Call Routing
The process of directing an inbound call to the correct destination — human agent, department, or AI flow.
Call routing is the logic that decides where an inbound call goes: to a specific human agent, a department queue, a voicemail box, or an AI voice agent flow. Good routing connects the caller to the right resource on the first attempt, which is the single biggest driver of first-call resolution and caller satisfaction.
Common routing strategies
- Skills-based routing: match the caller to an agent or flow qualified for their request (billing, technical support, a specific language).
- Time-based routing: business-hours calls to live agents, after-hours calls to an AI agent or voicemail.
- Geographic routing: route by area code or caller location to the nearest branch or region-specific team.
- Intent-based (AI) routing: the AI agent first identifies the caller's intent in natural language, then routes — far more accurate than forcing the caller through a numeric menu.
AI routing vs. traditional IVR routing
Traditional IVR routes on keypad presses ("Press 1 for sales"). AI-driven routing lets the caller simply state their need; intent recognition classifies it and routes accordingly, often resolving the call outright instead of just transferring it. When a human is required, a warm transfer hands over full context so the caller never repeats themselves.