Next Available Agent

In the sales, support and call center space, the term ‘next available agent’ is used to point at the next agent who is available to take an incoming call when the previous agent has missed it. The next available agent is a member of the sales or support team and usually a colleague of the previous agent working at the same level as him or her. The previous agent can miss the call for various reasons such as not being available at their desk, being busy on another call or meeting or simply because they are having their lunch. Whatever the reason is, when the previous agent does not answer the incoming call, the next available agent has to.

The concept of the next available agent has been basically derived from the call distribution method called ‘serial routing’. Serial routing basically means that the call management system will check if a particular agent is available to take an incoming call before ringing the call on his or her device. If that agent is not available, the call will be assigned to the next available agent. The IVR system will keep transferring the call to the next available agent until it finds an agent who is available to take that call.