Glossary

Helpful A-Z glossary listing key terms, acronyms and their definitions.

T

Talk Time

The amount of time a customer service agent spends interacting with a caller. It can also be defined as the time between the agent answering and disconnecting the call.

TAPI

See telephony applications programming interface.

TCP/IP

See transmission control protocol/internet protocol.

Tech Support (Technical Support/Help Desk)

Technical support or tech support, is a wide range of services provided to help customers resolve technical problems and issues related to electronic devices, networks, and system software.

Telecommuting

AKA e-commuting, refers to a work arrangement that enables employees to communicate through telephone systems or computers in order to remotely perform work related tasks and activities, without the need to travel to the main call center office.

Teleconferencing

Refers to telecommunication devices that enable business meetings, and conferences to be held regardless of the geographic location of its participants. Teleconferencing facilitates communication between on-site and off-site employees, managers, and supervisors.

Telemarketing

Telemarketing or Telesales is a method or marketing technique that facilitates sales promotion and marketing of products or services through making outbound telephone calls.

Telephone Service Factor (TSF)

A metric that measures the number of calls answered by customer service agents during a specific amount of time. It is the percentage of incoming calls answered in specific seconds. TSF can be used to measure and gauge the level of service provided by customer service agents.

Telephony Applications Programming Interface (TAPI)

An interface that integrates telephony and computer services, it enables users to talk to others over cell phones and video phones using their computers.

Telephony Services Application Programming Interface (TSAPI)

A computer telephony integration standard that uses server based systems, TSAPI consists of a variety of call control commands for voicemail, call switching and logging.

Text

Text message or SMS, refers to sending and receiving electronic messages through mobile phones.

Threshold

The maximum amount of time an incoming call should remain in the queue before being answered by a customer service agent. It can also be defined as a predetermined time threshold.