The top 6 apps to integrate with your contact centre

Contact centre integrations are essential for delivering seamless customer experiences. Agents need access to customer data and interaction history from various systems to identify patterns and communicate across multiple channels, meeting customers where they are.

We often encounter organisations with disparate systems, resulting in data silos. For a cloud contact centre like Twilio Flex to unify these systems and present information through a 'single pane of glass,' integrations are crucial.

When executed properly, these integrations enhance efficiency, visibility, communication, productivity, and satisfaction for both customers and agents. So, which app integrations are best for your contact centre? In this post, we explore six of the most popular app integrations for Twilio Flex.

The advantages of contact centre integrations

Improved call resolution times

Integrating call centre systems to give agents a complete view of customer data, quick access to troubleshooting resources, and automating repetitive tasks can significantly reduce call resolution times.

Better customer experience

Agents armed with comprehensive customer data can provide seamless omnichannel support quickly and deliver personalised services; leading to improved customer experience, satisfaction, and loyalty.

Boost productivity

Contact centre software integrations can significantly boost productivity by streamlining processes, empowering agents with tools, automating repetitive tasks, optimising workflows, enhancing efficiency, and ultimately increasing productivity.

Top 6 integrations

1. Customer relationship management (CRM)

• Provides comprehensive customer data
• Enables personalised service
• Streamline workflows
• Enables consistency across channels

This is the most common integration because CRMs are crucial for providing a holistic view of customer interactions, enabling agents to deliver personalised and efficient service. By integrating CRM systems, agents gain access to comprehensive customer data, including past interactions, preferences, and purchase history. This empowers them to address enquiries more effectively, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

CRM integrations streamline workflows by centralising customer information, reducing manual data entry, and ensuring consistency across channels. Ultimately, they enable better decision-making and foster stronger relationships with customers, making them indispensable in modern contact centre operations.

Native integration

Twilio offers a native integration for Flex and Salesforce. Both Salesforce Classic and Lightning are supported. Like all native integrations, this pre-loaded software serves a limited set of functionality.

This out of the box solution provides inbound and outbound calling, messaging, record pop, click to dial and activity logging. Once implemented, you can then build on top of the integration with Flex plugins to include specific features and workflows for your business needs.

Custom integration

Alternatively, you can opt for a custom integration which offers flexbility as it can be designed to meet specific business requirements. To integrate Twilio Flex with Salesforce, you can use Twilio's APIs and webhooks to sync data between the two platforms. You can embed Twilio Flex functionality directly into Salesforce Lightning using custom components built with the Salesforce Lightning component library. This allows agents to engage with customers seamlessly from within the Salesforce interface.

You can also push Twilio Flex information into Salesforce to ensure that customer interactions and data are captured and stored accurately in both systems.

We’ve delivered a number of Flex and Salesforce integrations; one example is Oxfam GB where we successfully deployed Twilio Flex with Salesforce integration. Jenny Worwood, Head of Supporter Relations at Oxfam GB said,

“A big thing for us is that Twilio integrates with Salesforce. Instead of agents having to use several systems to record and respond to calls, everything is automated and linked. It’s not only a lot more efficient for our team but also a much smoother process for our supporters.”

Native integration

Twilio's documentation on their Flex integration with HubSpot is available here.

This solution embeds HubSpot CRM records directly within the Twilio Flex interface using an inline frame. This allows users, such as customer support agents or sales representatives, to access HubSpot CRM information and engage with customers without leaving the Twilio Flex environment.  For example, When a call or any other task is going through the IVR or IMR, you can request information from HubSpot CRM. Agents can then handle customer interactions, such as calls, chats, or SMS messages, directly within HubSpot, without needing to switch between multiple applications.

When integrating Twilio Flex and HubSpot using iFrames, you may find that tracking prevention can cause the iframe to fail to load into Twilio Flex entirely depending on your browser’s policy. As a result, server-side communications or API endpoints may be required. Furthermore, in testing we've found some of the newer elements of HubSpot's interface are currently blocked due to a required same origin policy. As a result, some of HubSpot's capabilities such as the search bar won't load inside Twilio Flex.

Custom integration

As a result of the limitations of the native HubSpot & Twilio integration we have built custom integrations which allow for management of bespoke processes and closer integration between the two systems. Building this way also has the added benefit of matching the look at feel of Flex, resulting in a more cohesive system overall, and reducing training time for agents to become familiar with the platform.

Zing recently built a custom CRM integration for HubSpot and Flex for a transport and distribution business. This enabled them to choose which data fields from HubSpot were mapped into Flex. Limiting the information an agent sees depending on what’s useful to them can help to improve business process and meet privacy or security requirements. Further integrations with the transport business followed including the integration of a custom order information software platform and fleet management system.

If you want to try this yourself, you can use HubSpot's API or webhooks to push customer data into Twilio Flex. Similarly, you can utilise Twilio's APIs and webhooks to pull data from HubSpot into Twilio Flex.

• Offers omnichannel support
• Gives agents purchase history and data
• Boosts agent productivity through unified interface and automation
• Enables personalisation
• Informs with data-driven decisions

Integrating Twilio Flex with an e-commerce platform provides several key benefits, including offering omnichannel support, enabling seamless communication across voice, SMS, chat, email, and social media from a single interface. This integration allows for personalised customer interactions by giving agents access to purchase history and data. It also boosts agent productivity through a unified interface and automation tools. Customers experience faster response times and seamless channel switching, enhancing satisfaction. In addition, comprehensive reporting and real-time monitoring offer valuable insights for data-driven decisions.

For customer City Lit, we integrated Magento Digital Commerce and Twilio Pay with Twilio Flex to enable customers to make payments on a secure line. When taking payments by phone, Twilio Pay automatically pauses call recordings, then resumes the recording once the payment details are entered.

• Enhances operational efficiency
• Provides real-time order and inventory data
• Enables targeted marketing and promotion
• Automated routine tasks

Integrating a POS system with Twilio Flex enhances customer service and operational efficiency. It allows agents to access unified customer data, including purchase histories, for personalised support and real-time information on orders and inventory. This streamlines processes by reducing system switching, speeding up resolutions, and automating routine tasks like order confirmations. Additionally, detailed purchase history enables targeted marketing campaigns and personalised promotions, improving business outcomes.

Integrating POS systems with Twilio Flex involves a few key steps. First, choose a POS system and ensure your Twilio Flex instance is set up. Obtain API documentation and access keys for both systems. Develop middleware to handle data exchange, using a preferred programming language and frameworks like Express for Node.js. Create API endpoints to fetch customer data and update order status between the systems. Configure webhooks for real-time updates on inventory or order status. Finally, map data fields between the POS system and Twilio Flex to ensure seamless information transfer.

We integrated Twilio Flex with an in-house point of sale system for a US jewellery retailer who operates an ecommerce business along with over twenty stores. This integration has enabled customer service agents to answer queries about stock levels and provide a personalised customer service.

• Meets customers where they are
• Ensures unified service approach
• Ensure consisteny of communication

An omnichannel contact centre enables businesses to connect with customers across various integrated channels, crucial in today's market where many customers prefer text-based interactions through platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. This integration meets customers where they are, enhancing satisfaction and engagement by offering timely, convenient support. It also ensures consistent communication and a unified service approach, improving operational efficiency and understanding of customer needs.

To integrate messaging apps with Twilio Flex, you’ll need to obtain the necessary API credentials for Twilio Flex and the messaging app in question. Configure these messaging channels within Twilio Flex, ensuring each app is properly linked and authenticated. Develop or use middleware to manage data exchange and streamline communication between Twilio Flex and the messaging apps. Finally, test the integration thoroughly to ensure seamless interactions across all channels.

• Real time multilingual support
• Enabling better service of global customer base
• Ensures consistent service quality across languages.

Integrating translation platforms with Twilio Flex enhances customer service by enabling real-time multilingual support. This allows businesses to serve a global customer base more effectively, breaking down language barriers and improving communication. It leads to faster resolution times and higher customer satisfaction, as agents can interact with customers in their preferred language without delay. Additionally, it broadens market reach and ensures consistent service quality across different languages, ultimately driving customer loyalty and expanding business opportunities.

To integrate translation platforms with Twilio Flex, you’ll need to obtain API credentials for both Twilio Flex and the translation platform. Develop middleware to facilitate communication between the two systems, ensuring translation requests and responses are efficiently handled.

Configure Twilio Flex to route messages through the translation platform, enabling real-time language translation during customer interactions.

Finally, test the integration to ensure seamless multilingual support and make any necessary adjustments to optimise performance.

We integrated translation platform DeepL with Twilio Flex for a nordic EV charging manufacturer, enabling engineers calling in to speak to the call centre in any language, with their words being translated to the native language. The platform then also translates the words of the native-speaking agents back to the language of the caller.

• Handles routine inquiries
• Frees up live agents for more complex issues
• Enables more accurate and personalised interactions

AI can automate contact centre tasks by handling routine inquiries, managing call routing, and providing instant responses through virtual agents, thereby freeing up live agents for more complex issues. It improves personalisation by analysing customer data and interaction history in real-time, allowing both virtual and live agents to offer tailored recommendations and solutions. This enhances the customer experience by ensuring faster, more accurate, and personalised interactions, ultimately increasing efficiency and satisfaction.

These integrations streamline processes, empower agents with vital customer data, and ensure seamless communication across channels. By leveraging these technologies within a cloud contact centre like Twilio Flex, organisations can significantly improve call resolution times, boost productivity, and deliver personalised, omnichannel support.

Investing in these integrations not only enhances customer satisfaction but also drives loyalty and long-term business success.

For more information on how to integrate these applications with Twilio Flex, or to see how these solutions can benefit your organisation, contact us today.

Further reading

Retail customer experience: Tips and strategies for success in 2024

7 customer experience challenges in the retail industry

5 real life use cases for retail cx