What is Skill-Based Routing? A Guide to Optimizing Customer Support
Table of contents
You’ve seen it happen before: A critical customer ticket lands in the inbox. It’s urgent, but instead of reaching your best-suited agent, it gets assigned randomly—or worse, to someone still figuring out the ropes. Meanwhile, your senior expert is busy answering a basic query about password resets.
The result? Frustrated customers, left waiting for resolutions, and a team stretched thin. Mismanaging queries isn’t just an operational hiccup—it’s a direct threat to customer loyalty and your brand’s reputation that needs immediate attention.
This is where skill-based routing becomes useful. By matching customer queries to agents with the right expertise, it guarantees faster responses, fewer escalations, and happier customers.
In this blog, we’ll unpack what skill-based routing is, why it’s essential for growing support teams, and how you can implement it.
Table of Contents
- What is Skill-Based Routing?
- Traditional Routing vs. Skill-Based Routing
- How Skill-Based Routing Works?
- Benefits of Implementing Skill-Based Routing
- Implementing Skill-Based Routing: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Challenges and Solutions in Skill-Based Routing
- Future Trends in Skill-Based Routing
- Conclusion
What is Skill-Based Routing?
Skill-based routing is a smarter ticket assignment strategy that matches customer queries with the best-suited agents. By leveraging agent expertise, language skills, or technical knowledge, it improves, customer satisfaction, and team morale.
Skill-based routing can be customized in various ways to address specific business challenges, including:
- Language-Based Routing: Assigns customers to agents fluent in their preferred language.
- Product-Specific Routing: Directs inquiries about specific products to agents with in-depth knowledge.
- Technical Support Routing: Matches technical issues with agents possessing relevant expertise.
- Customer Service Level Routing: Prioritizes customers based on service-level agreements (SLAs) or urgency.
- Omnichannel Skill-Based Routing: This route distributes tickets across channels like email, chat, or phone to agents skilled in handling them.
Traditional Routing vs. Skill-Based Routing
Skill-based routing offers clear advantages over traditional methods
| Aspect | Traditional Routing | Skill-Based Routing |
|---|---|---|
Ticket Assignment | Random or round-robin allocation, regardless of agent expertise | Directed to the most qualified agent based on predefined skills |
Resolution Time | Longer, as agents may need to escalate or consult others | Shorter, as tickets are routed to skilled agents upfront |
Customer Satisfaction | Inconsistent, due to mismatched expertise | Higher, with faster, more precise solutions |
Agent Utilization | Uneven, with overworked agents handling tasks outside their skills | Balanced workload, optimized for expertise |
Escalations | Frequent, leading to delays and frustration | Reduced, as skilled agents resolve issues directly |
Operational Efficiency | Prone to bottlenecks and inefficiencies | Streamlined, with fewer reassignments and better workflows |
Team Morale | Low, as agents often face tasks they’re not trained for | High, as agents are empowered to work in their areas of strength |
How Skill-Based Routing Works?
Skill-based routing can be customized in various ways to address specific business challenges, including:
Identifying and Categorizing Agent Skills
A strong foundation begins with a clear understanding of your team’s strengths. Without this, even the best routing system can fail.
- Skill Assessment: Start by evaluating each agent’s capabilities in areas such as language fluency, technical expertise, and product knowledge. This assessment can be done through feedback, performance metrics, and tests.
- Skill Categorization: Organize skills into categories like language proficiency, product specialization, and SLA-level expertise. This helps define clear routing rules.
- Skill Levels: Assign proficiency levels (e.g., beginner, intermediate, expert) to make sure tasks align with agent expertise, avoiding mismatched assignments.
Setting Up Routing Rules and Automation
Routing rules act as the brain of the system, ensuring tickets are assigned consistently and accurately. Automation removes the risk of manual errors, enabling fast and competent ticket assignments.
- Define Routing Rules: Create specific criteria for routing, such as keywords in customer emails, issue categories, or the language of the query. For example, all technical queries can be routed to agents with advanced technical knowledge.
- Automation Triggers: Configure triggers that activate routing rules automatically. For instance, a “VIP” tag in an email can automatically prioritize the ticket for senior agents.
Automating the Ticket Assignment Process
The final step involves a smooth and dynamic ticket assignment process, powered by automation tools.
- Analyze Queries in Real-Time: Use tools like Intercom, HappyFox or Hiver to assess incoming tickets for attributes such as language, priority, or complexity.
- Matching and Assignment: Pair tickets with agents using algorithms that consider predefined skills and real-time availability. This reduces delays and prevents bottlenecks.
- Notification Systems: Notify the assigned agents instantly, allowing them to act on the tickets promptly and skillfully.
Benefits of Implementing Skill-Based Routing
Skill-based routing does more than assign tickets—it transforms the way customer support teams operate by aligning resources with needs. Here are some of the key benefits:
Improved Agent Productivity
When agents work within their areas of expertise, they’re naturally more confident and effective. Skill-based routing allows agents to focus on what they do best.
- Minimized Escalations: Agents are equipped to resolve queries without transferring cases or consulting others, saving time and improving efficiency.
- Focused Workflows: By aligning tickets with skills, agents avoid juggling unrelated tasks, which reduces stress and increases output.
- Balanced Workload: Skill-based routing enables even ticket distribution, prevents overloading specific team members while others remain idle.
Enhanced First Contact Resolution (FCR)
First contact resolution is a key metric in customer support, reflecting the percentage of tickets resolved during the first interaction. Skill-based routing plays a crucial role in improving this metric.
- Right Expertise, First Time: Customers are matched with agents who can solve their issues immediately, reducing escalations and follow-ups.
- Improved Trust and Retention: Quick, accurate resolutions leave customers satisfied, building long-term loyalty.
Reduced Operational Costs
By optimizing workflows and reducing inefficiencies, skill-based routing allows teams to achieve more with fewer resources.
- Optimized Staffing: Optimized ticket routing reduces the need for additional agents, even during peak periods.
- Faster Resolutions: Agents spend less time resolving issues, allowing them to handle more tickets in less time.
- Automation Savings: By automating repetitive tasks like ticket tagging and assignment, team leads can focus on strategy instead of micromanaging workflows.
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction
Beyond operational benefits, skill-based routing has a direct impact on customer experience.
- Personalized Support: Customers are connected to agents who understand their needs, creating more meaningful interactions.
- Reduced Wait Times: Faster routing means customers aren’t left waiting, improving their overall experience.
Implementing Skill-Based Routing: A Step-by-Step Guide
Implementing skill-based routing in your customer support operations may seem complex, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes it achievable. Here’s a practical guide to help you get started.
Assessing Current Support Structure
Before implementing skill-based routing, it’s essential to understand your current support operations to identify gaps and strengths. Start by auditing how tickets are currently assigned and track resolution times to identify bottlenecks. Additionally, involve your team by gathering feedback to uncover inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
- Audit Current Processes: Map out ticket assignment flows, resolution times, and bottlenecks to identify inefficiencies.
- Engage the Team: Conduct surveys or interviews with agents and team leads to gather insights into the challenges they face.
Defining Skill Categories and Levels
A well-defined skill taxonomy facilitates precise routing and makes it easier to tailor training programs for your team. Identify the core skills needed to handle customer queries properly, such as language proficiency, product expertise, or technical skills. Assign levels of proficiency—beginner, intermediate, or expert—so that tasks are matched to the right agents.
- Create Skill Categories: List key skills like technical knowledge, language fluency, and product expertise.
- Define Proficiency Levels: Categorize agents’ skills into tiers to align tasks with their expertise.
Creating an Organizational Skill Chart
A skill chart is a visual tool to represent your team’s expertise and maintain up-to-date information on their capabilities. Document each agent’s skills and proficiency levels to provide proper routing. Make this chart accessible and regularly update it to reflect training progress or role changes.
- Map Agent Skills: Create a centralized chart detailing each agent’s skills and levels of proficiency.
- Keep It Updated: Regularly revise the chart to reflect new training, certifications, or role changes.
Setting Up Routing Rules and Automation
Once you’ve identified agent skills and defined categories, the next step is to automate ticket assignments. Automation warrants accuracy, speed, and consistency, removing the risk of human error. With tools like Hiver, setting up skill-based routing becomes a straightforward process.
Hiver’s skill-based auto-assignment feature streamlines this entire process, allowing support teams to distribute tickets expertly. With Hiver, you can:
- Configure automation rules to assign conversations based on agent skills, ensuring every query lands with the right person.
- Use predefined conditions like language, customer type, or query urgency to automate ticket routing.
- Prioritize specific workflows, such as routing VIP customer emails directly to senior agents.
If a technical issue flagged as “critical” comes in, Hiver can automatically assign it to an expert agent in real time, reducing resolution time.
Additionally, Hiver’s automation feature goes beyond routing—it allows you to add tags, change email statuses, and streamline workflows. This facilitates your support team to be not just fast but also organized and accurate.
Training Agents and Administrators
Even the best routing system won’t succeed without a well-prepared team. Provide agents with tailored training to strengthen their skills, and train administrators to be well-versed in Hiver’s automation tools to maintain smooth operations.
- Conduct Targeted Training: Offer skill-specific programs for agents to refine and expand their expertise.
- Empower Administrators: Train team leads on Hiver’s automation and skill-based routing features for better management.
Challenges and Solutions in Skill-Based Routing
Here’s a closer look at common obstacles and how to overcome them.
Balancing Workload Across Skill Groups
Skill-based routing, by its nature, may lead to uneven workloads. Highly skilled agents often handle a majority of tickets, while others remain underutilized. This imbalance can result in burnout for some and disengagement for others, reducing overall team morale.
Solutions:
- Capacity-Based Routing: Introduce workload thresholds to make sure no single agent or skill group is overloaded. Tools like Hiver, Help Scout or TeamSupport help balance ticket distribution while maintaining the precision of skill matching.
- Cross-Skill Training: Upskill agents with less experience to broaden their capabilities, allowing them to handle a wider variety of tickets and lighten the load on highly skilled teammates.
Maintaining Up-to-Date Skill Profiles
A system is only as accurate as the data it relies on. Skill profiles can quickly become outdated as team structures change, new products are launched, or agents acquire new expertise. Stale profiles can lead to inaccurate routing and mismatched assignments.
Solutions:
- Regular Skill Audits: Schedule periodic reviews to confirm agent skill profiles reflect their current capabilities.
- Real-Time Updates: Enable team leads or administrators to update skill profiles immediately when agents complete training or acquire certifications. Dynamic updates keep the system accurate and reliable.
Handling Overflow Scenarios
Even the most well-designed routing system can be tested during peak periods or unexpected surges in ticket volume. Without proper safeguards, critical tickets might face delays or less experienced agents may be forced to handle complex issues.
Solutions:
- Fallback Routing Rules: Set up secondary routing rules to reroute tickets to the next best-fit agent if the ideal agent is unavailable.
- Flexible Assignments: During surges, temporarily expand agent responsibilities by broadening the scope of tickets they can handle. This flexibility means no ticket goes unattended while maintaining escalation paths for complex issues.
Future Trends in Skill-Based Routing
As customer expectations grow, skill-based routing is evolving with advancements in artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. These technologies are making routing systems smarter, faster, and more personalized.
AI and Machine Learning Integration
AI and machine learning are revolutionizing skill-based routing by dynamically analyzing data to improve ticket assignments. These technologies identify patterns in queries, learn from past resolutions, and refine routing algorithms over time.
Virtual assistants and chatbots can handle simple tasks or triage queries before assigning them to the most suitable agent, ensuring faster and more accurate resolutions.
Omnichannel Support
Providing a seamless omnichannel experience via phone, emails, chat and social media means better customer engagement. As skill-based routing is evolving, omnichannel support prompts agents with diverse skill set provide support on multiple communication platforms and thus enhancing the overall support.
Bringing a cohesive customer support experience means faster and better resolution as agents can take calls based on the complete interaction history. This fosters trust, loyalty and overall- a better brand experience.
Predictive Routing Based on Customer Behavior
Predictive routing takes skill-based systems a step further by analyzing customer behavior, preferences, and interaction history to anticipate their needs.
This ensures customers are routed to agents not just based on skills, but also on their ability to deliver a personalized experience. Data-driven insights, such as sentiment analysis and browsing behavior, enable routing systems to predict and prioritize customer needs.
Conclusion
Skill-based routing is more than a ticket assignment strategy. By matching queries with the most qualified agents, businesses can achieve faster resolutions, higher customer satisfaction, and more productive teams.
This is where Hiver shines. With features like skill-based auto-assignment and automation, Hiver simplifies ticket routing and ensures queries are assigned accurately. From configuring rules to handling peak volumes, Hiver enables your team to focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences.
