Are you an operator, owner or a manager of a contact center. If yes, you definitely need one of the best contact center software listed below for ease of operation. With call center software, you can track average call lengths, review positive or negative customer interactions, and see which agents excel or need more training, all within a very short time.
From omnichannel communications support and call routing to interactive voice response (IVR), analytics, and more, contact center software can help to streamline your processes while providing helpful insights. You can track average call lengths, review positive or negative customer interactions, and see which agents excel or need more training without hazzle.
In today’s digital world, customers usually prefer phone support when reaching out to customer service. The urgency and familiarity of talking on the phone with a real human build trust between a customer and a customer service agent, making it an irreplaceable tool in some of the best call center software.
What is Contact Center Software?
Contact center software, often known as CCaaS or contact center as a service, gives organizations the tools they need to run a cloud-hosted customer contact center. Contact center software, which is based on classic voice-based call center solutions, offers incoming queueing and routing, outgoing dialing, call analytics, and workforce management.
However, this type of software goes beyond call center infrastructure to allow digital interactions via SMS, chat and email. Call center software commonly includes capabilities such as automatic call distribution (ACD), omnichannel assistance, interactive voice response (IVR), and computer-telephony integrations (CTI).
Contact center software is widely used by support teams to staff a helpline or by sales teams to conduct prospecting. These products interact with CRM software programs to obtain customer information and update customer records with post-action summaries with little to no stress.
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They frequently integrate with contact center workforce software, speech analytics software, and contact center quality assurance software solutions if the product does not provide such features natively. Contact center systems may also integrate with or contain functionality for unified communications, or UCaaS.
features of Call/Contact Center
To qualify as a Contact Center, a product must:
- Offer a cloud-based contact center solution(s)
- Provide an infrastructure for call management, placement, and monitoring
- Must distribute incoming calls and manage phone number assignments for outbound centers
- Provide multiple channels (such as voice, email, SMS, and chat) for call center representatives to leverage on
- Must also include the following features: automatic call distributor, queue management, interactive voice response, and computer-telephony integrations
- Integrate with CRM software or a company’s system of record
- Supply additional features that assist call center operations, such as speech analytics, workforce management, and quality assurance.
Features of Contact Center Software
Note, the best call center software for your team is determined by your specific requirements. However, every tool has advantages and disadvantages depending on how you intend to use it. Therefore, to determine which tool is best for you, make a list of desired features and then narrow down your options.
The following are some features to consider in your search for the top contact center software.
1. Omnichannel
To look for contact center software, means you’re probably supporting your customers through other communication channels as well (like email, live chat, or social media). It’s important to consider how well your new contact center software will integrate with your other channels.
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According to HubSpot, a unified customer service experience reduces customer friction and boosts front-line efficiency. Incoming calls should ideally be recorded on your help desk, allowing agents to follow up via email. This feature allows everyone on your team to see the context of previous customer interactions, regardless of channel used.
As a result, you’ll provide a consistent customer experience regardless of the channel through which the interaction begins.
2. Call Routing
How do customers get quickly connected to the right person when they call your team? This is one of the questions that should be in your mind while choosing a contact center software for your team.
Whether your software provides automated call routing or requires customers to choose a department after listening to a series of options, it’s critical to understand how your call routing will function before making a chioce.
Many systems are difficult to update on the fly, so experiment with setting up and changing your workflow during your trial period to ensure you’re not stuck with one configuration that will hinder the progress of the company.
3. Cloud-Based Calling
Call centers that employ cloud networks will require a cloud-based calling system in order to interface with their online databases. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also referred to as cloud-based calling, is a phone system that uses the Internet in place of a phone line.
Although this service is normally offered by a third party, installing and maintaining it is frequently less expensive than traditional landlines. VoIP does away with the usual infrastructure and maintenance expenses related to traditional phone lines because it does not require on-premise hardware..
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4. CRM Integration for Customer Context
Customers find it frustrating and annoying to have to repeat their problems to different support representatives and provide a summary of their previous interactions. That is why this feature is very important in choosing your call center software as it helps to minimise such sinerio.
However, when agents have more information about the customer who is calling, they can provide more effective assistance. They can easily recall previous interactions with the customer, preventing customers from repeating themselves overtime.
Agents can examine product usage trends and take steps to ensure the customer does not need to contact them again about the same issue.
Many call center tools provide context via CTI (computer-telephony integration) pop-ups that identify a customer by phone number and surface previous interactions via the browser. Understanding how the software you’re considering logs calls and integrates with other systems (such as your CRM) is critical to providing enough helpful context to your agents, hence makes their work easier and faster.
5. Reporting
Running a call center needs managers to keep an eye on call center metrics such as incoming call volume, call trends, as well as agent efficiency. It’s impossible to manage scheduling and plan for the future unless you know how your team handles traffic fluctuations. Reporting can help you identify common customer issues, identify gaps in your support coverage, and highlight potential training opportunities for prompt actions.
6. Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
An interactive voice response feature allows your customers to speak with an automated system before contacting your support team directly. While your customer may not enjoy talking to a machine, they may be able to resolve some of their issues or provide basic information that will allow your team to better serve them.
An IVR feature will help manage your team’s call volume and automatically collect relevant information from the customer. When the customer speaks with a human, all of the information the representative requires is already available, and the customer will not have to repeat themselves again.
7. Outgoing Calls
Call center software is used for more than just inbound customer service. If you provide proactive customer support, agents may be required to make outbound calls. To contact prospects, your sales team may use your call center software.
If your contact center requires agents or sales teams to make outgoing calls, look for software that includes an automated dialer and simple call-logging features to keep your CRM up to date.
8. Usage Pricing
Examine the software’s pricing per phone call or per use. You may be charged more than expected for each minute on the phone depending on how your chosen software assigns your phone numbers. Before you commit to new phone lines, make sure you understand what’s included in the package and how much each call and minute will cost.
9. Escalation Management
You can manage the escalation process for urgent customer support queries with the best call center software. When a customer calls with a problem, they should be able to proceed to the appropriate party at each stage of the process. Your call center software should also enable your agents to de-escalate issues by granting vouchers, discounts, or refunds via the software, particularly during that single call.
10. Call Scripting
If you handle a high volume of calls about similar issues, you should look into call center software with a call scripting feature. A call script, like a chatbot, detects specific keywords in the customer’s email and provides troubleshooting instructions based on a common answer. You should be able to use the script history to tailor your response to the customer.
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A call scripting feature may also be useful in that it allows you to create common scripts that all of your agents can use. As a result, the customer has a consistent experience regardless of which agent they speak with.
Top Contact Center Software
Here are the best call center software options available today: We selected these systems based on many factors, like key features, uptime, pricing, and more.
1. Dialpad Ai Contact Center
Dialpad Ai Contact Center enables you to access all of your customer interactions — regardless of channel — from a single app that can be accessed from anywhere and on any device.
Dialpad’s AI is what sets it apart, enabling built-in features such as hyper-accurate voice transcription, sentiment analysis, agent coaching, chatbot self-service functionality, and more in real time.
Dialpad also integrates with popular customer services tools such as HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zendesk, bringing everything together in a single pane of glass. Dialpad allows you to quickly set up a new contact center. You can also add and remove agents, as well as manage phone numbers, directly from your Dialpad account. DialPad enables your company to scale easily.
Dialpad Ai Contact Center is Best for:
- Outgoing calls
- Call routing
- Workforce engagement management
- Sentiment analysis
- CRM integrations
2. Aircall
Talking of Aircall, this cloud-based call center can assist your support team in transforming customer experiences.
This software includes some of the top features mentioned earlier, such as IVR, cloud-based calling, call routing, and more. Additionally, the software includes features such as skill-based routing, call queuing, queue callback, live call monitoring, and call whispering.
Managers can use the call whispering feature to advise teammates behind the scenes and have an immediate impact. This is excellent for both the customer experience and training.
Aircall also includes call center analytics, allowing you to track the performance of your agents individually or as a team.
Aircall is Best for:
- Cloud-based calling
- Interactive voice response
- Call monitoring
- CRM integrations
- Shared call inbox
Aircall Pricing: $30/user (Essentials); $50/user (Professional); Custom (Enterprise).
3. JustCall
JustCall is a comprehensive contact center solution designed for customer-facing teams that provides a productive experience for agents, sales representatives, and managers. It includes call recording, SMS automation, live call monitoring, and a post-call survey among its voice and SMS features.
Agents also get a sales dialer and conversation intelligence to help them with inbound and outbound campaigns.
JustCall integrates with over 100 CRM, help desk, and business tools, simplifying contact center communications and workflows.
JustCall is best for:
- Cloud-based calling
- Custom workflows
- Bulk SMS and drip campaigns
- Multi-level IVR
- Real-time analytics
- Intelligent call routing
- CRM integrations
JustCall Pricing: 14-day free trial; $24/user/month (Standard); $48/user/month (Premium) — billed annually. Monthly and custom plans are also available.
4. CloudTalk
CloudTalk is a cutting-edge contact center software that offers users a variety of unique tools. For example, its custom queue feature enables support teams to direct how incoming calls are routed. Inbound calls to CloudTalk are routed to the agents best suited to resolve the customer’s issue. This eliminates call transfers, which can be inconvenient for customers.
Personalized voicemails are another customizable feature provided by CloudTalk. Customers can leave voicemails for agents to respond to later if your team is unavailable. Customers will not be left on hold indefinitely waiting for your team to respond. Instead, they can simply leave a message, go back to work, and wait for your team to respond with a ready solution.
CloudTalk is best for:
- Skills-based call routing
- Post-call tagging
- CRM integrations
- Advanced Reporting
- Real-time analytics
CloudTalk Pricing: $25/user/month (Starter); $30/user/month (Essential); $50/user/month (Expert); Custom
5. Nextiva
Nextiva is a simple solution for connecting with more callers in less time and with fewer agents. IVR, automatic call routing, and call queuing are all available with Nextiva.
You can also optimize agent call flow, use virtual agents to automate interactions and streamline the caller experience.
Nextiva is best for:
- Interactive voice response
- Call recording
- Cloud-based calling
- Call routing
- Reporting
Nextiva Pricing: $18.95/user/month (Essential); $22.95/user/month (Professional); $32.95/user/month (Enterprise).
6. Bitrix24
Bitrix24, a contact center based on your to-do list, assists teams in collaborating to complete their tasks. They provide a variety of customer service channels, such as rentable phone lines, live chat, and email queues, all of which integrate with Bitrix24’s task management software and CRM. Bitrix24 also provides an on-premise solution for industries that are still required to host their own data storage or prefer to do so.
Bitrix24 is best for:
- Call routing
- Internal collaboration
- HD video calls and conferences
- Interactive Voice Response
- Task automation
Bitrix24 Pricing: Free; $19/month (Start+); $43/month (Basic); $87/month (Standard); $175/month (Professional); $350/month (Enterprise).
7. Five9
Five9 combines everything your company needs to launch a full-service customer service and sales call center. Five9, which focuses on enterprise businesses, includes workforce management tools, predictive dialing, and CTI screen pops to help agents provide better service and not miss an opportunity to upsell.
Five9 is best for:
- Cloud-based calling
- CRM integrations
- Call recording
- Real-time analytics
- Predictive dialing
Five9 Pricing: $149/month (Core); $169/month (Premium); $199/month (Optimum); $229/month (Ultimate)
8. TalkDesk
TalkDesk is a robust call center solution for enterprise teams, with features designed to help large teams manage phone support quickly. TalkDesk provides teams with everything they need to deliver a consistent customer experience at scale, from workforce management to industry-specific security features.
TalkDesk is best for:
- Omnichannel support
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Internal collaboration
- workforce engagement management
- Skills-based call routing
TalkDesk Pricing: $75/month (CX Cloud Essentials); $95/month (CX Cloud Elevate); $125/month (CX Cloud Elite); Custom.
9. RingCentral
RingCentral is a versatile cloud-based phone system that works with both desktop and mobile devices. “RingOut,” which enables one-touch calling from any phone or internet-enabled computer, is one of its distinguishing features. RingCentral also has powerful call delegation and answering rules to ensure that calls are routed to the correct person.
RingCentral is best for:
- Omnichannel support
- Escalation management
- Integrations and APIs
- Cloud-based calling
- HD video calls
RingCentral Pricing: Pricing available on request
10. Zendesk
Zendesk, which is built on one of the most comprehensive customer service platforms, provides a call center solution for businesses of all sizes. With automatic ticket creation, agents can use Zendesk’s slick help desk features to assist customers across all channels.
Zendesk is best for:
- Call recording
- Omnichannel support
- Customizable automation
- Interactive Voice Response
- CRM integrations
Zendesk Pricing: $49/agent/month (Suite Team); $79/user/month (Suite Growth); $99/user/month (Suite Professional)
11. Dixa
Dixa is an easy-to-use contact center that runs entirely within a web browser. Dixa is a modern solution that features advanced call distribution algorithms and caller recognition to improve the experience of both the customer and the contact center administrator.
Dixa is best for:
- Skills-based call routing
- Priority-based call routing
- Call monitoring
- Customized quality assurance
- Internal collaboration
Dixa Pricing: Pricing is available upon request.
12. LiveAgent
LiveAgent’s call center solution is integrated directly into their multi-channel help desk, allowing you to assist customers via any channel you prefer. LiveAgent is one of the few tools on the list that does not charge a per-minute usage fee, making it a cost-effective solution for small and medium-sized businesses that rely on phone support.
LiveAgent is best for:
- 24/7 customer service support
- Outgoing calls
- Automated callbacks
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Integrations and APIs
LiveAgent Pricing: Free; $15/agent/month (Ticket); $29/agent/month (Ticket+Chat); $49/agent/month (All-inclusive)
13. UContact
UContact provides an interactive voice response system, or IVR, which allows your team to handle fewer calls while automatically resolving your customer’s issue. Rather than having customers call you and wait on hold to speak with a representative, an IVR provides an immediate response when they dial your support number. This digital assistant presents the caller with several options from which to choose, then either solves the problem independently or automatically connects the caller to a human agent.
UContact is best for:
- Omnichannel support
- Interactive voice response
- Real-time analytics
- Social media integrations
- Workforce engagement management
UContact Pricing: Pricing available upon request
14. Avaya Contact Center Software
According to the Avaya website, over 90% of Fortune 100 companies use an Avaya product to manage their contact center. That’s because it’s been a communications heavyweight for many years. When you use Avaya’s omnichannel contact center solution, you can be confident that you’re getting an enterprise-level product with multiple advanced features in its standard platform.
Avaya Contact Center is best for:
- Call routing
- Call monitoring
- AI digital automation
- Sentiment analysis
- Voice and facial biometrics
Avaya Contact Center Pricing: Pricing is available on request.
15. HappyFox
HappyFox is a help desk application with powerful call center capabilities. Aircall and RingCentral integrations allow the platform to automatically record and assign calls to tickets within the system. Call scripting, custom ticket queues, and Service Level Agreement (SLA) management are among its features.
HappyFox is best for:
- Call scripting
- SLA management
- Advanced Reporting
- System Integration
- Customizable workflows
HappyFox Pricing: $29/agent/month (Mighty); $49/agent/month (Fantastic); $69/agent/month (Enterprise); $89/agent/month (Enterprise Plus)
Use Call/Contact center software to supercharge your support team
The modern customer expects excellent customer service across all channels, including live chat, email, and phone. This, however, can overwhelm your support team, especially if these channels are on different software systems that do not communicate with one another. Your team can unify their omnichannel service efforts into one tool with call center software, resulting in a better experience for both the customer and your frontline representatives.
Contact Center Software FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about contact center software:
1: What is contact center software?
A1: Contact center software is a technology solution that helps organizations manage their customer interactions through various channels such as phone, email, live chat, social media, and more. It typically includes features like call routing, IVR (Interactive Voice Response), CRM integration, analytics, and reporting.
2: What are the benefits of using contact center software?
Contact center software offers several benefits, including:
- Improved customer experience: It enables businesses to provide efficient and personalized support to customers, leading to higher satisfaction levels.
- Enhanced agent productivity: Features like call routing, CRM integration, and knowledge bases help agents access relevant information quickly, enabling them to resolve issues faster.
- Multi-channel support: Contact center software allows customers to connect through their preferred channels, ensuring a seamless omnichannel experience.
- Analytics and reporting: The software provides valuable insights into customer interactions, agent performance, and overall contact center efficiency, enabling data-driven decision-making.
3: What features should I look for in contact center software?
The specific features you require will depend on your organization’s needs. However, some key features to consider include:
- Automatic call distribution (ACD): Efficiently routing incoming calls to the most appropriate agents based on skills, availability, or other criteria.
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Allowing customers to interact with automated menus to get self-service options or route to the right department.
- Omnichannel support: Ability to handle customer interactions across multiple channels like phone, email, chat, social media, and SMS.
- CRM integration: Seamless integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems to access customer data and provide personalized support.
- Analytics and reporting: Comprehensive reporting on call volumes, wait times, agent performance, customer satisfaction, and other key metrics.
- Call recording and monitoring: Recording calls for quality assurance, training, and compliance purposes, as well as real-time monitoring for coaching and support.
4: Is contact center software scalable?
A4: Yes, contact center software is designed to be scalable. It can accommodate the needs of growing businesses by allowing the addition of new agents, channels, and features as required. Cloud-based contact center solutions are particularly flexible and scalable, as they can easily adjust to fluctuating customer demands.
5: What is the difference between on-premises and cloud-based contact center software?
A5: On-premises contact center software is installed and operated on local servers within an organization’s infrastructure. It requires dedicated IT resources for maintenance, upgrades, and scalability. Cloud-based contact center software, on the other hand, is hosted and managed by a third-party provider in the cloud. It offers greater flexibility, scalability, and remote access, with the provider handling maintenance and updates.
6: How secure is contact center software?
A6: Contact center software providers prioritize security to protect sensitive customer data. They employ various security measures, including data encryption, secure connections (such as HTTPS), user access controls, and compliance with industry regulations like GDPR or HIPAA. When selecting a contact center software vendor, it’s important to inquire about their security protocols and certifications.
7: Can contact center software integrate with other business systems?
A7: Yes, contact center software often offers integrations with other business systems such as customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, helpdesk software, ticketing systems, workforce management tools, and more. These integrations enable seamless data sharing and provide a holistic view of customer information across various systems.
8: How is customer data handled in contact center software?
A8: Customer data is typically handled with strict security measures and compliance with data protection regulations. Contact center software providers ensure that customer data is encrypted, stored securely, and accessible only to authorized personnel. It’s important to choose a contact center software vendor that prioritizes data security and privacy.
9: Can contact center software support remote agents?
A9: Yes, many contact center software solutions support remote agents. Cloud-based contact center software, in particular, enables agents to work from anywhere with an internet connection. Remote agent capabilities include accessing customer information, handling calls, chats, and emails, and collaborating with team members, all through the software’s remote access features.
10: What is the typical pricing model for contact center software?
A10: Pricing models for contact center software can vary depending on the provider and the specific features required. Common pricing models include per-user/per-agent pricing, per-minute pricing for usage, or a combination of both. Some providers offer tiered pricing plans based on the number of users or the level of functionality required. It’s advisable to request quotes from different vendors and compare their pricing structures.
11: Can contact center software handle outbound campaigns?
A11: Yes, contact center software can handle outbound campaigns. It often includes features such as outbound dialing, automated call scripting, campaign management, and performance tracking for proactive customer outreach, telemarketing, or surveys. Outbound capabilities may vary between different contact center software solutions, so it’s important to evaluate the specific features and requirements for your outbound campaigns.
12: Can contact center software provide real-time monitoring and reporting?
A12: Yes, contact center software typically provides real-time monitoring and reporting features. Supervisors and managers can monitor live calls, view agent activity, and access real-time metrics and statistics through dashboards. Additionally, contact center software offers comprehensive reporting capabilities to analyze historical data, performance trends, and customer interactions, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions and optimize their operations.
13: How user-friendly is contact center software?
A13: Contact center software is designed with user-friendliness in mind. The interfaces are typically intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simpler for agents, supervisors, and administrators to handle customer interactions, access relevant information, and perform their tasks efficiently. Some providers also offer training and support resources to help users become proficient with the software.
14: Can contact center software be customized to specific business needs?
A14: Many contact center software solutions offer customization options to tailor the software to specific business needs. This can include configuring workflows, defining routing rules, designing personalized IVR menus, integrating with custom applications, and adapting reporting templates. Customization capabilities may vary between providers, so it’s advisable to inquire about customization options during the evaluation process.
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