Technology advancements over the past 10 years have put significant pressure on human capability to meet customer expectations. Interactions between the customer and a company used to mean live phone calls and completing a transaction or resolving the issue within that phone call.

While live interactions are still very much a part of the current interaction environment, they are no longer the primary touch point. Leveraging tools such as automatic call distribution, Computer telephony integration enables an organization to use effective tools to communicate with customers through a variety of channels which helps to drive satisfaction, while also delivering business benefits to the organization.

Call centers are now leveraging computer telephony integration to improve operator performance and increase the overall efficiency of the center. The ultimate goal in the deployment of a computer telephony integration solution should be to reduce overall costs of operations and improve operator efficiency. Such benefits to the business are easily measured in the bottom line and through customer satisfaction.

The deployment of computer telephony integration solutions helps to improve efficiency across the board within the call center as it allows the center to handle greater call volume. This technology platform ensures information an agent may need on a customer is displayed on the desktop before the agent is connected with the caller. As a result, the total time of the interaction is significantly reduced and the agent can effectively handle more calls throughout the day.

At the same time, the agent can also save time in the post-call process as the computer telephony integration solution allows for data to be entered directly into the database during the call. If the call center is an emergency response center, the time saved in dispatching assistance can mean the difference between life and death. For the commercial call center, the time saved is a reduction in cost, a more satisfied customer and a well-supported agent.

Ergonomics is another important focus within the call center to ensure all employees are performing in a healthy environment. Without computer telephony integration, call center agents would often need to navigate hardware and systems that could be cumbersome and took up significant space within the work-place. A customer communicating by fax, for instance, would require the agent to walk to and from the fax machine while also interacting with the customer. This could create hold times and lengthen the time of the call.

Customer telephony integration allows the agent to handle all phone, Internet, video, fax and e-mail communications directly from the desktop, eliminating the need to have separate devices for all communications. The saved time and more ergonomic approach improves the experience for the agent and the customer, delivering enhanced value to the organization. The satisfied employee is much more likely to stay with the company, reducing churn and protecting the recruiting and hiring budget.

While the economic outlook is still uncertain, opportunities for growth still exist. For the contact center seeking to expand its offerings and take advantage of opportunities in the global market, computer telephony integration allows for flexibility and growth. Contact centers are in a much better position to grow when their solutions can grow with them at a nominal cost.

Call Center applications are scalable without significant program updates that can drive costs. The industry has done wonders to produce designs that are scalable and portable to meet the growing needs within in the call and contact center industry. As challenges and opportunities continue to present themselves, the business benefits delivered through computer telephony integration drives results.