CRM integrations make our clients’ lives easier by allowing them to connect apps they use every day to their AnswerConnect accounts. Setting up an integration automates certain tasks, so you don’t have to think about them. They just happen.
One of the most popular integrations we do connects our live answering service with our client’s Customer Relationship Management software, or CRM. Clients use CRMs such as Salesforce, Zoho, Infusionsoft (and many more) to manage their relationships with their customers. It’s right in the name!
A CRM integration might sound complicated, but it’s actually pretty simple. When you get a call, we can push any information from that call to your CRM. Then, you don’t have to get the message from us and manually enter the data into your CRM software. It just happens automatically as soon as our virtual receptionist ends the call.
What is a CRM integration?
A CRM integration connects your call answering service with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, or Clio. This connection allows call data like caller details, messages, and call outcomes to automatically sync with your CRM system.
With this integration, every call answered is logged directly into the right customer record, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring your sales or support teams have up-to-date information. It also enables real-time caller ID pop-ups and automates follow-up tasks, helping your team respond faster and more efficiently.
In short, CRM integration makes your call answering service more than just a phone answering solution. It becomes a seamless part of your customer management workflow, improving communication, productivity, and customer experience.
Why use CRM integrations?
There are many benefits to integrating your CRM system with your answering service. Let’s look at three: Efficiency, Reporting, and Cost-Effectiveness.
Efficiency
A CRM integration is just plain fast. Our receptionist takes down your caller’s name, email, phone number—whatever information you’ve asked for. This can also include a call type, so you can easily separate your support calls from your sales calls, for example.
Without an integration, you or someone in your office would have to receive that message and manually transcribe it into your CRM. A CRM integration lets you skip that data entry step. And you can still get your messages by email, text, or through our online portal, Client Web Access, just like before.
You can even set up follow-up actions within your CRM to automatically respond to the call—more on that later.
Reporting
If you have CRM software, you’re probably already using it for reporting purposes. With an integration, your reporting becomes more complete and gives you more valuable insights. Are you getting a lot of support calls on the weekend? Is that ad you’re running bringing in business? With a CRM integration, you’re in a better position to answer these questions and make the right decisions for your business.
Cost-effectiveness
A CRM integration doesn’t cost you anything at all. Our team would be happy to set one up for you, completely free of charge. And it doesn’t even use up any of your plan minutes, because the information is transferred in a flash to your CRM system when the call ends. Our virtual receptionist doesn’t have to do anything!
Types of CRM integrations
There are a ton of CRM systems on the market, and AnswerConnect can work with most of them. The integrations we can do fall into three broad categories.
Google Sheets
True, Google Sheets is not a CRM—it’s a spreadsheet application like Excel that Google provides free to anyone with an account. But if you don’t have CRM software for your business, we can still push your call data to you with an integration. We’ll just work with you to set up a Google Sheet, and then populate it with the information from each call. You can work with the data in Google Sheets or export it to another application, if you prefer.
Zapier Integrations
Zapier is a web-based service that enables connections between different software applications. These “zaps,” as Zapier calls them, allow us to link our answering service software with your CRM. Zapier works with a huge number of apps. If your CRM system is on their list, we can probably create the CRM integration for you!
Custom webhooks integrations
While Zapier covers most of the CRM systems our clients use, there are some exceptions. For these, we can look into creating a custom integration for you through webhooks. Without getting too technical, webhooks allow us to do things not possible through Zapier. Our integrations team can advise you on how best to connect the software you use with your AnswerConnect account.
What you can do with AnswerConnect CRM integrations
AnswerConnect CRM integrations enable a wide range of automated workflows. Common use cases include:
- Capturing New Leads: Automatically add caller details as new leads in your CRM.
- Creating Support Tickets: Instantly generate support tickets based on client inquiries or issues.
- Managing Mailing Lists: Add new contacts to email campaigns or subscriber lists without manual entry.
These integrations help streamline customer relationship management by reducing data entry, ensuring consistency, and improving response times.
Popular CRM Integrations with AnswerConnect
AnswerConnect integrates with a wide range of CRMs to streamline how you capture, manage, and act on your customer interactions. Some of the most popular CRM platforms our clients connect with include:
- Salesforce – Automatically log calls, create new leads, and update contact records in real time.
- HubSpot – Send caller info directly into your contact list and trigger workflows like email follow-ups.
- Zoho CRM – Create new leads or tickets directly from AnswerConnect call data.
- Pipedrive – Populate new deals or contacts instantly after a call.
- Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) – Capture contacts and tag them for automated follow-ups.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 – Sync lead data and call summaries to improve customer tracking.
- Freshsales – Push inbound leads and notes straight into your pipeline.
- Clio (for legal professionals) – Log client calls and create new matters automatically.
These integrations are either direct or can be configured via Zapier, allowing flexibility for hundreds of other tools.
AnswerConnect Integration Testimonial:
CertaScan Technologies x Zoho CRM
Customer: CertaScan Technologies
Integration: Zoho CRM
CertaScan Technologies offers a cutting-edge solution for identifying newborn infants in hospitals using modern scanning technology and a patent-pending system that captures newborn footprints. These footprints provide a unique, forensic-grade method of identification throughout the child’s life, assisting authorities in cases such as kidnappings or natural disasters.
To efficiently manage hospital support requests, CertaScan uses Zoho CRM to track support tickets. AnswerConnect supports this process by providing a toll-free support line for hospitals utilizing CertaScan’s equipment. To ensure consistent tracking and reporting, AnswerConnect developed a custom integration leveraging CertaScan’s call script call types to automate key workflows:
- Automatically categorizes incoming support calls based on predefined call types.
- Triggers appropriate actions, including:
- Opening new support tickets in Zoho CRM
- Sending follow-up email notifications
- Escalating urgent calls directly to technicians
Benefits of the Integration:
- Accurate, automated tracking of support interactions without manual data entry
- Faster response times through automatic routing of calls and notifications
- Comprehensive tracking and reporting visibility
This integration exemplifies how AnswerConnect’s flexible platform seamlessly connects with CRM systems like Zoho to automate workflows, enhance customer service, and deliver reliable support for specialized equipment.
Client-Side Automation Testimonial:
ItsDonated x Salesforce CRM
Customer: ItsDonated
Integration: Salesforce
ItsDonated facilitates donations of unwanted boats to charity, supporting causes like the Eye Defects Research Foundation. Previously, ItsDonated’s call center couldn’t integrate with Salesforce, causing delays in sending donation packets to callers.
With AnswerConnect’s integration, donation callers now receive immediate email packets triggered automatically by their calls. As Matthew Brenner of ItsDonated states:
“Now, callers receive donation packets instantly instead of waiting days, enabling them to start the donation process quickly. This has increased lead conversions because callers no longer look elsewhere due to wait times.”
This example highlights how automated CRM actions based on call data—such as sending acknowledgements or creating support tickets—can enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
How to Get Your CRM Integration
Integrating your CRM with AnswerConnect enables automated follow-ups and boosts your organization’s efficiency and reporting capabilities without additional costs. Explore AnswerConnect’s flexible pricing options today to improve your profitability and productivity.
If you’re already an AnswerConnect client and want to talk about setting up an integration with your CRM software, we’ll need to know just a few things from you:
- What CRM do you use?
- What information do you want pushed from your call data to your CRM?
- Do you want this information added to your CRM as a lead, case, or contact?
If you know the answers to these questions, contact our client services team at 800-531-5828 or clientservices@answerconnect.com. If you aren’t sure, get in touch with us anyway! We’d be happy to walk you through it.
