Welcome to our Contact Center Consulting Glossary, a comprehensive resource designed to help you navigate the intricate world of contact center operations and management. In this glossary, you will find concise explanations and definitions for key terms, acronyms, and concepts commonly used in the contact center industry. Whether you're a seasoned professional looking to refresh your knowledge or a newcomer seeking to grasp the fundamentals, this glossary is your go-to reference for unraveling the complexities of contact center consulting.
Calibration Sessions
Meetings during which individuals responsible for monitoring transactions compare scoring results for selected transactions to ensure scoring consistency. These sessions include quantitative evaluation of the consistency of the scores via comparison to a gauge or reference at the attribute level and their correlation with measures of the customer experiences and scores provided by clients.
Call Center (Inbound Call Center, Outbound Call Center)
An organization's centralized facility or department that handles inbound and outbound communications with customers, clients, or prospects.
Call Center Agent Scorecard
A performance management tool used to evaluate and measure the effectiveness and productivity of call center agents in meeting specific performance goals and objectives.
Call Center Agent Software
A set of specialized applications and tools designed to assist call center agents in efficiently managing customer interactions, improving productivity, and providing high-quality service.
Call Center Agent Utilization
The extent to which a call center agent is effectively used or occupied in performing productive tasks related to their job within a specified period.
Call Center Coaching
See Agent Coaching.
Call Center Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
The integration and effective use of customer relationship management software and strategies within a call center environment.
Call Center Reporting
The collection, analysis, and presentation of data and key performance indicators (KPIs) related to call center operations, customer interactions, agent performance, and overall customer service.
Call Center Service Level
See Service Level.
Call Center Workforce Optimization
See Workforce Optimization.
Call Center Workforce Planning
See Workforce Planning.
Call Distribution
See Automatic Call Distributor.
Call Recording
Digitally captures and stores audio or video recordings of conversations between agents and customers during phone calls or interactions via other communication channels, such as video calls or chats.
Call Time
The duration of a customer interaction from when the call is connected to an agent until the call is concluded.
Call Volume
The number of incoming and outgoing calls or interactions a contact center handles within a specific period. It is a key metric that measures the workload and demand for customer service or support.
Capacity Plan
A strategic approach to ensure the center has adequate resources, including staff, technology, and infrastructure, to handle the expected workload efficiently and effectively.
Case Management
Managing complex transactions that require multiple interactions to resolve. Cases will include complaint handling, warranty claims, technical support, on-site repair, return-to-base repair and application processing.
Channels
The various mediums or communication pathways through which customers can initiate interactions or communicate with the organization.
Chat
A real-time, text-based, electronic interaction between an agent and a customer using a chat interface or messaging platform.
Client
The companies that hire outsource service providers to provide products and services to their customers.
Client Complaint
Negative comments received in person or by phone, mail, fax, email, etc. about any aspect of the outsource service providers (OSPs) products, services, staff, or agents.
Cloud Call Center
See Cloud Contact Center.
Cloud Contact Center
Also known as a cloud-based contact center or contact center as a service (CCaaS), a cloud contact center is a customer service and communication solution that operates without the need for on-premises hardware and infrastructure.
Compliance Critical Error
An inaccuracy that causes an entire transaction to be deemed defective because it is against prevailing regulations or laws and could cause personal or company liability.
Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
A technology that allows computer systems to interact with and manage telephone systems.
Concurrency
The rate at which chat transactions are processed simultaneously.
Confidence Interval (Precision)
Based on a given set of sample data, a confidence interval gives an estimated range of values likely to include an unknown population parameter (e.g., mean).
Contact Center
A centralized facility or department within an organization designed to manage communication and interactions with customers or clients.
Contact Center Agent
See Agent.
Contact Center Agent Coaching
See Agent Coaching.
Contact Center Agent Experience
The overall journey, job satisfaction, and professional development of individuals working as agents within a contact center.
Contact Center Analytics
The use of data analysis, metrics, and insights to evaluate and derive actionable information from the vast number of interactions and operations within a contact center.
Contact Center Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and solutions into contact centers to enhance customer service, automate tasks, and improve overall efficiency.