Call Center Management Glossary

Abandoned Call: When the call disconnects before reaching an agent.

 ECH data: Disposition = 3

Adherence to Schedule: A general term that refers to how well agents adhere to their schedules. Can include how
much time they were available to take calls during their shifts, including the time spent handling calls and the time
spent waiting for calls to arrive, and when they were available to take calls

 General Schedule Adherence: Total staff time (ti_stafftime from hagent table in CMS) / Total Expected Time
(scheduled time)

Agent: The person who handles incoming or outgoing calls. Customer Interaction Specialist (CIS).

 Agent name can be found in the synonyms table in CMS.

Agent State (or Mode): The mode an agent is in (Talk, Wrap, Unavailable, etc…). Some Automatic Call Distributors
(ACDs) have predefined agent modes, some ACDs are able to have agent modes defined by the user.

 Agent states are defined in CMS hagent table; each state corresponds to a field listed as a component of
stafftime

Announcement: A recorded verbal message played to callers.

Attempt: Any attempted outbound call, may result in a completed call, or a number (such as ring no answer,
answering machine, etc…) that needs to be called back to obtain a complete.

Automatic Call Distributor (ACD): The specialized telephone system used in incoming call centers. A programmable
device automatically answers calls, queues calls, distributes calls to agents, plays delay announcements to callers and
provides real-time and historical reports on these activities. May be a stand-alone system, or ACD capability built into
a network or PBX.

Automatic Number Identification (ANI): A telephone network feature that passes the number of the phone the
caller is using to the call center, real-time. ANI may arrive over the D channel of an ISDN PRI circuit (out of band
signaling), or before the first ring on a single line (inbound signaling). ANI is delivered from long distance companies.

Available State: Agents who are signed on to the ACD and waiting for calls to arrive.

 Ti_availtime in CMS hagent table.

Available Time: The total time that an agent or agent group waited for calls to arrive, for a given time period.

 Ti_availtime in CMS hagent table.

Average Talk Time (ATT): The average time an agent spends in Talk Time (including Hold time within the call).

 (talktime + ansholdtime – consulttime from subsequent call segments from ECH) / total calls handled

Call Center Management Glossary 1 Continuum

Average Handle Time (AHT): The average time an agent spends in Talk Time (including Hold time within the call) and
After-Call Wrap Work, handling a transaction.

 (talktime + ansholdtime – consulttime from subsequent call segments from ECH + i_acwtime from the
hagent table in CMS) / total calls handled

Average Speed of Answer (ASA): The average time it took an agent to answer all calls. It is total speed of answer
divided by total number of calls handled.

 Queuetime from ECH / total calls handled

Calls Handled: The total number of calls received by an agent. Calls Handled does not include calls that abandon or
receive busy signals.

 ECH: disposition = 2 or 1

Calls in Queue: A real-time number that refers to the number of calls received by the switch but not yet connected to
an agent.

Calls Offered: A call detected and seized by a trunk. Calls offered will either abandon or be answered by an agent.

 ECH: count of records with disposion = 1 or 2 or 3

Calls per Hour: The number of calls handled divided by the number of production hours. Measures the average
number of calls an agent handled in one hour.

 Disposition 1 or 2 in ECH / Total production hours

Churn: The percent of customers that terminated their service divided by the total customer base. Essentially, the
percentage of customers the provider lost during the time period being measured.

Complete: Any outbound call which gets a final disposition, meaning the number should no longer be dialed.
Examples of final complete are: a sale, a do not call, a wrong number, etc…

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI): The software, hardware and programming necessary to integrate computers
and telephones so they can work together seamlessly and intelligently.

Cost per Call: Total costs (fixed and variable) divided by total calls for a given period of time. Often is calculated by
the total billable hours multiplied by the hourly rate, divided by the total number of calls handled for the same time
period.

Customer Interaction Specialist (CIS): ACS specific term. See Agent.

Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS): A string of digits that the telephone network passes to the ACD, VRU or
other devise, to indicate which number the caller dialed. The ACD can then process and report on that type of call
according to user-defined criteria. One trunk group can have many DNIS numbers.

 For Avaya: in most cases DNIS will be stored in the FirstVDN field of the first call segment. DNIS translations
may occur, selecting a different VDN. See local telephony staff.

Call Center Management Glossary 2 Continuum

Dialer: Piece of equipment which is loaded with multiple lists of phone numbers to be dialed on for an outbound
campaign. Will connect the agent with the number dialed. ACS uses a Concerto (formerly Davox) dialer and has a
custom built Torando dialer.

Disposition Codes: Codes agents enter into the ACD to identify the types of calls they are handling. The ACD can then
generate reports on call types, by handling time, time of day, etc.

 Avaya uses the term “Call Work Code” or CWC. Multiple CWC may be assigned to a call in ECH, up to 6:
CWC1 to CWC5 and LastCWC

File Penetration: The percentage of an outbound lead list file that is completed.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). A term used in scheduling and budgeting, whereby the number of scheduled hours is
divided by the hours in a full work week. One FTE is equal to 40 production hours per week. The hours of several full
time or part time agents may add up to one FTE.

 Generally, ti_stafftime from hagent divided by 144000

Handle Time: The total time it takes to handle one complete call, from the time the call is connected with an agent,
to the time the agent completes any wrap work for the call.

 (talktime + ansholdtime – consulttime from subsequent call segments from ECH + i_acwtime from the
hagent table in CMS)

Hold Time: The amount of time (collectively) that an agent places a caller on hold, within a call.

 Ansholdtime from ECH

Intelligent Contact Management (ICM): Cisco’s call routing product used to route calls for Nextel by use of virtual
routing platform or percent allocation.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR): An IVR responds to caller entered digits or speech recognition in much the same
way that a conventional computer responds to keystrokes or clicks of a mouse. When the IVR is integrated with
database computers, callers can interact with databases to check current information (e.g., account balances) and
complete transactions (e.g. make transfers between accounts). By pressing the corresponding menu selections, call
centers can use IVRs to route callers to the specific agent group the caller needs to reach based on the subject of the
call.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI): Metrics, statistics and or scores that are pre-defined for a program. KPI’s are used
to measure the success or failure on the performance of a program.

Lead List: A list of numbers used for an outbound dialing campaign. The numbers may also be linked to customer
name or other customer information. Lead lists can either be loaded into a dialer to be automatically dialed, or
manually dialed.

Load Balancing: Balancing call traffic between two or more destinations.

Logged In Mode (Login Prep): A state in which agents have signed on to a switch or a system, but may or may not be
ready to receive calls. Nextel Avaya CIC’s use an AUX state to track this time separately.

Call Center Management Glossary 3 Continuum

Longest Available Agent: A method of distributing calls to the agent who has been sitting idle the longest.

Monitoring: The process of listening to agents’ telephone calls for the purpose of maintaining quality. Monitoring
can be silent or blind, where agents don’t know when they are being monitored, this can be done either real time, or
later off of digitally recorded calls or side by side, where the person monitoring sits next to the agent and observes
calls.

Next Available Agent: A call distribution method that sends calls to the next agent who becomes available. The
method seeks to maintain an equal load across skill groups or services. When there is no queue, Next Available Agent
reverts to Longest Available Agent.

NPA-NXX: Numbering Plan Area – Numbering Plan Exchange. The area code and the prefix of a phone number.
(example: If the phone number is (123) 555-9999, then the NPA-NXX is 123-555.

Occupancy: The percentage of time an agent spent talking (including hold time) on a call out of the total time the
agent was logged in and working on a call or available to take a call.

 Generally: (ECH: talktime + ansholdtime – consulttime from subsequent call segments) / (talktime +
ansholdtime – consulttime from subsequent call segments + hagent i_acwtime + hagent ti_availtime)

Outsourcing: Contracting some or all call center services to an outside company.

Overflow: Calls that flow from one group or site to another. More specifically, Interflow happens when calls flow
between agent groups and Overflow is when calls flow out of the ACD to another site.

Percent Allocation: A call routing strategy sometimes used in multi-site call center environments. Calls received in
the network are allocated across call center sites based on user-defined percentages.

Preview Dialing: A system that dials and will try to connect the agent with every number in the dialer. This method
is a less efficient method of dialing because it does not screen for busy signals, answering machines or ring no answer
numbers. Moreover, it relies on the agent to dial the number. This method is sometimes used when pre-call work is
necessary or when predictive dialing is not available.

Predictive Dialing: A system that automatically places outbound calls and delivers answered calls to agents. When
the dialer detects busy signals, answering machines or ring no answer, it puts the number back in queue.

Private Branch Exchange (PBX). A computerized telephone system located onsite that handles incoming and/or
outgoing calls. ACD software can provide PBXs with ACD functionality.

Queue: Holds callers until an agent becomes available. Queue can also refer to a line or list of items in a system
waiting to be processed (e.g., e-mail messages).

 Avaya uses the terms “split”, “skill” and “hunt-group” for its call queues.

Readerboards: A visual display, usually mounted on the wall or ceiling, that provides real-time and historical
information on queue conditions, agent status and call center performance.

Real-Time Management: Making adjustments to staffing and thresholds in the systems and network, in response to
current queue conditions.

Call Center Management Glossary 4 Continuum

Screen Pop: A CTI capability. Callers' records are automatically retrieved (based on ANI or digits entered into the IVR)
and delivered to agents, along with the calls.

Scrubbing a Lead List: Scrubbing a lead list is a general term used to refer to a process which deletes any
“undialable” leads from the lead list. This can include, bumping up the leads against Do Not Call lists, NPA-NXX lists
which would validate the leads as a dialable lead for the program. It also error checks the records to make sure all
phone numbers are valid (i.e., 10 digits, valid NPA-NXX).

Service Level Agreement (SLA): Performance objectives reached by consensus between the client and the provider
(outsourcer) of a service. A service level agreement specifies a variety of performance standards that may or may not
include "service level."

Service Level: The percentage of incoming calls that are answered within a specified threshold: "X% of calls answered
in Y seconds."

 ECH: count of calls who’s queue time is <= the service level metric / calls offered. (Some clients use calls
offered in the denominator, others use calls handled, still others use calls offered minus short abandons)

Shrink Factor: A numerical factor that leads to the minimum staff needed on schedule over and above base staff
required to achieve your service level and response time objectives. It is calculated after base staffing is determined
and before schedules are organized, and accounts for things like lunches, absenteeism and ongoing training.

Skill-Based Routing: An ACD capability that matches a caller's specific needs with an agent that has the skills to
handle that call, on a real-time basis.

Speed Dial: A code which routes to a transfer number, used for transferring calls from the inbound queue to another
queue. The speed code is set up within the ACD or IVR, so the agent can transfer to a shorter numerical code, rather
than dialing the complete digits of the transfer number. When a transfer is completed using a speed dial code
(traditional transfer), a second phone circuit is used to transfer the call. Therefore, two phone circuits are used for
the entire duration of the call, including the conversation time occurring between the customer and the agent to
whom the call was transferred. This will tie up both circuits until both parties release.

Speed of Answer: Also called Queue Time. The time a caller spends in queue, waiting for an agent to become
available.

 ECH: queue time of those calls disposition 1 or 2

Switch: A general term used to reference the device used to receive calls into the call center. ACS uses Aspect and
Avaya switches.

T1 Circuit: A high speed digital circuit used for voice or data with a bandwidth of 1.544 megabits per second. T1
circuits offer the equivalent of twenty-four (24) analog voice trunks.

Take Back and Transfer (TNT): A code set up by the telecom provider which relies on a series of digits being dialed on
the phone pad. The telecom provider receives the tone the code makes and in turn the call is taken back on the
same circuit and routed to the telephone number to which the TNT code corresponds. This is a less expensive
method of transferring then through use of speed dial codes because only one circuit, instead of two, are used in the
transfer.

Talk Time: The time an agent spends with a caller during a transaction. Includes everything from the point of
connection with the customer to the disconnection with the customer

Call Center Management Glossary 5 Continuum

  ECH data: talktime field

Trunk: Also called a Line or Circuit. A telephone circuit linking two switching systems

Trunk Group: A collection of trunks associated with a single peripheral and usually used for a common purpose.

Unavailable Work State: An agent work state used to identify a mode when the agent is logged in to the switch, not
associated with handling telephone calls. Sometimes referred to as Idle time, Out time or Aux time.

Utilization: The percentage of agent time spent working on calls out of all time spent logged in working on a call or
waiting to take a call.

Generally: (ECH: talktime + ansholdtime – consulttime from subsequent call segments + hagent i_acwtime) /
(talktime + ansholdtime – consulttime from subsequent call segments + hagent i_acwtime + hagent ti_availtime)

Virtual Call Center: A distributed call center that acts as a single site for call handling and reporting purposes.

Voice Response Unit (VRU): see Interactive Voice Response (IVR).

Workforce Management Software: Software systems that, depending on available modules, forecast call load,
calculate staff requirements organize schedules and track real-time performance of individuals and groups. ACS may
use IEX.

Wrap Mode: Work that is necessitated by and immediately follows the completion of a call. Often includes entering
data, filling out forms necessary to complete the transaction. The agent is unavailable to receive another inbound call
while in this mode.

 Avaya uses the term “After Call Work” or ACW. Usually i_acwtime in hagent.

Call Center Management Glossary 6 Continuum