The 8 Top Call Center Software for (Small) Businesses in 2024

Nowadays, the best call center software is more than just telephony. You can keep detailed records of all customer interactions in a CRM and analyze your performance, adapting your sales funnel as needed. As a rule of thumb, the fewer platforms you're working with, the better.

For every integration or every new tab open on your browser, there's more of a chance for confusion, lost information, and tech complications. We would always recommend consolidating all your apps, from call center software and social media management to project and HR management, on one fully connected platform.  We have listed the best call center solutions below to help you choose the right option to help your business create an amazing customer experience.

Call Center Software Key Features

The advancement of products, the realization of advertisement campaigns, customer service channels, technical support, and other tasks are included in the duties of call center agents. All of these responsibilities are related to customer interactions and customer satisfaction.

Call Center Software Features for a Support Team

Where there are clients, there is a system for working with them. CRM as a call center solution is an excellent decision to automate many processes and improve performance and workforce management for small businesses.

CRM integration is a necessary instrument that allows you to work with clients and successfully carry out call center operations as well as improve customer service. It is a digital instrument that includes such advanced features as:

• inbound and outbound calls;

• call routing;

• automation of customer service teams tasks;

• reporting and analytics tools;

• creating an interactive voice response;

• omnichannel support;

• call recording;

• video conferencing;

• collecting customer data and creating a client base system;

• data segmentation;

• automatic call distribution between employees.

Benefits of Call Center Software Automation

Implementing the right call center software can provide you with many advantages for your small business. Automation of call centers allows for:

• an increase in the volume of sales,

• providing personalized phone support;

• constant quality assurance;

• accelerates work with clients who prefer phone support;

• improves call center performance;

• increases the duration of conversation as a result of the construction of a crater of communication;

• correctly distributes customer calls within support teams;

• optimizes the cost of ringing.

Analytics Call Center Features

Another important advantage of implementing customer relationship management as a call center software is the presence of instruments for analytic geometry and statistics. The capture of data in different directions allows us to get more detailed information and to promote the effectiveness of intermingling with a client.

CRM, a cloud call center solution, gives the possibility to form reports and, on the basis of the obtained data, improve the activity of the company.

Does it cost money to inculcate CRM as a call center software? To answer this question, it is necessary to estimate the advantages that open up for a company after adding such feature. Here are the basics:

• Increased loyalty among clients. As every client's individual approach is produced, there is the possibility of keeping a history of cooperation, developing a plan of communication, and creating sales, and the loyalty of users grows.

• Increase in sales. This is a result of the development of a clear strategy of actions, the estimation of efficiency, the receipt of accounting, and the conduct of history. Work is accelerated with clients, cooperation is simplified, and many actions are automated. All of it results in an increase in sales.

• Optimization of business hours for operators. The correct partition of load on an employee and segmentation of the database minimizes the probability of overworking and errors. The instruments of working charts allow us to understand the workload of everyone in the call center team and correctly distribute a task.

• Strengthening of control is above operators. With a call recording feature, there is the possibility of estimating the quality of work, and statistics and accounts of work are, in addition, conducted. Therefore, CRM, as a contact center solution, allows us to strengthen control and understand how it is possible to improve the work of employees, simplify it, and do it more effectively.

• Forming statistics. Accounting opens up many possibilities for businesses. CRM, as a call center software, is a powerful instrument that allows us to understand the real picture of the state of a company's business, monitor charges and profits, find weak points, and address them. Accounting helps to develop a plan of advancement on the basis of past data and forecast the behavior of the market in the future.

What Instruments and Functions are Essential for a Call Center Software?

There are many options for a call center solution on the market, but the most effective is individual software development. It will allow you to focus on priority tasks for business and create customised features at the same time, addressing all customer requests with the help of an implemented virtual call center.

Simply speaking, a company gets what it really needs. No superfluous components, loaded interfaces, or unnecessary functions. Only that well works and looks merely. However, there is an obligatory set of tools that the CRM system must contain to be considered contact center software:

• Call recording and systematization for both inbound and outbound calling, with the possibility to store them and replay the future;

• Self-service options for customers;

• Contact center client database, where history, all conversations, documents, outbound calls, incoming calls, as well as other information that may be needed, are kept;

• Workforce management and instruments of rational distribution of tasks are between support team members, like call routing;

• Controlling the workload of employees;

• Calls analytics, estimation of effectiveness of conversation, and treatment of requests;

• Contact center platform to work with different communication channels, including SMS for informing and incoming calls, work from messengers, and other instruments;

• Cloud-based phone system instruments with the same key features like the creation of a chart of work for employees with the possibility of automatic correction in case of change;

• Control of the quality of work of workers, estimation of loading, and work instruments are done with turns.

The Best Call Center Software Options

Automation of call center platforms will simplify many tasks, control the activity of employees, and promote efficiency. The percentage of refuse goes down, the duration of conversation and her efficiency rise, and the base of clients is filled up and segmented. CRM, a call center system, is an important instrument that can take a company to a new level.

• Easy report access

Call center software gives simple and rapid access to the reports necessary for the improvement of workers and the estimation of statistics in call centers. With it, you will get a working space that will help you improve the working process and promote productivity.

• Analytics tools

Revise the data of the call center in real-time, estimate the pluses and minuses of the workplace, get a deep analysis, divide by the achievements with colleagues, and at once settle problems.

Software for the analysis of call centers has a number of key functions, such as templates for reports, classification of data, informative columns, systematization, filtration, and organization of timescales.

• Data-driven decisions

With a key feature like access to your document and statistics, you will get access to the most actual data, which is necessary for the acceptance of important decisions and the improvement of the work of the call center. An analysis executed by this software includes parameters such as key indexes of efficiency (KPI) that allow effective guidance in studying the productivity of call centers, operators, and turns and maybe accelerating work under different circumstances.

We have listed the top call center software below to help you choose the best option for your business.

1. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 has one of the best call center software packages out there both in quality and variation. You get far more than just phone lines, with emails, social media management, and live chat bots to communicate with your clients. Furthermore, it links up with a powerful in-built CRM, project management features, and even HR tools.

The most useful tools to use for contact sales and customer support include:

• call routing features;

• cloud-based call center

• interactive voice response;

• video conferencing;

• settings for self-service options;

• unlimited calling;

• outbound call center;

• call recording;

• customer experience rating;

You can automate replies and many other tasks in your sales workflow to save time — super valuable for small teams. Furthermore, if you're just starting out, the free version will give you 12 users and 5 GB of storage.

All of the above makes Bitrix24 one of the most complete call center software for small businesses.

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2. Talkdesk

Talkdesk offers all you'd need from a call center that works both internally and externally. It fits into the category of affordable cloud call center solutions that do the job for small and midsize businesses, with decent call metrics and other analytical tools.

On the downside, some users have reported some data not being correctly saved within the call log history, which can cause confusion in your sales or customer service department.

Talkdesk works very well as call center software for small businesses with a price tag that doesn't induce heart attacks, but it isn't too easy to use with often confusing tech. If you're willing to put up with a few frustrations, Talkdesk is a budget-friendly option.

3. Aircall

Aircall is a great addition to any small business, albeit one of the more expensive options. Initially designed for customer service, it can just as easily be used for outgoing phone calls all over the world.

It has a vast range of integrations so you can incorporate it with all kinds of other apps you currently use and it leaves a lot of room for customization to your own company.

Despite its ease of use, it isn't that varied in its options, and the lack of video possibilities means that although it compares well in terms of calls, it doesn't do too much more.

4. Zoho

As one of the best call center software products on the market, Zoho really delivers. If you're already on Zoho Desk, you can connect it to all your other apps and combine your phone calls with CRM needs, with descriptions of your issues and much more saved for your whole team to draw on. You also have the option of adding tags to your tickets, categorizing each interaction to help you analyze your performance.

Despite having a great mobile app, customers have taken issue with the lack of desktop version and a few UI issues which can slow work down. Having said that, Zoho is excellent for support with issues and earns its overall reputation.

5. 3CX

If you're looking for a cheap option for your small business, 3CX may be the best call center software for you. They offer an incredibly generous free year before you move onto the paid version.

As you might expect, it doesn't come with such a colorful array of integrations and features as other products on the list, but if you don't need them — no problem! 3CX has fewer automations than its competitors meaning it isn't too great for high-intensity call centers, but if you just need the basics, it's a safe bet.

6. Freshworks

Freshworks is an example of a cloud call center CRM integration that is specifically made for small businesses. With no hardware needed, it is nice and easy to get started, and it comes with a nice set of features like call masking, recording, conference calling, and the rest, so you can get a professional set-up for your office.

Unlike some of its competitors, you need to purchase numbers to go international, so think carefully before choosing it based on initial pricing. However, the first tier is free except for call charges which is ideal if you're expecting low volumes.

7. Zadarma

Zadarma is a good cloud-based system that small businesses can set up easily with just an internet connection and minimal hardware. One excellent feature is that you can have international virtual offices and toll-free number connection to anywhere in the world.

On the other hand, customer reviews have pointed out that the system isn't too reliable, with unexplained call failures. In short, Zadarma offers great value for money, but it can cause frustrations with the odd gaps in quality.

8. Cloudtalk

With Cloudtalk, you get free inbound calls and unlimited users on all plans, as well as call recording and analytics. It performs in both local markets and multiple different geographies and you can record calls for later analysis.

While it does include an in-built SMS feature, like Aircall, Cloudtalk lacks a video call function which could be problematic looking forward. Similarly, to connect your CRM, you need an integration which leaves open the possibility of lost data.

Choosing the best call center software for your company

With our list here, you've got a good idea of what is out there on the market, but every business is different and it's important to think about your situation before getting started.

One of the biggest concerns for small businesses is obviously cost, but in the long run, it is worth stretching the budget to get the right product.

Another key aspect to bear in mind is how your call center solution fits in with your other tools. So now, it's over to you. What is the best call center software for your company?