What is ANI?

Automatic number identification (ANI) is a telephony service that allows the receiver of a phone call to capture and display the phone number of the phone that originated the call, and is mainly in place for billing purposes. In the past, telephone operators would have to manually request the number of the calling party for a toll call. ANI is somewhat similar to caller ID in function, but the underlying technology is different.

Although the method of transmitting the phone number data differs based on the service provider, it is often sent as a digital tone with the phone call. In addition to technology differences, ANI is more resistant to blocking than caller ID. In fact, blocking caller ID has no effect on ANI.

How is ANI used in contact centers?

Call centers that subscribe to ANI services can use it to positively impact the customer experience. For example, with the right technology in place, contact centers can route calls based on location. The area code of the call is used to identify the probable location of the caller and the call is routed to the team of agents that support that region.

In another scenario, the phone number is bounced against a customer database and routed according to customer characteristics.

In conjunction with ANI, the customer database can also be leveraged to automatically provide agents with customer account information. This allows the agent to immediately acknowledge the customer's identity and provide the personalization that is so important for building rapport. Additionally, the agent can spend more time on value-added activities and less on data gathering.