How to configure skills-based routing in Zoom Contact Center

Skills-based routing in Zoom Contact Center directs incoming interactions to agents with the most appropriate expertise. To configure it, you will first define skills, then assign those skills to agents, and finally configure your routing flows (IVR, inbound flows) to utilize these skills for optimal interaction distribution. This ensures customers are connected to the right agent, reducing hold times and improving resolution rates.

Prerequisites

• A Zoom Contact Center license.
• Admin access to the Zoom web portal.
• A clear understanding of the skills needed to resolve common customer issues.
• Defined agent roles and their corresponding skill sets.
• At least one inbound flow (e.g., IVR, direct number) to modify.

Define Skills

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Contact Center Management > Skills.
3. Click Add.
4. Enter a descriptive Name for the skill (e.g., “Billing Support,” “Technical Support - Level 1”).
5. (Optional) Add a Description for the skill.
6. Click Save.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 to create all necessary skills. Consider skills related to specific product knowledge, language proficiency, or issue type.

Assign Skills to Agents

1. In the Zoom web portal, navigate to Contact Center Management > Users.
2. Locate the agent you want to assign skills to. You can use the search bar or filter options to find the agent.
3. Click the agent’s name to open their profile.
4. Click the Skills tab.
5. Click Assign Skills.
6. In the “Available Skills” list, select the skills you want to assign to the agent. You can use the search bar or scroll through the list.
7. For each selected skill, specify the agent’s Proficiency Level. Use a scale (e.g., 1-5, with 5 being the highest proficiency). This level is used for routing decisions.
8. Click Save.
9. Repeat steps 2-8 for all agents who require skill assignments.

Configure Inbound Flow for Skills-Based Routing

1. In the Zoom web portal, navigate to Contact Center Management > Flows.
2. Locate the inbound flow you want to configure for skills-based routing (e.g., an IVR flow).
3. Click the flow’s name to open the flow editor.
4. Within the flow editor, locate the node where you want to implement skills-based routing. This is typically a “Route to Queue” node, a custom routing node, or a similar node that directs interactions to agents.
5. Edit the properties of the chosen node. The specific options will vary depending on the node type, but look for settings related to queue assignment, agent selection, or routing strategy.
6. Enable or select the “Skills-Based Routing” option. This might be a checkbox, a dropdown menu, or a similar control.
7. Specify the required skills for this routing rule. This is usually done by selecting skills from a list. You can select multiple skills.
8. Configure the routing strategy. This defines how Zoom Contact Center selects an agent based on the required skills and agent proficiency levels. Options might include:
   • Most Proficient Agent: Routes the interaction to the agent with the highest proficiency level in the required skills.
   • Least Busy Agent (within most proficient): Routes to the least busy agent among those who have the highest proficiency.
   • Round Robin (within most proficient): Distributes interactions evenly among agents with the required skills and proficiency.
9. Set a fallback option. This specifies what happens if no agent with the required skills is available. Options might include:
   • Route to a default queue.
   • Play a message.
   • Disconnect the call.
10. Click Save to save the changes to the node.
11. Click Publish to publish the updated flow.

Test Your Configuration

1. Simulate a customer interaction that should be routed based on the skills you configured.
2. Observe which agent receives the interaction.
3. Verify that the agent has the required skills and the routing strategy is working as expected.
4. Check the Contact Center reports to monitor the effectiveness of skills-based routing. Look at metrics like average handle time, resolution rate, and customer satisfaction.
5. Adjust your skill assignments and routing configurations as needed based on your observations and the reports.

Common Issues

• No agents are receiving interactions:
  • Verify that agents have been assigned the correct skills with the appropriate proficiency levels.
  • Ensure that the inbound flow is correctly configured to use skills-based routing and that the required skills are specified.
  • Check that agents are logged in and available to receive interactions.
• Interactions are being routed to the wrong agents:
  • Double-check the skill assignments for each agent.
  • Review the routing strategy in the inbound flow to ensure it aligns with your desired behavior.
  • Consider the priority of different routing rules in your flow.
• Fallback options are not working as expected:
  • Verify that the fallback options are correctly configured in the inbound flow.
  • Test the scenario where no agents with the required skills are available to ensure the fallback option is triggered.
• Difficulty understanding the impact of proficiency levels:
  • Start with a small number of agents and skills.
  • Carefully monitor routing behavior as you adjust proficiency levels.
  • Consider using the “Most Proficient Agent” routing strategy initially to see how it works.
• Skills are not appearing in the routing flow configuration:
  • Confirm the skills have been fully saved and activated. Allow a few minutes for the system to sync. Try logging out and back in to the admin portal.