Welcome to the Penn ACD Contact Center general questions and answers section.
If you do not find the answer to your question, please send an email to acdweb@isc.upenn.edu We
will add to this list of FAQs periodically, so please check back often.
| Q |
Do we need a specific model of phone to answer ACD calls? |
| A |
The ACD system is flexible; you can answer calls using a PennNet phone,
a single line set, or a cell phone. Determining which phone set to
use is part of the ACD requirements gathering and implementation process. |
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| Q |
My agents are scattered throughout the building; how can I tell who is
answering the phones? |
| A |
There are several tools available: Using the .Net client ACD, agents
and supervisors can see the status of other agents in real-time. Agents
can check to make sure someone is logged in and available to answer calls
before they head out to lunch.
In addition, supervisors can take advantage of the extra monitoring tools
that come with the Supervisor client. The Supervisor client can be configured
to alert the supervisor when too few agents are logged into the queue. |
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| Q |
Some of my staff is located in another building; can they be connected
to the departmental ACD system? |
| A |
Since the ACD system is housed and maintained centrally by ISC, an
agent can be located anywhere on campus. Most agents need a PennNet connection
and a phone to answer calls; others need only a telephone. |
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| Q |
Do I have to record all of the announcements for my department? |
| A |
You can if you like, or you can ask ISC to record the announcements.
Remember, it is best to use the same voice for all announcements for
consistency. |
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| Q |
It’s snowing outside, and the office will be opening late; can
I change the announcement from home to advise callers we are opening late |
| A |
Yes! You can turn on a previously recorded inclement weather announcement
or record a new announcement from home. |
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| Q |
With our old ACD system, before every holiday I had to remember to record
a “we are closed in observance of the holiday” announcement.
Do I have to do this with the new system?
|
| A |
The good news is you can record all of your
holiday announcements once a year and they will automatically play on
the designated date. No more remembering to record the Memorial Day message
on the Friday before and deleting the message the Tuesday afterwards. |
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| Q |
Can ISC automatically send me reports about my ACD queue? |
| A |
Yes, once your ACD queue is operational,
ISC can assist you in determining which reports are most valuable to
you. ISC can then schedule those
reports to run automatically on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and
send them to you electronically.
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| Q |
Can a caller reach a specific agent without going through the department’s
queue? |
| A |
There are several options: Callers can reach agents directly by dialing
an extension number or by using the telephone keypad to spell the agents
name; other agents may need a campus telephone that is not answered by
the ACD. ISC consults directly with you to discuss your requirements
and offer customized solutions that meet your school, center, or department
needs. |
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| Q |
We never know how many phones calls are in response to a specific fund
raising campaign; can the ACD count the number of calls?
|
| A |
The ACD system counts the number of inbound calls. Your agents can
also use “wrap codes,” which define calls by category, as
another method of identifying why a caller contacted you. Examples:
Wrap code 789 to make a donation; wrap code 345 to request an application. |
