Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) is now available to UCI campus departments. This call management feature has recently been added to our campus telephone system. ACD is software that controls how incoming calls are received, queued and distributed. ACD ensures that incoming calls are answered promptly and transferred to a representative or agent in the order received.
If all agents are busy when a call arrives, the caller will be placed in queue instead of hearing a busy signal. A queue message will play asking the caller to hold for the next available representative. Estimated wait time may be included in this message. When an agent becomes available, the caller will be automatically transferred to that agent.
Information indicating the number of agents that are taking calls and the number of calls in queue is displayed on the telephone sets of all agents. The number of calls to be held in queue is predetermined by the department. Once the threshold is reached, callers can be routed to another extension number, to voice mail or given a busy signal. There are reporting options available that assist the manager or supervisor of an ACD group to effectively manage their call load and staff the telephones accordingly.
Departments that are currently using the ACD feature include the Registrar’s Office, Student Health Services, Adcom’s Help Desk, Human Resources, Biological Sciences, and our own campus telephone operators. Each implementation was a great success and these departments are now enjoying the benefits of ACD.
Each ACD group can be set up to the specifications of the individual department or unit. Network & Academic Computing Services will be happy to send our consultants to your location to review all of the options. Basic ACD is billed at $16.00 per month for each ACD agent line. Please contact NACS for more information or to schedule a consulting appointment.