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Top 11 Call Center Software for 2024
Though the world has become digital, a lot of customers still prefer phone support when reaching out to customer service.
Phone support is a great way to help customers, but sadly, it is one of the most time-consuming, expensive and hard-to-measure support channels.
That’s where call center software enters the picture.
Top call center solutions can effectively manage phone interactions, regardless of seasonal fluctuations or topical trends, ensuring short hold times for customers and small operational expenses for call center users.
In this blog, you’ll learn about the 11 best call center software, their key features, pros & cons, pricing and a neutral, unbiased verdict on what users and industry experts think about them. But that’s not all. You will also learn to evaluate call center platforms objectively and pick the one that matches your organizational needs. Let’s get started.
- What is call center software?
- Types of call center platforms
- 11 Best call center software + contact center solutions
- How to evaluate the best call center provider
- When to migrate from call center software to contact center solutions
- How to migrate from call center software to contact center solutions
- Final thoughts
What is call center software?
Call center software is a technology solution designed to help businesses manage and streamline their phone support to ensure no call goes unattended and no caller leaves dissatisfied.
Using call center technologies like IVR, CRM integration, call monitoring and queuing, call center software can facilitate efficient communication between call center agents and customers.
Apart from delivering customer service in a call center, these tools also help with sales and telemarketing operations.
Why use a call center solution
Businesses use call centers to streamline call management, enhance agent productivity and offer valuable insights through analytics. With features like CRM integration and smart routing, call center solutions ensure customers receive prompt and personalized phone support, all while controlling contact volume and call center agent burnout. Here are five major benefits businesses can get by leveraging call center software.
#1. Efficient call handling
Features like Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) efficiently route incoming calls to the most appropriate agents, reducing wait times and ensuring callers reach the right department.
#2. Lower operation costs
Call center software can optimize staffing levels by leveraging IVR, call deflection and customer self-service. It reduces the need for physical infrastructure, resulting in significant cost savings over time.
#3. Scalability
Call center solutions are flexible and easily adaptable to changing call volumes, allowing businesses to scale their operations up or down as needed.
#4. Data and analytics
Call center software provides valuable insights into customer interactions and agent performance through reporting and analytics tools, which can be used to make informed decisions and continuously improve services.
💡Pro tip: Find call center software that enhances your agent’s performance with an AI-powered quality management solution. You can evaluate 100% of your customer conversations. Uncover real-time agent performance and compliance-related insights to deliver contextual, constructive feedback.
#5. Compliance and quality assurance
Robust call center solutions include features like call recording and monitoring to facilitate call center quality assurance which ensures compliance with industry regulations and fosters customer trust.
Types of call center platforms
There are five broad types of call center platforms that vary by purpose, topology and usability:
1. On-premises call center software
On-premises call center software, traditional in nature, relies on physical infrastructure for call operations housed within your organization's premises. You gain precise control over features and updates, allowing customization tailored to your team's specific needs. Some companies appreciate the security and privacy of having their data on-site.
However, challenges come in the form of: -
- Substantial upfront investments for infrastructure and labor
- Specialized IT staff to handle software setup and maintenance
- Integration with third-party technology is complex
2. Virtual call center
Virtual call centers operate with remote agents from different locations rather than a centralized office. These call centers handle both inbound and outbound calls using technology to connect agents with customers seamlessly.
They offer flexibility, cost savings and the benefits of a traditional call center without geographical limitations. However, managing remote teams and ensuring consistent service quality can pose challenges.
3. Hosted call center software
Hosted call center software is hosted on remote servers managed by a vendor and accessible through an internet connection for a monthly/annual fee. There are no upfront investments and no need for an in-house specialized IT team. Many providers offer a pay-as-you-go model, making it cost-effective for startups and smaller companies.
However, potential disadvantages include: -
- Risk of disruptions due to centralized servers
- Non-flexibility and less customization options
4. Inbound call center software
Inbound call centers are dedicated to managing incoming customer calls, with a focus on providing various types of support, resolving queries and collecting customer feedback. Benefits of inbound call centers include personalized support, prompt issue resolution, feedback for continuous improvement and the cultivation of strong customer relationships and loyalty. However, they may face limitations such as longer wait times during high call volumes.
5. Outbound call centers
Outbound call centers specialize in proactive, outgoing calls to customers or prospects, engaging in lead generation, market research, customer support, appointment booking, debt collection and more. Their primary objective is to drive customer outreach, promote products or services and identify potential sales opportunities.
These call centers play a pivotal role in helping businesses expand their customer base and increase revenue. For instance, a financial institution like American Express might utilize an outbound call center to reach out to customers, offering personalized loan or credit card options.
11 Best call center software + contact center solutions
Based on our research and keeping the context of the year 2024, here’s a list of the top call center and contact center software any business can prefer:
⚠️ Important Note for Readers:
The below tools are in no particular order of ranking or popularity. Still, they are independent picks by Sprinklr’s editorial team based on our research and publicly available information in the review sites. It is crucial to note that software or platforms may evolve over time, and the company may address some of these concerns in newer updates or versions.
Sprinklr
Sprinklr Service is one of the best call center software for small, mid-level and large companies alike. When 90% of customers seek swift answers, Sprinklr Service can be your savior. Powered by best-of-breed AI and a truly unified customer experience platform, Sprinklr Service streamlines your inbound and outbound calls, reducing contact volume and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Furthermore, it has a proven history of reducing Average Handle Time (AHT) through real-time assistance, making use of features such as guided workflows, knowledge base integration and canned responses. By harmonizing these capabilities, Sprinklr Service ensures that customer support is not just efficient but also deeply personalized, offering a seamless journey for both callers and support teams alike.
Interesting Read: A Detailed Overview of CCaaS
🚀 Most popular features
- Conversational IVR
Sprinklr’s Conversational IVR software transforms the traditional, static IVR menus into dynamic, interactive bots that empower customers to lead the conversation. Thanks to the self-serve capabilities, customers can seamlessly pick up where they left off. Conversational IVR takes personalization to new heights by fetching customer data, ensuring that every interaction feels tailor-made.
Moreover, it steers callers towards faster resolutions, redirecting them seamlessly to digital and social channels using AI, effectively reducing inbound calls.
- AI-powered routing
Sprinklr’s AI-powered call routing streamlines operations by smartly painting callers with the right agent to weigh on customer needs and the issue at hand. This means less waiting and faster solutions when customers contact your support.
Agents, equipped with a complete understanding of the context, can deftly handle inquiries and close tickets in record time. Moreover, AI-powered routing is a boon for agent productivity, effectively balancing their capacities to handle multiple calls. This multifaceted approach allows for simultaneous case management adherence to service level agreements (SLAs).
Learn more: Your Call Center Needs an AI Boost
- Unified agent desktop
Sprinklr’s unified agent desktop brings all your conversations in one place. It leads to faster resolutions with more connected, AI-powered processes across voice and digital channels — giving every agent instant access to a bird’s eye view of a customer’s activity, case history, CRM data and survey results.
- Conversational AI chatbots
You can reduce dependency on phone support by increasing your self-serve rates by 150% with Sprinklr's Conversational AI Bots. These bots empower customers to navigate complex scenarios independently, significantly reducing reliance on human agents for enhanced efficiency and customer satisfaction.
- Compliance
Use Sprinklr's AI-Driven Risk Detection to leverage advanced AI-powered risk recognition technology to maintain operational efficiency and ensure unwavering compliance with the stringent regulations set forth by prominent local, national and international authorities.
These include regulatory bodies like TRAI, OFCOM, FTC and FDCP, allowing your organization to navigate the complex landscape of compliance effortlessly and with confidence.
Overall verdict
Sprinklr's contact center software platform has an impressive G2 rating of 4.6 stars. It offers a plethora of positive features, from conversational analytics to AI-powered routing.
As part of the Unified-CXM system under Sprinklr Service, the contact center software platform excels in managing conversations with a user-friendly interface and ready-made components. Sprinklr Service is excellent for automating outbound communications with smart behavior handling. Live Chat and Agent Assist make it easy for agents to analyze and improve conversations.
Sprinklr demonstrates a practical vision for innovation, keeping up with tech trends and collaborating for diverse uses. Their robust research and development organization ensures ongoing growth. However, the product could be more noticeable in the contact center software field, as Sprinklr is primarily recognized for social media management rather than customer service.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
One notable aspect of Sprinklr Service, regarding its competence, is its user interface, which is extremely easy to use and understand. People can quickly master its functions with minimal effort. Automatic responses are a robust feature of this application, significantly reducing response times. It also detects the positive or negative connotations of messages. The ability to classify messages on boards is an incredible advantage of this application, allowing messages to be sorted and responded to in a more optimal way.
💡 What could be better
Although the functionality of the Sprinklr Service is limited on mobile devices, it is still usable. The program may be improved further to make it more mobile-friendly.
Price: Starting at $199/user/month. Check full pricing
Free trial – Sprinklr offers a 30-day Free Trial
Zendesk
Zendesk is a versatile solution tailored for improving customer service and support. It is a call center platform known for its user-friendly approach. Its flexibility and scalability make it a great choice for businesses looking to enhance customer support without the complexity of traditional call center software.
🚀 Top features
- Ticket routing
- Live chat support
- Native integrations
- Knowledge base
- Self-service portal
Overall verdict
The Zendesk Support Suite exhibits commendable attributes such as scalability and robust reporting features. However, the AI applications can be somewhat limited, relying on third-party tools for sentiment analysis. Customers may also encounter ticket duplication and message delays. Call quality reports vary, and international numbers are not on offer. Automated processes can be intricate to configure.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
In my opinion, Zendesk is the superior platform for customer support. It works great and has everything you need to provide good customer support. It was easy for us to move to Zendesk and our support agents are very happy using this support platform. It provides a much better overview, a great and user-friendly interface and a high level of customization for automation, which I enjoy.
💡 What could be better
There is not much to dislike about Zendesk Support Suite, as it is a comprehensive and user-friendly solution for customer support. However, if I had to mention something, I would say that the pricing could be more flexible and affordable for smaller businesses. Also, some of the advanced features and integrations require a bit of technical knowledge and customization, which can be challenging for non-experts.
Pricing: Basic plan at $55 per agent/month. Offers multiple plans.
Free trial: Zendesk offers a 14-day free trial
Nice CXone
NICE CXone stands out among call center solutions for its versatile IVR system that offers prebuilt reports for easy contact center reporting. It provides access to a wealth of data and the browser-based Max agent is user-friendly for agents. It offers a straightforward and streamlined interface with minimal screen clutter, making it easy to stay focused.
🚀 Top features
- Automatic Call Distribution (ACD)
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
- Workforce Management
- Quality Management
- Reporting and analytics
Overall verdict
Nice CXone is a customer service software solution tailored for large enterprises with complex needs and ample financial resources. However, it may not be ideal for those with budgetary limitations, comprehensive reporting needs or forecasting requirements for digital channels.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
The cloud-based platform features a highly user-friendly interface and boasts many bells and whistles. I appreciate the prebuilt reports and it's particularly helpful to have supervisor tools for listening in on calls. The platform makes it very easy to search for and find recorded calls. Additionally, I value the coaching and interaction options and the schedule management tools integrated into the system.
💡 What could be better
I wish it wouldn't log you out after a certain period of time; that can cause some delays in my work, but other than that, it's a great tool!
Price: Quote available on request
Free trial: Available for 60 days
Zoho Desk
Overview
Zoho Desk is a versatile solution for customer support operations, offering a robust suite of tools to streamline interactions and ensure prompt issue resolution. Zoho Desk is a user-friendly call center software designed to resolve a wide range of user and customer inquiries. It has an efficient ticketing system and straightforward interface, it stands out as a hassle-free solution for handling customer calls, making it suitable even for beginners.
🚀 Top features
- Dashboard
- Reporting
- Automated response
- SLA management
Overall verdict
Zoho Desk has a comprehensive suite of customer support tools encompassing efficient ticket management and powerful call automation. However, its user interface leaves much to be desired, as it often feels dated and lacks the modern aesthetics some users may prefer. The extensive feature set can be overwhelming, and the learning curve might deter some.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
The ability to customize it according to your company's needs helps in a great way to monitor agents' performance, response time and other KPIs, which is important to improve your service level. Also, the ability to automate the workflow is another awesome thing.
Zoho provides excellent after-service support. Your account manager will guide you through the implementation process and support you by phone and email whenever you need help. They not only provide solutions but will follow up after that to make sure it meets your needs.
💡 What could be better
While Zoho HelpDesk offers a range of integrations, there are certain third-party apps and tools that aren't supported. This might be a limitation for businesses with specific software needs.
Pricing: Basic plan starts at $5.02 per agent
Free trial: Available for 15 days
Nextiva
Nextiva is a comprehensive solution designed to empower customer service teams with efficient tools for managing interactions and ensuring seamless resolution of inquiries. It is a versatile call center solution designed to streamline customer support operations. It offers features like automatic call distribution (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR) and multi-channel support to ensure efficient call handling.
Designed with business owners in mind, Nextiva's solutions are user-friendly and easily manageable. It allows businesses to scale up or down as needed and incorporate additional applications, such as sales and service productivity tools. With over 2 billion conversations and 6 billion minutes of talk time annually (according to G2), Nextiva stands out for its commitment to "Amazing Service®" and unbeatable reliability.
🚀 Top features
- Auto Attendant
- Call Recording
- Advanced Call Management
- Advanced Call Routing
- Call Analytics
Overall verdict
Nextiva is definitely a well-known voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) service that provides unlimited calling throughout the United States and Canada. It has a wide array of call center automation features. However, configuring the call center is a bit difficult, and the admin UI could be a lot better, per G2 reviews.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
The customer service is fantastic. Throughout the implementation of our Nextiva phone system, the support was exceptional. They were readily available and responded very quickly to questions and concerns. Integrating the new system was a much smoother process than I expected!
Since we implemented the system last summer, we have been very happy with the features and functionality overall.
💡 What could be better
Although the tech support was great, Nextiva did not plan for our needs on the front end. This left us needing more tech support and even hardware that was not anticipated in advance. This made for a bumpy implementation.
Source: G2
Pricing: VoIP and CRM starting at $17.95 per month
Free Trial: Available for 7 days
Talkdesk
Overview
Talkdesk offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline customer support operations and ensure exceptional service delivery. It is purpose-built call center software that prioritizes improved customer service by emphasizing flexibility and scalability. The software focuses on streamlining customer support through effective call handling and leveraging analytics-driven insights to elevate the overall customer experience.
Distinguished by a commitment to superior customer interactions through artificial intelligence (AI), Talkdesk offers cutting-edge automation-first solutions. These solutions are thoughtfully designed to optimize critical customer service processes, empowering businesses to enhance customer interactions and elevate overall satisfaction.
🚀 Top features
- Session routing
- Auto dialer
- Speech analytics
Overall verdict
Talkdesk offers in-depth performance insights through comprehensive agent reports. Especially useful for remote agents, it monitors pickup rates and call recordings. It enables discreet call monitoring for improved call management and real-time support. However, it lacks essential features for maintaining, migrating and deploying voice prompts and flow changes, which causes confusion during implementation.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
Simplicity of the solution! It serves the basic and some advanced call routing requirements. It is an easy-to-use solution.
Preventive and scheduled maintenance notifications are punctual and precise. If it says next update in 15 minutes, you will get the next update in 15 minutes.
What could be better
Talkdesk though rarely, still experiences technical issues which need to be addressed. Examples are delayed ticket generation and automation. However, their customer support is fast and reliable when these cases happen. They also provide alternatives, while the concerns are still being addressed. All in all, it does not affect the overall handling of customer concerns.
Price: Starts at $75 per user/month. Offers multiple plans.
Free Trial: Available for 30 days
Webex
Webex stands as a next-generation cloud contact center solution, meticulously crafted with a customer-centric approach and tailored for business needs. This cloud-native platform is designed and built from the ground up as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, delivering the innovation, flexibility, scalability and agility synonymous with cloud technology while maintaining robust security.
Operating on a cloud-based subscription model, Webex Contact Center enables businesses to swiftly bring new features to market, driving rapid time-to-market and revenue without the need for substantial upfront capital investment.
🚀 Top features
- Automatic call distribution (ACD)
- Interactive voice response (IVR)
- CRM integration
Overall verdict
Webex Contact Center emerges as a robust and user-friendly solution, earning accolades for its effectiveness in elevating customer service and communication strategies across diverse industries. Users particularly commend its multi-channel accessibility, seamlessly handling calls, chats and emails within a unified platform.
While some users express concerns about pricing, the platform's demonstrable return on investment (ROI) in acquiring admissions or leads justifies the cost for many. Feedback highlights improvements in communication, support, CRM functionality and the platform's compliance with security requirements.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
Everything my team and I want from a collaboration tool exists in this comprehensive suite. The Webex App integrates Calling, Meetings, Messaging, Polling, Whiteboarding and Video Messaging, providing a one-stop solution for collaboration needs with all different devices for every user and team in all time zones, working seamlessly. After I connected it to my workspace, it's been very quick in the mailing system and making meetings directly from the application has been a breeze compared to other alternatives
💡 What could be better
Some advanced features, like enterprise-grade security or custom integrations, may require costly subscription plans in order to access. The absence of certain features or functionalities in the mobile app may hinder participation and collaboration while on the go, as compared to the desktop version.
Source: G2
Price: $14.50 per user
Free trial: Webex offers a 90-day free trial
LiveAgent
Overview
LiveAgent is a versatile solution that transforms customer service operations. It is a comprehensive customer-centric call center solution. The addition of canned messages and predefined answers helps you resolve many redundant customer issues. It's intuitive and user-friendly. LiveAgent positions itself as a leading live chat software platform, particularly catering to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. By seamlessly integrating live chat and email ticketing, LiveAgent empowers businesses to stay in control of customer support across diverse communication channels. The inclusion of automated ticket routing and internal coordination tools further solidifies LiveAgent's status as a comprehensive and efficient solution for businesses seeking top-notch customer support capabilities.
🚀 Top features
- Ticket Routing
- Canned/Predefined messages
- Email templates
- Voice integration
- Real-time website monitoring and statistics
Overall verdict
LiveAgent is a reliable call center solution that can support numerous agents since it includes auto-routing and back-end coordination features. However, it has poor customer support. The translation features could be better and have more features, such as automatic responses.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
As the CEO of FU International Academy, my experience with LiveAgent has been quite positive, especially considering the diverse needs of my businesses. Its ability to integrate multiple communication channels into one dashboard has been a game changer for managing customer interactions efficiently. The live chat feature has proven to be a standout for real-time engagement. It allows personalizing the chat widgets to align with our brand identity, which is crucial for maintaining consistency across our platforms.
💡 What could be better
It is a little complicated to adapt to the operation of this Help Desk because, although everything is well organized, it has a multitude of functions, and you need some time to understand how to use the call center and the ticket system well. The positive thing is that the support helped me with all the doubts I had about its use.
Source: G2
Price: $9 per month, exclusive of setup fee
Free trial: LiveAgent offers a 30-day free trial
GoTo Connect
Overview
GoTo Connect offers a comprehensive solution designed to enhance call center operations with its robust features and intuitive interface. It is a powerful and all-encompassing call center solution designed with the needs of small and medium-sized businesses in mind. With a history dating back to 2003, it has facilitated seamless connections between employees and customers regardless of location, enabling teams to excel in their tasks.
🚀 Top features
- Instant messaging
- Employee directory
- Text to speech
- Automated routing
- Voicemail transcription
Overall verdict
GoTo Connect is a unified virtual phone system that is easy to set up and simple to use. The entry-level package is a bit expensive, and it has fewer supported integrations. One common positive aspect highlighted is the mobile app, which allows users to receive work calls from anywhere. The ability to call out from different numbers (Irish and UK landlines) using the mobile app is noted as a valuable feature.
However, a recurring issue mentioned by users is the dependency on internet connectivity. When the internet is down, phone calls become unavailable, causing inconvenience. While this occurrence is infrequent, users find it notable and worth mentioning. Another reported challenge is occasional call quality issues, with users experiencing dropped calls and conversations with partial audio. This is attributed to the nature of internet phone service, and users express a desire for improvements in this aspect.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
We really like having a phone at home and one in the office, using them seamlessly in addition to the desktop client interface and the app on our iPhones. We can be anywhere and respond to phone calls. We also appreciate all the integrated features (fax, voicemail to email, texting). The platform is intuitive to use and easy to manage. Though it's not the cheapest solution, the cost is reasonable, and support has been very good when we've had issues.
💡 What could be better
One feature that's missing is that it would be great to have a cross-platform ability to see when someone is on the phone. It's clear from the desktop phone if someone's on their desktop phone, but it doesn't show if someone's on another device.
Source: G2
Price: Starting at $27 per month
Free trial: GoTo Connect offers a 14-day free trial
Aircall
Overview
Aircall transforms call center operations with its array of powerful tools and user-friendly interface. It has emerged as the go-to cloud-based call center and phone system for modern businesses. This voice platform seamlessly integrates with popular productivity and helpdesk tools, emphasizing accessibility, transparency and collaboration. Aircall is tailor-made to simplify phone support management. It empowers sales and support teams, particularly those with three or more users, to communicate clearly and efficiently.
🚀 Top features
- Call queuing
- Ring groups
- Parallel calls
- Unlimited concurrent calls
Overall verdict
Aircall call center software receives mixed reviews from users, showcasing both positive aspects and areas for improvement. Users laud the software for its seamless multi-device compatibility, allowing effortless functionality across computers, iPhones and Android phones— an advantage particularly appreciated by on-the-go team members. However, concerns include occasional connection problems that may impact crucial phone conversations. Some users express a desire for more advanced features, emphasizing the need for improved information-sending capabilities.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
I've been using Aircall in my job, where I arrange and help with team tasks, and here's what I think works well about it. We easily have our users set up, and the computer program works perfectly on different types of computers. It also works well with both iPhones and phones. Our team members, who usually move around a lot, greatly like this feature. The help given to customers was really good, especially during the initial learning times, which made everything easy.
💡 What could be better
I've seen some connection problems now and then, especially when using headphones. This can make important phone conversations a little annoying. Also, for a simple phone service tool, it doesn't have some higher-level studying features and the skill to send out info could get better.
Source: G2
Price: Starts at $30 per month
Free trial: Aircall offers a 7-day free trial
Five9
Overview
Five9 revolutionizes call center operations with its advanced suite of tools and intuitive platform. It is a popular call center software designed to enhance customer service operations. It offers various features, including call management, call routing and outbound call campaign management. The platform ensures efficient internal call transfers, streamlining communication.
🚀 Top features
- Omnichannel contact handling
- Call tracking
- Auto dialer
Overall verdict
Five9 has great customer support. However, call quality issues, workforce management challenges and occasional system glitches have been reported, impacting the overall experience and effectiveness of the call center solution.
Customer Testimonial
💪 Strength
It has a great feature for taking notes while on a call, which makes it easier for us to document the conversation with the customers. It saves time and manual labor. Five9 allows the transfer of the call within one's own company. It is an easy, reliable and good-to-navigate platform.
💡 What could be better
I wish the keypad was easier to access during an active call because sometimes you must select different extensions. That would increase user-friendliness.
Source: G2
Price: Quote available on request. Contact sales.
How to evaluate the best call center provider
The best call center provider isn’t the one with the most features but the one with features customized for your business needs.
Teams will change, businesses will evolve, call volumes will go up, your organization will scale, and customer preferences will change. You need software that will stand the test of time. It should be able to scale and adapt in line with the organization. We have compiled a table of 9-set criteria to evaluate call center providers.
Criteria | Questions |
😀Experience and reputation | How many years has the provider been in the call center industry? |
🔧Service quality | What is their track record for call quality and resolution times? |
💲Pricing and transparency | What is their pricing structure, including setup fees, per-agent costs and additional charges? |
📈Scalability | Can the provider accommodate fluctuations in call volume and business growth? How do they handle seasonal demands and changes? Do they guarantee 100% uptime during migration and updation? |
📱Multi-channel support | Does the provider offer support for various communication channels beyond voice calls (e.g., email, chat, social media)? |
🔁Integration capabilities | Can the provider seamlessly integrate with your existing CRM, helpdesk software and other essential tools? |
🚫Security and compliance | How does the provider ensure data security and compliance with industry regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)? |
📊Reporting and analytics | What reporting and analytics tools does the provider offer for monitoring agent performance and customer insights? |
😊User experience | How user-friendly is the provider's software interface for both agents and administrators? |
Evaluating call center software using these criteria will help you choose a solution that aligns with your business needs and enhances customer service operations.
When to migrate from call center software to contact center solutions
From legacy call center systems reaching their end-of-life to the necessity of embracing new features, these indicators are crucial factors in determining the adoption of modern contact center solutions. Below are seven scenarios when organizations should migrate from call center software to contact center solutions.
1. When your call center is aging
When your first-generation on-premises call center is aging and requires replacement, migrating to a cloud-based contact center can offer modern capabilities, improved efficiency and enhanced customer satisfaction.
2. When your call center needs an upgrade
Consider migration when upgrades are essential to keep your call center software current, add new features or integrate with other systems. A cloud-based solution provides flexibility for updates and advancements.
3. When you have to move or relocate your call center
During business relocation, seize the opportunity to transition to a cloud-based contact center. The cloud offers easier deployment, reduced upfront costs and increased flexibility compared to on-premise systems.
4. When you want to grow and scale your call center
As your business expands, migrating to a cloud-based solution becomes imperative for scalability. CCaaS or Contact Center as a Service, provides a cost-effective solution for scaling without concerns about managing and maintaining physical equipment.
Know more: Top CCaaS Vendors in 2024
5. When you need advanced features
Stay competitive by adopting new features swiftly. Cloud-based solutions provide access to the latest innovations, features and upgrades at a lower cost, ensuring your contact center remains up-to-date.
6. When you want to integrate your call center with different tools
Migrating to a cloud-based contact center when integrating with external platforms, such as CRM, is necessary. Cloud solutions easily integrate with various systems through open-source APIs and facilitate seamless collaboration.
7. When you want to enhance your service quality
When you want to cater to diverse customers using customer service channels, a call center solution will be inadequate, consider migration. Cloud-based solutions offer higher uptime and efficient agent utilization, improving overall service quality.
How to migrate from call center software to contact center solutions
It’s time you go beyond phone support, serve your customers across multiple channels and unify siloed point solutions under one roof. That’s why having call center software isn’t enough; you need to have a contact center solution. Your customers are not just calling you but probably seeking your help on WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter) or any of their preferred customer touchpoints.
Now, transitioning from call center software to a comprehensive contact center solution involves comprehensive change management. Here's a step-by-step guide for a smooth migration:
Step 1: Assessment and goal setting
Evaluate your existing call center software and identify its limitations. Determine your objectives for migrating to a contact center solution. These could include supporting multiple communication channels, improving customer service and enhancing agent productivity.
Step 2: Do a thorough analysis
Conduct a thorough needs analysis to determine the specific features and capabilities required in the new contact center solution.
Consider the customer service channels you want to support, such as voice, email, chat, social media and SMS.
Step 3: Selecting a contact center solution
Research leading contact center solutions and select one that aligns with your requirements. Look for a solution that offers basic contact center features like ACD, IVR, multi-channel support, CRM integration and reporting tools, plus certain advanced features like skill-based routing and Generative AI integration.
Learn more: Understand How Generative AI is Redefining Customer Experience
Step 4: Integration planning
Determine how the new contact center solution will integrate with your existing systems, such as CRM, helpdesk software and databases. Ensure that data migration and integration processes are clearly defined.
Step 5: Agent training
Provide comprehensive agent training on how to use the new contact center solution. Cover aspects like handling different communication channels, using new features and adhering to updated contact center workflows.
Step 6: Data migration
Transfer relevant customer data and call history from the old call center software to the new contact center solution, avoiding latency issues. Verify data accuracy and completeness.
Step 7: Testing and quality assurance
Conduct extensive testing of the new contact center solution to identify and rectify any issues. Ensure that call routing, IVR menus and all communication channels work as intended.
To set up your contact center software, sign up for a free trial or subscribe to a paid plan with a contact center software vendor. Ensure the vendor provides personalized onboarding and training during ramp-up.
Final thoughts
If you have stayed here, hope you are not going through analysis paralysis. 11 call center software, multiple features and G2 reviews, yes, it’s too much. Just take a deep breath and pause! Think with a cool head, and let us take you through multiple scenarios.
Scenario 1: A multichannel maze
You're dealing with customer interactions scattered across various platforms – emails, social media and good old-fashioned phone calls. The challenge? Keeping up with this multichannel chaos. Traditional call center software falls short here, leaving you juggling platforms. A unified customer support solution comes to your rescue here, simplifying your workflow and ensuring no customer message goes unnoticed.
Need inspiration?
Take a cue from Global Bakery. The bakery giant struggled to keep up with inflowing customer messages from social media, so they decided to try a unified solution to reduce 800 working days for their social care team while enabling human care for high-severity cases.
Scenario 2: The blind spot in customer insights
Navigate through the complexity of scattered customer interactions on various platforms—emails, social media and phone calls. Traditional analytics may leave you grappling with data that frustrates you. Rather, opt for a unified customer support solution to streamline your workflow, ensuring comprehensive analytics that reveals what happened and why.
Elevate your service by understanding customers better and anticipating their needs with actionable insights. No need to search for needles in multiple haystacks — find the right call center software and use it as a powerful magnet to pull out the needles you need.
Scenario 3: Ticketing trouble
Imagine you're handling a surge of customer inquiries through emails and support tickets. Your existing system struggles to keep pace, leading to some queries slipping through unnoticed. This clunky process creates a bottleneck, and it seems like an uphill battle to provide timely responses.
Transition to a streamlined ticketing system designed to manage and prioritize customer queries efficiently. With this solution in place, every customer inquiry receives prompt attention, eliminating the risk of missed opportunities.
Scenario 4: Unmotivated team, unhappy customers
Imagine your team is currently navigating through a maze of complex interfaces and dealing with redundant tasks within your call center system. The intricate processes hinder their workflow and contribute to a less-than-optimal work environment. While the goal is to have satisfied customers, the existing software setup makes it challenging for your agents to provide the best service.
Now, consider implementing a call center solution that prioritizes simplicity and collaboration. The new platform introduces user-friendly interfaces and tools that streamline processes. Agents find themselves empowered with an intuitive system, allowing them to navigate tasks seamlessly. This enhanced efficiency translates into a more positive work experience for your team and, consequently, improved customer satisfaction levels.
Scenario 5: One size doesn't fit all
Say you lead a customer service team for a startup looking to revolutionize e-commerce. Your tech support unit stands out due to its specialized focus on addressing innovative tech challenges faced by online retailers.
Generic call center software solutions fall short of meeting the distinctive needs of your team. To enhance efficiency, you seek a customizable solution that aligns with the unique demands of troubleshooting cutting-edge e-commerce platforms. Whether your team is a tight-knit group or part of a large, expanding enterprise, the solution is tailored to suit your specific requirements, ensuring a flexible approach that steers clear of the limitations of a one-size-fits-all strategy.
It's not just about managing calls; it's about transforming your customer service experience. With Sprinklr Service, you get a unified customer experience management platform, unmatched channel coverage, stringent quality control and robust reporting – basically everything you need to deliver a matchless experience to your valuable customers.
Ready to leave the competition behind? Take a demo of Sprinklr Service and elevate your call center game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Call center software focuses on voice calls and basic support. In contrast, contact center software is more comprehensive, integrating various channels like email, chat, and social media for a seamless, multichannel customer experience, offering a broader range of services.
Agent training plays a pivotal role in maximizing the potential of call center software. Well-trained agents can harness the software's features to provide quicker, more accurate responses, enhancing customer satisfaction.
Businesses should implement strict access controls, encryption and regular security audits. Adherence to relevant data protection regulations, like GDPR or HIPAA, is essential. Training employees on data security protocols and choosing trusted software providers with strong security measures is also crucial.
The future of call center software is defined by several exciting trends. These include the integration of AI and chatbots for automation, omnichannel capabilities for seamless customer interactions, and enhanced analytics for data-driven insights. Personalization and remote work solutions are also driving the evolution of customer service through call center software.