Gamma Communications : How to boost productivity with CRM integration

In a world dominated by digital transformation, business leaders must stay on their toes to keep up with ever-changing technology. The bid? Finding the most suitable, and most profitable, fit.

When it comes to contact centres and their stream of shiny existing add-ons, we've been led to believe that there isn't a 'one size fits all' solution…until now.

Contact centres with CRM integration technology offer agility, allowing any type of business to scale everything to their unique requirements. A cost-effective and efficient fit for all - we'd say that's a good call.

However, while IT leaders excitedly add this new integrated system to their existing offering (and while their customers jump for joy), there's one party who may not be as excited - contact centre agents.

Agents who, quite rightly, may be sick of the endless introductions to new 'revolutionary' integrations and add-ons. They've trained on new software countless times before. They've lost confidence and maybe even their productivity.

So, now that we've finally found the most suitable solution, how do we convince our agents it'll help them boost productivity? Here are our top tips…

From bored report to board report

Reporting - the word doesn't scream 'innovative' or 'ground-breaking', but it's a fundamental ingredient to any successful contact centre.

Reports can vary drastically from business to business, but the overarching theme that unifies us all is being 'data-driven'. Stuffy sounding? Yes. Overly corporate? Possibly, but all it really means is using facts to inform future decisions and help your teams to build better relationships with your customers.

Whether it's campaign, sales or customer reporting, many CRM solutions offer the ability to access multiple sheets without having to leave the application. Depending on the solution, you can even up your data game by building custom reports. Go further than your basic, industry-standard analytics.

Users also have the option to customise their CRM dashboards. Once the data has been pulled together, reports can be displayed in real-time and in relation to each person's role.

Using an integrated CRM solution means better reporting and building better business intelligence. It's something your employees will thank you for - their working day is about to get a whole lot smoother.

Goodbye data entry!…

Well, almost. With CRM integration, an agent's typical working day can be broken down into segments: call preparation, call duration and wrap up activity. Without the agility of an integrated CRM system, data entry is a much bigger fixture in your teams day-to-day (and the process is a lot more clunky). With integration, data can flow across systems automatically. Agents have more time to interact with your customers and form better connections without the added pressure of constant accurate data entry.

Forming better connections

As data flows from contact centre to CRM, it is feeding in important information that can be utilised by departments outside of your agent's realm. For example, sales representatives can leverage the information, while the marketing department can review the data to build more effective campaigns. All of these connections lead to more relevant content for your customers. The offset of this is that prompts can be set, triggering your agent when they need to call a customer and follow up on a query.

Contact can also be automated, taking the pressure off the agent. To save the trouble of having to call in for an update, the agent could schedule an email ahead of time to check in with the customer on a query. Which leads us to our next point…

A Salesforce to be reckoned with

Your agents want to be one step ahead of the game. CRMs provide a comprehensive customer overview before the call has even begun. Did we also mention that it pairs perfectly with a remote working setup?

An agent can view the query from the customers perspective, and from any device, offering them greater understanding and the ability to equip themselves with the right actions going forward. Moving forward, this type of strategic planning can transform both employee productivity and customer satisfaction.

Mixing up the methods of communication can allow agents to handle more queries but under less pressure. The previous barrage of incoming calls can be streamlined once customers know they have different channels of communication. Agents can respond on webchat while also checking up on that email chain that they've been resolving over the past few days. They can access your CRM system from multiple devices, stay engaged and raise their productivity levels.

This more modern way of working helps to break up the monotony of constant call answering and allows agents to flex certain skillsets that may have previously gone unused. Inbound and outbound activity becomes much more efficient and first 'call' resolutions suddenly don't seem so daunting. All of a sudden, you're ahead of the game.

Customer service in the Cloud

Internal collaboration tools, such as an integrated CRM, open up the possibilities for effective communication, especially when hosted in the cloud. We've all been left on hold while a contact centre agent has 'just gone to find someone who can help with that query'.

Agents want to be able to progress calls just as quickly and efficiently as your customer would like. CRM integration gives agents quick access to view the most suitable department for the query - whether it supports, sales or even provisioning - avoiding the need for escalation.

This can improve workplace satisfaction as your agents have the right tools to carry out their roles successfully.

Your new CRM forecast: It's raining recruits

CRM integration is a blessing when onboarding new recruits. The resources that new starters need to feel confident and thrive in a new position are just a click away, which can also save you money in training costs. This cloud-based technology allows interactions to take place whether in or out of the office.

Remote working is now a prerequisite for many job seekers looking for their next career step. By offering a collaborative advantage such as CRM integration within your contact centre, you're empowering your employees and recognising their wants and needs. Your business also widens its scope and talent pool, enabling you to cherry-pick from experts based throughout the country and even the world.

Conclusion

You've centralised your data, automated your processes and simultaneously cut down that dreaded wasted time. Aside from pizza Fridays, we can't think of a better way to boost productivity.

Are you ready to elevate your contact centre with integrated CRM? Offer your contact centre, marketing and sales departments the opportunity to revolutionise the way they work with a more modern setup today. To find out more about our services, including our cloud contact centre solution, contact one of our team.