You’ve probably heard the phrase “seamless integration” if you’ve ever thought about purchasing enterprise software. Vendors like to paint a pretty picture of contact center integration: just download, point, click, and go.
It's not really that simple.
The promise of one-click integration
Integrating CRM data into your contact center platform is not only a good thing, it’s necessary to get the most out of your investment.
Marketers use terms like “plug-and-play,” “ready to use,” and “one-click” all the time. I’ve used them myself to describe integrations.
The idea behind out-of-the-box integrations is sincere: they're supposed to make it easy for anyone, even those without IT knowledge, to connect their tools.
After all, not everyone has the resources to hire a developer.
These integrations are designed and tested by experts who know the systems inside and out. Plus, vendors on both sides take care of updates and maintenance for you. When one updates, the other does the same.
It sounds amazing in theory.
But contact center integrations are designed for the masses, not specific workflows, systems, or agents. Every contact center is different, and there’s no way for vendors to accommodate everyone’s needs.
What to expect from out-of-the-box contact center integrations
If you're lucky, you'll be able to set up the integration and everything will work as expected. This is more likely if you're using a well-established CRM, like HubSpot or Salesforce, along with a popular contact center solution, like Nextiva or RingCentral.
You may find some areas that seem complicated, but you can adjust your processes to make them work. This definitely happens.
But more often than not, you'll find that the integration works well. Not great, just okay.
Fields may not map correctly, features you expected may not be available, and there may be no timeline for adding these features – you are at the mercy of the two vendors.
This is common if you are using new or lesser-known software.
This can also happen if you combine a well-known CRM software and an industry-specific contact center platform, or vice versa.
You may still be able to get the integration working without investing development resources, but you'll likely have to resort to workarounds and hacks to make it work for your team.
What’s the worst-case scenario? Nothing works. This is particularly common if you’ve heavily customized your CRM or contact center platform. Whether you’re using something you built yourself or you’ve hired a developer to tweak established systems to match your processes, you’ll struggle to get standard integrations to work for you.
No matter what situation you find yourself in, you may still find yourself waiting longer. It's an unfortunate, but common, experience.
When pre-built integrations aren't enough
The simplest solution is middleware, i.e. third-party tools that specialize in connecting data, systems, and processes. Zapier and Make are the most popular at the moment.
I've had a lot of success using them for a variety of tasks. While there is a learning curve and additional expense, neither is as steep as custom integrations or APIs. For the most part, middleware is drag-and-drop based, allowing you to easily create custom flows and automations.
For contact centers, you may be able to use them to:
- Synchronize communication history.
- Create new contacts in your CRM.
- Update contact information in either system.
- Activate tasks, reminders and follow-ups.
- Automate business and opportunity management.
- Set up custom alerts and notifications.
You can even use it to incorporate other tools, like Slack or email. That said, there are limitations, especially when it comes to flexibility and customization. Some features and capabilities simply won't be available.
If you have the budget, time, and resources, custom integrations via APIs and SDKs offer much greater possibilities.
These also give you more control over security – it may be your only option if you have to comply with strict security requirements (like HIPAA).
However, custom integrations add complexity and overhead beyond what the middleware requires.
With either option, you may face latency, scalability issues, compatibility issues, security risks, and consistency issues.
Why isn't contact center integration easier?
Every contact center is unique. The data they collect, how they store it, what they do with it, and their processes are different from any other company, including yours.
To further complicate matters, CRMs and contact center solutions are highly customizable. While this is great for tailoring them to your workflows, any level of customization inherently makes integration a challenge.
Omnichannel integration is even more complicated. Synchronizing emails, chats, social media, text messages, and other communication records into a CRM (even a non-custom one) is no easy feat.
Syncing everything often leads to duplicates, data loss, or data corruption.
Plus, technology is constantly changing. New features are released and the UI is updated behind the scenes all the time. Your integration might work perfectly one day, but stop working the next. It’s a constant evolution that requires constant maintenance from everyone involved.
Middleware vendors and distributors do their best to make things easier for everyone, but it's a monumental task.
How to make contact center integrations work for you
First, if you don't have a CRM or contact center solution, the best place to start is to choose two that work well together.
SEE: Best CRM software for contact centers and best platforms for call centers.
The best approach is to take advantage of free trials, demos, and direct conversations with vendors. You may be tempted to sign up for one and give up, but that won't do you any favors in the long run.
Spend time testing each solution, especially out-of-the-box integrations. Try to replicate your use case as closely as possible and test it in large numbers.
The more thoroughly you test, the fewer surprises you'll find later.
Don't be afraid to quiz vendors on the details of the integration. Tell them how it works and what you need, and then ask them to demonstrate how it's done. If they can't show you, consider that a red flag. You should also ask about future development plans so you know where they're headed.
Already have both programs? You have three options, depending on your budget.
If you don't have a budget, manual data entry or partial integrations may be sufficient on a small scale. Even basic contact synchronization, transfer of interaction records, and the use of on-screen pop-ups can provide a huge benefit.
Something is better than nothing.
Don’t have a budget but plenty of it? You’ll likely need to make internal changes to get your contact center integration up and running right away. This could mean switching to a different CRM or contact center solution, modifying your processes, coming up with workarounds, simplifying the data you collect, or learning how to use middleware.
For companies with deep pockets, a custom integration or API development is the best way to avoid internal changes and get exactly what you need.
It may take longer than you expect, but it will be worth it to have a system that fits your workflow.
Either way, training your team on how to use your integrated system is critical. Even the best setup won't work if no one knows how to use it.
