Many businesses struggle with customer service. Entrepreneurs realize that a company is more than good products or services. Indeed you could have the best in the market but still fail. That is because you do not factor in the importance of good customer experiences.
A call center is a great move to develop better relationships with customers. But you can take it a step further with the right CRM integrations. These two enhance customer experience by increasing the agent’s efficiency. Beyond that, you get to store customer records in one central location.
The contact center agents use CRM systems to understand customer history. This allows them to personalize interactions, thus better service provision. The ability to collect data provides the basis for generating valuable insights. The company can make better decisions about its service and product offerings.
A cursory look at the CRM market shows that 77% of businesses place a lot of faith in the efficacy of CRM systems. Indeed, it could explain why there is significant growth in the market. As of 2020, it stood at $52.64 billion. By 2028 it could reach as high as $128.97 billion on a global scale.
Our article seeks to explore CRM integrations in call centers. Let’s see what we can uncover.
1.Understand Call Center CRM Integration
A critical tool in customer management is the contact center omnichannel software. Such tools allow for seamless integration across many channels. A business operating in this modern age does not depend on one platform to reach customers. There is a combination of social media, websites, analog media, email, SMS, and more. If you do not find a way to integrate them, there could be a communication breakdown.
The best contact center software allows for seamless movement between the different platforms. It shouldn’t matter which platform the customer is using. The contact center software ensures communications continue uninterrupted.
Integrating CRM software into your contact center omnichannel solution further enhances its capabilities. It helps in:-
- Quick access to information. The agents have all the customer information at their fingertips. They don’t have to spend time looking through other places.
- Automatic updating of relevant customer data from the different platforms
- Tracking and managing customer interactions and leads
- Real-time access to information. It allows for quick solutions to customer issues.
- Receiving and making calls within the CRM
- Easy routing of calls
- Smooth handover to the next agent. All the preceding interactions are available in a central location.
Integrating the system is critical because it will save the call center agents’ time. They don’t have to navigate through different systems to serve customers. Centralizing data puts everything within easy reach. That way, it doesn’t matter who is sitting at the agents’ test. Everything will be within easy reach with a simple click on the dashboard interface.
2.There is a Difference Between Contact Center Software and CRM.
Please note that there is a difference between contact center software and CRM. The latter is a database of customer information.
You get all the information you need to know about your customers. This gives you a fantastic opportunity to improve experiences resulting in higher conversions.
The contact center software is a connection point for the different channels. But, the best solutions allow for the integration of other third-party software. One of them is CRM, as we have highlighted above.
Other technologies that can increase efficiency when integrated into the system include:-
- Automatic dialer
- Smart call redirecting to people with the right expertise to handle specific queries
- Real-time analytics and reporting
- Many touch points for better interaction with customers
- Artificial intelligence software to make the systems more human-like
- Chatbots for first-line response to customer queries
- Video chat functionalities
- Call recording for reference purposes and records of conversations with customers
- Email, SMS, voice, and in-app tools.
So, think about it this way. The contact center software is the main structure that combines different technologies.
3.Native versus Third-Party CRM Integrations
The best contact center software has CRM as an inbuilt feature. That removes the need to look for other third-party integrations. The latter uses programming interfaces or applications via APIs to connect.
There should be no difference between using the inbuilt or third-party software. Indeed the choice will depend on what works for your business and your budget.
A small company with a lean budget can opt for an inbuilt or native CRM. You get all the functionalities you need without breaking the bank. When shopping, look for those that allow for scalability. If your business needs increase, you can customize your software to accommodate them.
4.Know What to Look For In Your CRM Integration
When integrating a CRM and contact center software, it can be difficult to know what to look for. The most important thing is to determine your business needs. We have already looked at some technologies that can improve efficiency. Other helpful capabilities include:-
A central dashboard gives the agents an easy time when interacting with customers. Consolidating all the data gives quick access to information. The interface should also have all the necessary controls for the different applications. That way, the agent does not need to switch from window to window to access them.
Information screen pops with customer data. Having customer information on the screen during a call can ease communication. It avoids repetitive conversations on issues the customers had already discussed.
Automatic synchronization of data reduces errors that are common with manual inputting. The system should be able to translate transcription, recordings, and other meta-data. Real-time updates ensure reliable and accurate information at all times.
Final Thoughts
A CRM provides a fantastic addition to managing customer data. But there is much more it can offer by integrating it with your contact center software. For the agents, it means easier handling of customer issues.
All the information is accessible in one central location. They also don’t have to spend time with manual processes like inputting data. There is convenience in not having to navigate through different apps for information.
For the business, higher efficiency leads to an improvement in productivity. Creating good customer experiences across many platforms can result in higher conversion.
Finally, quick resolution to issues will remove any frustrations for the customer. The experience of using the contact center agents will also be fantastic.
