A CDE Definition

A sound that is sent by an automated call distributor to an agent in a call center. The sound is directed to the agent's headset to let the agent know that a call is about to be connected. It signals the end of one state (either not-ready or after-call) and the beginning of another. See call center.

A department within a company or a third-party organization that handles telephone sales and/or service. Inbound call centers, which take calls from the outside, use automatic call distributors (ACDs) to route calls to the appropriate agent.

Outbound call centers use "predictive dialers," which make calls from a list, but ensure that a person has answered before switching the call to the next available agent (see predictive dialer). See ACD, cyberagent, CSR, zip tone, Web callback, cherrypicking, virtual call center, blended call center, Web-enabled call center, live contact overload, call center in a box, agent turnover and call center overflow.