Even though many customers prefer using alternate communication channels like chatbots and texting, telephone customer service is still a critical business channel. Integrating phones, such as with Hubspot phone integration, keeps this communication channel up-to-date and helps teams work efficiently.
With CRM phone integration, customer conversations can be recorded or transcribed, and customer profiles pop up on agent screens to ensure they have all the information they need to resolve customer issues efficiently.
Automated Call Routing
Call routing, also called automatic call distribution (ACD), ensures your business’ calls are routed to agents who can best address a customer’s needs. In contrast to traditional Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus that often require customers to navigate multiple levels and listen to long pre-recorded responses, intelligent call routing allows callers to instantly connect with a team member or schedule a callback—making for a faster and more pleasant experience.
When a customer’s call is picked up, an ACD system automatically transfers them to a call queue based on pre-set rules like department or priority. If the caller chooses to remain on the line, they’ll hear music or a request to stay on hold until an agent can assist them.
Various call routing strategies are available to reduce the number of callers that spend time in a queue, including attribute-based and priority-based routing. Attribute-based routing assesses the context and attributes of a caller’s issue and connects them to an agent with the necessary skills. In addition, skill-based routing connects callers to agents with the requisite expertise, preventing agents from overburdening themselves by picking up high volumes of low-value calls.
Lastly, rotary and talk-time routing allows businesses to distribute inbound calls among agents evenly. This reduces the average number of calls an agent handles and helps prevent employees from burning out by taking on too many inbound callers at once.
Improved Customer Service
Phone integration allows you to deliver a customer service experience that’s seamless and personalized. Your agents can leverage a unified dashboard that displays the data they need to respond to incoming calls and address their customers’ needs. This eliminates the friction caused by using multiple digital tools and reduces employee fatigue.
The right CRM solution enables you to provide exceptional telephone customer service that boosts client satisfaction and sales results. Salesforce is the world’s most popular customer relationship management (CRM) system and can integrate with your phone and contact center systems. As a result, you can automate many processes and streamline call-handling times for your team members.
Furthermore, computer telephony integration can recognize a caller’s history with your business and identify their specific needs without asking them. For example, a customer who calls on the same day of the month to check their account balance will likely seek information regarding a recent purchase or account balance.
Reduced Call Handling Time
In a world where texting and other digital channels may seem to have replaced telephone communication, many businesses still use them as the primary customer service method. As a result, effective telephone customer support is crucial. A phone system that seamlessly integrates with CRM can help you reduce call handling time and boost agent efficiency, resulting in more happy customers.
Average handle time (AHT) is a key contact center metric that measures how long agents can resolve a call. Monitoring and improving AHT is important, affecting cost efficiencies, agent productivity, and customer satisfaction. A high AHT indicates that agents spend too much time on calls or need additional training to understand customer pain points better.
The solution to AHT is to provide agents with the resources they need to serve customers efficiently. This includes automated workflows that ensure leads are prioritized and followed up on. Centralized voice features like recording and voicemail and access to CRM data during phone conversations so they can instantly see a customer’s history with your business.
In 2019, customers ranked efficiently resolving their issues among the top three most valued traits of a company’s telephone customer service. By reducing call wait times and providing self-serve options on your website, you can cut your AHT significantly.
Enhanced Agent Efficiency
Although digital channels may grow in popularity, phone calls are still essential for many business customers. A recent survey found that people consider efficient telephone customer service one of the most important attributes when choosing a company to do business with. This means a business needs to optimize its phone support processes to deliver the best customer experience.
A unified CRM and phone integration makes it easy for businesses to manage customer service, streamline call flow, and enhance customer relationships. When a phone system is integrated with a CRM, agents can have all their customer data in one place and make better decisions based on that data. This increases productivity, customer satisfaction, and even more sales opportunities.
Connecting your phone system to a CRM lets you track all customer interactions—not just voice calls—in real-time. This information can help your team resolve customer issues more quickly and provide targeted product or service recommendations to boost conversion rates and average order values.
You’ll also be able to monitor agent performance and provide coaching where it’s needed. For example, you’ll see that an agent needs more training in de-escalating difficult conversations or isn’t using their available resources to the fullest extent.
