Welcome to the AnswerPlus Glossary, a helpful resource designed to break down the key terms we use in the world of answering services and call centre support. Whether you’re a new client or just curious about how our services work, this guide explains the industry lingo and operational terms you’ll come across. Think of it as a cheat sheet for navigating the world of professional call handling.
0-9
- 24/7 Availability
- A service commitment to be accessible at all hours, every day of the week, including weekends and holidays.
A
- Abandoned Call
- A call that is terminated by the caller before it is answered by an agent.
- Abandonment Rate
- The percentage of incoming calls that are disconnected by callers before reaching an agent, calculated as abandoned calls divided by total calls received.
- Account Manager
- A representative responsible for managing client relationships, ensuring satisfaction and addressing service concerns. A dedicated account manager is a single point of contact assigned exclusively to manage all aspects of a client’s account and service needs.
- Account Mapping
- The process of documenting and organizing detailed information about a client’s business, including call handling procedures, contact lists, and specific service requirements.
- Account Programming
- The technical setup and configuration of call handling rules, scripts, and routing parameters specific to each client’s requirements.
- Adherence
- A performance metric measuring how closely agents follow their scheduled work times and break periods, expressed as a percentage.
- After Hours
- Time periods outside of a business’s normal operating hours when calls are typically handled by an answering service.
- Agent
- A call centre team member who manages inbound and/or outbound communications for one or more clients. Agents may handle phone calls, email, live chat, and other tasks depending on the service setup.
- Answer Phrase
- A standardized greeting or opening statement used by agents when answering calls for a specific client. For example, your custom answer phrase might be ‘Good morning, ABC Medical Clinic, how may I assist you today?’
- Answering Service
- A professional service that handles incoming telephone calls on behalf of businesses, providing live agents to answer, screen, and route calls according to client specifications.
- Application Program Interface (API)
- A set of protocols and tools that allows different software systems to communicate and share data automatically.
- Area Code
- The first three digits of a North American phone number (e.g., 416), designating a geographic region.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Technology that enables computer systems to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as speech recognition and natural language processing.
- Auto Dialer
- Software that automatically dials telephone numbers from a predetermined list and connects answered calls to agents. Commonly used for outbound campaigns.
- Auto-Attendant
- An automated phone system feature that greets callers and provides menu options to route calls without human intervention (e.g., “Press 1 for sales, 2 for support).
- Automatic Call Distributor (ACD)
- A telephony system that automatically routes incoming calls to to the appropriate agent or department based on predetermined criteria such as skills, availability, or call priority.
- Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)
- Technology that converts spoken words into text, enabling voice-controlled interactions with computer systems.
B
- Backend Protocol
- The behind-the-scenes procedures and systems that support call handling operations, including data processing, message routing, and integration with client systems.
- Base Rate
- The fundamental pricing structure for answering service plans, typically covering a specified number of minutes or calls per month.
- Benchmarking
- Comparing your service performance against industry standards or competitors to see how you’re doing.
- Bilingual Service
- Answering service capability that provides agents fluent in two languages to serve diverse customer bases. Commonly English and French in Canada.
- Blended Agent
- A call center agent who handles calls for multiple clients in a shared environment. They may switch between different accounts throughout their shift, depending on call volume and availability.
- Blocked Call
- A call that is deliberately prevented from reaching its destination, either by the caller hiding their number or the recipient using call-blocking settings.
- Business Continuity Plan
- A comprehensive strategy that ensures critical business operations continue during disruptions or emergencies.
- Business Hours
- The specific times during which a business normally operates and is available to serve customers.
- Business Phone Number
- The primary telephone number used by a company for customer communication and business operations.
- Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
- The practice of contracting specific business operations and responsibilities to external service providers.
C
- Call Back
- A return call to a client or customer, typically when an agent couldn’t assist during the original call.
- Call Calibration
- The process of reviewing and scoring agent performance on calls to ensure consistency and quality standards.
- Call Control
- The ability of an agent to guide and manage the flow of a telephone conversation, including directing topics, managing time, and ensuring all necessary information is collected.
- Call Disposition
- A code or note that describes what happened during a call, like whether it was resolved, transferred, or needs follow-up.
- Call Flow
- The predetermined path and sequence of actions that occur during a call, from initial answer to completion.
- Call Forwarding
- A telephone feature that redirects incoming calls from one number to another automatically.
- Call Log
- A detailed record of all telephone interactions during a specific time period (e.g., Day, Week), including caller information, time stamps, and call outcomes.
- Call Recording
- The practice of digitally capturing telephone conversations for quality assurance, training, or compliance purposes.
- Call Report
- A comprehensive summary document detailing call activity, statistics, and outcomes for a specific time period (e.g., “Monthly call reports include metrics such as total calls, average handling time, and customer satisfaction scores.”)
- Call Routing
- The process of directing calls to the correct agent or department based on rules or caller input.
- Call Screening
- The process of filtering incoming calls to determine their priority, purpose, or urgency before connecting to the intended recipient
- Call Script
- A prewritten dialogue or set of speaking prompts that guide agents through conversations, ensuring consistent messaging and proper information gathering.
- Call Spike
- A sudden, significant increase in call volume that exceeds normal patterns, often requiring immediate staffing adjustments or overflow management procedures.
- Call Triage
- The process of assessing and prioritizing incoming calls based on urgency and importance to ensure critical matters receive immediate attention.
- Call Volume
- The total number of incoming calls received during a specific time period.
- Call/Contact Center
- A centralized team handling large volumes of inbound and/or outbound communication on behalf of companies, including calls, emails, and chat.
- Caller ID
- A telephone feature that displays phone number and possibly name of the incoming caller.
- CAM-X
- The Canadian Call Management Association, a professional association for the telephone answering service and contact centre industry.
- Canned Response
- Pre-written answers to common questions that agents can use to give quick, consistent replies via email or live chat.
- Chatbot
- An automated conversational program that can interact with customers through text-based messaging platforms (e.g., Live chat).
- Client Web Portal
- A secure online dashboard where clients can listen to their most recent call recordings and access call logs, messages, and other account details.
- Closed Ticket
- A customer issue or request that has been resolved and marked as complete in the tracking system.
- Closing
- The final phase of a call where the agent summarizes actions taken, confirms next steps, ensures customer satisfaction, and professionally ends the conversation.
- Cold Transfer
- A call transfer where the agent transfers the caller directly to another party without first speaking to the receiving party.
- Cross-Training
- Training agents to handle multiple types of calls, tasks, or client accounts to improve flexibility and coverage.
- Customer Acquisition
- The process of gaining new customers through various marketing and service strategies.
- Customer Data
- Information collected about customers including contact details, preferences, and interaction history.
- Customer Experience
- The overall perception and feeling customers have about their interactions with a company across all touchpoints.
- Customer Loyalty
- The likelihood of customers to continue doing business with a company and recommend it to others.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- A system for managing interactions and relationships with current and potential customers.
- Customer Retention
- A company’s ability to keep existing customers over time, typically measured as a percentage.
- Customer Satisfaction
- A measure of how happy customers are with your products or services. Often measured through CSAT surveys that ask customers to rate their experience.
- Customer Service Representative (CSR)
- A trained representative who interacts directly with customers to answer questions, resolve issues, or process service requests. CSRs are often focused on delivering a helpful, positive experience during every interaction.
D
- Decision Point
- A moment during a call or process where an agent must choose between different actions or responses based on established protocols, caller needs, or escalation procedures.
- Dedicated Agent
- A call centre agent assigned exclusively to a single client account, functioning as a full-time extension of that client’s team. They often handle inbound calls, and sometimes a mix of outbound calls, email, and live chat, for specialized or high-service-level accounts.
- Delivery Method
- The channel or medium used to transmit messages or information to clients, such as phone calls, emails, text messages, fax, or secure web portals.
- Direct Inward Dialing (DID)
- A telecommunication service that allows external callers to reach specific extensions directly without going through a main operator.
- Dispatch
- The process of routing or sending information, personnel, or services to specific locations or recipients based on incoming requests.
- Dispatcher
- A team member whose primary responsibility is to receive messages or details from operators, agents, or CSRs and take action, usually by contacting on-call personnel, coordinating a response, or escalating time-sensitive situations.
E
- Email Management
- The handling and organization of electronic mail communications on behalf of clients.
- Emergency Response Protocol
- A predetermined set of procedures and actions that agents follow when receiving urgent or emergency calls, ensuring appropriate escalation and immediate response to critical situations.
- Empathy Statement
- A phrase used to acknowledge and validate a caller’s feelings, helping to build trust and rapport.
- Employee Call-off Hotline
- A dedicated phone line where employees can report absences or schedule changes outside of normal business hours.
- Encryption
- The process of converting data into coded format to protect sensitive information during transmission and storage, ensuring customer privacy and compliance with security regulations.
- Escalation
- The process of transferring a call or issue to a higher level of authority or expertise when initial resolution attempts are unsuccessful.
F
- Feedback Loop
- The process of gathering input from clients or agents, applying it to improve service, and then re-evaluating results.
- First Call Resolution (FCR)
- A performance metric measuring the percentage of customer issues resolved during the initial call without requiring follow-up.
- Forecasting
- The process of predicting future call volumes and staffing needs based on historical data and business trends.
- Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
- A compilation of common questions and their answers used to provide quick, consistent responses to routine inquiries.
G
- Go-Live
- The official date a new account becomes active and begins receiving live answering services.
H
- Handle Time
- The total duration an agent spends managing a single customer interaction, including talk time, hold time, and any post-call work required to complete the request.
- Help Desk
- A service providing technical support and assistance to users experiencing problems with technology or systems.
- Hunt Group
- A set of telephone lines configured so that calls automatically move to the next available line when the primary line is busy.
I
- Idle Time
- Time when agents are logged in and available but not currently handling calls or other work tasks.
- Inbound Call
- A telephone call initiated by a customer or external party calling into a business or service center.
- Inquiry
- A request for information, assistance, or clarification from a customer or caller that requires a response from an agent or service representative.
- Integration
- The process of connecting different software platforms or systems to share information seamlessly. In an answering service, integration might link call data with a CRM, ticketing system, or scheduling tool.
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
- An automated phone system that allows callers to interact using voice commands or keypad inputs to access information or route calls.
- Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- A company that provides internet access and related services to businesses and consumers.
- Interval Management
- The practice of monitoring and analyzing call center performance metrics in specific time segments (typically 15 or 30-minute intervals) to optimize staffing and service levels throughout the day.
K
- Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
- Measurable values that demonstrate how effectively a service is achieving success through specific business objectives.
- Knowledge Base
- A centralized repository of information, procedures, and resources that agents and other staff use to provide accurate customer assistance.
L
- Landline
- A wired telephone connection using a physical cable, as opposed to mobile or internet-based services.
- Lead Capture
- The process of collecting contact information from potential customers who call, so you can follow up with them later.
- Live Answer
- Human agents personally answering and handling telephone calls rather than using automated systems.
- Live Chat
- A real-time text-based communication channel that allows customers to interact with support agents through websites or applications.
- Local Number
- A telephone number with an area code that corresponds to a specific geographic region, making calls appear local to customers in that area.
M
- Managed Live Chat
- A comprehensive service where external agents from a contact centre or answering service handle real-time text conversations with website visitors on behalf of businesses.
- Mass Notification System
- A platform capable of sending urgent information to large groups of people simultaneously through multiple communication channels.
- Message Taking
- The service of recording detailed information from callers when the intended recipient is unavailable.
- Mock Call
- A practice exercise where agents simulate customer interactions for training and evaluation purposes.
- Multilingual Translation Services
- Support that provides real-time translation between callers and agents who speak different languages.
N
- Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA)
- A legal contract that protects confidential information shared between parties by preventing unauthorized disclosure.
O
- Occupancy
- A workforce management metric measuring the percentage of time agents spend handling calls versus being available but idle.
- Offshore
- Services provided from locations outside the client’s home country, often to reduce costs or access specialized skills.
- Omnichannel
- Providing customer service across multiple ways of communication like phone, email, chat, and text, all working together.
- On-call Schedule
- A rotation system where designated personnel are available to respond to urgent calls outside normal business hours.
- Onshore
- Services provided within the same country as the client, often preferred for language, cultural, and regulatory reasons.
- Open Ticket
- An unresolved customer issue or request that has been logged in a tracking system and is awaiting action or follow-up.
- Operations Manager
- A person responsible for overseeing daily call center operations, agent performance, and service quality.
- Operator
- One of the oldest terms, often used in traditional answering services to describe a frontline professional who handles calls, takes messages, dispatches information, and follows client instructions.
- Order Taking
- A service where agents collect and process customer orders over the phone, often using a client’s e-commerce platform, web-form, product catalog, or intake form.
- Outbound Call
- A telephone call initiated by an agent or system to contact customers, prospects, or other external parties.
- Overage
- Additional charges incurred when usage exceeds the included limits of a service plan.
- Overflow
- When calls are redirected from a primary team or system to another, usually during peak times or when all phone lines are busy or team members are unavailable.
P
- Patching
- The process of connecting or transferring a caller to another party while potentially remaining on the line to facilitate the conversation.
- Per-call Pricing
- A billing method used by answering services where charges are based on the number of calls handled rather than time duration.
- Per-minute Pricing
- A billing structure used by answering services where charges are calculated based on the total talk time for all calls handled during a give period (e.g., “Our per-minute pricing plans start at100 minutes per month”).
- Personalization
- Tailoring communication or service based on specific customer information, preferences, or behavior.
- PIPEDA
- The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act is a Canadian federal privacy legislation governing the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.
- Porting
- The process of transferring an existing phone number from one service provider to another (e.g., “If you’d like to keep your business number, we can help with the porting process.”)
- Positive Language
- Communication techniques that frame messages in constructive, solution-focused ways to enhance customer experience.
- Private Branch Exchange (PBX)
- A private telephone network used within a company that allows users to share external phone lines and communicate internally.
- Pro-rated Charge
- A partial fee calculated based on the number of days or usage within a billing cycle, often applied when starting or stopping service mid-month.
- Probing Question
- Strategic inquiries designed to gather specific information, understand customer needs, or clarify situations during calls.
- Product Knowledge Session
- Training sessions where CSRs learn about client businesses, services, and procedures to provide accurate information and effective customer support during calls.
Q
- QA Evaluation
- An assessment of individual agent performance during customer interactions, typically involving scoring live or recorded calls against predetermined criteria to ensure quality standards and identify training opportunities.
- Quality Assurance (QA)
- Systematic processes for monitoring, evaluating, and improving service quality through call reviews, coaching, and performance management.
- Queue
- A system that holds incoming calls in order when all agents are busy, typically providing wait time estimates and hold music.
R
- Real-time Monitoring (RTM)
- The continuous observation of call center operations and agent performance as activities occur.
- Redundancy
- Having backup systems ready to take over if the main equipment fails, ensuring calls can still be answered and messages delivered even during technical problems or outages.
- Refresher Training
- Additional training sessions given to agents who are already working to update their skills, review procedures, or learn about changes to your account
- Reminder Call
- An outbound call placed to remind someone about an appointment, payment due date, or other important event.
- Response Time
- The elapsed time between when a customer contact is received and when the first response or acknowledgment is provided by an agent or automated system.
- Robocall
- An automated phone call that delivers a recorded message rather than connecting the caller with a live person.
S
- Sandbox
- A secure, isolated testing environment where new features, integrations, or procedures can be safely tested without affecting live customer operations or data.
- Scorecard
- A performance evaluation tool that rates agents on various criteria such as call quality, customer service skills, and adherence to procedures.
- Self-Service
- A customer support model that allows users to find answers or complete tasks on their own, often through FAQs, IVR systems, or knowledge bases.
- Sentiment Analysis
- Technology that typically uses AI to analyze a caller’s tone, word choice, or mood and determine how they’re feeling during a conversation.
- Service Level
- A performance measure that shows the percentage of calls answered within a target time (e.g., 80% of calls answered in 30 seconds).
- Service Level Agreement (SLA)
- A formal contract defining the expected standards of service, including response times, availability, and quality metrics.
- Service Quality
- The measure of how well delivered services meet customer expectations and requirements.
- Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
- A technology used to set up and manage voice and video calls over the internet. It’s what allows services like VoIP (Voice over IP) to connect calls without using traditional phone lines.
- Shrinkage
- Time when agents are paid but not available to take calls due to breaks, training, meetings, or other non-phone activities.
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- A secure login system that allows users to access multiple applications or platforms with one set of credentials.
- Skills-based Routing
- A call distribution method that directs calls to agents with specific expertise or qualifications relevant to the caller’s needs.
T
- Talk Time
- The actual duration spent in active conversation between an agent and caller during a telephone interaction, excluding hold time or after-call work.
- Telephone Etiquette
- Professional standards and best practices for phone communication, including proper greetings, tone, and conversation management.
- Telephony System
- The technology infrastructure that handles voice communications and processes incoming calls, including hardware, software, and network components.
- Temporary Reception Coverage
- Short-term answering service assistance provided during staff absences, vacations, or peak periods.
- Third-party Contractor
- An external service provider that performs work or services for a company under contractual agreement.
- Ticketing System
- A software platform that creates, tracks, and manages customer service requests and issues through structured records.
- Time Stamp
- A digital record indicating the exact date and time when a call occurred or message was taken.
- Toll-Free Number
- A telephone number that allows callers to reach a business without incurring long-distance charges, with costs paid by the business. Often referred to as a ‘1-800 number’.
- Touchpoint
- Any point of contact or interaction between a customer and a company, including phone calls, emails, live chat, web portals, or in-person meetings.
- Trunk
- A communication line or channel that carries multiple voice or data transmissions between telephone systems.
- TTY Call
- Text telephone calls used by individuals with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate with a trained operator via typed text.
- Two-Way Elevator Video Monitoring
- The latest update in elevator safety codes, that allows real-time communication between elevator occupants and a remote operator via voice, video, and text. This system is typically used in elevator emergency systems to ensure that trapped or distressed individuals can be seen, heard, and responded to quickly.
U
- Urgent Call Response
- Priority handling procedures for calls requiring immediate attention or escalation due to emergency or critical situations.
V
- Virtual Private Network (VPN)
- A secure connection method that allows remote access to private networks over the internet.
- Virtual Receptionist
- A remote live person, typically part of an answering service team, who answers and manages your calls as if they were part of your office.
- Voice over IP (VoIP)
- Technology that enables voice communication over internet networks rather than traditional telephone lines.
- Voicemail
- An automated system that records messages from callers when the intended recipient is unavailable.
W
- Warm Transfer
- A call transfer where the agent speaks with the receiving party before connecting the caller, providing context and ensuring proper handoff.
- Work Alone Check-in
- A safety service where individuals working in isolation must check in at regular intervals to confirm their well-being.
- Work Order
- A formal request or instruction document that details specific tasks, services, or actions to be performed.
- Workforce Management (WFM)
- The practice of optimizing employee productivity through forecasting, scheduling, and performance management.
- Wrap-Up Time
- The time an agent spends completing notes, forms, or follow-up actions after a call ends, before they’re available to take the next one.
From A to Z, we speak your language.
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