Inbound routing refers to any incoming calls, or calls that come into your contact center. When there’s an incoming call, the system routes it to a queue and agent based on a set of routing rules and priorities configured in the admin interface. Agents tasked with taking inbound queues in the agent interface are assigned to one or more queues, which function as the virtual ‘lines’ where customers can wait for an agent to take their calls.
In addition to assigning an agent to a queue, administrators must also provide agents inbound or blended calling permissions. Finally, an administrator can also create and assign skill profiles to agents and inbound queue customers can call in to speak with agents who have specific skills, such as agents who speak Spanish. See below for more info on skill profiles.
Once you’ve been given the correct permissions and assigned to an inbound queue, you can select the inbound queue(s) and skill profiles (if applicable) on which you’d like to receive incoming calls. Upon logging in with your username and password on the first login page, you’ll be taken to the second page where you can choose your queues and skill profiles (if any are assigned to you) via the Queues and Skills profiles settings respectively.
Once signed in, you're ready to start taking calls. During an inbound call, you may also take notes, transfer calls, and use a disposition to mark the outcome of a call. Typically, inbound calls are accompanied by a script, which serves as a visual prompt for agents to use when interacting with customers.
Now let’s take a closer look at how inbound calls get routed to an agent.