Abstract: A system having calls substantially selected and dialed to customers at such a paced rate that the system will keep a group of agents at full occupancy with calls on which the system has detected voice answer. As the size of the agent group changes, this predictive pacing is adjusted so that answered calls do not have to be delayed while waiting for an available agent or agents do not have to wait for calls to become available.

Abstract: A method of overflow and diversion re-routing is disclosed for use in an automatic call distributor system of the type in which an incoming call is assigned to an original gate, that is, a group of agents, but in selected circumstances the call is to be re-routed from the original gate. The ACD system is assumed to be connected to telephone network trunks and possibly one or more dedicated trunks. the method of the present invention has the capability of re-routing excess calls to other destinations, including other switches accessible only by the telephone network trunks. The method includes sending a dialed network number on the telephone network trunks, preferably after making sure that there is a trunk suitable for said destination, which is idle. If there is not one available, even for an alternate re-route destination, then the call is entered in a queue for access to the originally assigned gate.