Computer telephony integration, or CTI, is a technology that permits the operation of a telephone system and its associated features via a computer for improved call management. Often a component of reliable call center software, it eliminates the need for actual phone units to more effectively handle inbound and outgoing calls. Instead, it features an intuitive dashboard interface.
Associated Functions of Computer Telephony Integration
Below are the common features of a CTI included in a call center software:
- Basic Phone Controls: Its dashboard contains the necessary phone controls for all calls. It allows users to answer inbound calls, make outgoing calls, put callers on hold, terminate calls, and hold a conference.
- Call Controls: Besides phone controls, it offers advanced call management functions such as call forwarding, call screening, and call transferring.
- Automated Dialing: For outbound call centers, it automates contacting prospects and customers with click-to-call, power dialing, and predictive dialing. Once a person answers, it connects the call to the assigned agent.
- Call Routing: Together with the automatic call distributor, CTI routes calls according to collected data from the incoming call itself. It will forward the call to the appropriate agent based on the caller’s location, the reason for the call, and agent’s expertise or skills.
- Interactive Voice Response: Callers can navigate the multi-level phone menu to resolve their concerns or opt to speak to an agent.
- Screen-Popping: When integrated with your company’s CRM software, CTI retrieves the relevant customer information from the system that matches the caller’s phone number and pops it on the agent’s screen.
- Automatic Call Recording: Calls are recorded for monitoring purposes and are added automatically to a customer’s log file.
- Agent Supervisor Tools: CTI often has call monitoring functions that allow supervisors to keep track of their agents and offer help as needed, including call barge and call whisper.
Applications of Computer Telephony Integration
CTI is a powerful business communications tool that can be used in the following ways:
Improve Call Management
Since CTI has an intuitive dashboard interface, users can quickly manage call-related tasks with a few clicks instead of memorizing combinations that often lead to errors and slower turnaround. Moreover, scaling up your operations won’t require capital outlay and costly maintenance.
Provide a Better Customer Experience
With automatic screen-pops, your agents will have instant access to key customer data and contextual details, allowing them to deliver a more personalized interaction. They can quickly authenticate calls by matching the caller’s information with available data from the back-end system. As a result, customers are more satisfied since they don’t have to give information repeatedly at every verification point.
Manage a Team More Effectively
CTI’s array of functionalities helps managers monitor their team and performance better. At a glance, they can track pending and live calls and identify agents dealing with problematic calls. With collected analytics, they can train and coach agents based on identified pain points.
Boost Agent’s Productivity
CTI’s easy-to-use interface, multiple features, and built-in automation let agents work faster and smarter. With skills-based routing, agents will only receive calls within their knowledge base and expertise. For outbound contact centers, CTI’s auto-dialers allow agents to reach more prospects in a shorter time.
Managing calls efficiently with computer telephony integration provides major long-term benefits to your firm. Consider investing in call center software, such as that offered by ROI Solutions, and reap the benefits of the improvement to your operations.