Call Center Dictionary

Madeline Bodin has been writing about call centers for over 10 years. She is a former editor of Call Center Magazine. Her books have been translated into several languages and are read around the globe. Her most recent book is Maximizing Call Center Performance. Keith Dawson is one of the world's foremost authorities on call centers. He is currently Senior Editor at CommWeb and was founder of Call Center News Service, which is the industry's premier online source for industry information and analysis, an independent online source for industry information. He is also author of 'Call Center Savvy' and 'Call Center Handbook'.

• Numbers; 0345 Numbers; 0800 Numbers; 0891 and 0898 Numbers; 1+; 1A2; 1.544 MBPS; 2600 Tone; 30-Day Syndrome; 500 Set; 56 KBPS; 5ESS; 64 KBPS; 700 Service; 800 Portability; 800 Service; 877; 888 Service; 900 Megahertz; 900 Service; 9001; 958; 976; A; AA; AABS; Abandoned Call; Abandoned Call Cost; Above Hold Time; AC Power; AC to DC Converter; AC-DC Ringing; Access Method; Account Code (Voluntary or Enforced); ACD; ACD Application Bridge; ACD Application-Based Call Routing; ACD Call Back Messaging; ACD Caller Directed Call Routing; ACD Conditional Routing; ACD Data Directed Call Routing; ACD-DN; ACD Intelligent Call Processing; ACIS; ACM; Acoustic Coupler; ACS; Activity Codes; ADA; ADAD; Adaptive Learning; Adaptive Pulse Code Modulation; ADH; Adherence; Adherence Monitoring; Adjunct Processor; ADPCM; ADRMP; ADSI; ADSL; Advisory Tones; AEMIS; After-Call Work; After-Call Wrap-Up; AGC; Agent; Agent Callback Button; Agent ID; Agent Logon/Logoff; Agent Performance Report; Agent Sign On/Sign Off; Aggregator; AHT; AHT Distribution; AI; AIN; Alarm; All Trunks Busy; Alphanumeric; Alphanumeric Display; Alternate Routing; American Telemarketing Association; American Teleservices Association; American Telephone and Telegraph; AMIS; ANI; Announcement Systems; Announcers; ANSI; Answering Machine Detection; Anticipatory Dialing; AOT; APCM; APM; APP Gen; Application Bridge; Application Generator; Area Code Expansion; Area Code Restriction; Artificial Intelligence; Arts; ARU; AS/400; ASA; ASCAP; ASCII; Aspect Communications; ASR; Assignment; Asterisk Law; At Home Agent; ATA; AT&T; ATB; ATHT; ATIS; ATM; ATT; Attempt; Attendant; Attendant Busy Lamp Field; Attendant Console; Audio Messaging Interchange Specification; Audio Response Unit; Audiotext; Auditory Pattern Recognition; Auto Attendant; Autodialing; Auto Dialer; Auto Fax Tone; Automated Alternate Billing Systems; Automated Attendant; Automated Voice Response System; Automatic Call Distributor; Automatic Call Manager; Automatic Customer/Caller Identification System; Automatic Calling Unit; Automatic Call Sequencer; Automatic Dialer or Autodialer; Automatic Dialing Recorded Message Player; Automatic Gain Control; Automatic Number Identification; Available; Availability; Average Call Duration; Average Customer Arrival Rate; Average Delay; Average Delay to Abandon; Average Delay to Handle; Average Handling (or Handle) Time; Average Holding Time; Average Out Time; Average Positions Manned; Average Positions Required; Average Speed of Answer; Average Talk Time; Average Trunk Hold Time; Average Wait Time; Average Work Time; AWT; B; B Channel; Back Haul; Backplane; Backward Signal; Band; Barge-In; Base Amount; Base Load; Base Schedules; Base Staff; Basic Rate Interface BRI.; Battery; Battery Backup; Beep Tone; Bell Operating Company; Bellcore; Below Hold Time; Benchmarking; Bespoke; BHCA; BHCC; Big Bang; Billing Increment; Binaural; Blend; Blended Agent; Blended Call Center; Blocked Calls; Blocked Calls Delayed; Blocked Calls Held; Blocked Calls Released; Blocking; BOC; Boom; Branching Scripts; Break Optimization; Break Parameters; BRI; Bucket Shop; Burn Out; Burn ‘Em and Churn ‘Em; Business Process Analysis; Business-to-Business; Business File; Busy; Busy Back; Busy Hour; Busy Hour Call Attempts; Busy Hour Call Completions; Busy Hour Calls; Busy Hour Usage Profile; Busy Out; Busy Season; Butt Set; Bypass; C; Cable Type; Calendar Routing; Calibrate; Calibration; Call; Call Abandons also called Abandoned Calls.; Call Accounting System; Call Attempt; Call Blending; Call-By-Call Routing; Call Center; Call Centre; Call Completion Rate; Call Control; Call Control Procedure; Call Control Signal; Call Data; Call Detail Recording (CDR); Call Flow; Call-Me Buttons; Call Mix; Call Priority; Call Processing; Call Processing Units; Call Progress; Call Progress Analysis; Call Progress Tone; Call Record; Call Reporting; Call Routing; Call Second; Call Sequencer; Call Setup Time; Call Shedding; Call Table; Call Type; Call Vector; Call Volume; Callcenter; Called Party Paid Service; Caller ID; Caller Independent Voice Recognition; Called Line Identification Signal; Calling Line ID; Calling Number Display; Calling Party's Number; Callpath; Callpower; Campaign; Campaign Flow; Capacity; Carbon-Compatible; Card (Station, Trunk); Carrier; Carrier Bypass; Case-Based Reasoning; CATI; CCITT; CCMS; CCS; CCS/SS7; CDR; CDR Exclude Table; Central Office; Centrex; Centrex Call Management; Centum Call Second; CGI; Charges Against Refunds; Chase; Class; Clean; Click-to-Call; CLID; Client; Client Application; Client/Server; Closed Architecture; Cloud Level; Cluster; CMS; CMT; CNG; CO; CO ACD; Coaxial; Cold Call; COM (Component Object Model); Common Carrier; Common Carrier Bureau; Communications Server; Communicator; Compiled List; Compression (Voice/Speech); Computer; Computer-Aided Dialing; Computer-Based Lookup; Computer Telephony; Concatenated Speech; Conditional Routing; Conflict Management Training; Console; Consultive Selling; Contact Gateway; Contact History; Contact Management; Content Processing; Continuous Speech; Contour Headset; Conversation Time; Correlation; Cost-Per-Call Analysis; Cost Per Inquiry; Cost Per Order; Cost Per Thousand; Couponing; CPE; CPI; CPM; CPN; CPO; Creaming; CRM; Crosstalk; CSC; CSR; CTI; Cursor Dialing; Customer Care; Customer Care Center; Customer Information Systems; Customer Premises Equipment (CPE); Customer Relationship Management; CRM; Customer Sensitivity Knowledge Base; Cutover; CVP; D; D Channel; Data Dip; Data Mining; Data Reservoir; Data Warehousing; Database Integration; Database Lookup; Database Management System; Database Marketing; Database Service Management INC; Day-of-Week Factors; DBMS; DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model); DCS; DDD; Dealer Locator; Decision Tree; Decoy; Dedicated; Dedicated Access; De-Dupe; Delay Announcement; Delayed Call Statistics; Deluxe Queuing; Demand Dialing; Demographic Overlay; Dialback Security; Dialed Number Identification Service; Dialog Box; DID; Digital Announcer; Digital Couponing; Digital Crossconnect System; Digital Recording; Direct Distance Dialing; Direct Inward Dialing; Direct Inward Station Access; Direct Marketing; Direct Response; Direct-Mail Sold; Directory Assistance; Directtalk; DISA; Disconnect Rate; Discrete Speech; Discretionary Preview Dialing; Distributed Call Center; Distribution Group; Distribution List; DM; DMA; DN Directory Number; DNIS; Do Not Call; Do Not Call List; Document on Demand; Donor/Contributor List; Doubling Day; Download; DSMI; DTMF; Dual Headset; Dual-Tone Multi-frequency; DUMB Switch; DUMB Terminal; DUPE; Dynamic Answer; Dynamic Inbound/Outbound; Dynamic Load Balancing; Dynamic Overload Control; E; E-Mail; E-commerce; E-CRM; E-Tailing; Ear Loop; Ear Ring; Ear Tip; ECH; Echo Suppressor; ECP; EDA; Eight Hundred Service; Electromagnetic Radiation; Electronic Call Distribution; Electronic Commerce; Electronic-Compatible; Electronic Homestead; ELF; EMR; End-of-Shift Routing; Endless Loop; Enhanced DNIS; E911; Ergonomics; ERLANG; Erlang Formula; Error-Correcting Protocol; Ethernet; Event Code; Exchange; Expert System; Extended Call Management; Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Radiation; F; Facsimile Machine; False Ringing; Fault Tolerant; Fax Board; Fax Card; Fax Gateway; Fax Machine; Fax Mailbox; Fax on Demand; Fax-Over-IP; Fax Server; Fax Store and Forward; FCC; Feature Buttons; Federal Communications Commission; Filter; First-Time Buyer; Flash Hook; Flexagents; Focus Group; Follow the Sun Dialing; Force Feed; Forced Available; Forced Preview Dialing; Forecasting; Foreign Exchange; Forklift Upgrade; Formal Call Center; Four-Wire Circuits; Free List; Freephone; Frequency; Front-End; FTE; Full Time Equivalent; Functional Split; Functionality; Fuzzy Logic; FX; G; G-Style Handset; GAB Line; Galaxy; Gantt Chart; Gate; Gate Assignments; Gateway; GBH; Geographically-Variable Operating Costs; GOE; GOS; Grade of Service; Greeting Only Mailboxes; Group; Group 1, 2, 3, 3 BIS & 4; Group Access Bridging (GAB); Group Busy Hour; Group Hunting; Group Scheduling Software; GTN; GUI; Guide; H; H.320; H.323; Hacker; Handled Call; Handoff; Handshaking Tones; Hard Dollar Savings; HCS; Headband-Style Headset; Headset; Headset Jack; Help Desk; Hidden Markov Method; Historical Data; Historical Reports; Hit Rate; Hold; Hold Recall; Holding Tank; Holding Time; Hold Time Before Disconnect; Holiday Factor; Hookswitch; Home Agent; Host; Hot Cut; Hot Site; Hot-Swappable; Hotline; House List; Hundred Call Seconds; Hunt; Hunt Group; Hybrid Telephone System; Hypertext; I; ICP; Idle; In-Band Signalling; Inbound; Inbound Campaign; Inbound Routing; Inbound Wats; Incumbent Carrier; Inference Engine; Information Appliance; Infomercial; Informal Call Center; Information Provider; Inquiry; Instrument; Instrument Sign-On; Integration; Integrated ACD/PBX; Integrated Services Digital Network; Intelligent Overflow; Inter-Application Automation; Interactive Voice Response; Interbreak Interval; Intercept Recording; Intercom; Interexchange Carrier (IXC); Interflow; Interlata Call; Intermittent Problems; Internal Help Desk; Internet Phone; Internet Telephony; Internetwork; Intraday Distribution; Intraflow; Intranet; In-Wats; IP; ISDN; ISG; ISP; IT; ITU-T; IVR; IXC; J; Junk Fax; K; K; K-Style Handset; Key; Key Performance Indicator; Key Service Unit; Key System; Keypad; Kill Message; Killer App; Knowledge Base; Knowledge Worker; KPI; KSU; L; LAI; LAN; Last in First Out; LATA; LCD; LDT; Lead Agent; LEAH; Least-Cost Routing (LCR); LEC; LED; Legacy System; Legal Holiday; Liberation; Life Cycle; LIFO; Light Emitting Diode; Likert Scale; Line; Line-Powered; Linesharing; Liquid Crystal Display; List Appending; List Broker; List Buyer; List Card; List Enhancement; List Look-up; List Manager; List Penetration Rate; List Rental; List Selection; List Sequence; List Sort; List Source; Load Balancing; Local Access TRANSPORTATION Area; Local Area Network; Local Call; Locator; Log-on Identification; Logging Period; Long Distance; Longest Available; Longest Call Waiting; Longest Delay Time; Look Ahead Interflow; Look-up Services; Loopback Test; Loop Start; Lost Call Attempt; Lost Calls Cleared; Lost Calls Held; Low Battery Cutoff; Lucent; M; M; Main Distribution Frame; Mainframe Server; Make-Busy; Manual Gain Control; Manual Lookup; Marginal Name; Mark; Master File; Match Code; Matches; Maximum Queue Length; MDU; Mean Time Between Failure; Mean Time to Abandon; Meaningless Data; Media Blending; Media Consolidation; Megacenter; Memo; Merge; Merge and Purge; Merlang; Message Display Unit MDU.; Message-on-Hold; Methodology; Metrics; Middleware; Migration path; MIS Reports; Modular Jack; Monaural; Monetary Value; Monitor; Monthly Factors; MPEG; MQL; MTA; MTBF; Multilingual Agents; Multimedia; Multiple Outbound Calling Campaigns; Multi-Stage Queuing; Music-on-Hold; Mute; MVIP; N; Name-Removal Service; NANP; NAP; NAPI; Narrowband ISDN; Narrowband Signal; NASC; National Carrier; National Change of Address Service; National Databases; Native Signal Processing; NC; NCA; NCC; NCH; NCOA (National Change of Address) Service; NCR; Net Staffing; Net Staffing Matrix; Network; Network ACD; Network Interqueue; Neural Network; NHLD; Night Service; NNX; NOC; Noise Cancelling; Non-Apparent Sources; Non-Published; Normalize; North American Numbering Plan; Norstar; North American Area Codes; North American Numbering Plan; NPA; NTH Name Selection; Number Administration and Service Center; Nuisance Calls; Number of Call Abandoned; Number of Calls Handled; Number of Calls Held; Number of Out Calls; Number-Finder; Numeric Key Pad; NXX; O; OAI; Object-Oriented Programming; Objections; OCC; Occupancy; OCDD; Octothorpe; ODBC; Off-Hook; Off-Network; Off-Peak; Off-Premise Extension; Off-the-Shelf; Offer Script; Offered Call; Offered-to-Switch; Offering Switch; On-Hook Dialing; On-Line; One Way Trade; Open Application Interface; Open Architecture; Open Collaboration Environment; Open Network Architecture; ONA; Operating Time; Operator; Operator Services; Operator Workstation; Other Common Carrier; Out of Band Signalling; Outbound; Outdialing; Outdial Facility; Outgoing Trunk; Outgoing Wats; Outsourcing; Overflow; Overflow Callers; Overflow Capability; Overflow Group; Overflow Load; Overflow Tie-Line Enhancement; Overflow Traffic; Overlay; Overload Control; Overload Management; Overload Protection; OWS; P; PABX; Pacing Algorithm; Paid Hours; PAPM; Passive Bus ISDN; Passive Program; Pay-Per-Call; PBX; PBX Extension; PBX Fraud; PBX Integration; PBX Profiles; PC-Centric; PCM; Peak Hour; Peak Load; Peak Periods; Peak Position Requirements; Peer-to-Peer Network; Peg Count; Penetration; Percentage ATB; Percentage CA; Percentage HLD; Percentage NCO; Percentage TUT; Peripheral Equipment; Permanent Shift Type; Personal 800 Number; Personal Information Manager PIM.; Personal IVR; Phone Appending; Phone Phreak; Phoneme-Based; Pilot Program; Pilot Survey; PJ-327; Plant Test Numbers; Plenum; Point of Presence (POP); Point of Purchase (POP); Point of Sale (POS); Point of Sale Terminal; Point of Termination (POT); Poisson Distribution; Poisson Process; POP; Port Shelf; POS; Position; Potential Revenue; POTS; Power Conditioning; Power Dialer; Power Pole; Pre-Qualification; Predictive Dialer; Predictive Dialing; Preview Dialing; Primary Agent Group; Primary Average Positions Manned; Primary RATE Interface (PRI); Private Automatic Branch Exchange; Private Branch Exchange PBX.; Probability Code; Problem Resolution Engine; Productivity; Progressive Dialing; Proprietary; Proprietary Telephone Sets; Prosody; Prospect; Protocol; Pseudoternary; Psychographics; Public Switched Telephone Network; Public Utilities Commission; PUC; Pulse Code Modulation; Purge; Q; Qualify; Qualitative Data; Quality of Service; Quantitative Data; Queue; Queue Management; Queue Service Interval; Queued Mode; Queuing; Queuing Theory; Quick Disconnect; R; Raid; Raised Floor; RAN; Rate Chip; RBOC; Re-Engineering; Readerboard; Real-Time Adherence; Real-Time Data; Real-Time Status Display; Rebiller; Recency; Record; Record Locking; Record on Demand; Recorder; Recorder Warning Tone; Recycle; Redundancy; Refresh Rate; Regional Bell Holding Company; Regional Bell Operating COMPANY; Regression Analysis; Relationship Routing; Release; Remote Access; Remote Agent; Remote Maintenance System; Request for Information; Request for Quotation; Reseller; Response 1.; Response Analysis; Resporg; Rest Time; Restriction; Retrial; Reverse Matching; RFI; RFP; RFQ; Riser; RJ-11; RNA; Robbed Bit Signaling; Rotary Dial; Round Robin; Route; Route Advance; Route Optimization; Routing Table; RS-232 Interface; RSL; S; S.200 (ECTF); S.300 (ECTF); S.900 (ECTF); Sales Automation; Sales Automation Software; Sales Force Automation; SAPM; SAS; Salting; Satellite Operation; SCAI; SCC; Schedule; Schedule Exception; Schedule Inflexibility; Schedule Preference; Schedule Test; Schedule Trade; Scheduling; Scheduling Software; SCP; Screen Monitoring; Screen Pop; Screen Scrape; Screen Synch; SCSA; SCSA Call Router; SCSA Compatible; SDMA; Secondary Agent Group; Secondary Average Positions Manned; Secondary Equipment; Secondary Market; Secondary Number of Calls Handled; Seeded List; Segment; Seized; Selects; Selection Charge; Self-Support; Seniority; Sequence; Server; Server-Based ACD; Service Bureau; Service Level; Service Level Agreement; Service Objectives; Service Observation; Service Quality; Services Management System; Seven by Twenty-Four; SFA; Shift Definitions; Shrinkage Percentages; Shrink-Wrapped Call Center; Sign On/Sign Off; Signaling System 7; Significant Hour; Silent Monitoring; Single Day Assignment; SiteRP; Site-Selection Criteria; Six Digit Translation; Skill Group; Skill Mapping; Skills-Based Routing; Skip Tracing; Smart Hunt Groups; SMDA; SMDR; SMDR Port; Smile and Dial; SMS/800; SNCH; SO; Soft Dollar Savings; Soft Key; Solid State Transfer; SONET; Source/Destination Routing; Source Code; Sort Scheme; Span; Span Line; Speaker Dependent; Speaker Independent; Speaker Recognition; Spectrum; Speech Concatenation; Speech Recognition; Speed Bumps; Spiff; Spike; Split; Split Test; Spray and Pray; SQL; SS7; SSP; Staffing Requirements Forecast; Stage & Test; Stand Alone; Standards; Starset; Start Time Interval; Station; Station Message Detail Recording (SMDR); Station Message Registers; Station Set; Statistical History; Statistics; Statistics Port; Status Display; Status Monitoring; Stovepiping; STP; Structured Query Language; Structured Wiring; Subtargeting; Supervised Transfer; Supervisor; Support Desk; Suppression File; Surge Protector; Suspect; SVL; Switched Access; Switching Systems; Switchless Resellers; Synthesized Speech; Systems Integrator; T; T.120; T-1; T-1 Framing; T-2; T-3; T-4; Tables; Talk Time; Talk-Off; TAPI; Targeted Subsets; Tariff; Tariff 12; Tariff 15; TCAP; TCP/IP; TDD; Technical Support; Techno-Geek; Telco; Telecommunications Device for the Deaf; Telecommunications Infrastructure; Telecommuting; Telecompetitiveness; Telemanagement; Telemarketing; Telephone; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; Telephone Management System; Telephone Number Appending; Telephone Preference Service; Telephone Service Representative TSR.; Telephone Set Emulation; Telephone Use Restriction; Telephone-Based Speech Recognition; Telephony; Telephony Server; Telephony Server; Telephony Services; Telescripts; Teletraffic Optimizer Program; Teleworker; Temporary Signaling Connections; Text-Based Retrieval; Text-to-Speech; Thin Client; Third Party Call Control; Threshold; Throughput; Time Zone Report; Time Zone Sequencing; Time-of-Day Routing; Timeclock; Timed Reminders; Token Ring; Toll Fraud; Toll Free Service; Toll Restriction; Tone Dialing; Toner Phoner; Top Down; Topology; Total Transaction Call Processing; Touchtone; TPS; Trace Agent; Tracking; Traffic; Traffic Capacity; Traffic Carried; Traffic Concentration; Traffic Data to Customer; Traffic Engineering; Traffic Intensity; Traffic Load; Traffic Measurement; Traffic Monitor; Traffic Offered and Carried; Traffic Overflow; Traffic Path; Traffic Recorder; Traffic Table; Traffic Usage Recorder; Training (Voice Recognition); Translations; Translator; Transmission Gain; Transparent; Trunk; Trunk Access Number; Trunk Group; Trunk Group Alternate Route; Trunk Holding Time; Trunk Hunting; Trunk Monitoring; Trunk Occupancy; Trunk Queuing; Trunks in Service; TSAPI; TSR; Turnkey; Twisted Pair; Two-Prong Jack; Two Way Trade; U; UCD; UN; UNACD; Unattended Call; Understaffing Limit; Unified Messaging; Uniform Call Distribution; Uniform Call Distributor; Universal Agent; Universal Device; Universal Ports; Unlisted Number; UNPBX; UNPBX ACD; Unsuccessful Call; Usage-Based; V; V-Commerce; VAD; Vanity Number; VAR; Variable Call Forwarding; VDN; Vector; Very Low Frequency Magnetic Radiation; Video Kiosk; Virtual Banding a WATS; Virtual Bypass; Virtual Call Center; Virtual Network; Virtual LAN; Virtual Private Network VPN.; VLF; Vocabulary Development; Voice Announcement System (VAS); Voice Board; Voice Bus; Voice Card; Voice Mail; Voice Mail Jail; Voice Mail System; Voice Messaging; Voice-Over-IP; Voice-Over-Net; Voice Processing; Voice Recognition; Voice Response Unit; Voice Store and Forward; Voice Talent; VRU; Voice Server; VSE; VPN; VRU; VRU Connect Signaling; W; WAN; WATS; Weighted Average; Weighted Call Value; WET T-1; Whisper Prompt; Whisper Queue; Whisper Technology; White Noise; Wide Area Network; Wide Area Telephone Service; Wire Center; Wire Center Serving Area; Wired-For Capacity; Wireless Headset; Word Spotting; Work at Home; Workflow; Workflow Management; Workforce Management; Workload; Workstation; World Numbering Zone; Wrap-Up; Wrap-Up Data; Wrap-Up Time; Z; Zero Usage Customer; Zip Tone