Routing: From ACD to AI, the Timeless Quest for the Best-Suited Advisor

Since the early days of Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) systems, where “best-suited” meant the next available agent, contact centres have been on a quest to deliver customers to the right agent as efficiently as possible. The fairy tale has always been about finding the “best-suited” agent, but in reality, even the most perfectly matched agent needs the right context to resolve issues. And, sometimes, any agent can be the best-suited agent—when they’re equipped with the right information. 

Starting in 1986, focusing on telco, as the first French audiotel service, Odigo has quickly evolved to offer a comprehensive CCaaS solution today. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and data insights, modern solutions are rewriting the story of the best-suited agent. With capabilities for cataloguing intents, gathering contextual details, ID&V, and digital deflection, routing has transformed from a simple route to a sophisticated data delivery system.  

Maximising Effect, Minimising Annoyance

Despite the advancements in qualification and routing, customers often see routing as the barrier to reaching a real person. Confusing menus, dead-end options, “high call volume” messages, deflection tactics, and bad music don’t help either! The irony is that, while routing is designed to enhance experiences, it often just highlights the frustrations.

So, how can we reduce these annoyances? Best practice includes:

• Clear, well-scripted questions that feel relevant and intuitive.
• Information architecture to ensure menu levels are easy to navigate, with top options at the front.
• Current options, not outdated ones, to reflect today’s customer needs.
• Relevant messaging, updated regularly and tied to common issues or waiting times.
• Queue time indications to set expectations.
• Functional self-service options with smooth escalation paths when needed.
• Routing rules that accurately match available skills to customers’ needs.
• Dynamic routing adjustments to manage heavy traffic, reducing bottlenecks.
• AI integration with customer information systems, bringing more context to the table.

By following these practices, routing becomes less about frustrating obstacles and more about a valuable, streamlined connection.

Effective Routing isn’t Static

While core intents may stay the same, products and services change over time—routing strategies should, too. By constantly reviewing and updating routing based on real-time data, contact centres can refine processes and reduce customer frustration. Spotting trends in customer queries, adjusting for shifting needs, and filling service gaps means that routing logic can continuously adapt to new trends. This real-time approach not only improves first contact resolution (FCR) but also helps predict future needs, creating a better customer journey.

Another innovation making routing smoother is **Visual IVR**. By offering customers a menu they can navigate on their mobile screens, visual IVR helps eliminate the classic frustrations of repetitive prompts or dead ends. It’s all laid out in black and white, making self-navigation easier and reducing unnecessary call transfers.

Routing Today, Evolving Tomorrow

Routing might be a contact centre tale as old as time, but the story isn’t over. With AI, visual IVR, and other customer-centric tools, the journey has evolved, and solutions like Odigo’s CCaaS platform now offer routing as part of a broader, omnichannel strategy. Increasingly, interactions will include some level of pre-qualification, even in agent-led cases, thanks to bots that streamline the journey. By prioritising context, enhancing the waiting experience, and adapting in real-time, contact centres can turn routing from a frustration into an asset that builds positive experiences.

As technology advances, contact centres are closer than ever to realising their own customer experience “fairytales”—complete with the right agent, at the right time, armed with all the right information.