Skills & State Licensing
Introduction
In a busy call center, not every agent is qualified to handle every call. Some agents speak Spanish fluently, others hold specialized certifications, and many are only licensed to sell in certain states. Skills and State Licensing are two powerful features in AgentTech Dialer that ensure every incoming call is routed to an agent who is genuinely qualified to handle it.
This article walks you through setting up skills, assigning them to agents with proficiency ratings, configuring state licensing for individual users, and understanding how these features influence call routing decisions.
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Part 1: Skills
What Are Skills?
Skills represent specific capabilities, qualifications, or attributes that your agents possess. AgentTech Dialer uses skills during call routing to match incoming calls with the best-qualified agent available. For example, if a caller requests assistance in Spanish, the system can route that call to an agent with the "Spanish" language skill.
Accessing the Skills Page
Navigate to the Skills page from the main menu. At the top of the page, you will see:
- Agency Selector — If you manage multiple agencies, use the dropdown at the top to select which agency's skills you want to view and manage.
- Skill Count Badge — A badge showing the total number of skills configured for the selected agency.
- Create Skill Button — Click this to add a new skill.
Skill Cards
Below the header, each skill is displayed as a skill card containing:
- Type Badge — A colored label indicating the skill type (Language, Certification, or Other).
- Icon — A visual icon representing the skill.
- Skill Name — The name of the skill (e.g., "Spanish," "Medicare Certification," "Upselling").
- Agency — The agency this skill belongs to.
- Assigned Agents Count — How many agents currently have this skill assigned to them.
- Manage Users Button — Opens the user assignment modal.
- Edit Button — Opens the edit modal to change the skill's name or type.
- Delete Button — Removes the skill entirely (after confirmation).
The Three Skill Types
When creating or editing a skill, you must choose one of three Skill Types:
- Language — Use this type for spoken or written language capabilities. Examples: Spanish, Mandarin, French, Creole. Language skills are especially important for agencies serving diverse populations, ensuring callers can communicate in their preferred language.
- Certification — Use this type for professional certifications, licenses, or formal qualifications. Examples: Medicare Certification, Series 7 License, AHIP Certification, Life Insurance License. Certification skills help ensure that regulated calls are only handled by agents who hold the required credentials.
- Other — Use this catch-all type for any capability that does not fit neatly into Language or Certification. Examples: Upselling, Technical Support, Retention Specialist, New Business. These skills help you fine-tune call routing based on specialized agent strengths.
Creating a New Skill
- Click the Create Skill button at the top of the Skills page.
- The Create Skill Modal will appear with the following fields:
- Skill Type (required) — Select Language, Certification, or Other from the dropdown.
- Agency — Choose which agency this skill belongs to from the dropdown.
- Click Save to create the skill. It will immediately appear in the skills list.
Editing a Skill
- Click the Edit button on the skill card you want to modify.
- The Edit Skill Modal will open with the current values pre-filled.
- You can change the Skill Name and Skill Type. Note that the Agency field is disabled in edit mode — skills cannot be moved between agencies after creation.
- Click Save to apply your changes.
Deleting a Skill
- Click the Delete button on the skill card.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted. Warning: Deleting a skill removes it from all agents who had it assigned and may affect call routing rules that reference this skill.
Managing Skill Assignments and Proficiency
The most important part of skills management is assigning them to the right agents with appropriate proficiency levels.
- Click the Manage Users button on any skill card.
- The Manage Skill Users Modal (Large) will open, showing two columns:
- Assigned Users (right column) — All agents who currently have this skill. Each assigned user shows their proficiency level and a star rating display.
- Assigning a Skill to an Agent:
- Click the Assign button next to their name.
- The agent will move to the Assigned Users column.
- Setting Proficiency Levels:
- Level 1 indicates a beginner-level proficiency — the agent has basic knowledge but may need support.
- Level 10 indicates expert-level proficiency — the agent is highly skilled and can handle the most complex calls related to this skill.
- The proficiency level is displayed visually with a star rating that corresponds to the numeric value.
- Adjust the proficiency level by clicking or using the selector. The routing system uses these levels to prioritize higher-proficiency agents when multiple qualified agents are available.
- Removing a Skill from an Agent:
- The agent will move back to the Available Users column.
> Pro Tip: Use proficiency levels strategically. For example, if you have 10 agents with the "Spanish" skill but only 3 are truly fluent, give those 3 a proficiency of 9–10 and the others a 5–6. The routing system will prefer the most proficient agents first.
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Part 2: State Licensing
What Is State Licensing?
State licensing tracks which U.S. states each agent is authorized to operate in. This is critical for regulated industries like insurance, where agents must hold active licenses in specific states to legally sell or advise on products. AgentTech Dialer uses state licensing data during call routing to ensure that leads from a particular state are only connected to agents licensed in that state.
Accessing State Licensing
State licensing is configured on a per-user basis. To set up an agent's state licenses:
- Navigate to the Users page.
- Find the agent you want to configure and click the Edit button on their user card.
- The Edit User Modal will open with 3 tabs across the top. Click the State Licensing tab (the third tab).
The State Licensing Interface
The State Licensing tab features a two-column layout:
- Available States (left column) — A list of all U.S. states that the agent is not currently licensed in. This list is searchable — type a state name in the search box to quickly find it.
- Licensed States (right column) — A list of all states where the agent is currently licensed. Each licensed state shows a proficiency level selector.
Assigning State Licenses
- In the Available States column, find the state you want to add. You can scroll through the alphabetical list or use the search box.
- Click on the state name to move it to the Licensed States column.
- Repeat for each state the agent is licensed in.
Setting State Proficiency Levels
Just like skills, each licensed state has a proficiency level from 1 to 10:
- Level 1–3: The agent is newly licensed or has limited experience selling in this state. They can handle basic calls but may need supervisor support for complex scenarios.
- Level 4–6: The agent has moderate experience in this state and can handle most call types independently.
- Level 7–9: The agent is highly experienced in this state and can handle complex cases, edge cases, and high-value opportunities.
- Level 10: The agent is an expert in this state — they know the regulations, products, and market inside and out.
The routing system uses these proficiency levels to prioritize agents. When a call comes in from Texas, the system will first attempt to route it to an agent licensed in Texas with the highest proficiency level who is currently available.
Removing State Licenses
To remove a state license, click on the state name in the Licensed States column. It will move back to the Available States column. Removing a license means the agent will no longer receive calls from leads in that state.
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Part 3: How Skills and State Licensing Affect Call Routing
Understanding how skills and state licensing work is only half the picture. The real power comes from how AgentTech Dialer uses this data during call routing.
Skills-Based Routing
When a call comes in that requires a specific skill (for example, a Spanish-language call or a Medicare-related inquiry), the routing system:
- Identifies the required skill based on the call's attributes (language preference, lead type, campaign settings, etc.).
- Filters available agents to only those who have the required skill assigned.
- Ranks qualified agents by proficiency level (highest first).
- Routes the call to the best available agent.
If no agents with the required skill are available, the system follows your fallback routing rules (which may include queuing the call, sending it to voicemail, or routing to a less-specialized agent).
State-Based Routing
For calls from specific geographic regions, the routing system:
- Identifies the caller's state based on the lead record or phone number area code.
- Filters available agents to only those licensed in that state.
- Ranks qualified agents by state proficiency level.
- Routes the call to the best available licensed agent.
Combined Routing
Skills and state licensing work together. If a Spanish-speaking lead from Florida calls in, the system will look for agents who:
- Have the Spanish language skill assigned.
- Are licensed in Florida.
- Are currently available to take a call.
Among those agents, the one with the highest combined proficiency (skill proficiency + state proficiency) will receive the call first.
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Best Practices
- Audit skills and licenses regularly. Agent certifications expire and skill levels change. Schedule monthly or quarterly reviews to keep your data accurate.
- Be specific with skill names. "Medicare" is better than "Insurance." "Spanish — Fluent" and "Spanish — Conversational" could even be two separate skills if your routing needs are that granular.
- Use all 10 proficiency levels. Don't just set everyone to 10. Meaningful differentiation in proficiency helps the routing system make smarter decisions.
- Coordinate with your compliance team. State licensing information must match your agents' actual regulatory status. Routing calls to unlicensed agents can result in serious compliance violations.
- Start with your most critical skills. You don't need to create every possible skill on day one. Start with the skills that have the biggest impact on call quality and compliance, then expand over time.
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Summary
Skills and State Licensing are essential tools for ensuring your calls reach the right agents. Skills capture language abilities, certifications, and specialized capabilities, while state licensing ensures geographic compliance. Both features use proficiency levels (1–10) to prioritize the most qualified agents, and they work together during call routing to deliver the best possible experience for your callers and your team.
Take the time to set up skills and licensing carefully — the investment pays off through improved call quality, better compliance, and higher conversion rates.
Last updated: February 24, 2026