Agent status refers to a contact center agent's real-time availability and activity state within the system. It shows what an agent is currently doing—whether they are handling a customer call, completing after-call work, on a break, or available to take the next interaction.  Contact centers use agent status to monitor productivity, manage workloads, and ensure efficient staffing. Agent status is visible to supervisors and updated automatically through the contact center platform. It helps businesses track agent performance, balance resources, and respond to changes in customer demand throughout the day.

Common Agent Status Types

  • Available (Ready): The agent is logged in and ready to receive calls or chats.
  • On Call (Busy): The agent actively handles customer interaction.
  • After-Call Work (ACW): After ending a call, the agent completes wrap-up tasks.
  • Break: The agent is on a scheduled pause and not available to take interactions.
  • Training or Meeting: The agent is attending a session and is temporarily unavailable.
  • Not Ready: The agent is logged in but unavailable due to a non-call activity.
  • Offline: The agent is not logged into the system.
These statuses can be customized based on business needs and vary slightly between platforms.

How Agent Status Works in Contact Centers

  1. When agents log into the system, they select a status, such as Available.
  2. The system updates their status automatically based on their activity (e.g., answering a call changes it to “On Call”).
  3. Supervisors and workforce managers use real-time dashboards to monitor all agent statuses.
  4. The contact center system uses this information to route calls to available agents and track schedule adherence.

Why Agent Status Matters for Contact Centers

Agent status is crucial for maintaining efficient contact center operations. It ensures sufficient agents can handle incoming call volumes, improving service levels. Tracking agent availability and activities supports effective workforce management and allows for real-time schedule adjustments. Agent status also enhances accountability by monitoring agents' time during shifts while enabling supervisors to address service issues quickly. Ultimately, it boosts operational efficiency by balancing workloads and minimizing idle time, ensuring agents are focused on delivering optimal customer service.