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The 20 Best Call Centre Software for 2024

The Key to the Unlocking a Better Customer Experience is Advanced Call Centre Software

For many businesses, contact centres and call centres form the core of the customer experience. Businesses, therefore, need the best cloud call centre solution to ensure the best possible customer experience and high customer satisfaction. The best call centre software options need to facilitate personalized customer communication, increase customer engagement, simplify the agent experience, and support an array of key features and standard features in order to truly achieve customer service operation optimization in the call centre. Here is the definitive guide to contact centre software to help ensure that your contact centres provide the best possible customer service and help your business build strong customer relationships.

What is Call Centre Software?

Call centre software is software that businesses use to allow customer support agents, customer service teams and sales and marketing teams to manage interactions with customers over a variety of different communication channels, such as voice, email, text messaging, web chat, messengers, chat bots, and more. Call centre software supports CX operations  and helps businesses build strong customer relationships, and helps agents deliver fast, personalized customer service to callers.

Traditionally, this software utilizes computer telephony integration, or CTI, which allows agents to take phone calls from their computer by utilizing VOIP technology, simplifying the CX process and improving efficiency. In recent years, however, call centre software has evolved to become contact centre software that supports more than just phone interactions. Contact centres support more digital channels, including web chat, email, text messaging, video chat, and more. Modern call centre software that supports a variety of different communication channels delivers a more modern user experience, and is meant to improve the customer experience.

Top Call Centre Software for 2024

Software for call centres provides important information and streamlines your communication, including call routing and omnichannel communications support. Software for call centres will help you monitor the duration of calls, evaluate negative and positive interactions with customers, and determine agents that are performing well or require more training. They are among the best software for call centre firms.

1. Bright Pattern

Bright Pattern Omnichannel Cloud Contact Center Software

Bright Pattern’s software is one of the only ones on the market today that is natively-built from the start to be fully capable of communication across all channels seamlessly. Based on the cloud and being full omnichannel, Bright Pattern is one of the easiest-to-implement, yet most advanced solutions on the market for businesses that want to connect with customers on a variety of different channels, including voice, email, chat, bots, SMS, text messaging, mobile messengers, and more.

Bright Pattern is a great solution for businesses of all sizes, ranging from small businesses to the largest enterprises because of its scalability and flexibility. Bright Pattern utilizes plug-and-play APIs that allow the platform to integrate with any call centre technology easily. This means Bright Pattern can integrate with CRMs like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle ServiceCloud, and your own native record management system. Bright Pattern can also integrate AI for agent assistance and natural language processing capabilities.

Finally, Bright Pattern provides a mobile application called Bright Pattern Mobile that puts the Bright Pattern’s software into an employee’s smartphone, connecting any employee in the company to the customer journey as part of Bright Pattern’s new Omni-Enterprise CX™ technology.

Best for:
  • Cloud-Based Platform
  • True Omnichannel Communications
  • Comprehensive Integrations with Any CRM
  • AI Integrations with IBM, Google, Microsoft, etc.
  • Omnichannel Quality Management
  • Bright Pattern Mobile
  • Omni-Enterprise CX™
  • Integration with Microsoft Products, like Microsoft Teams
Pricing:
  • Digital Only Package: $50 per user/month
  • Standard Package: $85 per user/month
  • Omni CX: $120 per user/month

2. NICE CXOne

NICE CXOne

NICE CXone can be described as an enterprise level solution that is ideal for large and complex service businesses. It empowers managers to improve the standards of customer service while maintaining the control of costs. This includes quality management tools and workforce planning that encourage constant improvement in the planning of resources and service delivery.

NICE inContact is the unifying multichannel cloud platform from NICE CXone is a platform that offers various call routing options such as IVR. Its workforce management tools allow efficient scheduling of agents based on their capabilities, and uniquely connects workers management to e-learning and eLearning, which is extremely useful for teams who are engaged in frequent training of staff.

Best for:
  • Automation workflows
  • Ticket routing
  • Native integrations
  • API
  • Live chat software
  • Tracking and reporting
  • Self-service portal
Pricing:
  • Digital Agent: $71 per agent/month

  • Voice Agent: $94 per agent/month

  • Omnichannel Agent: $110 per agent/month

3. Talkdesk

Talkdesk

Talkdesk provides features that support hybrid call centres as well as remote workers with a fully cloud-based platform. Talkdesk is built for companies looking for a multichannel solution that can support traditional and modern, digital channels. Because it is based on the cloud, Talkdesk gives call centre technology access to mid-size companies with flexible software, allowing companies to perform cloud-based calling and cloud-based digital interactions.

Talkdesk is a very modern solution with useful features like a voice-only mobile applicaiton for agents to use, and workforce engagement management options.

Best for:
  • Self-Service Support and Customer Portal
  • Comprehensive Out-of-the-Box Integrations
  • Screen Recording
  • Voice-Only Mobile Application
  • Call Monitoring Feature
  • Social Media Integrations
Pricing:
  • Essentials: $75 per user/month
  • Elevate: $95 per user/month
  • Elite: $125 per user/month

4. Five9

Five9

Five9 is a great multichannel contact centre option for larger companies needing an all-in-on call centre platform that can allow agents to connect with customers on both traditional and digital channels. Five9 offers a range of solutions as part of their packages and their platform can be integrated with existing equipment that already exists within your call centre.

Five9 offers a range of telephony options including a fully capable VoIP call centre, communication on many different channels, integration with CRMs and other technology, and more.

Best for:
  • Predictive Dialers
  • Multichannel Communication
  • Omnichannel Routing
  • Unified Agent Dashboards
  • Agent Reporting Dashboards
  • Skills-Based Call Routing
  • Routing with Speech
  • Call Recording
  • Callback Capabilities
Pricing:
  • Core: $149 per user/month
  • Premium: $169 per user/month
  • Optimum: $199 per user/month
  • Ultimate: $229 per user/month

5. RingCentral

RingCentral

RingCentral contact centre is a multichannel software with a focus on voice. RingCentral is traditionally a UC company and its multichannel offering is added on-top of the UC offering to boost a company’s communication capabilities. RingCentral’s call centre software is great for companies that are looking for a combined UC and CX platform, with a focus on voice interactions.

Best for:
  • Support of Traditional and Digital Channels
  • Smart Routing Capabilities
  • Unified Screen for Internal and External Communication
  • AI and Self-Service Integrations
  • Agent Assistance
  • Call Centre Reporting and Analytics
Pricing:
  • Essentials: $19.99 per user/month
  • Standard: $27.99 per user/month
  • Premium: $34.99 per user/month
  • Ultimate: $49.99 per user/month

6. Genesys Cloud CX

Genesys Cloud CX

Genesys Cloud CX is an omnichannel-capable, fully-fledged contact centre solution that is hosted on the cloud. Genesys Cloud CX features a lot of capabilities that are useful for businesses looking for a fully-fledged contact centre and have the professional teams needed to implement it. The software includes omnichannel communication capabilities, integration with major CRMs, great reporting options, and analytics to track the customer journey. Genesys Cloud CX is a great choice for large enterprises with IT teams that are looking for an omnichannel solution that supports many digital channels.

Best for:
  • Cloud-Based Platform
  • AI and Automation Integration
  • Analytics and Reporting
  • Comprehensive Integrations
  • Chatbots
  • Co-browse and Screen Share
  • Workforce Management Integrations
Pricing:
  • Genesys Cloud CX1: $75 per user/month
  • Genesys Cloud CX2: $110 per user/month
  • Genesys Cloud CX3: $150 per user/month

7. Dialpad

Dialpad

Dialpad is a UC provider that sells software for business conferencing and internal knowledge sharing. However, they also offer call centre functionality that goes with their UC offering. This means Dialpad offers a solution that combines internal communication with external customer communication to make it a more seamless experience for the agent. modern call centre solution that is mainly designed for inbound and outbound voice interactions.

Best for:
  • Call Analytics
  • Call Sentiment Analysis
  • Built-In AI for Delivering of Call Scripts
  • Call History
  • Manager Alerts
  • Predictive Dialing Capabilities
  • Queue Callbacks
Pricing:
  • Standard: $15 per user/month
  • Pro: $25 per user/month
  • Enterprise: Request from Vendor

8. Twilio Flex

Twilio Flex

Twilio Flex is a unique platform that offers a DIY solution for companies with the time and resources to hire developers, or for companies that have staff on hand to do developmental work. Twilio Flex offers a voice package and open API that developers can utilize to build out their own fully-capable solution.

Twilio Flex provides customers with the chance to build all the features they want in their own enterprise-level call centre solution.

Best for:
  • Dynamic, Flexible APIs
  • Ticket Managing
  • Voice Recognition
  • Call Transcription
  • Reporting and Unified Dashboard
  • Dynamic Scripting
  • Note-Taking Features
  • Advanced Voice Interaction Features
Pricing:
  • Per-Hour Pricing: $1 per active user hour
  • Flat Rate: $150 per user/month

9. Aircall

Aircall

Aircall is a modern call centre solution that is mainly designed for inbound voice and outbound voice interactions. Focused solely on voice interactions means Aircall’s features revolve around voice interactions, including call sentiment analytics, text transcription during voice interactions, and built-in AI that assists agents during interactions. Aircall is a great choice for companies that are focused on providing voice interactions to their customers.

Best for:
  • Advanced Analytics for Voice Calls
  • Ability to Effectively Record Calls
  • Queue Callback
  • Smart Call Routing
  • Real-Time Analytics
  • Inbound and Outbound Calling
  • Outbound Dialing and Outbound Campaign Management
Pricing:
  • Essentials: $30 a month per agent
  • Professional: $50 a month per agent

10. 8×8

8×8

8×8 is mainly a UC provider delivering internal business communication software for conferencing and knowledge sharing. However, 8×8 also sells a call centre platform that works in tandem with their unified communications offering. 8×8’s call centre offering offers basic call centre solution capabilities, and it’s best for customers that need a combined internal communication platform that can also perform basic external communication for customers.

Best for:
  • Multichannel Routing
  • Contact Centre Analytics
  • Customizable Reports
  • Intuitive Unified Agent Desktop
  • CRM Integrations
  • Support of Inbound Outbound Features
Pricing:
  • X6 Package: $85 per user/month
  • X7 Package: $110 per user/month
  • X9 Package: $140 per user/month

11. Nextiva

Nextiva

Nextiva is cloud-based call centre software. The workforce management tools of Nextiva let managers manage staffing levels, schedules and other resources to ensure the overall efficiency of a call centre.

Virtual assistants are a great way to add an additional layer of automation Nextiva's contact centre services which allows businesses to perform regular tasks without the need for the need for manual inputs. It also includes gaming elements that motivate and encourage call centre employees to encourage healthy competition between agents.

Best for:
  • Interactive voice response

  • Analytics and reporting

  • Transfers and routing of calls

  • Callback to the customer

  • Smart dialer

  • Designer of the call flow

Pricing:
  • Contact Nextiva

12. CloudTalk

CloudTalk

CloudTalk offers a variety of features that can be customized that make it ideal for companies that need an unbeatable level of supervision over their contact centre system. One of these capabilities is the capability to build custom call queues and utilize the ACD (automatic call distribution) to direct calls to agents according to the rules you have set up. You can even go above this by allowing the agent you choose to handle certain calls. In other words, if a member of your sales staff is in a long-term relationship with a client they could be directly connected to them.

Other features that can be customized include personal greetings and voicemails, which avoids your company from sounding generic, and instead giving your customers a seamless brand experience. The most important features, like click-to call and real-time customer data and predictive dialers are available - but it's a good idea to look into their pricing plans since the lower levels don't offer the same number of useful features.

Best for:
  • Interactive voice response

  • Analytics and reporting

  • Transfers and routing calls

  • Management of workforce

  • Call record

Pricing:
  • Starter: $25 per user/month
  • Essential: $30 per user/month
  • Expert: $50 per user/month
  • Custom: Contact CloudTalk
    *Plans are billed each year.

13. Hubspot

HubSpot

Hubspot is typically considered to be an CRM system instead of an answer-to-call solution. It does have numerous tools that make it a great all-in-one application to be used in your call centre. It's especially suited to sales teams, thanks to click-to-call capabilities, as well as the ability to utilize data from your CRM to prioritize calls and create an ongoing call queue. It also supports email scheduling as well as live chat.

ServiceHub's ServiceHub includes a universal conversation inbox, and the help desk that has automation and reporting. This means it is possible to convert questions into tickets and categorize them accordingly. Although both aren't as common as some of the other options listed however, the fact that they offer free tools is worthwhile to test if you require specific solutions for service or sales.

Best for:
  • Management of call logs

  • Prioritization of calls

  • Reporting

  • Integrations

Pricing:
  • Free; $45/month (Starter)

  • $450/month (Professional)

  • $1,200/month (Enterprise)

14. Avaya

Avaya

Avaya Cloud Office software offers cloud-based phone systems and a collaboration software. It includes hotdesking as well as call recording and call monitoring. In addition, real-time analytics give insight into the patterns of communication as well as call metrics and usage.

Avaya Cloud Office lets teams collaborate on documents in their call centre. agents can send corporate text messages individually or in groups. The program allows authorized users to listen to calls and give guidance.

Best for:
  • Analytics and reporting

  • Management of the workforce

  • Hot desking

  • Real-time analytics

  • Call whispering

Pricing:
  • Cloud Office Standard: $20 per month per user

  • Cloud Office Premium: $35 per month for each user.

  • Cloud Office Ultimate Cost: $35 per month for each user.

    *Plans are billed each year.

15. Channels

Channels

Channels' call centre solutions are equipped with numerous features that can aid agents in their work. The platform's call history provides agents the opportunity to keep up to 30 days of interactions with customers to customize customer service. Additionally, the dashboard's real-time statistics graphically represent the most important indicators so that managers can get insights into call centre performance.

Channels include rule-based call routing that are able to intelligently assign calls to the appropriate agents based on factors such as the availability of their skills, capabilities and priority for customers. Channels also includes a feature to identify customers. It displays individual information prior to making a call.

Best for:
  • Interactive voice response

  • Analytics and reporting

  • Transfers and routing calls

  • Recognition of the customer

  • Call the history

Pricing:
  • Plus: Prices start from $24 a month (3 users, 5,000 internet calls)

  • Advanced: Starting at just $62 for a month (5 users with unlimited web-based calls)
    *Plans are billed each year.

16. Bitrix24

Bitrix24

Bitrix24 offers a desktop and mobile app that is compatible with a variety of social media platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Skype, Telegram, Viber and many more.

The software for contact centres also has a substantial CRM automation feature which means it might not be worth the investment if you already have a solution in place but it's a good choice for teams with no. It offers sales reports, pipeline management as well as sales automation in addition to the capability to track marketing campaigns and handle invoices and quotes.

The contact centre offers everything you'd want in a contact centre: 24/7 live chat service, intelligent routing and the ability to generate metric reports. But be aware that the more advanced degree of functionality comes with more expensive prices which means it may not be worthwhile for those who don't require the CRM features.

Best for:
  • Interactive voice response

  • Analytics and reporting

  • Transfers and routing of calls

  • Management of the workforce

  • Mobile app

  • AI assistance

Pricing:
  • Free Monthly cost: $0 (limited features)

  • Basic: $49 per month (5 users)

  • Standard: $99 per month (50 users)

  • Professional: $199 per month (100 users)

  • Enterprise: $399 per month (250 users)

  • On-premise Business: Beginning with 3 590 dollars (50 users)

  • On-premise Enterprise: $24,990 (1,000+ users)

    *Plans are billed each year.

17. CallHippo

CallHippo

CallHippo is an SaaS (software as an service) solution for call centres that allows calls outbound and inbound. The cloud-based telephony service integrates gamification to inspire agents by introducing a dose of friendly competition. Teams compete for points and reach goals.

Companies can make use of survey after-calls to gather valuable feedback from customers after every contact, and Smart Switch uses AI algorithms to handle the routing of calls on the fly. CallHippo's call queuing feature allows agents to answer calls according to the order in which they arrive. Alongside its bundles, CallHippo offers paid add-ons for features like a personalized caller ID and voicemail transcription, call transcription transcription, and many more.

Best for:
  • Interactive voice response

  • Analytics and reporting

  • Transfers and routing of calls

  • Audio call hold

  • Surveys via post-call

Pricing:
  • Basic Monthly: $0 (for startup companies)

  • Bronze: $16 per user/month

  • Silver: $24 per user/month

  • Platinum: $40 per user/month

    *Plans are charged annually.

18. LiveAgent

LiveAgent

LiveAgent's cloud-based call centre software is integrated within their help desk which provides an omni-channel support. It has the ability to connect to the majority of VoIP providers, which means it's easy to integrate into existing technology. There are four levels of plan: the free (but restricted) option, which is ticketing only tickets and chat and all-inclusive. Tickets and chat allow users the option of adding social media integration at a certain amount per account, while all inclusive like you'd expect includes these features.

With basic features such as IVR as well as unlimited phone recording, it's a excellent choice for people who are on a tight budget, though it's not as robust as the advanced customization that other options could offer.

Best for:
  • Interactive voice response

  • Analytics and reporting

  • Transfers and routing calls

  • Callback to the customer

  • Call queues

  • Call Recording

Pricing:
  • Medium: $29 per agent/month

  • Large: $49 per agent/month

  • Enterprise: $69 per agent/month
    *Plans are charged annually.

19. GoTo Connect

GoTo Connect

GoTo Connect's contact centre as service (CCaaS) software is compatible with video conferences, telephone systems as well as messaging. It offers a variety of fully cloud-based plans, which offer many different capabilities for call centres. Connect offers customizable call flows which allows you to equally allot calls to team members.

Hot desking in GoTo Connect allows employees to freely move between workstations, logging onto any device. In addition, it offers call filtering features that help organizations manage and monitor calls by automatically ending calls that originate from blocked phone numbers.

Best for:
  • Analytics and reporting

  • Transfers and routing of calls

  • Call filtering

  • Hot desking

Pricing:
  • Basic: $29 per user/month

  • Standard: $39 per user/month
    *Plans are charged annually.

20. 3CX

3CX

With 3CX call centre employees and managers can hold virtual meetings through web-based conferencing, serve customers via the phone and many more. 3CX offers contact centre solutions that can be hosted on-premise, on-premise as well as cloud-based alternatives.

In addition, it offers flexibility in deployment. 3CX includes features like call pop-ups, click-tocall capabilities as well as call journals. Reports can draw data from team meetings and live chat logs to monitor the day-to-day operations.

Best for:
  • Interactive voice response

  • Analytics and reporting

  • Transfers and routing of calls

  • Call-back for customers

  • Call pop-ups

  • Click-to-call

Pricing:
  • Free monthly fee of $0 (up of 10 concurrent users)

  • Small Business: Starting at $175 for a System (10 users)

  • Professional: $145 for a System (10 users)

  • Enterprise: Start at $180 per system (10 users)

    *Plans are charged annually.

VendorContact Centre TypeBest Fit

Bright Pattern

True Omnichannel – Voice and Digital Channels like Messengers, Chat, SMS, and Bots.

Mid-size companies and larger enterprises looking for a true omnichannel solution that can be deployed quickly and easily

Nice CXone

Omnichannel contact centre solution.

Large enterprises with capable professional IT teams looking for omnichannel.

Talkdesk

Multichannel contact centre.

Good for multichannel mid-size companies.

Five9

Multichannel contact centre.

Larger companies needing a all-in-one contact centre for multichannel interactions.

RingCentral

Multichannel call centre software with focus on voice.

A UC company with a contact centre solution with basic functionality.

Genesys Cloud CX

Omnichannel contact centre solution.

Very large enterprises with IT teams looking for a true omnichannel solution.

Dialpad

Unified communications provider with basic contact centre functionality.

Mid-size companies looking for a combined UC and basic call centre functionality.

Twilio Flex

Voice SDK and open API to create a call centre solution.

Large enterprises with professional services team to implement and build the solution.

Aircall

Voice-only call centre solution.

Companies focused on voice interactions.

8×8

Unified communications provider with basic multichannel call centre solution capabilities.

Existing customer in need of basic call centre solution.

Why Use Call Centre Software?

Call centre software makes it more efficient for businesses to communicate with customers both through incoming and outgoing calls. Depending on the platform, call centre software can do more than just place and receive customer calls. The right call centre platforms can also help businesses interact on more channels and increase customer engagement through a variety of advanced technologies and integrations. Platforms that have customizable features and robust features, along with native integrations, can really boost CSAT within the call centre, and lead to higher ROI for businesses as well as better workforce optimization. Connect with customers on channels like email, text messaging, video chat, web chat, and more, and connect these channels together for a single customer journey. Add in more technology as well, like AI integrations and CRM integrations, to personalize CX.

Hosted, On-Premise, and Cloud Contact Centre Software

When searching for the right platform and searching through different vendors, you may have seen words like cloud-based call centre software, on-premise software, and others relating to how the call centre software is accessed.

An on-premise software is a call centre that is hosted on the premise of a business. This means that the hardware and software needed to operate the call centre solution is hosted on site, and it is managed by the business. An on-premise call centre is typically expensive to manage, hard to upgrade, and needs a professional service team to manage.

A cloud call centre software means that call centre functionality and advanced features are based on the cloud and hosted in data centres, which are managed by the  vendors. A cloud-based solution gives your call centre access to powerful contact centre functionality without the need for maintenance of professional IT service teams, all for reasonable pricing that is based on user per month. This is often called software as a service, or SaaS, which gives businesses access to software through the cloud with subscription-based pricing. This means that businesses of all sizes, from small businesses all the way to large enterprises, can easily access powerful CX technology for reasonable pricing options. Bright Pattern, for example, is one of the best call centre software that is a cloud contact centre. Bright Pattern supports a number of key features, like CRM integrations, IVR, efficient dialers, and task automation. All of this for reasonable pricing that is based on user per month with no maintenance fees or expensive hardware and software.

Call Centre Features with Remote Workforce

In today’s digital world, the remote workforce has become an important centrepiece for businesses. This is especially true for businesses with a presence internationally, which may rely on different teams across the globe. The call centre has felt the effects of the rise of the remote workforce, with many call centres operating as either a hybrid model or a remote work model that allows agents to work remotely. A business’s CX can function just as effectively as a remote workforce as it can on-premise, but there are some features needed to ensure that your CX operations are just as effective.

IVR self-service allows customer calls to be routed to the right agent or team quickly and effectively. IVR systems help lower call queues and give callers the chance to perform self-service with knowledge bases to resolve their own issues rather than queuing. Furthermore, IVRs can be transformed into conversational IVRs through integration  with natural language processing and AI capabilities to allow customers to utilize their own natural language to interact with a self-service menu. AI like IBM Watson, Google, and Microsoft allows customers to utilize their natural speech to navigate the phone system, leading to a more personalized experience and higher customer satisfaction. Interactive voice response systems provide many benefits to a call centre, including:

  • Lowering the amount of callers that enter the call queue
  • Giving customers menu options to improve first call resolution
  • Personalize customer service by allowing them to use their natural voice
  • Give customers access to knowledge base, freeing agents for more pressing tasks
  • Delivering 24/7 CX even when the call centre is closed

A crucial feature your communication software should have is that it is based on the cloud. Being based on the cloud provides many benefits over their on-premise counterparts. Being on the cloud lowers the costs of having a CX operation by reducing costs like maintenance costs, hardware and software upgrade costs, and IT personnel costs. Software providers that are based on the cloud have reasonable, pay-per-use pricing plans that require users to only pay for the number of agents that they need to support.. This means with just an internet connection, agents from anywhere around the world can connect to customers with advanced communication technology.

Being based on the cloud also means there is added flexibility to support hybrid workforce or remote workforce setups. With the rise of the remote worker, many businesses are also turning to remote workers to help staff their call centres. A cloud-based platform is crucial in allowing businesses to connect agents to the CX experience, even if they are thousands of miles away. With a powerful and properly-built platform, voice connectivity and connectivity on other channels should be just as good as if it were hosted on-premise with agents right in the office.

Many customers find it difficult to communicate their issue to multiple support representatives. Additionally, they must give a brief summary of previous interactions.

Agents are able to provide more efficient assistance if they know more about the person calling. Agents are able to quickly reference previous interactions with customers, which can help avoid repeat calls. Agents can look at patterns in the use of products to ensure that customers don’t have to call them back again.

CTI pop-ups are an effective method for call centre tools to give information. They identify users by their phone number and display previous interactions via the browser. It is essential to know the way in which the program you are analysing logs calls and connects to different software (like CRM) and, to give your employees enough information.

Utilizing an automatic call distribution system for intelligent routing is crucial for performing effective call routing. It helps route calls efficiently and is necessary to optimize call flow in your contact centre. ACDs with advanced algorithms can perform skills-based routing and smart routing to further personalize CX in your contact centre and help your customer service teams become more efficient. Utilizing advanced automatic call distribution ACD can help customers interact with agents faster and improve the performance of inbound call centres by performing more efficient call transfers.

Bright Pattern’s ACD software, for example, utilizes advanced algorithms to route inbound calls to the best suited agent for an interaction. For example, Bright Pattern’s software can have agents be divided by level, language capabilities, specialized services, and specialized tasks, and these agents can receive incoming calls that have specific needs. This means business CX centres operate with max efficiency and can vastly improve critical call centre metrics.

CRM integration into your call centre software is crucial for providing the best possible service to your customers. Allowing your call centre agents to easily access customer data with integrations with CRMs during an interaction is crucial to providing personalized CX. Customer relationship management software holds customer information such as call recordings, call logs, phone numbers, voicemails, activity history, and even sentiment of interaction depending on the call center platform that it is integrated with.

Bright Pattern’s platform, for example, integrates with all major third-party management tools. Bright Pattern’s software is very plug-and-play in its design, utilizing APIs to accommodate integrations with complicated technology. Some of the tools Bright Pattern integrates with include:

  • Salesforce 
  • ServiceNow
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • Oracle Service Cloud
  • Zendesk
  • Zoho Desk 
  • Hubspot

….or even your own natively-built customer relationship management software!re

Integrating artificial intelligence into your CX can streamline and make more efficient the customer service your call centre delivers to customers. AI has a wide range of uses within the contact centre and is crucial in streamlining CX operations for both the customer and the agent.

AI can be utilized to implement automation in the call centre, improving agent productivity by eliminating routine mundane tasks. This is especially helpful for a support team or help desk, which has to handle a high volume of relatively simple, yet repetitive tasks. This is time that can be spent performing other, higher priority tasks. AI can also be used for speech recognition and speech analytics. AI and natural language processing can be utilized to personalize the customer journey, implement self-service capabilities, and improve quality management capabilities for supervisors.

Call recording is a critical task as part of a CX operation’s quality management. Call recordings are critical because these interactions can be reviewed by supervisors, who in turn can find ways to improve customer service and agent performance during interactions. With the right interaction platform that is able to integrate AI, natural language processing can be utilized for its transcription capabilities to transcribe interactions, allowing supervisors to be able to read the call recordings and gain a greater understanding of the context of the conversation.

Intuitive reporting and analytics can help your CX operations by allowing your supervisors and administrators to get a birds-eye view of your call centre operations. Your business needs call centre platforms that can track the quality and status of all customer interactions in your call centre, meaning that supervisors and administrators can get a birds-eye view of the call centre and immediately spot areas for improvement and gauge customer satisfaction.

Effective real-time reporting and real-time monitoring is not useful without the means to display meaningful information in a way that is easy to interpret and utilize. This means that call centres need a platform that can not only effectively monitor interactions and analyse them accurately, but also present this data in a real-time dashboard that is easy to understand and can be analysed quickly by supervisors to be implemented into changes in how the call centre operates. This means that the dashboard needs to be customizable and tailored to specific use cases for the call centre, leading to more meaningful data for the call centre to utilize for improvement.

One of the most recent developments within the call centre industry is the development of the contact centre mobile app. Bright Pattern’s platform, for example, supports Bright Pattern Mobile. A contact centre mobile app is being able to use a vendor’s software on an agent’s smartphone.

Quality management, monitoring agent performance, and performance management are important aspects of running a CX operation. Quality management is crucial for gaining insights into team productivity and ensuring that the modern user experience is seamless and personalized.

Depending on the platform, quality management can extend beyond sampling only voice channels. Traditionally, quality management was done by sampling a small portion of interactions on certain channels, leaving businesses in the dark about the vast majority of their customer interactions. Bright Pattern’s platform is natively-built to be omnichannel, meaning that the built-in quality management system is also omnichannel. This allows companies to review 100% of all interactions on all channels, leaving no interaction unreviewed. Furthermore, with AI integrations, reporting and analytics for interactions can be further streamlined to data that is useful for your specific use cases and workflows. Improve key call centre metrics, KPIs, and improve CSAT in your business with intuitive reporting and analytics from omnichannel quality management.

Auto dialers are crucial for outbound call centres looking to perform outbound calls in a streamlined and efficient manner. Dialers utilize advanced algorithms and AI to automatically call numbers for agents quickly, saving a lot of time and effort as well as money for businesses. They also give customers the option of a callback if they miss a call through the use of voicemails. There are many benefits to having automatic dialing capabilities and using smart dialers. Benefits include:

  • Reducing the amount of time spend on cold calling and manual dialing
  • Increasing the number of live connections between agents and call recipients
  • Improving sales and marketing results 
  • Increase ROI on outbound campaigns 
  • Decrease agent idle time and increasing interaction time 
  • Extend agent talking time with customers 
  • Boost operational efficiency in the business 
  • Improve the conversation of leads

Having a good dialer doesn’t just mean a good algorithm. It also means supporting different dialing modes that can be switched depending on the use case that your outbound campaign needs to fulfill. Some different dialing modes your call centre needs to be able to support include:

  • Preview Dialers: Preview dialer picks a contact from a call list from your campaign settings and sends it to an agent to review the details. These details include activity history and other content. Upon review, agents can either choose to place the call or skip the call and go on to the next phone number.
  • Power Dialers: Power dialer dials a phone number right after a call is completed. This means that as soon as a call centre agent is done with a call, the power dial will call the next contact on the list.
  • Predictive Dialers: Predictive dialer places calls before the agent becomes available. The system moves quickly from one number to the next. It skips dropped calls, unanswered calls, or disconnected numbers. Once a call is answered, it is routed to the next available agent. Calls that aren’t answered can be left with an automatic voicemail that prompts the client to callback.

What is Omnichannel Call Centre Software?

While many cloud-based call centre solutions today support multichannel communications, not all of them are equal. CX platforms in the modern digital age needs to be able to support a variety of channels, including calls, chatbots, email, video chat, live chats, text messaging, messenger apps, social media, and more. However, your customer service software also needs to be able to support these channels efficiently, effortlessly, and seamlessly as part of one customer journey.

Omnichannel call centre software is a solution that allows your contact centre to provide seamless customer support on any digital communication channel, and seamlessly switch between these channels without losing the context of the conversation. An omnichannel platform allows agents to connect with customers on channels like:

  • Voice 
  • Email
  • Video Call
  • SMS and Text Messaging 
  • Web Chat
  • Chat Bot 
  • Chat Applications
  • Social Media
  • Messenger Apps

What is the Difference Between Call Centre and Contact Centre?

The terms call centre software and contact centre software are often used interchangeably and are used to mean the same thing, software that is utilized for communicating with customers and delivering CX across multiple different channels. But there is a very distinct difference between the two terms, and it has to do with “call” and “contact”.

A call centre is one that traditionally took only phone calls and utilized only the business phone system. Voice calls were the bread-and-butter for businesses conducting CX interactions in the past, and so technology used to communicate was named appropriately.

A contact centre expands the term by including channels that go beyond just voice channels. This means channels like web chat, text messaging, mobile messaging, and more. By replacing “call” with “contact” in the term, it means that the software is able to support interactions on a wide variety of modern, digital channels that go beyond just traditional voice.

What is an Inbound and Outbound Call Centre Solution

Most call centres, depending on their purpose, either support inbound or outbound interactions. For example, a sales team or marketing team would need outbound interaction software while a support team or help desk would need inbound interaction software or a help desk software integration to optimize call centre operations. Many businesses operate a blended call centre too, which supports both inbound and outbound interactions. As a result, call centre systems need the right call centre software features to optimize these different types of calls. Here are the features that your call centre platform needs to support both inbound and outbound interactions efficiently while delivering the best possible customer experience.

Call Centre Security

PCI DSS stands for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all merchants and businesses that process, store, and transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment and keep user data secure. PCI Data Security Standard is a requirement for both call centre software providers and businesses that utilize this software that accept credit card payments. This is especially important for retailers and ecommerce businesses.

For PCI Compliance, your call centre technology needs to be able to support:

  • Advanced encryption of information during communication 
  • Regular, comprehensive evaluations to keep up with updated standards 
  • Proactive monitoring for security breaches and risks
  • Secured storage of data in databases

HIPAA compliance refers to keeping protected health information (PHI) secure and safe. The healthcare industry revolves around providing good patient care, keeping staff efficient, and ensuring the security of their patients. This means keeping patient health information secure is crucial for software being utilized by the healthcare industry.

To qualify for HIPAA compliance, your call centre technology needs to have a some features including:

  • Roles-based access controls 
  • Encryption during data transmission and use 
  • Powerful scripting capabilities to securely collect and process customer data

SOC 2 is an auditing procedure that ensures service providers are securely managing personal data of customers and store customer data in a way that protects company interests and client privacy. SOC 2 compliance means providing data security and best practices to ensure that confidential information is kept private. SOC 2 certification and following the trust service criteria (TSC) are basic requirements for any contact centre software that handles sensitive information.

TCPA, or the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, is a federal statute that restricts telephone solicitations (e.g., telemarketing) and the use of automated telephone equipment. It is enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Telephone Consumer Protection Act restricts telemarketing communications via voice calls, SMS texts, and fax in order to protect consumer privacy.

 

GDPR compliance is a European Union-specific regulation regarding data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area. GDPR sets rules on how businesses and companies manage and share user data. It also dictates the rules around exporting personal data outside the EU, and is also applicable to businesses outside of the EU that manage EU citizen’s private information.

Some features you need in your platform for GDPR compliance include:

  • Manual content erasure that allows authorized personnel to erase any sensitive data
  • Comprehensive encryption of personal data during data transmission and storage
  • Special security privileges for administrators in regards to content erasure for privacy

Utilizing Call Centre Reporting and Analytics in Contact Centres

An important part of running a CX operation that delivers exceptional customer service is having a quality management system in place to ensure that all interactions between agents and customers are rated highly.

Businesses must leverage multiple communication channels to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. Utilizing cloud-based solutions such as 8×8 and RingCentral, organizations can streamline their contact centres, providing efficient customer support. For remote teams, tools like Zoho and Hubspot offer CRM and analytics capabilities that improve user reviews and overall customer experience.

 

Modern call centres, now evolving into contact centres, employ advanced call centre software to manage voice calls, SMS, and social media interactions, ensuring omnichannel support. Cloud-hosted systems enable seamless integration of IVR and computer telephony integration (CTI), facilitating automated, real-time responses through conversational AI and bots. Companies like Genesys and Zendesk offer cloud-based and on-premise solutions that enhance customer service through scalable infrastructure.

 

companies rely heavily on robust server infrastructure to manage and store critical data, ensuring seamless operations and optimal performance. For clients, this translates to reliable and efficient services, whether through handling voicemails or processing large volumes of transactions. The integration of high-quality hardware plays a pivotal role in maintaining this reliability, supporting both on-site and remote work environments. Optimization and automation technologies are essential in streamlining workflows, reducing manual tasks, and enhancing overall productivity. By leveraging these technologies, businesses can make data-driven decisions that drive customer success, ensuring that clients receive top-notch service and support, regardless of whether employees work remotely or in-office making decisions.

 

Customer care reps. can leverage AI-powered analytics and sentiment analysis to optimize customer interactions across various touchpoints, from inbound call centres to self-service options. This data-driven approach, supported by dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs), aids in making informed decisions to boost customer satisfaction and success.

 

Additionally, unified communications platforms enable patient, real-time interactions, crucial for maintaining security and HIPAA compliance, especially in sectors managing patient records and EHR data. Solutions like Nextiva and VoIP call centres offer private branch exchange (PBX) and interactive voice response (IVR) systems that support both inbound and outbound dialing, ensuring effective customer journeys.

 

Companies can further enhance their operations with tools like FHIR for data migrations and secure infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance and adherence to compliance standards. CRM software and platforms like Zoho and Hubspot provide comprehensive customer relationship management, enhancing customer behavior insights and engagement through efficient customer care strategies.

 

Moreover, leveraging mobile applications and social messaging applications ensures constant connectivity and support, catering to users’ preferences for instant messaging and texting. Cloud, automated contact centre as a service (CCaaS) solutions facilitate scalability and flexibility, crucial for adapting to changing customer needs. Subscription-based models and pricing structures provide businesses with cost-effective options to maintain high customer service standards. 

 

In conclusion, integrating technologies like IVR systems, conversational AI, and CTI into a unified, cloud-based infrastructure empowers businesses to deliver superior customer experiences, drive efficiency, and achieve high customer satisfaction and success metrics.

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