Introduction
Selecting the right distribution method for incoming calls is a fundamental step in optimising your contact centre’s efficiency and customer experience. The Contact Point platform offers five distinct selection modes, each designed to balance agent workload and ensure callers are connected to the most appropriate representative.
Longest Idle
The Fair Workhorse
This is the most common distribution method. The system identifies which agent has been in the “Available” state for the longest period without receiving a call and delivers the next caller to them.
- Best for: General customer service queues where all agents have similar training.
- Why use it: It ensures a fair distribution of work across the team and prevents any single agent from being overwhelmed while others sit idle.
Skills Based Routing
The Specialist Approach
Skills-based routing prioritises expertise. Agents are assigned proficiency levels for specific tasks (e.g., Technical Support, Billing, or Specific Language). The system looks for the agent with the highest skill tier who is currently available; if multiple agents share that tier, it defaults to the “Longest Idle” agent within that group.
- Best for: Complex environments requiring specialised knowledge or language support.
- Why use it: It ensures the customer is connected to the person best equipped to solve their problem on the first attempt.
Circular (Round Robin)
The Consistent Sequence
Circular routing follows a fixed list of agents. When a call arrives, the system starts at the top of the list and works its way down to find the first available agent. Crucially, if an agent was busy but becomes available during the selection process, the system “remembers” their place in the list and will offer them the call if it is their turn.
- Best for: Sales teams or groups where a strict, sequential order of opportunity is required.
- Why use it: It provides a predictable pattern of call delivery that honours the agent’s fixed position in the hierarchy.
Terminal
The Forward-Only Sequence
Terminal routing is similar to Circular but with one key difference: it does not backtrack. If a call is being offered and an agent who was previously “Busy” becomes “Available,” the system will not return to their position in the list for the current call. That agent must wait until the cycle completes and starts again from the top of the list.
- Best for: Specific administrative workflows where skipping agents who aren’t ready at the exact start of the search is preferred.
- Why use it: It speeds up the selection process by moving in one direction only, reducing the “hunting” time for a single call.
Manual
The “Cherry-Pick” Method
In Manual mode, calls are not automatically “pushed” to agents. Instead, callers wait in a visible queue. Agents can see the list of waiting calls and must manually “pull” or select the specific call they wish to answer.
- Best for: Highly specialised desk-side support or environments where agents need to see caller data or “Case Type” before committing to the interaction.
- Why use it: It gives agents autonomy to prioritise specific high-value or urgent tasks based on the information displayed in the queue.