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Home - Tips - A Quick Guide to Call Center Terms and Abbreviations
Reviewed by : Prasanta Raut
Call centers are the essential component of modern business operations. It is the core of the contact center for effective customer interactions and support. Yet, one needs to be familiar with call center abbreviations and acronyms to ensure a smooth day-to-day workflow.
You may feel lost when hearing terms like ACD, CMS, and EWT. These strange words may seem confusing, but once you know what they mean, work becomes easier.
If you are performing difficult technical support tasks or simply giving product updates. These customer service acronyms and their terms play a major role.
Don’t worry. We’ll walk you through the most common customer service and call center acronyms in simple, real-world terms.
Table of Content
By learning these call center abbreviations, you will be able to reference them related to various areas. It can be customer experience, metrics, call center software, technology, and more. Here is the list of popular call center abbreviations in alphabetical order:
The abandonment rate refers to the percentage of callers who hang up before a call center agent responds to their call. If the abandonment rate is high, it suggests longer wait times and more complex IVR systems.
It is a call center metric that gives insight into how a contact center manages incoming calls. It also helps analyze the quality of the customer service experience and improve it if needed.
Automatic call distribution is a telephony feature that routes calls to the most suitable call center agents or departments. It routes their call according to predefined criteria, such as agent skill, workload, availability, or caller input.
Additionally, it enhances customer relationships, as customers feel satisfied when they receive help from the right resource. ACD can also have skillbased routing capabilities.
Artificial Intelligence is a call center technology that imitates human interaction. It helps to automate tasks using chatbots, virtual assistants. AI also analyzes customer interactions to improve service quality and reduce costs.
The average hold time is the typical period of time a customer needs to spend waiting on hold before speaking to a live agent. It improves the customer’s wait experience by playing hold music or company messages. These key features help to lower the call abandonment rate.
An ASP is a company that offers access to applications and related services over the internet, also known as a Software as a Service (SaaS) provider. It gives access to tools like workforce management or CRM solutions to manage updates, security, and more.
After-call work is the time call center agents spend wrapping up tasks immediately after the call. It is post-call activities performed by them after ending an interaction, before the next call begins. They may include updating customer records and scheduling follow-ups.
ANI is a telephony feature that helps identify the phone number of an incoming call. It helps contact centers do call routing according to pre-set rules, as they can view the caller ID details.
An API is a set of procedures or protocols that enable software applications to communicate with each other. By leveraging the use of APIs, various communication essentials, such as text, voice, or video, can be integrated into an existing application.
In simple terms, Average Handle Time (AHT) refers to the average time agents spend handling a customer call. It is an essential call center metric for measuring the time from when they answer the call to when they finish the wrap-up (ACW).
The average speed measures the average time an agent takes to receive incoming calls after the caller has been placed in the queue. It is a key performance indicator (KPI) to look for areas for improvement, such as call center responsiveness.
Average talk time refers to the average duration an agent spends actively speaking with a customer. It calculates the average time, excluding hold and after-call work time.
Average time of abandonment (ATA) is a measurement of the average time a caller waits in a queue before the call is disconnected.
Average wait time (AWT) is the calculation of the average time a customer waits in the hold before being connected with an agent. It serves a similar purpose as ASA, but from the customer’s perspective.
Automatic speech recognition(ASR) is a call center tool used for converting voice responses into text. It helps individuals solve issues by interacting with a computer interface or system, such as an interactive voice response (IVR).
This call center metric records the average time spent by agents on activities other than call handling or finishing ACW. It includes taking breaks or dealing with technical issues.
Business process outsourcing (BPO) is the practice of outsourcing specific business operations to a third-party service provider. Businesses can reduce the extra cost of infrastructure investment by using BPO for their business.
Back-office management in a call center supports functions that run behind the scenes to enable smooth front-office (customer-facing) activities. It helps to mitigate issues of miscommunication and disorganization, thereby enhancing productivity.
These contact center solutions work with the human resources (HR) department to confirm the smooth operation of the center. It ensures staffing needs are met and training is done.
Business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) are the plans that ensure the contact center can continue operating. It is necessary as it helps centers to continue functioning and recover quickly after adverse events or disruptions.
Best-in-class (BIC) is designated by management as the highest standard of excellence. It does a workforce optimization job by identifying top-performing systems, strategies, and teams.
Business intelligence refers to call center solutions that enable more data-driven decisions. It is a combination of features like analytics, data mining, data tools, and data visualization.
Business continuity planning (BCP) involves planning for all possible scenarios to ensure the call center remains operational, even in the face of unexpected issues or events.
The call abandonment rate is the percentage of inbound calls that customers abandon before a live agent answers them. By dividing the abandoned calls by the total number of inbound calls, you can measure the percentage. It is important to improve the customer service experience.
Callback is a system feature that allows customers to request a return call to the system instead of waiting on hold. It is handy when all the agents are unavailable, reducing waiting time.
Call center management is the operation of how businesses handle their daily operations. It addresses areas such as staff scheduling, workflow management, and ensuring service quality.
A call detail record (CDR) is a data record that captures all the details of a call or other transactions. It records details such as the caller’s name, duration of the call, and other relevant information.
In simple terms, Caller Entered Digits (CED) are the digits a caller enters using their phone keypad. It is often used for menu navigation or authentication purposes.
A call management system (CMS) is software responsible for handling call center operations. It handles call routing, reporting, and monitoring with reports in a call center. It is best used for companies that receive a large volume of telephone calls.
Calling Line Identity (CLI) is also commonly referred to as caller ID. It helps agents receiving the call identify the caller’s number and name before answering.
Customer-Controlled Routing (CCR) is a feature that allows callers to select their preferred routing option during an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) interaction. It helps to improve customer experiences by allowing them to have more control over the call.
Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) is a cloud-based model that provides call center software and infrastructure as a subscription plan. Companies can reduce extra costs by eliminating the need for hardware investments in call operations.
Computer telephony integration (CTI) integrates telephone systems with computer applications for handling a large number of calls. It enables agents to access callers’ information and other relevant data directly from their computers while handling a call.
Customer experience (CX) is the way a customer perceives and views a brand. It is based on their past interactions with its products, services, and support teams. This is vital, as it shapes their impression and influences future purchasing decisions.
A customer information system (CIS) centralizes and manages all customer-related data. It contains contact details, billing information, service requests, and interaction history, etc.
CEM is the process of enhancing customer interactions by responding to and reacting with them to meet their expectations. Maintaining a proper customer experience management helps to achieve higher customer satisfaction.
Customer service agents (CSAs) are the professionals who interact with customers on behalf of a company. They are responsible for providing information, solving issues, and ensuring better customer service.
CRM is a specialized software that helps call centers manage customer data and interactions in one place. It also tracks communication history, preferences, and past issues, helping to personalize the call center experience.
Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is a score that shows how satisfied a customer is with a company’s specific products or services. It is often used in the context of the CSAT score, which indicates a numeric measure of customer satisfaction.
A Customer Service Representative (CSR) is an individual who interacts with customers. They handle call center tasks, such as complaints, processing orders, and providing information about an organization’s products and services.
The Customer Retention Rate (CRR) is the percentage of customers a company retains over a specific period of time. It is calculated by subtracting the number of new customers from the total at the end of the period. Then, divide it by the number of customers at the beginning.
Customer sentiment refers to the emotional connection customers have with a brand. It is based on their overall interactions and experiences with the brand’s services. The customer sentiment analysis process is used to calculate it.
There are cases where a customer uses a product, leaves an online review, or spreads the word about the company. It shows that the customer has sentiments towards the company.
Customer Called In(CCI) is an abbreviation commonly used by customer support and IT teams. It is used to quickly note that customers have reached out via phone channels.
A dashboard is a graphical user interface that visually displays key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics. It helps to track and optimize call center performance through the analysis of agent performance, call volume, and more.
Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) identifies the phone number dialed by the caller to the call center. It allows contact centers to route calls to the suited department or services.
Deep learning (DL) is a subset of machine learning that uses multi-layered neural networks for data analysis. It enables advanced decision-making and automation in call centers.
DLT is used to train and optimize deep neural networks for tasks like speech recognition and sentiment analysis. The methods used in deep learning include convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks.
Digital subscriber line (DSL) is a high-speed internet connection that transmits data over traditional telephone lines. This technology enables reliable communication, including video, audio, and multimedia.
Direct inward dialing (DID) is a telephone service that enables callers to reach an agent directly without navigating a menu.
A document management system (DMS) is a system for electronically storing, organizing, and retrieving documents. It frees you from the trouble of paper usage, giving easy access to records.
Dollars per call (DPC) is a metric to measure average revenue collected per inbound and outbound call. This acronym is generally used in collections and sales environments.
Dialer is a software that automates outbound calls for numbers and delivers them to the agents. It can be a preview, a power, or a predictive dialer.
Do Not Call (DNC) is a list of phone numbers from consumers who have opted to limit telemarketing calls they receive. Outbound call centers must comply with DNC regulations.
An email response management system (ERMS) is a software solution that automatically handles email and attachments according to user-defined rules.
The degree to which employees are actively involved and passionate about their work. It helps to improve employee satisfaction by analyzing their motivation, retention, and performance.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a software that integrates and automates business processes, such as finance, HR, and customer relationship management.
Employee satisfaction (ESAT) is a metric similar to customer satisfaction. It measures employees’ satisfaction with their jobs, work environment, and company culture.
EAI refers to the use of software and design principles to integrate various enterprise applications. It enables seamless data sharing and smooth communication between tools, such as CRM and telephony systems.
The expected wait time is the predicted amount of time a caller waits before an agent answers their call. It is generally displayed to callers to set expectations and manage satisfaction.
Forecasting is a telephony feature used to estimate future call volume(calls or other interactions) and predict the number of agents needed to handle that volume.
First call resolution is resolving the customer’s problem during their first call, without the need for follow-ups. It helps to measure efficiency and customer satisfaction in call centers.
FCRR is a metric that measures the percentage of calls where customers’ issues or needs were resolved the first time they called the call center.
The full-time equivalent measures the number of full-time employees or a mix of part-time employees required to handle the contact center workload. It improves workforce management of call centers, helping them manage the staff needed.
Grade of service measures the percentage of customer interactions or calls answered within a given time frame. It helps call centers predict the required number of staff to offer a top-notch level of service.
The artificial intelligence model that generates human-like text using machine learning is GPT. It’s human-like texting handles text generation, translation, answers questions, and more.
An inbound call, also known as an incoming call, is a call initiated by customers or prospects to a business. They may have called for customer service, support, billing, product inquiries, or help with orders.
A service that helps distribute calls to many destinations within a virtual contact center network. INS improves call routing and ensures efficient handling of incoming calls.
ISDN is a telephone network system that enables digital transmission of voice and data over traditional phone lines.
Interactive voice response (IVR) is an automated phone menu that allows callers to use keypad numbers or voice commands to be directed to the right agent or department.
An interexchange carrier (IXC) is a telecommunication company that often handles long-distance calls. It is any carrier providing services across multiple local access and transport areas.
An internet service provider (ISP) is a term used in the industry for a company that provides access to the internet. It allows contact centers and customers to connect online.
A key performance indicator is the measurable value that shows how effectively a call center is achieving success in multiple criteria.
A knowledge base is a published collection of documentation. It includes FAQs, how-to guides, and troubleshooting instructions that agents and customers can use.
The process of creating, sharing, using, and managing organizational information is knowledge management. It helps call centers improve efficiency and service quality.
Large language models (LLMs) are a type of artificial intelligence that can understand and generate human language. It performs tasks such as text generation, summarization, question answering, and sentiment analysis.
Lifetime customer value (LCV) is a measure of the value a customer provides over the lifetime as a consumer of the company or brand.
The least occupied agent refers to the agent who has spent the least amount of their available time handling calls or tasks. This metric can be used in call routing strategies to distribute workload more evenly among agents.
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that only covers a limited area to connect computers. It may interconnect, such as a residence, a school, a laboratory, a university, or an office building.
Machine Learning (ML) is a form of artificial intelligence that applies algorithms for data analysis and learns from it. Based on the data it has learned, machine learning (ML) makes predictions and informs decisions.
Most idle agents (MIAs) are call center agents who are available and ready to receive calls.
A multichannel contact center is a call center solution that integrates many touchpoints, such as voice, text, social media, and others.
Multimedia routing (MMR) handles creating routing workflows for all media. It helps to provide a constant routing experience across all channels, such as SMS, email, and video.
Natural Language Processing(NLP) falls under the field of artificial intelligence, which helps computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language.
Natural language speech recognition is an advanced speech recognition technology. Using its ability, NLSR can transcribe conversations, recognize words, and interpret them.
Natural language understanding (NLU) subfield of NLP that focuses on learning the meaning of words and phrases. It enables computers to respond to complex human language inputs by understanding them.
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric used to measure customer loyalty toward your brand. It provides data on customer satisfaction and identifies areas for improvement where necessary.
A network service provider (NSP) is a company or organization that sells bandwidth or network access to ISPs.
Off-phone activity (OPA) refers to the tasks a call center performs without using the phone. It can be any tasks, such as training, meetings, or administration.
On-the-job training is a method of training that helps to increase the skills of paid employees. A call center uses OJT as it helps agents gain the needed skills for improving productivity at work.
An omnichannel contact center helps customers connect with a business across multiple channels. It streamlines interactions by integrating all channels, including voice calls, email, and live chat, into a single, unified platform.
OSI is a networking model that enables computer systems to communicate with one another.
Operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) are the processes, activities, and tools utilized to manage, operate, and maintain a call center system.
Post-call processing (PCP) refers to the time period between two successive calls. It also accounts for the time agents spend on tasks after a call, such as form filling, updating customer records, and more.
A predictive dialer performs outbound calls in bulk at once and connects agents only to customers who answer the call.
PABX stands for private automatic branch exchange. It is a solution for call centers that allows companies to use a single number with multiple extensions.
A private branch exchange (PBX) is a private telephone network used exclusively within an organization. It manages all routing, voicemail, and other telephony features for businesses.
A public switched telephone network (PSTN) uses the traditional network for voice calls. It consists of telephone lines, cellular networks, and communication satellites, allowing telephones to communicate with each other by understanding telephone cables.
QA helps call centers analyze and measure agents’ performance to determine if they are meeting the service standards. All the customer’s data is gathered and used to make improvements to processes to enhance the customer experience.
Quality monitoring (QM) is a technology that helps call centers analyze and evaluate customer-agent interactions.
Quality of service is the protocol for maintaining high call quality and minimizing disruptions. It tracks network performance, call clarity, and the stability of the connection between the client and agent.
A queue is a system used to organize and distribute inbound calls in a call center. It enhances customers’ waiting experience by playing a hold message or music while they wait.
Real-time adherence is a metric that checks if agents are following their scheduled activities in real-time. It helps them keep tasks aligned with their schedule, thereby maintaining service levels.
RLHF is a machine-learning technique that refines AI models using feedback and guidance from human experts.
RFI stands for Request for Information. It is an informative document sent to companies to learn about their product or services. It is used when exploring options without prior experience.
A request for proposal (RFP) is a document sent to vendors that outlines any product or service requirements. It usually follows RFI and is part of the vendor selection process.
Ring no answer (RNA) is the duration of the calls that ring and end without being answered by an agent. Monitoring RNA helps the call center to improve response times and locate inefficiencies.
ROI is a vital call center metric that helps measure performance by calculating the financial profit or loss resulting from an investment. If the ROI of a call center is high, it indicates huge profit on a particular investment.
SFA is a software that improves the sales of a contact center by automating sales tasks. It automates sales processes, including making calls, sending emails, and leaving messages, enhancing sales productivity.
Schedule adherence is a metric used to measure the extent to which agents effectively follow their scheduled shifts.
Self-service rate is also known as self-completion rate. It shows how many customer issues are resolved independently without agent assistance.
Sentiment analysis applies AI to analyze emotions or opinions expressed by customers during an interaction. It helps call centers receive insight into customer sentiment.
Service level is a metric that indicates the percentage of calls or interactions answered within a certain time frame.
SLA is a contract or agreement that indicates the expected level of service from a vendor. It ensures penalties or remedies if those service levels are not met.
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used to establish, maintain, and end calls, video, and messaging in VoIP.
Shrinkage is the time period agents spend on activities not directly related to calls, such as breaks, training, or meetings.
Skill-based routing routes inbound calls to agents with the most appropriate skills to handle the unique needs of customers.
SaaS is a cloud-based software delivery model that enables companies to use applications over the internet, dropping the need for local software installations.
Speech analytics (SA) analyzes recorded calls to gain customer information, which helps to improve the customer interaction experience.
The Telephony Applications Programming Interface (TAPI) provides computer telephony integration, allowing computers to use telephone services.
Text-to-speech (TTS) is a technology that converts written text into spoken voice output.
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is a metric that includes the costs associated with owning and operating a system.
Unified Communications integrates various communication channels, such as instant messaging, voice, web, audio, and video conferencing, with other non-real-time services ( integrated voicemail, email, and SMS).
A uniform call distributor puts each incoming call to the next available agent’s line through rotation. By doing so, it drops the need to start with the first agent or line in the team.
Unsupervised learning is a type of machine learning that trains AI models on unlabeled data and tries to find structure and patterns.
A virtual agent is an AI-powered customer assistant that instructs customers whenever troubleshooting issues arise. It answers queries through conversational experience.
Voice biometrics authentication is a security system that authenticates people based on their unique voice tone.
The voice of the customer is a process of collecting customer feedback and analyzing it to guide improvements in products and services.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that enables voice and video calls over Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
A virtual assistant is a software-based system powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence to replicate human-like interactions. A call center can use both text-based and voice-based virtual assistants for customer support.
A voice response unit (VRU) is an automated telephone system consisting of hardware and software. It allows callers to use voice or keypad inputs to navigate pre-recorded menus.
A wide area network (WAN) is a network that connects computers across large distances. It connects computers over a huge geographic area to share data and communicate.
Workforce management (WFM) enhances performance levels and competencies within a company through a combination of processes. It involves activities for an effective workforce, such as training, data collection, accounting, and analytics.
WFO is implemented by call centers to improve workforce management. It focuses on employee performance and operational efficiency, improving data visibility, automating tasks, and solving staffing issues.
All these call center abbreviations, ranging from A to W, show the complexity of the industry, but are necessary for day-to-day operations. These common customer service terms and call center lingo help to streamline work and communication.
Stay updated with acronyms to keep up with the evolving call center industry and stay well-informed.
Prasanta, founder and CEO of Dialaxy, is redefining SaaS with creativity and dedication. Focused on simplifying sales and support, he drives innovation to deliver exceptional value and shape a new era of business excellence.
Prasanta Raut