What is Screen Pop?

When your company is adopting a new technology, there can be a learning curve for understanding all the associated terminology. It goes without saying that when your business implements a new system, of any kind, both management and staff should be well-versed in exactly what that system can do. If they’re not, then what’s the point of buying a new fancy tool?

Call center software has a barrier to entry when it comes to terminology. The good news about this particular technology is that most people are familiar with the upshot of call center software from the consumer end. This means that team members likely already understand the concepts, they just need to pair them with the terms.

For instance, most people are familiar with the automated call center software system that greets callers and asks them to make selections to direct their call. As in, “Press 1 for English, Oprima numero dos para Espanol.” The technical term for this is an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. Call center managers and agents need to learn this term so that they can figure out how to customize it to meet the needs of their customers.

In this post, I’ll be going over the call center software term I think has the most fun name. What could that be? Why, screen pop, of course.

What is screen pop?

Screen pop – not to be confused with pop rocks, ring pops, pop and locking and ‘Nsync’s infamous dirty pop – is a call center software feature that automatically displays caller information on call center agent screens when a call rings into the system. It is also known as automatic screen pop, automated screen pop and Computer Telephaony Integration (CTI), which is a technology that allows for communication between a computer and phone system.

Here’s the simple version: A customer or prospect reaches out via phone. When the call center software receives the call, it alerts the agent. This alert includes not only the fact that there is a caller on the line, but also any relevant caller information found in the system.

What are the advantages of screen pop?

Screen pop is a way to ensure that call center agents are primed to help customers even before the call is answered. It’s easy, automatic and tremendously useful in speeding call resolution. Imagine the time (and customer frustration!) saved when call center agents don’t have to spend the first five minutes of the call getting customers to spell out their last names and read out their account numbers.

Screen pop also allows agents to personalize conversations from the get-go, which improves customer satisfaction. For example, agents can answer the phone by greeting the caller by their name. This personalized service gives your company an advantage over any of your competitors who use legacy call center technologies. It seems like a no-brainer that call center agents should have easy access to available caller information, but, fortunately for you, it’s not.

Where does screen pop pull customer information from?

Advanced call center software solutions allow for customized screen pops, where companies can choose specific information to be displayed. In general, this includes the caller’s name, phone number, address, email address, company, job title, information entered in your IVR, etc.

Some of this information can be pulled from public databases like data.com. However, the real meat of a screen pop should come from a company’s robust database as accessed through their call center software and helpdesk systems. This part’s up to you. Make it your business to keep extensive records of customer contact histories. The more complete the record, the more information agents will have access to when a call comes in.

Better yet, integrate your call center software with a business tool such as Salesforce and Zendesk. These integrations enable you to sync information in both databases, so that your call center agents have complete background history on callers. For example, when a ticket is created in your helpdesk system, the ticket information automatically populates into your call center software solution. This ensures that your agents are always accessing the most comprehensive customer data, without having to open multiple systems.

Screen pop is a powerful and easy way to decrease handle time, ensure sufficient call resolution and keep your agents informed. Advanced call center software solutions come with screen pop built in, so your company does not have to go through extra hassle to get the best features possible.

Are you interested in seeing what screen pop can do to transform your interactions with customers? Request a live demo of Talkdesk’s cloud-based call center software with screen pop today.