Contact Centre

Abandoned calls in a contact centre are when a contact waits but hangs up before transfer or when the predictive dialler ends a call because the system or agent couldn't connect.

ActiveX Controls are web page components that enhance functionality and interactivity by allowing integration of features like buttons, text boxes, video players, and more.

Advanced Call Centre Technologies are modern tools like AI that have changed how call centres communicate and provide customer service.

A call centre agent is a person who works in a call centre and is responsible for handling incoming and outgoing customer calls.

Agent Assist in a contact centre is a technology or software solution that is designed to assist call centre agents during customer interactions. It leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to provide real-time suggestions, information, and guidance to agents as they communicate with customers.

Agent churn, also known as agent attrition or agent turnover, refers to the rate at which call centre agents leave their positions and are replaced by new agents. It's a common challenge in contact centres and customer service environments.

Contact Centre Agent Coaching is a structured process where supervisors or experienced individuals provide guidance and support to contact centre agents to help them improve their performance and customer interactions. This coaching typically involves: Feedback, Skill development, role play, training and monitoring.

Agent Elevation in contact centres means transferring a customer's issue to a higher-level agent for specialised help when the initial agent can't resolve it.

Contact Centre Agent Experience encompasses the working environment, job satisfaction and productivity of agents influenced by various factors within the contact centre.

Agent occupancy in a contact centre is the percentage of time agents are actively handling customer tasks compared to their total available work time.

Agent reports track and analyse individual customer service agent performance, offering insights into their interactions, productivity, and KPI adherence.

Agent self evaluations within a contact centre, involve customer service agents engaging in a process where they assess and evaluate their own performance, skills, and interactions with customers.

Agent Utilisation is a metric used in the context of contact centres and customer service operations to measure the efficiency and productivity of customer service agents. It represents the percentage of time that agents are actively engaged in handling customer interactions or performing work-related tasks compared to their total available work time.

AI for business refers to the application of artificial intelligence technologies and techniques to enhance and optimise various aspects of business operations.

In a contact centre environment an AI summary is a powerful tool that leverages artificial intelligence and natural language processing technologies to distill complex customer interactions into concise and relevant insights.

Contact centre tools need to work together seamlessly to ensure a unified omnichannel customer experience. APIs enable this to happen.

A contact center application enhances efficiency by managing customer interactions across various channels and optimising agent performance and processes.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly transformed the contact centre industry, offering a wide range of applications to enhance efficiency, customer service, and operational effectiveness. Here

An auto dialler or dialler, is a tool used in call centres to automatically dial phone numbers and make outgoing calls without manual intervention from an agent.

Automatic Callback in a contact centre is a feature or service that allows customers to request a callback from a customer service representative when they are unable to connect with an agent immediately.

Automated Call Distribution (ACD) is a telecommunications technology that is deployed in contact centres to direct incoming calls to the most suited agent.

Call centres using ANI services can significantly enhance the customer experience as calls can be directed to a team of agents specialised in that service.

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), also known as Speech-to-Text (STT) technology, is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) that focuses on converting spoken language into written text.

Automation within a contact centre refers to the use of technology and software tools to perform tasks and processes without direct human intervention. This automation is designed to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance the customer experience

Average Handle Time (AHT) gauges the time a customer service agent takes to complete a customer interaction, encompassing talk time and post-call work.

Average Hold Time (AHT) is a pivotal metric in call and contact centres. It measures the total time customers spend waiting.

A call centre back office encompasses behind-the-scenes functions and processes that are not directly involved in customer interactions over the phone.

Back-office optimisation streamlines and automates workforce tasks that occur in a contact centre, aligning back office functions with front office workflows.

Barge-in within a contact centre setup allows a supervisor to listen live to agent calls and barge-in if necessary.

A Blended Agent refers to a customer service representative who is capable of handling both inbound and outbound customer interactions. These interactions can involve various communication channels, such as phone calls, emails, chat messages, and more.

Business Process Outsourcing services or BPO services are a strategic approach where businesses engage with third-party service providers to delegate and manage specific non-core functions or processes.

Business Process Outsourcing is when an organisation chooses to outsource a process to a third party. Contact centres are often outsourced.

A call centre is a department within an organisations that handles incoming and/or outgoing telephone calls, assisting with customer support and sales.

A Call Centre Agent Scorecard is a tool in call centres for measuring and tracking the performance of individual agents.

Call centre agent software is a software tool that empowers call centre agents to deliver exceptional customer service and streamline their interactions effectively.

Call centre agent utilisation assesses an agent's productivity relative to their capacity, offering insights into efficiency, distinguishing it from agent occupancy, which centres on active interaction time.

Call centre coaching is a quality management practice within a call centre environment aimed at enhancing the skills, performance, and effectiveness of call centre agents. It involves providing agents with structured feedback, guidance, training, and support to help them improve their capabilities and meet performance targets.

Call Centre CRM is technology that grants agents access to customer data for personalised experiences by integrating with call centre systems and databases.

Call Centre Management is a pivotal function responsible for overseeing and guiding the operations and personnel within a call centre or contact centre environment.

Call centre reporting is the backbone of informed decision-making and continuous improvement within call centre operations.

Call centre software streamlines operations, aiding agents and supervisors in managing customer interactions and performance monitoring.

Call centre workforce optimisation (WFO) encompasses various tools, processes, and technologies to align the call centre's workforce with business objectives and customer service goals

Call Centre Workforce Planning ensures the right number of skilled agents are available and forecasted to meet call volumes.

Call Distribution or Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), is a vital component of call centre operations. It directs incoming calls to the most appropriate agent based on predetermined criteria

A call queue is a feature used in call centres and customer service operations to manage and organise incoming phone calls. Call queues are designed to ensure that customers do not experience long wait times and that calls are handled efficiently.

A call recorder is contact centre technology that records the contents of phone calls and can also capture what is shown on agent screens.

Call recording involves the capture of audio and screen activity during phone calls. This process records and stores conversations between customers and agents, allowing for retrieval and evaluation as per business requirements. When combined with screen recording, call recording software also captures the sequence of screens accessed by the agent, including any data input.

Contact centre call time, often referred to as call duration or handle time is the total amount of time a customer interaction, typically a phone call, lasts from the moment the call is initiated until it is concluded. It includes all the time spent by the customer and the contact centre agent during the call.

Call volume in a contact centre refers to the number of incoming calls received over a specific period. It's a crucial metric that influences staffing decisions and scheduling.

A caller is an individual or entity that initiates an outgoing telephone call to another person or organisations.

Capacity planning is a strategic process used by organisations to ensure that their contact centre has the right amount of resources, including personnel, equipment, and infrastructure, to meet current and future demands efficiently and effectively.

Contact centre channels refer to the various communication methods or pathways through which customers can interact with the contact centre to seek assistance, ask questions, or resolve issues. Each channel represents a distinct mode of communication that customers can choose based on their preferences and needs.

A chatbot is a computer program or artificial intelligence (AI) software designed to simulate human-like conversations with users via text-based or voice-based interfaces.

Cirrus is a market leading omnichannel contact centre vendor in the UK. Opus are one of the top Cirrus partners in the UK.

Closed-loop feedback is the process of acting on direct or indirect customer feedback collected from customer surveys, contact centre interactions, and social media comments.

A cloud contact centre is powered by cloud based software rather than on-premise hardware and can manage inbound and outbound enquiries.

A contact centre is a centralised department within an organisations that handles a wide range of customer interactions and enquiries through various communication channels.

A contact centre agent is a front-line representative responsible for interacting with customers through various communication channels.

Contact centre analytics is to collect, measure and analyse customer data to reveal insights and turn these into actionable insights.

CCaaS stands for Contact Centre as a Service. It is a cloud-based solution that provides organisations with the technology and tools needed to operate and manage their contact centre operations over the internet. CCaaS platforms offer a wide range of features and capabilities for handling customer interactions, such as phone calls, emails, chats, and more.

An outsourced call centre is a call or contact centre that provides customer support, sales, and other call centre services on behalf of another organisations.

Contact centre service level is a critical performance metric that measures the efficiency and responsiveness of a contact centre in terms of answering and handling incoming customer calls within a specified time frame.

By tracking the Cost Per Contact (CPC), contact centres can optimise their operations, reducing costs and improve customer experience.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is an indicator of the effectiveness of a company's endeavours in securing new customers.

Customer effort score (CES) measures the amount of effort a customer had to expend to get an issue resolved or a question answered.

Customer engagement refers to the depth and richness of the relationship between businesses and their customers.

Customer experience analytics are the systematic collection and analysis of customer perceptions as they interact with various touchpoints along the customer journey.

Customer experience interactions (CXI) are a holistic approach to managing all customer interactions from any starting point across the entire customer journey.

Customer Experience Management (CEM) manages, monitors and refines customer touchpoints to provide customers with an optimised experience.

Customer Experience metrics measure the sentiment a customer feels towards and organisation.

Customer feedback is something frequently obtained by a contact centre. This could be from CSAT surveys, Net Promoter or sentiment analysis.

Customer intelligence is the process of using intelligence data to identifying the best way of interacting with them in order to deliver a better experience.

The customer journey is a series of touchpoints that customers take when interacting with an organisation, it can be closely managed.

Customer journey mapping helps contact centres gain a comprehensive understanding of the paths customers take when seeking assistance.

Customer loyalty is a feeling of allegiance a consumer has for a business and the customer’s willingness to make ongoing purchases.

Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is measured in a contact centre to determine how well agents are is satisfying its customers with the service they provide.

A performance dashboard in a contact centre is a visual tool that provides real-time or near-real-time data and key performance indicators (KPIs) in an easily digestible format.

A dialler is a contact centre software that automates the process of dialling customer phone numbers and efficiently recording the results of these calls.

Employee engagement refers to the level of commitment and motivation that employees have with their work, their team, and the overall goals and mission of the contact centre.

A contact centre escalation refers to the process of transferring a customer contact, such as a phone call or chat, to a supervisor or a more experienced agent.

First Contact Resolution (FCR) serves as a critical metric in contact centres, quantifying the percentage of customer interactions that successfully resolve the issue during the initial contact.

Five9 are a global contact centre vendor who supply a wide range of CCaaS solutions. Opus are an accredited Five9 partner.

A hosted call centre, also known as a cloud-based call centre or virtual call centre, is where the call centre infrastructure is hosted and managed by a third-party service provider in a cloud-based environment.

An inbound call centre is a type of contact centre where the primary function is to receive and handle incoming calls from customers, clients, or individuals seeking assistance.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an automated telephony system that enables interaction between callers and a computerised voice system through the use of voice or touch-tone keypad inputs.

KMS Lighthouse is a knowledge management system used by contact centres to help organisations efficiently create, organise, and deliver knowledge to agents.

A contact centre knowledge management system, is a software solution or platform that is designed to centralise, organise, and manage useful resources used by contact centre agents.

A contact centre leaderboard is a visual representation or scoreboard that displays real-time or periodic performance metrics and rankings for contact centre agents or teams.

Livechat is an online tool for users to instantly talk to agents through text, you can integrate Livechat with an omni-channel contact centre.

Integrating Microsoft Teams with a cloud contact centre streamlines communication and collaboration, improving customer service efficiency.

Mitel offers a wide range of contact centre and unified comms solutions such as Mitel in the Cloud, MiContact, MiVoice and MiCollab. Opus are a leading Mitel Platinum Partner in the UK.

The moment of truth in contact centres refers to any touchpoint along the customer journey where there is potential to change a customer’s perception of the organisation.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) in a contact centre involves using advanced AI technology to interpret and process human language.

Net Promoter Score is a metric that measures customer loyalty and satisfaction with an organisations. It is commonly measured in contact centres.

In a contact centre, omnichannel refers to the strategy of providing a seamless and integrated customer experience across multiple communication channels.

An omnichannel customer journey in a contact centre refers to the customer's interaction with a business across multiple communication channels in a seamless and integrated manner.

Omnichannel customer service is and approach aimed at creating a seamless and unified experience for customers across various communication channels.

Omnichannel routing, in the context of customer service and contact centres, is a system or strategy that enables the intelligent and efficient distribution of customer enquiries, interactions, or requests across multiple communication channels and contact centre agents or resources.

An on-premises contact centre provides onsite communication hardware, operational infrastructure, and dedicated communication servers.

An outbound call centre is a type of call centre in which agents primarily make outgoing calls to customers or prospects, rather than receiving incoming calls.

Outbound Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a technology used in contact centres to manage automated outbound calls.

PCI compliance in a contact center refers to adhering to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) to protect sensitive credit card information during customer interactions.

A contact centre performance management system is an all-in-one reporting tool that offers real-time, historical, and transactional data for all contact centre roles.

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language that can change the meaning of a word. Phonemes play an important role in speech recognition technology.

A contact centre phrase is a specific set of words or a commonly used expression that is prevalent within the context of a contact centre environment.

A predictive dialler is a telephony technology that automates outbound calls in contact centres, enhancing agent productivity and call efficiency.

A contact centre prompt is a recorded or automated message that guides callers during interactions, often within interactive voice response (IVR) systems.

The public switched telephone network, PSTN is a global collection of interconnected voice-oriented public telephone networks.

Quality management in a contact centre is the process of ensuring customer interactions meet a defined quality standard across all channels and agents.

Real-Time Adherence (RTA) is a key performance management metric used in contact centres to measure and monitor the extent to which agents are adhering to their scheduled work activities in real-time.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology used in contact centres to streamline various customer service and support functions by employing software robots.

SaaS contact centre solutions can be deployed rapidly and are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, enabling flexibility in agent locations.

Contact centre scheduling refers to the process of creating and managing work schedules for customer service agents and other staff who handle customer interactions.

A screen pop is a feature in contact centre that automatically displays relevant customer or call information on an agent's computer screen when they receive an incoming call or interaction.

Screen recording within a contact centre environment is the practice of capturing an agent's computer screen while they are actively engaged in customer interactions.

Self-serve in a contact centre context refers to customer service options that allow customers to find information, resolve issues, or perform tasks on their own without needing direct assistance from a contact centre agent.

Sentiment analysis, also known as opinion mining, is a natural language processing (NLP) technique used to determine and evaluate the sentiment or emotional tone expressed in a piece of text, such as a customer review, social media post, survey response, or any other form of written or spoken communication.

In workforce management (WFM) for contact centres and customer service operations, "shrinkage" refers to the amount of time during which employees are not available to handle customer interactions, despite being scheduled to work.

A contact centre softphone is a software-based telephone interface that allows agents to make and receive calls using a computer, typically connected to a headset or similar audio device.

Contact centre speech analytics is the application of AI and natural language processing to analyse customer interactions within the contact centre.

A contact centre supervisor is responsible for managing and leading a team of customer service agents within the contact centre.

Text and speech analytics convert human voice interactions into written transcripts, enabling them to analyse customer service interactions across various channels.

TTS, or Text-to-Speech, functionality in a call centre refers to the technology that converts written text into spoken language, allowing automated systems and virtual agents to communicate verbally with customers over the phone.

A customer touchpoint within a call centre refers to any interaction or point of contact between a customer and the call centre. These touchpoints can occur through various channels, and they are crucial for providing customer support, resolving issues, gathering feedback, and maintaining customer relationships.

UCaaS stands for Unified Communications as a Service. It is a cloud-based service model that provides businesses and organisations with a comprehensive set of communication and collaboration tools over the internet.

A virtual agent, often referred to as a chatbot or conversational AI agent, is a computer program or software application designed to simulate human interactions and engage in conversations with users.

A virtual contact centre operates in a decentralised manner, with agents working from different locations, often remotely. It encompasses multiple communication channels beyond just voice calls

Voice authentication in a contact centre is a security measure that uses the unique characteristics of an individual's voice to verify their identity using biometric authentication.

Voice of the Customer (VoC) is a business and market research term that refers to the process of collecting and analysing customer feedback, opinions, comments, and suggestions to gain insights into their preferences, expectations, and overall experiences with a product, service, or brand.

A voice platform in a call centre refers to the technology infrastructure and software solutions used to manage and facilitate voice-based communications between customers and call centre agents.

A Voice Response Unit (VRU), also known as an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, is a technology used in contact centres to interact with callers through automated voice prompts and responses.

A Voice User Interface (VUI) in a contact centre is a technology interface that allows customers and call centre agents to interact with computer systems and applications using spoken language.

Voiceprint in a contact centre is a unique and digitised representation of an individual's vocal characteristics and patterns, which are used for voice authentication and verification purposes.

A call centre wallboard, often referred to as a dashboard is used in contact centres to provide real-time metrics related to call centre operations. It is typically displayed on large screens or monitors prominently placed within the call centre, making it visible to both call centre agents and supervisors.

A contact centre workflow refers to the set of processes, steps, and procedures that dictate how customer interactions are handled within a contact centre.

Workflow management in a contact centre refers to the systematic design, automation, and monitoring of processes and tasks that agents and systems follow to handle customer interactions and efficiently manage operations.

Workforce engagement in a contact centre refers to the strategies, practices, and tools used to effectively manage and motivate the workforce of call centre agents and employees.

Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) is a comprehensive approach to managing and optimising the performance and productivity of a contact centre's workforce, which includes call centre agents, supervisors, and support staff.

Workforce management (WFM) is a set of processes and tools used to optimise their workforce's productivity and efficiency.

Workforce Optimisation (WFO) - Workforce optimisation (WFO) in a call centre is a strategic approach and set of integrated processes, tools, and technologies aimed at improving the efficiency, productivity, and overall performance of the call centre's workforce. It focuses on enhancing the customer service experience, increasing operational effectiveness, and aligning the workforce with the organisations's goals and objectives.

Workforce planning in a contact centre is the strategic process of aligning the staffing and scheduling of employees, particularly call centre agents, with the anticipated demand for customer interactions.

Workload management in a contact centre involves the processes and strategies used to efficiently distribute and handle the incoming workload of customer interactions, such as phone calls, emails, chats, and other communication channels. The goal of workload management is to ensure that customer inquiries are addressed promptly and effectively while optimising the Utilisation of available resources, including call centre agents and support staff.