Change in work settings has significantly changed since the last decade. People are no longer bound to work at a particular desk, giving rise to remote working. By utilizing the power of unified communication, businesses are promoting virtual collaboration for remotely working teams for bringing efficiency and productivity. Businesses, along with their respective teams are adapting to new communication tools to stay relevant to current market conditions. Computer telephony Integration (CTI) is one such revolution in the communication industry, bringing flexibility, agility and scalability to businesses across the globe. This blog will elaborate on how this technology enables seamless communication in enterprises and the benefits associated with it.

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

CTI integration as a part of new advancements in the telecommunication industry, enables computers and telephones to exchange information, based on business needs. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) technology is helping organizations to simplify communication by managing inbound and outbound calls through a collaborated interface, uplifting productivity to a greater extent. When integrated with CRM, it can identify the callers automatically and pass relevant answers to the agents who are entitled to answer the queries of customers. Thereby, it can empower the remote workforce and enhance virtual collaboration when it bridges the gap between your agents and customers. It acts as an integrating platform where all business systems can be connected to boost maximum efficiency.

Significance of CTI in Boosting Collaboration 

• Seamless Communication Across Channels

CTI allows employees to communicate seamlessly across various channels, including voice calls, instant messaging, and video conferencing. By integrating telephony systems with collaboration tools and applications, employees can switch between channels effortlessly, choosing the most suitable mode of communication for different scenarios. Whether it’s a quick question via chat or a detailed discussion on a video call, CTI ensures that employees can communicate efficiently and effectively, fostering collaboration and teamwork.

• Improved Call Handling and Routing

Computer Telephony Integration when used correctly can help in call distribution by routing calls to the qualified agent, based on the algorithms used. There are pre-set criteria such as language, skills and availability which can make a fair reduction in call center burden. Since the system can be accessed from anywhere, there are possibilities of a few call abandonments which hampers the reputation of the company.

• Real-time Collaboration 

CTI can make remote teams equipped with relevant real-time updates which can improve collaboration and working of the call center as a whole. When your collaborative tool gets integrated with an instant messaging platform where supervisors can check the availability of agents to eliminate unnecessary delays in picking up calls.

• Performance Tracking 

The remote workforce is hard to be monitored and a lack of appropriate tools can add to the problem. Computer Telephony Integration can assimilate valuable insights about a team’s performance that can be used for performance tracking and management. With the volume of data, businesses get visibility and they can undertake data-driven decisions.

• Enhanced Customer Interactions

When you integrate CTI with your CRM software, you can empower your remote agents to have a complete view of customer information and the history of previous customer interactions. Such information can be treated as the medium for delivering tailored service to customers.

Functions of CTI Integration 

Here are key features to look at:

• Automated Screen Popping

CTI can pop up a screen which can display information needed at the time when a call is going in. Such triggered popups can help in delivering the relevant information and will also suggest actions based on the conversation taking place. Agents can find information like name, address, email id and history of call or order being placed which can help them to become proactive in solving the problem immediately.

• Call Recording and Call Analytics

As the latest communication tool, computer telephony integration can have call recordings data which can be used later. Supervisors can listen to those recordings and analyze the outcome of the call. Besides, call analytics can be seen in CTI as an important feature to evaluate the visibility of the call to understand the level of service being rendered.

• Click-to-call Dialing

This tool offers a real-time calling widget in the form of click-to-call dialing wherein agents can dial calls in just a click. By simply clicking on a phone number, agents can automatically dial the number without the need for manual dialing, saving time and improving efficiency.

• Phone Controls

CTI offers a collapsible telephony panel which has different controlling features like mute, transfer, hold and conference with other agents. The panel allows you to control calling so that you are not changing the screen between call center software. You can defeat distractions in between the calling and focus on solving problems.

Conclusion

In the end, I would say CTI integration enhances communication efficiency, improves customer service, and streamlines call-handling processes. It provides valuable insights for better decision-making and performance management within a business. Your agents can collaborate better when they have the right tool in hand and they can make a significant contribution to successful remote working.