Best Call Center Software

From handling standalone operations to managing 360-degree CRM functions, call center technology has evolved drastically over the past few years. For unleashing multichannel support, today's call centers have to attend to web inquiries, inbound and outbound calls, email inquiries, and live chat. Call center software provides organizations with tools for handling omni-channel queries, including social media and web inquiries, analytics, and mobile-based customer support. 

Call centers have integrated and adopted recent technology to service customers and stay competitive. However, the technological curve demands call center businesses to constantly upgrade their existing systems and find the best solutions for their specific needs. 

With several solutions luring the buyers with promising functionalities, features, and tasks, making a purchasing decision for the most suitable and cost-efficient tool is a herculean task. This buyer’s guide is written with the purpose to guide the buyers in making a calculated decision before initiating an actual purchase. We have discussed in detail all elements and aspects of the top call center software solutions that are of paramount importance. 

First Call Resolution: Identifying the root cause of the 'call' is necessary for first call resolution. As the situation escalates, it becomes more complex to resolve issues. In many cases, customers appreciate if they get solutions without even engaging with the agent (through the knowledge base or IVR). FCR is a challenging task for call center agents. 

Workload and Stressful Environment: Call Centers need to fend off demands from multiple quarters such as customers, employees, technology, and administration. In a highly monotonous work environment, retaining employees’ enthusiasm is challenging. Over-burdened employees cannot help customers effectively. Incentivizing performance is not always the solution. Technology is essential for reducing the workload of call agents.  

Handling High Call Volume: Call volume at call centers is never consistent and spikes anytime. Seasonality based work pressure is a common issue with call centers. Contact centers face intense spikes of up to 10 times normal call volumes during events such as holidays, promotional campaigns, and vacation seasons.

Integrations: Successful integration with CRM, Chatbots, GSuite, Predictive Dialers, etc., is an added benefit. Finding call center solutions that can integrate with existing technology and applications is challenging. 

Analyzing Data Accurately: Call center managers have to evaluate key metrics to make data-driven decisions and increase the efficiency of their call center further. However, analyzing the historical and real-time data accurately for valuable insights is not easy when you generate massive data per second at your call center. 

Collaboration: Call center agents may have to collaborate with multiple departments for final resolutions. Coordinating with multiple departments for fetching data and problem solving is a challenging task. 

Mismatched Agent: Agents that don’t relate with the customer issues and are incompetent to handle the issue due to mismatched skills is a major issue that irks the customers. 

Inefficient Workflows: Inefficient processes cause many call centers to work in silos. Lack of systematic and strategic approach diminishes the quality of contact centers. Finding and implementing lean processes at call centers is a daunting task.

Structures the Process: Call center software helps in building a coherent enterprise-wide analytics structure that provides a clear vision for the future with automated call-routing, the agents can handle inquiries and minimize wait time for the callers.

Enhances customer service competencies: Call centers can expedite professional assistance for instant redressals using call center tools such as IVR, call routing, and other AI-enabled customer service tools. 

Handling Call Spikes: With the assistance of call center software, managers can deploy remote agents, create event-specific hotlines, use IVR for delivering information related to the event, and can send text messages to inform the callers before they try to reach the call center support desk.  

Train Employees for Faster Workflows:  Tools for call barging enables newly recruited employees to listen to the seasoned agents without interruption or callers getting to know it. This helps new agents to learn to solve issues quickly. 

Smooth Call Transition:  With the call center system, agents can transfer calls to an accurate department without any hassle and by virtue of agent attributes. 

The growing demand for self-service options: The goal of customer care should be that customers should not require one in the first place. There is a huge demand for systems that mitigate the requirement for a call center approach and the need for getting the agent on call. 

Provide Personalized care: Call center systems equip human agents to deliver personalization focused on the individual customer profile. 

Gain Performance Insights: Tracking performance metrics for call center agents is essential to gain valuable insights for further development and improvement of customer service. Call center applications provide accurate KPIs to unearth hidden areas for growth. 

Call Center System is a complete software solution for call center workflow management. 

It has tools such as:

• Customer Enquiry tools: Phone Support, Email Support, Web Chat, Messaging, Social Media
• Back Office Tools: Recording customer data, keeping interaction records, integrations with other tools.
• IVR Tools: Automatic determination of the issue and Transferring calls to agents, channel routing
• Inbound and Outbound tools: Tools for managing inbound calls and outbound calls.
• Agent Training Tools: Call Barging, Call recording tools

Based on Deployment

• Cloud-based Call Center Software: Cloud solutions for call centers provide a great deal of scalability, flexibility, convenience, support, and agility to organizations. Cloud solutions allow call centers to move from one-time high-cost capital expenditure to affordable operational expenses. These types of call center systems are hosted through third-party cloud solution providers. The cloud-based call center solution is a SaaS (Software as a Service) based product that allows call center managers and agents to access the services using internet-enabled devices. 
• Premise-based call center solutions: Premise based call center solutions are bought for an upfront license fee. It is a capital expenditure and requires a one-time large investment. Once purchased, there are only expenses related to updates.  These types of call center systems can be installed within their IT infrastructure. On-Premise systems are highly customizable in nature.  Businesses seeking software solutions for keeping their call center data on their own servers can opt for on-premise systems. 
• Web-based: These types of online call center software platforms are hosted, and third-party digital call center management solution providers offer these tools. Web-based online call center platforms are very popular and can be accessed from anywhere with an agent login ID and a secure password. 
• Open Source: These types of call center management software allow users to customize settings, features, and capacities by modifying source code to suit internal needs and add extra plugins to enhance the usability of the software. When companies need to accommodate specific features in their call center solutions that are unavailable with any vendor, then open source call center software can be deployed.

Based on the Functions

• Customer Care Focused: Customer care services focused software helps agents in handling queries regarding services or products of the companies and offer support in case the customers are not able to utilize the services properly. 
• Customer Acquisition Focused: Customer acquisition focused software assist agents in acquiring new customers and persuading them to make a new purchase. The application helps agents in promotional activities, upselling and cross-selling. 
• Business-to-Business Focused: These types of call center applications assist B2B businesses in imparting extensive customer support to their clients. 
• Technical Support Focused:  Providing technical support to customers is highly vital for businesses that sell software-based products, appliances, or equipment. 

Call Tracking: The call center software tracks the location of the call and provides analytics that supports your online and offline marketing efforts. It tracks call volumes, repeat callers, time of day, duration, etc. 

Global call routing: With multinational organizations that operate in multiple countries, the call center software (cloud-based) optimally routes calls to the nearest call center to reduce latency. Even in doing so, the software doesn't forego attribute-based routing and, based on the caller's needs, routes to the best-qualified agent. 

Automated Customer Surveys: Schedule customer surveys, polls, marketing research surveys, etc., and track responses with powerful analytics 

IVR: Interactive voice response mechanism creates an automated outreach system that connects callers to the right agents. It eases the caller’s journey by smart call routing and an automated yet personalized approach. 

ACD: Automatic Call Distribution is a feature that categorizes the caller's needs and routes the call to the most appropriate agent for faster resolution. It allows the user to see the distribution of calls per agent in real-time and manage the call flow effectively.

Predictive Dialer: Predictive dialing feature increases the call center's productivity by eliminating the wait time between calls. How does this algorithm work? Suppose an agent takes on average 60 seconds to resolve a call, and on average, people pick a call in 8 secs, then the predictive dialer will automatically make calls after 60 secs. This eliminates the manual dialing time.

Call Barging: Call Barging is a feature wherein call center managers can listen to calls between agents and callers without any of them knowing it. This feature is used for quality control, agent training, and increasing customer satisfaction rate. 

Voice Broadcasting: Promotional messages, payment alerts, last day alerts, reminder calls, and offer calls don’t require a human agent. The voice broadcasting feature enables call centers to make thousands of calls simultaneously to customers with the pre-recorded voice template. 

Text Messaging: Send bulk messages, promotion codes, discount offer links, birthday wishes, survey links, etc., with the text messaging feature of call center software. 

Speech Analytics: Tools that conduct neuro-linguistic analysis, sentiment analytics, content analysis, and customer engagement analytics, and data mining for understanding customer’s overall emotions towards the service.

Queue Call Back: This feature allows the customer to leave their number and receive an automated callback. It saves the customer from the hassle of long wait time and also provides call centers to manage lengthy call queues efficiently.  

Warm Transfers: A feature where one agent can inform another one about the current caller’s issue and aid him/her with additional background information before transferring the call.  It keeps both agents on the same page and brings consistency in the resolution.

Video Support: Video support allows face-to-face conversation with an agent. In technological support such as troubleshooting, product demo, etc. and it is one of the most effective methods of customer service. 

Call Recording: This feature helps in improving services by analyzing conversations for training purposes. 

• Lower Operating Costs: With the increased efficiency of call agents, decreased call escalation rate, and automation-led faster execution, call centers can lower operating costs involved in running call centers. 
• Product Upselling: Based on the recent interaction with the customer, the software can provide upsell recommendations.
• Geolocation-based Support: Call center software unleashes advanced analytics to improve decision making and offer location-based recommendations.
• Omnichannel Support: Quick and purposeful engagement on multiple channels. 
• Monitor Agent Performance: Call Center applications have cognitive technology that provides real-time coaching to call center agents, monitor their performance, and help them achieve personalized targets. AI and NLP integrations continuously monitor agent performance to identify improvement zones. 
• Easy Back-end Operations: Process mining capabilities can reduce the burden on agents by eliminating redundant processes through automation and implementing intuitive processes for better performance in the back-end. Robotics process automation can handle low-value back end operations. 
• Measuring KPIs: Call center software helps companies measure essential key performance indicators such as:
• Average Call volume, 
• Call resolution time
• Average call time
• First call resolution percentage
• Escalation rate 
• Callers in the queue
• Waiting time in the queue
• Average abandonment rate
• Calling trends such as peak times, days

Informed and consistent customer service is essential for a better customer experience. Companies have realized that customer interactions and the outcome is a key factor that shapes customer impression for the company. 

Call center software has the power to unleash personalized experience to callers. The software helps to identify customer pain points, attributes, past interactions, previous behaviors, payment information, and based on the data analytics, preemptively solves customer issues, predict opportunities to delight customers, and determine the preferred time to reach customers. 

Call center software can provide real-time analytics helping the agents to create a distinctive experience for their customers while providing purchase assistance, updates, deliveries, etc. A dynamic call center tool collates, records, and presents customer interaction data from multiple channels on a single dashboard. This allows the agents to instantly determine the action by visualizing the customer journey in a single frame. 

The digitally-enabled in-moment tools in customer care software shorten the service process and provide a hyper-personalized experience to the customers that are key for building long-term relationships. With tools that customize the caller experience and provide visibility into the end-to-end customer journey, companies can create a better user experience for callers. 

Multichannel contact center software helps in customer experience management by providing several communication channels that operate as standalone functions yet synchronized for data flow. Allowing customers to connect with you across all channels amps up your customer support. Analysis of cross-channel interactions prevents customer churn and improves retention. Call center software provides analytics and customer interaction data with real-time time insights. 

The software can also analyze search query terms and language used across all channels to make automated conversation easier and accurate. The application also unifies customer interaction by incorporating centralized reporting of all customer interactions across various channels. Callers can also switch channels as per their convenience and agent recommendation. For example, an inquiry that started on email can be switched to WhatsApp Support if it is more convenient for the caller. 
 

Deploying exact channel for issues: 

Earlier customers who switched from voice platforms to internet-based platforms had to share information again. Today's platforms are truly omnichannel and integrate in a manner that shares information automatically across channels. If your customer is unable to find a function to use on the app that your company has developed, there should be an option to contact the agent from within the app. However, when you want to conduct identity verification, you can use voice or video channels. If you want to share data, live chat options can be used with document sharing functionality. 

Omnichannel journeys can not only reduce operating costs but also increase customer satisfaction. While most of the simple queries are solved by self-service tools and automated processes, complex issues are addressed by agents with the assistance of call center technology. For example, automated tools can decide that for any glitch in service for high-value customers, a mere apology from the agent won't suffice. It recommends the agent to send a relevant gift card, offer, or discount card after anticipating the customer's needs.

Automation can help call centers in: 

• Preventing issues before they occur by constantly tracking services, quick updates, upgrades, etc. (For example, call centers notifying customers regarding service downtime due to a scheduled update so that customers can plan accordingly)
• Identifying potential issues and calling the customers proactively before they raise issues (Prior alerts about dues, last dates, so that the customer account doesn’t get suspended)
• Building rigorous analytical capabilities: Call centers can establish the reason for the call and enable a transparent resolution with the help of high-end analytics capabilities. (For example, call center software can identify similar nature of calls and automate the response). 

Artificial intelligence has kindled a revolution in the call center world by increasing the agent’s efficiency and reducing workload. AI-led conversational analytics, predictive analytics, intelligent recommendations, and application assimilation has enabled call centers to enhance the customer experience as never before. AI predominately helps in increasing data security, maintaining compliance, and generating reliant analytics that optimizes the call center’s workflow with lean process inculcation. AI, machine learning, and NLP can combine together to conduct sentiment analysis by determining the cadence of the language. 

Customer Assistance: AI-powered conversation agents can initiate conversations, solve basic queries, and provide apt recommendations for customer issues. 
AI-based Call Routing: AI features skill-based call routing to pair the customer with the relevant agent after the initial interaction. This increases the rate of faster resolution and saves customers from unnecessary call deviations.

The choice of call center solution impacts customer satisfaction, and therefore extensive parameters have to be analyzed before investing. 

1. Speed: A perfect call center solution will enhance the overall speed of processes involved in serving customers. There should be a significant difference in the time taken to attend customer calls before and after the implementation of the call center software. 
2. Ease to Implement: If you are looking to replace the existing systems with the new Call center software, then you should look for solutions that unleash a smooth transition from existing systems to new ones. 
3. User-Friendly: It should not be complicated to train your call center agents to understand all functions of the tool. Either there should be an extensive training program, or the software should be super intuitive to use. In a nutshell, your team must not struggle to use the software and must be able to reach effective usage goals. 
4. Omnichannel Support: The software should be able to deliver services on all channels and customer interaction points such as customer care call support, social media, live chat, email, and website. 
5. Uptime Guarantee: Customer care is all about providing quick support, fast resolutions, and real-time redressals. Software with technical glitches, downtime, and slow processes can damage your business. Go through the historical uptime records and select the vendor that has robust platform stability. 
6. Agility and scalability: Call centers may have seasonal trends and unexpected call traffic on certain days. In case of a critical event with your business, call centers may have to respond to unusually high queries on certain days. The call center solution should be competent to provide support extensions in such times. 
7. Reporting and Analytics: One should look for call center solutions that provide valuable insights, key metrics analysis, and customized reports for increasing operational efficiency and finding further growth opportunities.
8. Data Security: Any outage in terms of customer data can be disastrous for your business. In this context, reputed vendors who can protect your data without fail should be your preferred choice. 

Omnichannel mix: The propensity to use multiple channels to reach companies is increasing. However, businesses are identifying the right channel that customers will use to reach them for providing prioritized services. For example, a customer-facing internet outage is likely to reach the telecom company on the phone; however, for just knowing the remaining data usage, customers will use the app provided by the telecom service provider. The success of call center services depends on identifying and prioritizing the channels that customers are going to use to reach them. 

Automation: Intelligent or thoughtful automation coupled with AI, Big data, and machine learning is on the rise. Automated interactions with the help of the chatbots, automated forecasting and insights for data, automated workflows and processes, automated solutions for customer queries, automated guidance for agents, automated sales suggestions for upselling and cross-selling, and automated staff scheduling with powerful algorithms and sophisticated tools are the future of call centers.  

AI-led Agent Training and Orientation: The software applications have enabled agents to interact on all channels. Call center future beholds expansion of more channels to meet customer needs. However, the basic requirements of each channel are way different from each other. All platforms have different speed patterns, frequency, privacy rules, and more. Call center agents must be well-trained to handle queries and respond on a multichannel platform. 

Pricing Trends: There is an increased demand for low-cost web-based online call center solutions and customized packages built according to business size and requirements. However, affordable cloud solutions will be the most preferred investment when it comes to call center technology. 

The cost of call center software depends on multiple parameters such as features, functions performed, number of agents it supports, customer calls it can handle, type of deployment, degree of user-friendliness, and more. In most cases, the average cost of call center software solutions for a full-featured software tool is around $20 per month. Other costs also include installation charges, migration, training, and updates. 

Cloudtalk comes for $20 per user per month for the starter plan, whereas its expert plan will cost you $40 per user per month. Zendesk support offers various plans starting at $5 per agent per month. The basic essential plan of Aircall will cost $30 per user per month, and its professional plan comes for $50 per user per month. 

You can choose from free and open source call center software solutions such as Bitrix24, VICIdial, EKIGA, and more. If you need free call center software, then go for Asterisk or Microsip.   Apart from the package costs, you should also inquire about hidden costs such as installation charges, agent training costs, upgrade costs, maintenance costs, etc.

GoodFirms assist businesses in finding, categorizing, evaluating, and selecting the best call center solutions for their inbound and outbound call centers. Leveraging the expertise of trustworthy software research teams such as GoodFirms, you can ensure that your decision is not left on chance and is guided by prudence and detailed analysis. Even companies that provide outsourcing solutions for live chat, email support, social media contact center, and cloud-based call center services can go through the authentic list of call center software solutions compiled by GoodFirms to make their call centers agile and technically efficient.