based on regions, states, or even zip codes, you ensure that calls are directed to agents who possess the most relevant local knowledge.

A large retail chain operating nationwide can efficiently manage customer inquiries by utilizing geographic routing. This means that calls from customers inquiring about product availability or store hours can be directed to agents who have detailed knowledge about the inventory and operating schedules of their local store.

7. Prioritizing High-Value Calls

Prioritizing high-value calls in your VoIP call routing strategy ensures that important customers receive prompt service. This can be accomplished through various methods, ultimately resulting in improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

One way to prioritize high-value calls is by integrating your CRM system with your VoIP, allowing for the automatic identification of high-value customers based on predefined criteria such as purchase history or loyalty program status. Another method is to establish specific routing rules within your VoIP system to prioritize calls from designated high-value customer groups.

You can also assign dedicated agents with specialized knowledge and experience to handle inquiries from high-value customers, ensuring they receive personalized and efficient service.

For example, an investment firm can prioritize calls from high-net-worth clients by directing them to experienced financial advisors who can promptly address their specific investment needs and concerns. According to a study by Bain & Company, increasing customer retention by just 5% can lead to profit boosts ranging from 25% to 95%.

8. Integrating CRM Systems

Connecting your VoIP call routing system with your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software offers a powerful way to improve call routing and create a more personalized customer experience.

This process involves linking your CRM with your VoIP system, which can be done through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), allowing real-time data exchange. Once integrated, CRM data can be shown within the agent interface during calls, giving agents a complete view of the customer’s history and interactions.

For instance, an online retailer can link their CRM with their VoIP call routing system. When a customer calls about a recent order, the agent can access the customer’s purchase history, order status, and any previous communication related to the order.

Optimize Call Routing with KrispCall VoIP Solution

Optimizing call routing with KrispCall VoIP solution involves leveraging advanced features and intelligent algorithms to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of call handling processes.

KrispCall’s VoIP solution offer features like Interactive Voice Response (IVR) for self-directed routing, call forwarding and transfer to connect callers with the most qualified agents. Furthermore, you also get call analytics and call history to make the most efficient routing decisions, predict peak call volumes, and even identify potential customer frustration. 

By utilizing these capabilities that KrispCall has to offer you can significantly reduce wait times and connect callers with the right agent to resolve their issues faster, leading to a more streamlined and positive customer experience.

Conclusion

Optimizing call routing with VoIP is essential for businesses, especially modern ones, looking to enhance customer experience and improve operational efficiency. With it, they can aim for faster resolution time and lower wait times, which are both crucial for enhance customer service efficiency and satisfaction.

By using the options at hand like VoIP services like KrispCall that have advanced routing options like IVR, call forwarding, and call transfer organizations can transform their call handling processes, leading to streamlined telephony, reduced wait times, and ultimately, improved customer satisfaction.

And as closing thought, as businesses continue to prioritize customer-centric approaches, investing in optimized call routing with VoIP emerges as a strategic imperative for sustained success in the upcoming future.

FAQs

Is it possible to integrate VoIP call routing with existing telephony systems?

Yes,  it is possible to integrate VoIP call routing with your existing telephony systems as businesses can seamlessly integrate VoIP call routing solutions with their existing telephony infrastructure, leveraging their current investments while unlocking the benefits of VoIP technology.

How does VoIP call routing differ from traditional PSTN routing?

VoIP call routing uses internet protocols to transmit voice data, distinguishing it from traditional PSTN routing. It provides greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness in comparison to traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) routing.

Is VoIP call routing secure?

Yes, VoIP call routing is secure as the integrity and confidentiality of VoIP data can be ensured with encryption protocols and firewalls.