What is the difference between a CRM platform and a contact centre platform and why it is important to integrate them.

Some companies use CRM without a contact centre platform. Others manage their contact centre without CRM.

CRM Vs CONTACT CENTRE. By combining the two solutions, the sales and customer service process is taken to the next level.

When a company wants to embark on digital transformation, it must first define which solutions are needed to meet its needs and expectations.

Many companies want a contact centre platform first, when in fact they need a CRM, and in other cases the opposite is true.

This is a common confusion in the market, but the first step is to understand the differences in order to find the best solution for each company.

And if you can combine the two, the potential for customer contact will increase significantly.

Why are CRM and contact centre platforms often confused?

Because they operate in the same operating environment:

The agent’s computer.
CRM and contact centre software interact with each other and exchange data.
Their common goal is customer service.
They are platforms on which valuable customer data is stored.

However, they are not the same thing.

What is a CRM?

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a system used to manage customer relationships, buying behaviour, profitability, history and much more.

Software provides the information needed to make customer interactions as efficient as possible. CRM provides complete traceability of every lead, every sales opportunity and every customer, allowing a 360 degree view of the buying process.

In the area of the contact centre, CRM enables the following

Record, store, organise and view user data.
Schedule appointments and activities related to customer service and sales management.
Record information or comments on agreed topics.

That’s pretty clear.

So what is a contact centre platform?

What is a contact centre platform?

A contact centre platform or software provides the necessary functions to manage and optimise customer interactions across multiple channels.

It makes contact channels available, integrates them into a single inbox across all channels and delivers the interactions intelligently to the team.

CRM and contact centre are two different but complementary entities.

→ Some companies have a contact platform, but not a customer management solution.

→ Conversely, some companies have a CRM, but manage interactions without an omnichannel contact centre platform.

Ideally, the two systems should work together and be integrated.

The benefits of integrating CRM with the contact centre include

– Customer data at the time of interaction, displayed in a pop-up or screen-pop window at the time of the call or chat.

– Communicating with customers or prospects directly from the CRM.

For example, it is possible to implement features such as "make calls" to make calls immediately by simply pressing a button in the CRM.

-Type the results of the interaction.

The closure management code, also called "disposition code" or "management typing", is the way in which the agent indicates in the CRM how the communication with a customer has been closed.

This process allows detailed tracking of each contact point and business intelligence, for example to segment a subgroup of calls with a particular business interest very precisely.

– Creation of electoral lists.

This application is very useful for digital lead generation and telephone closing campaigns. Each time a lead enters the CRM, it is automatically transferred to the contact centre to be added to a pick list based on defined criteria.

High priority can be set so that the most recent leads are contacted first and have a greater chance of being closed.

– Create records of the call or chat and link them to the customer history.

Agents can record interactions by simply clicking on them in the CRM interface.

These records can then be linked to the customer’s history and used for background information.

– Create combined reports.

One of the big problems with using separate systems is that the data is inconsistent.

By combining platforms, cross-platform reporting unifies information and provides a complete view of the results of the operation, allowing better business decisions to be made.

These are just some of the advantages of integrating the two systems, explained in a simple manner.

But the technical and functional possibilities are endless!

As we always say, integrated software is the basis for optimising the marketing, sales and customer service process.