Call deflection works — if you do it right

Call deflection is a powerful strategy that helps businesses reduce inbound call volumes without compromising customer service. Rather than ignoring or dismissing them, call deflection redirects customer calls to alternative support channels that are often quicker, more convenient, and more cost-effective. These channels include self-service tools, conversational AI, and online knowledge bases — all designed to handle routine inquiries efficiently.

Why call deflection matters 

Imagine your customer support team juggling hundreds of calls daily, many with the same questions. Meanwhile, customers are waiting on hold for answers they could easily get from an online help center or AI chatbot. Studies show that 75 percent of customers expect an immediate response when contacting a business, but traditional call centers can’t always meet this demand.

In this post, we’ll dive into what call deflection is, how to apply this strategy effectively, and how you can measure its success. We’ll also explore how Jotform AI Agents can help you get started in three straightforward steps. 

Call deflection is not avoidance — it’s redirection

There’s a big difference between call deflection and call avoidance. Call avoidance attempts to reduce inbound volumes by deliberately ignoring customer calls or hiding phone numbers. By contrast, call deflection seeks to balance automation with human assistance by offering customers faster, more relevant pathways to help.

Consider a software company that routinely fields questions about resetting passwords. The company might be tempted to bury its phone support number on the website so fewer people call. However, that would frustrate customers who genuinely need immediate help with complex issues. Instead, the company can set up a self-service password reset tool so customers can quickly fix the issue on their own. At the same time, the phone line remains accessible for urgent or intricate problems that the self-service tool can’t address.

This example highlights how call deflection aims to guide customers to more efficient channels rather than push them away. Done well, call deflection complements human support by freeing up agents to handle tasks that require a personal touch. This balanced approach works best when there’s a robust alternate support system in place, such as leveraging conversational AI to answer basic queries or a chatbot-integrated knowledge base. By optimizing self-service tools, you ensure your customers have the right options at their fingertips, leading to faster resolutions and greater customer satisfaction.

5 reasons to use call deflection

Call deflection is more than a cost-cutting strategy. When used strategically, it can deliver benefits that elevate your bottom line and brand reputation. Here are five compelling reasons to add call deflection to your customer service toolkit:

1. Enhanced customer experience: Customers appreciate efficiency. Directing them to self-service tools — like online FAQs, AI chatbots, or automated help centers — minimizes wait times and allows users to resolve simple issues on their own schedule. This streamlined approach helps maintain a positive brand image by showing that you value your customers’ time.
2. Cost efficiency: Every phone call a live agent handles costs your organization time and resources. By deflecting routine or repetitive inquiries to digital channels, you can reduce the strain on your support budget. According to Gartner estimates, live phone support costs an average of $8.01 per interaction, while self-service options cost a mere $0.10 per interaction, showcasing massive cost savings.
3. Increased agent productivity
   When agents are tied up answering the same questions over and over again, it can lead to service agent burnout. By redirecting repetitive inquiries elsewhere, your support team can focus on resolving the more challenging or sensitive issues that truly benefit from human interaction. This not only boosts productivity but helps agents develop more specialized skills as well.
4. 24-7 support availability: A round-the-clock support team is expensive and often unsustainable for smaller businesses. However, self-service tools powered by conversational AI or an up-to-date knowledge base make 24-7 support possible. Constant accessibility helps you meet customer expectations for instant help, regardless of time zone or business hours.
5. Scalability: As your business grows, so do your support needs. Relying solely on live agents can become costly and complex to manage at scale. By implementing call deflection strategies, you can build support infrastructure that handles higher volumes of inquiries without the need for additional staff.

How to measure (and track) call deflection metrics

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. That’s why it’s crucial to track the effectiveness of your call deflection strategy. One of the most important metrics to monitor is the call deflection rate, which calculates the percentage of inbound calls successfully redirected to self-service or alternative channels for support.

Here’s a simple formula for calculating the call deflection rate:

Call Deflection Rate = (Number of Deflected Calls ÷ Total Inbound Calls) × 100

So, if your support center received 1,000 inbound calls in a month and 200 of those were resolved through self-service channels, your call deflection rate would be (200 ÷ 1,000) × 100 = 20 percent. A higher rate typically indicates that more customers are finding help without speaking to a live agent.

But don’t stop there. It’s also helpful to track these other call deflection metrics:

• Resolution rate for deflected inquiries: How many customers successfully solve their issues after being redirected to a self-service tool?
• Average handling time (AHT): Do agents spend less time on calls now that simpler questions are answered through automation?
• Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT): Are customers happy with the alternative support channels, or do they prefer speaking to a live agent?

Call deflection metrics should be part of a broader customer service automation strategy. Tools like conversational AI, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, and comprehensive online FAQs can improve your overall efficiency — but only if you monitor their impact on the customer experience. Regular review of these metrics will help you adjust your approach, fine-tune your self-service content, and ensure that your digital support channels stay aligned with customer needs.

Call deflection success in 3 steps with Jotform AI Agents

Implementing call deflection doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. With Jotform AI Agents, you can create and launch an effective call deflection strategy in just three simple steps. Whether you’re new to Jotform or already using its powerful form-building tools, Jotform AI Agents makes it easy, helping you quickly automate routine tasks, provide real-time responses, and direct customers to the most appropriate support channels.

Step 1: Select or create your form

The first step is choosing the right form for your call deflection strategy. You’re off to a great start if you already use Jotform for customer inquiries, feedback, or support requests. You can use your existing forms as a foundation for redirecting routine inquiries.

If you’re not already using Jotform, you can create a new form specifically designed to capture information related to the most common questions or issues handled by your support team.

Step 2: Train your Jotform AI Agents

You can upload documents, input relevant text, or provide URLs for knowledge base articles to help train your Jotform AI Agents. The more context you can provide, the better your AI Agent will handle inquiries and direct users to the right solutions.

For example, if you run a tech support line, you might upload troubleshooting guides for common software issues. That way, when a customer types, “My app keeps crashing,” the AI Agent can instantly suggest the right tutorial or FAQ page. Customers feel empowered when they can find solutions on their own, and they’ll be less likely to pick up the phone for every minor glitch.

Step 3: Deploy and monitor

Once you’ve trained your AI Agent, you’re ready to deploy. Jotform AI Agents can be integrated into various channels, such as your website, chat widgets, or email workflows. When a customer contacts you through these channels, the AI Agent will respond with relevant answers, links, or suggestions. It can also seamlessly route the conversation to a live agent if an issue requires human intervention.

Tracking your AI Agent’s performance is critical for refining your call deflection strategy. Note how many customer queries it handles successfully and monitor user feedback. With Jotform’s built-in analytics, it’s easy to see which questions come up most often and how well the AI Agent resolves them. This information will help you fine-tune your content, clarify instructions, and identify new entries to add to your knowledge base.

One of Jotform’s helpful tools is the Customer Service AI Agent, which helps users collect and analyze customer feedback with ease. Its intuitive, self-service approach redirects callers to provide feedback by completing a quick survey after a call concludes or a chat session ends.

Moving forward with the power of call deflection

Strategic call deflection offers a powerful way to balance efficiency with exceptional customer care. By rerouting simple, repetitive tasks to AI-powered self-service tools, you can free up live agents to focus on issues that require a human touch. Monitoring your call deflection rates, customer satisfaction scores, and other metrics will help make sure you stay on track. And with regular review, you can refine your strategy to continuously improve the customer experience (and bottom line), whether you’re a growing business or a large enterprise.

Make the most of technology and human empathy with Jotform AI Agents and call deflection strategies — the cornerstone of an engaging, efficient, and future-proof customer support ecosystem.