Olivia Maier
We wanted to give you an overview of the best call center software of 2022. We will be comparing a variety of providers for your business to consider. But before we do that, we wanted to give you an overview of what call center software is, and the components you must have access to in order to have an efficient and effective call center. We then will be looking at a variety of call center software providers, analyzing them to help you make your selection.
In no particular order we will be looking at the following 3 call center software solutions, which are consistently seen as some of the top performing options for businesses.
If that sounds good to you, then let’s get started by diving into what we like to call, call center software 101.
Let’s start by getting the basics out of the way, call center software is a business tool that can enable you to better automate the flow of incoming and outgoing calls. It’s easy to see why call centers rely on this type of technology, as they allow businesses to avoid long wait times for their callers, overwhelming their employees, and creating a better phone communication experience for everyone involved. During our Call Center Software 101 section, we want to give you an even better overview of what goes into a call center, including:
A cloud phone is a form of VoIP communication. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows users to make calls over the internet, instead of traditional telephone wires. VoIP can go by many names, such as IP telephony, internet telephony, and more. At the end of the day, terms used to describe internet based phone calls are referring to VoIP systems.
Within VoIP systems, you can choose between an on-site VoIP solution, where all of the servers and other hardware is housed on your premises, or a cloud based solution. That cloud based solution is what you would unlock with a cloud phone.
So just to recap, with a cloud phone solution you will get access to VoIP communication, through the convenience of off-site servers making it a cloud based phone.
Cloud phone VoIP systems are able to pick up your voice through the microphone of the device that you are using. This can be a computer, phone, tablet, as long as those devices are connected to the internet. Your voice generates analog voice signals, which are compressed into packets of data. The VoIP data packets are transmitted over the internet and then decompressed back to analog voice signals for the person on the other side of your phone call.
For a cloud phone user making and receiving calls is done in the same way that it would be with a traditional telephone system. The person on the other end of the call, whether they are using a cloud phone system or not, won’t notice any difference or have to make any changes in the way they are communicating.
Cloud phone solutions can give your team access to BIG benefits that can be seen by teams of all sizes and styles. However, the benefits are especially felt if you are working as a call center. As just a quick overview, your team could easily see:
When you are a call center, you want to make sure you are reducing costs whenever possible, as well as having a solution that can easily scale as your call center grows. The flexibility will enable remote working, and your team will be able to excel with improved productivity levels.
It simply makes sense for a call center to take advantage of a cloud phone solution to enable your inbound and outbound calls.
Unfortunately, not every cloud phone solution can enable your call center with the features you MUST have, and the ability to maximize the benefits you could receive. We wanted to take the time to share the features that you HAVE to have, which will help your call center run smoothly.
Intelligent voice-based IVR
Your call center will gain its own personal assistant with the help of an intelligent voice-based IVR system. IVR systems are able to route callers, and a traditional IVR system will rely on menu options. This will give your callers the frustrating experience of “press 1 for sales, press 2 for billing.” In 2022, your customers are expecting more from their phone communication, and want to leave the IVR menus in the past. That is why you should be seeking out an intelligent voice-based IVR system. These systems will route callers based on what they are saying in real time.
For example, your phone system may greet your callers, and ask the reason for their call. Your caller can just speak regularly, and your phone system will use artificial intelligence technology to translate their reason for calling into effectively routing their call. As the call center agent, you can relax knowing that each call that makes its way to you will be both within your capacities, AND already knowing the purpose of the call.
Call monitoring and whispering
Call collaboration tools are essential to a call center. With call monitoring features, you’ll be able to listen to, record, and analyze the calls that your team is making and receiving. Call monitoring systems are a collection of business features that together can help your call center better manage your calls.
With call whispering, you can always lend your teammates a helping hand. Call whispering allows you to listen into active calls, as well as whisper to your colleagues without interrupting the call. That is because your colleague will be able to hear what you are saying, but the caller on the other hand won’t. This gives you the best of your team’s experience, without their being too many cooks in the kitchen for your caller.
Smart integrations
Your call center is likely using more business tools than just your phone system to run effectively. Whether that means that your team lives in a tool like Slack, loves to take advantage of CRM platforms, or has a place to manage incoming tickets, you don’t want to miss out on connecting your phone with these tools.
The best cloud phone systems will make it easy to understand not only what integrations are possible, but which are available to you based on the pricing plan your team is taking advantage of.
We recommend that your team takes the time to understand what you need to be successful, before committing to a new business phone solution. If you are unsure, look for ways to schedule demo calls with potential providers, to get an overview of how their system could work for you.
As we said earlier, we’re going to be looking at a few of the top call center software providers. We want to make sure that you know what you would be getting with each of them, so we will take a look at those three important features that EVERY call center software should have.
The best part about these three providers is that they are ALL cloud based phone systems! We hope that you’ve been able to see the benefits of cloud phone systems, so it just makes sense to highlight the top providers who can give you a cloud based phone experience.
Just as a refresher, we will be taking a look at the following providers today:
Let’s start with a general overview of Yodel. Yodel is a cloud based phone system that is perfect for call centers, especially those seeking scalability and flexibility.
Yodel can be accessed across device types such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, making it a highly flexible solution. Their mobile app makes it easy to distinguish between person calls, and business calls, meaning you don’t need to supply your employees with a personal business phone. Instead, they can use their mobile devices, without having to worry about security and privacy issues. The variety of options available means that even though your call center may be switching phone providers, you don’t have to worry about getting new hardware to support your phone system. You can simply continue using the hardware that has been working for your team.
When it comes to those three all important features (voice IVR, call monitoring and whispering, and smart integrations), Yodel can give you access to all three. Their intelligent voice IVR is the perfect way to avoid traditional phone menus (but don’t worry if you are attached to them, Yodel gives you access to both options so you can choose what makes sense for your business). You can also take advantage of call monitoring features such as call recording and call transcriptions, and access call whispering. Finally, with a long list of integrations, you can make sure that your phone system is connected to the tools you love.
Yodel is a great solution for teams of all sizes, you can even take advantage of a free trial and demo call to get started!
We also are taking a look at Nextiva today, which is especially notable for their pricing plans.
If your call center is willing to commit, you can save big with a three-year agreement. This long term commitment will help you save money, regardless of which of the four pricing plans you decide fits your business best. This can help reduce your bill, however, Nextiva does have generally higher costs especially if you are just seeking basic VoIP services.
When it comes to those three essential features, Nextiva is able to give your team access to advanced IVR capabilities. This can include multi-level menus, as well as AI based call routing. You can also access call monitoring and call whispering capabilities, which can help improve your call collaboration capabilities. Nextiva is able to give your team access to integrations, but they are all done through Nextiva’s other product offerings. If you are already taking advantage of Nextiva products, this creates a seamless integration experience. However, if you are just looking at their phone system, their integrations are limited.
With Nextiva, you can get started with a 14 day free trial, which can help you determine if it is a good fit for your team.
Dialpad is the final cloud based phone system that we wanted to look at today.
Dialpad can offer IVR technology that is tailored to call centers specifically. Their multi-level IVR can utilize AI technology to provide a voice based experience. However, Dialpad is a little limited in terms of the integrations available. The base price plans will come with G Suite and Office 365 integrations. However, if you want to integrate into your CRM and other business apps, it looks like you will need to pay for one of their higher end options.
However, Dialpad offers robust call monitoring and call whispering options. If your call center is prioritizing those features over accessing others, Dialpad could be a great fit for your team
We hope that you have been able to learn everything you need to know (and then some) about call center software. In 2022, your call center should have access to cloud based technology, as it can lead to big benefits for your team and your callers. When looking at different cloud based call center options, you should look at the key call center features, which can help you easily compare different providers.
If your business is looking to get started with call center software today, check out Yodel’s free 14 day trial. You can unlock call center software and more, as you streamline your communication with a robust business phone system.
