Comparison of a PBX ACD and 1Call’s Intelligent Series ACD
(Part 2 of 3)
In the second installment of this series, we continue to describe the high-level differences between using 1Call’s Intelligent Series (IS) Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) versus a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) ACD with 1Call’s Soft Agent for intelligent console call centers.
Automatic Number Identification (ANI) Screening
ANI Screening (blacklisting) allows screening at the system level. If the ANI of the inbound call matches the ANI or pattern that has been entered in the system, it will change to an existing account and execute the behavior of that account. It can be used for blocking robocalls.
This feature may or may not be available in the PBX ACD.
Priority Code Call Handling
The IS ACD enables special code call handling to assign priority to special calls such as code calls. The special priority allows code calls to override an operator’s normal call limit, ensuring that a code call will NEVER sit in queue.
Code call priority can also present a popup message on all operator screens whenever a code call is received, ensuring that the entire call center is aware of the call. Code call priority allows generates a special audio alert which can alert the entire call center that a code call has arrived.
Code calls can be routed through the PBX ACD but may not have the ability to generate special visual and audio alerts, or avoid being placed in queue. One of the limitations of PBX ACD’s is that they are geared towards presenting an operator with one call at a time. Going beyond one call at a time typically requires routing code calls to bridged extensions outside of the PBX ACD.
Multiple Calls
Each operator can be set for how many calls they should be able to handle simultaneously when using the IS ACD. This allows setting lower limits for less experienced operators. The operator call limit can be set to automatically change based on the current call an operator handling.
If the operator is on a code call, the operator limit can change to ensure they won’t receive any additional calls. Operator call limit and multiple call handling is critical for code calls where calls need to be handled immediately, even if all operators are currently on a call.
PBX ACDs are geared towards presenting one call at a time. Additional calls need to be routed to the operator outside of the PBX ACD to bridged appearances on the phone that are presented to the operator in Soft Agent.
Conferencing
Operators can initiate conferences to bring multiple parties together on a call. With conference join, the operators can bring in an unlimited number of parties to a call. The PBX ACD does provide conferencing capabilities and Soft Agent is able to initiate and manage PBX conferences.
Meet Me Conferencing and Patching
Operators can initiate pages to physicians to call back into the agent to be connected to a call. The agent’s ability to handle multiple calls simultaneously helps facilitate these types of calls.
PBX ACDs are geared towards presenting an agent with one call at a time. Soft Agent interacting with a PBX ACD is able to overcome these limitations by paging the physician to call the agents direct extension which typically can be presented to the agent within Soft Agent.
Voice Processing
The IS ACD’s patented integrated operator and voice processing provides a seamless connection to voice features. This allows features such as ACD call queuing messages, one button recording of calls, automated operator greetings (Perfect Answer), voice assisted transfer, callback requests from queue, and much more without having to physically move the call to an external voice processing server.
When using a PBX ACD, a call is presented to an operator on a PBX phone. To utilize voice resources, the call must be connected to a voice IVR server.
ACD Call Queuing Messages
The IS ACD and built-in voice processing enable call queuing messages to be played to callers to inform them of the status of their call. This includes custom greetings that can be recorded by each site. It includes enabling callers to exit the queue and leave a message requesting a callback if desired.
When using a PBX system, call queuing messages must be supplied by the PBX, which generally requires an additional IVR server.
Perfect Answer
Each operator can pre-record a greeting in their own voice for each phone number they answer. This reduces the repetitive answer greetings the operators need to say for each call, reducing noise and stress levels. However, pre-recorded answer greetings would need to be provided by the PBX ACD.