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Computer telephony integration, or CTI, is the technology that integrates a call center’s telephone system with a call agent’s computers. It eliminates the need for alandline phone as the call agent can handle calls from their computer itself.

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Computer telephony integration works by adding phone controls to the agent interface as well as enabling integration with other business applications such as a customer relationship management (CRM) app, video conferencing apps, team communication apps, knowledge database, product database, etc.

Benefits of Computer Telephony Integration

Call center automation using computer telephony integration software has many benefits for your business:

• Implement standardized call handling processes
• Reduce call center costs
• Handle routine tasks efficiently
• Optimize agent productivity
• Enhance customer experience and satisfaction

To appreciate how CTI can take your call center operations to the next level, consider this use case.

A customer dials the call center number. The CTI software pulls up caller data from the CRM and flashes it on the agent’s screen. The agent can see that the previous two calls from the customer have been about a product issue. The ticket status indicates the problem is not yet resolved. They quickly share the caller’s details with their manager and request them to be on standby. The manager decides to join the call in case quick intervention is required.

The agent picks up the call but also dives into the knowledge database simultaneously to check for any available solution. This enables them to be ready with a solution or at least the correct approach by the time the initial greetings have been exchanged.

The problem is solved and the customer is thrilled because they receive highly personalized attention. Can you imagine what this successful resolution of customer problems does for brand image, customer loyalty, customer experience and word-of-mouth advertising?

The best part is, with computer telephony integration software in place, you can repeat this every single time.

Here are some ways CTI helps in call center operations:

• Displaying contextual details related to the caller when the phone rings. This is also calledscreen popping.
• Implementing interactive voice response (IVR), which allows customers to self-serve and optimizes agent time utilization.
• Logging call records in CRM.
• Triggering business applications based on caller or agent requirements.
• Call routing, transferring and forwarding to the right agent based on caller history or IVR choices.

To gain a more in-depth understanding of how to manage your call center efficiently, read this Forbes Advisor article oncall center best practices.

Computer telephony integration software can help you establish standard call center processes, ensure adherence, track progress, gather data and gain valuable insights.

There are dozens of CTI software and platforms available on the market. To help you choose the right one, Forbes Advisor studied them carefully and made this list of10 best call center software. Some of the software it covers include Zendesk Talk, Freshdesk Contact Center, LiveAgent,Twilio Flex and more.

However, before you set about choosing the right software, you should be clear about what features you need from the CTI software—the must-haves and good-to-have features.

Bottom Line

Computer telephony integration goes beyond simply integrating your telephone systems with the calling agent’s desktop. It’s about the in-house call handling culture you want to establish, the experience you wish to deliver to your callers and how well you can use data to grow your business.