Glossary

A

Abandonment Rate or Ratio

The percentage of calls abandoned by the system at the moment the customer answers the call. This is a fundamental metric; there is no quality if we have a high abandonment rate, as it directly impacts customer satisfaction and affects conversion rates or service success.

Agent Status

The agent’s current status while connected to a service (Call time, post-call time, available, busy, etc.).

Above the fold

Colloquially translated into Spanish as “first screen view.” We defined “above the fold” as the upper half of the first page of a newspaper where an important news story or photograph is often found. One of the most important and frequently repeated guidelines in web design is to keep the most important content “above the […]

Adherence to schedule

This term refers to compliance with the work schedule. It is measured as a percentage, calculated by dividing the number of minutes the agent was actually connected by the time they were supposed to be connected.

Alcance Viral

It is the number of people who see a piece of content thanks to the interaction (likes, comments, shares) of a page’s followers.

ANI Automatic Number Identification / Automatic identification of the calling number

A service provided by telephone companies that allows you to simultaneously obtain the phone number of the caller when a call is received.

Announcement

A pre-recorded system that plays for users who access a specific service at the scheduled time: welcome message, options menu, hold music, busy signal, outside of business hours, etc.

Advisor / Agent / Teleoperator

A person who performs operational functions in a contact center is someone who represents the company or product and manages direct contact with customers. Supported by our technology, these agents can provide information, complete sales, or assist customers with their problems.

ASR Automatic Speech Recognition / Automatic speech recognition

ASR, or Automatic Speech Recognition, allows for the conversion of spoken words into text. Through a voice command, specific software converts the spoken input into a digital command. This allows the text-based command to interact with other software that will interpret the command and route the generated request accordingly. For example, when connecting to a […]

Asterisk

Asterisk is open-source software, free and open-source software for creating communication applications. It has become the standard for IP PBXs; Asterisk transforms a regular computer into a communications server, providing IP PBX systems, VoIP gateways, conference servers, and more. Leading manufacturers of CTI solutions use Asterisk to offer end-user solutions, avoiding the investment in expensive […]

Author Rank

This is a code that allows you to link blog content to a Google Plus user to determine who the author is. In this way, Google is trying to make the author’s reputation influence the content’s ranking.

Auto-in / Auto Disponibilidad

Funcionalidad automática de algunas plataformas interactivas, que señalan como disponible un agente, al finalizar un contacto, a no ser que entre en función de no disponible.

B

Back Office

Management service. Organization and processes of the company on which pre-sales and after-sales operations are based.

Benchmarking

A method of comparing a company with its competitors using defined metrics. In Costa Rica, consumer feedback is also used.

Bio

A bio is a short biography that users can use to describe their profile on a social network (usually Twitter and Instagram). The bio is a user’s calling card, so it’s highly recommended to complete this field so that potential followers can more easily learn about the user.

C

Call Center

Resources organized for the integrated processing of high volumes of calls.

Call Center / Contact Center

An organized system of people, processes, strategy, and technology that allows customers to access the services they want, how and when they want them, while also enabling the organization to benefit from the relationships and information exchanges generated, thereby increasing value for both the customer and the organization.

Call Flow

A graphical representation of a process that determines the lifecycle of a call in a call center. In the context of contact centers, the term is valid for all types of interactions.

Campaign

A work unit within a Contact Center, consisting of a set of parameters, configurations, and resources assigned to achieve a specific business objective. Defining a campaign involves assigning: human resources (agents, supervisors, etc.), telephony resources, operating hours, contact lists, call scripts, etc. Campaigns can be classified as inbound or outbound, depending on whether the user […]

Chat

Simultaneous communication between two or more people over the internet. Until a few years ago, only written conversation was possible, but technological advances now allow for audio and video communication.

Contact Center

A Contact Center is the evolution of the Call Center. It defines a company or functional unit within a company designed to manage interactions with its customers, potential clients, or suppliers through all possible channels: voice, email, fax, chat, co-browsing, etc., both proactively initiating and reactively receiving these contacts.

COPC (Customer Operations Performance Center)

It is the authority responsible for developing and implementing initiatives that support superior performance in customer-intensive contact environments, measured against criteria such as customer service, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

Cost per Call

An indicator that shows how much a phone contact costs. It is calculated by dividing the total costs of a campaign or service by the number of calls answered.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

“We could translate it as Customer Relationship Management. First and foremost, it’s a philosophy of a holistic view of the customer, aimed at placing the customer at the center of everything and optimizing relationships with them by getting to know them better through the integration of existing information within the company. This philosophy is then […]

CTI Computer Telephony Integration

“This can be translated as the integration of telephony and computing, encompassing the software, hardware, and programming necessary to manage the interaction between customer communication and our computer systems. CTI technology integrates all customer communication channels with the company—calls, email, web collaboration, chat, fax, SMS, etc.—and the information the company collects about its customers or […]

C

Direct Marketing

Communication directed to a specific audience through a personalized channel (telephone, email, message, letter, etc.)

Database

A collection of information that is organized in such a way that its content is easily accessible, managed, and updated.

Dialer (US) / Dialler (UK) / Automatic Dialer

An automatic dialer is an application that manages outbound calls or telemarketing for a call center, providing the agent with the next most optimal contact. A dialer or automatic dialer can operate in different modes, whose names may vary depending on the software manufacturer. These modes range from requiring the agent to click to initiate […]

DNIS (Dialed Number Identification Service)

The DNIS (Dialed Number Identification Service) is primarily used in call centers that offer multiple services handled by the same group of agents. It’s a telephone service that identifies the number originally dialed by the caller when several numbers terminate on the same circuit (telephone trunk). The dialed number is passed to the call’s destination […]

DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency)

The tone dialing system, also called the multi-frequency system or DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency), is used for telecommunications signaling over analog telephone lines in the voice frequency band between telephones or other communication equipment and the telephone exchange.

E

Email (Electronic Mail): Electronic mail.

An application that allows a computer to exchange messages with other computer users (or groups of users) over a network. Email is one of the most popular uses of the internet. The term also refers to the messages sent through this medium. It is a method for sending messages in the form of electronic text […]

E1

A digital telephone line that allows up to 30 simultaneous phone calls. It can also be used to transmit data, with a bandwidth of 2,048 kbps.

F

Firewall

Hardware or software used in networks to prevent certain types of communication prohibited by network policies, which are based on user needs. Also known as a checkpoint, it protects the intranet from attacks by intruders who might try to access it. Its basic objective is to ensure that all communications between the network and the […]

Focus Group

A market research technique involving the selection of a group of customers based on a defined set of criteria. It investigates products, habits, and behaviors subjectively within a guided discussion session (group dynamics).

FTE Full-Time Equivalent / Shift Factor

Net agent hours, used for scheduling shifts and budgeting. The number of hours scheduled for agents to work, divided by the number of hours in a workday. Multiple part-time shifts make up one or more equivalent full-time shifts.

G

Script / Scripting

A functionality or application that contains the instructions used in a campaign to guide the interaction between an agent and the customer online. It is a structured script that the agent uses to guide and standardize the telephone conversation.

H

24/7

Service available to the customer continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Help Desk

Call center services that handle product installation, product usage, and troubleshooting. Associated with technical sales or specialized telephone support.

I

Inbound contact

An incoming contact, initiated by the customer and received by our advisors in the contact center.

Inbound Service

A contact center service that handles calls from client companies to provide information about third-party goods, products, or services, as well as suggestions, complaints, general inquiries, order taking, and other required information.

IP (Internet Protocol)

To establish communication across a network, protocols are necessary, which can be understood as data transfer rules. The internet, being essentially a network like any other, has its own protocols, which are most commonly known as IP (Internet Protocol).

ISO 9000

This refers to a series of universal standards that define a “Quality Assurance” system developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and adopted by 90 countries worldwide. These standards can be applied to any type of organization (manufacturing company, service company, public administration, etc.).

IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

“A software application that allows a user to interact with a system without needing to speak to an operator. The system presents a menu to the user and recognizes their selections made by dialing on their phone using DTMF tones or by giving a voice command using ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition). It can be integrated […]

J

Java

A programming language developed by Sun Microsystems for creating applications that can be exported to the web (applets) and are capable of operating on any platform.

L

LAN (Local Area Network)

A local area network is a data network that covers a limited area, usually within a single building or a group of nearby buildings.

M

Masthead

On the internet, a masthead is a title, image, or graphic text at the top of a web page that identifies the website and sometimes a particular section of the site. In addition to the website name, a masthead might include other elements such as images, text, or navigation links. The term “masthead” is borrowed […]

Material Design

It was developed by Google and announced at the Google I/O conference held on June 25, 2014. Material Design is a design guideline focused on the visual presentation of the Android operating system, introduced with version 5.0. Although not specific to mobile devices, it was designed for the web and is multi-platform. Material Design gets […]

Mobile First

Designing with mobile in mind first Mobile First is an approach to web design and a way to simplify the process of responsive design, always starting with devices with smaller screens. Historically, and still today, most web designers and their clients think about the desktop design of any project first, leaving the mobile version as […]

Monitoring / Listening / Observation

Intervening or listening to agents while they handle customer interactions allows for evaluating the operation and ensuring service quality. This can be done silently (agents are unaware they are being monitored) or in person (when the interaction is observed directly at the agent’s workstation). It can also be done in real time or through recordings […]

N

Nexia Solutions

The customer’s world is our area of expertise. We are professionals in Customer Experience, Contact Center service outsourcing, and Digital Marketing.

O

Outbound call

Outgoing calls. Calls made from the contact center, usually during a telemarketing campaign.

Outbound Service

A contact center service in which calls are made (not received) to existing or potential customers of third parties, for the purpose of promoting, marketing, and offering, on behalf of and for the account of third parties, the purchase of their goods, products, and/or services; which are owned, created, and/or the responsibility of third parties.

Outsourcing / Externalization / Third-Party Services

The use of specialized services from a third party (companies dedicated to providing services, representing the requesting company/institution), which has the infrastructure to represent the company in its market by handling and receiving calls and other related activities. In the context of Call and Contact Centers, this refers to companies that provide services to others […]

Organic reach

Organic reach is the number of people that can be reached with free posts on a social network. This metric is widely used on Facebook.

P

Patrones UI

When we have a common problem, we need to find an effective solution to solve it. A pattern is defined as a model that serves as a template for creating identical elements. A user interface design pattern is a recurring solution to common problems. These are standard reference points for user interface design. The UI-Patterns […]

PBX (Private Branch Exchange) / Digital Telephone Switchboard / PBX System

A private switching system that has internal connections (extensions) and external connections (trunks, private lines, etc.). It switches both incoming and outgoing calls and provides access to a computer from a data terminal. It handles calls between users within a company using local lines, while allowing all users to share a limited number of external […]

Peak

Refers to the period of time with the highest traffic in the analyzed series, whether it’s the busiest month, week, day, or hour, for which the greatest capacity for people is required.

Parallax

Parallax became famous with the Nike website, Nike Better World. Parallax is a type of effect applied to the speed and movement of background images. It aims to bring a website to life, breaking the barriers of static design. If the elements we place in the foreground, such as buttons and menus, move faster than […]

Paid reach

Paid reach is the number of people we reach with paid posts (ads) on a social network.

Q

Call queue

The number of calls arriving at the call center, waiting to be answered by an operator, during a specific period of time.

R

RFP (Request for Proposal)

An invitation or request to submit a service proposal as outlined in the specifications.

ROI (Return on Investment)

A method for calculating the time it takes for an investment to be recouped through its use. Used, for example, to calculate the return on investment in systems such as CRM, based on increased sales, profit per customer, customer loyalty, improved satisfaction levels, lead generation, etc.

Routing

This refers to the ability of the ACD, predictive dialer, or IVR to direct incoming calls to a specific agent based on a series of parameters, including: their experience, specialization, availability, or the call history of the incoming phone number, among others.

S

Scrolling

Wikipedia defines scrolling as the movement in 2D of the content that makes up the scene of a video game or the window displayed in a computer application (for example, a web page viewed in a web browser). Smooth scrolling Thinking about it, scrolling is fundamental when designing our website, and how we implement it […]

SMS (Short Message System)

A procedure for sending and receiving short text messages using the keyboard and screen of mobile phones.

Softphone

A softphone is a virtual telephone that replaces a traditional physical telephone. It’s an application that allows you to make phone calls from your PC using an internet protocol, the most standardized of which is the SIP protocol. Its interface design and appearance emulate a conventional telephone, allowing the user to interact with it comfortably.

Speaker Verification / Caller Verification

Biometric technology that verifies a person’s identity by identifying their voice. It can be used as a substitute for or in conjunction with other forms of identification (passwords, fingerprints, etc.). It is extremely useful in call center environments where other types of biometric systems cannot be applied.

Speaking/Occupancy

This refers to the “utilization” of agents; it is the measure, expressed as a percentage, of the time that agents spend speaking, divided by the total available time of all agents.

Staff

The number of agents who must be seated and answering calls to achieve the desired service level.

SIP Protocol

“Among all the existing protocols, there is the one called SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). SIP is designed to establish, modify, and terminate calls between any number of users on an IP network, regardless of the call’s content. This SIP protocol has become the industry standard due to its versatile functionalities and its simplicity for developers. […]

Service Level

The performance objective for the Call Center service is measured as the percentage of incoming calls that are answered within a specified time in seconds.

T

Telemarketing

Strategies for promoting and selling products and services through alternative channels (other than direct, in-person contact). Although often exclusively associated with outbound calls, it also includes inbound calls.

Available Time / Waiting Time / Availability

The time that representatives wait for the system to contact a customer and transfer the call; the longer the wait, the lower the operator’s productivity.

Trunk line

A link that interconnects the external calls of a telephone exchange, concentrating and unifying several simultaneous communications into a single signal for more efficient long-distance transport and transmission, and enabling communication with another exchange or an entire network of them.

TTS Text-to-Speech / Text-to-Voice Conversion

Text-to-speech conversion is the automatic generation of an artificial voice that produces the sound of a person reading any text aloud, or an artificial voice. In other words, these are systems that allow the conversion of text into synthetic speech.

V

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

This is a group of resources that make it possible for voice signals to travel over the internet using an IP (Internet Protocol) protocol. This means that the voice signal is sent digitally in packets instead of being sent through circuits like a conventional telephone company or PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

VPN

Network technology that allows for an extension of a local network over a public or uncontrolled (unsecured) network, such as the internet. It connects computers within an unsecured network using encryption systems for communications, thus guaranteeing data confidentiality.

W

Workstation / Station / Position

A work module comprising a computer, connected to a server, communication systems, etc., that allows the agent to perform the task of contacting the clients specified in a database.

WAP

A wireless communication protocol that enables advanced telecommunications services and access to web pages from a mobile phone.

Web Collaboration / Cobrowsing / Shared Browsing

This feature allows you to provide support from a web page over the internet, assisting customers and users with navigation. It enables the agent to show the customer the relevant information (Web Collaboration), chat with them online (Chat), and/or help them fill out forms collaboratively.

Wrap-up Time (ACW) After Call Work

In a contact center environment, this is the administrative work time following a customer interaction, which is inherent to the interaction itself and dedicated to related activities, such as logging the contact. It’s the time a representative (agent) needs to complete the administrative work related to a call they have just handled. This includes, in […]

WEB DESIGN TRENDS 2016 in 4 definitions.

Material Design Material Design gets its name from being based on material objects; it’s a way of trying to approximate reality in the virtual world without losing the simplicity of flat design. UI Patterns People are used to navigating in a certain way. UI patterns guide the user as they browse your website. They will […]

Web Application

The concept of web development has transcended the realm of the internet to become a new paradigm in software development for almost any type of corporate application, integrating business processes with their website.