Best call center software: How to choose best

The software options are very varied and are designed to serve many different purposes.Therefore, to choose the best call center software, it is important that you ask yourself many questions that aim to solve all the problems that arise during your campaigns.

Many modern call centers are looking for compatible software solutions for different aspects of management and operations. . For example, data management, customer sentiment analysis tools, agent conversation analysis, among others.

Therefore, the objective of this article is to clarify what you need to know to discover and acquire the best call center software on the market. Whether you’re looking for powerful analytics tools or automatic bookmarking . The main thing is that you can have a solid information base for your next acquisition.

Getting the right software for your call center starts with knowing what you need. Define your business goals in advance, such as your call center performance KPIs . Then ask yourself these 14 questions so you can choose the best call center software.

But first, know the points that will be covered in this article.

How to choose the best call center software with 14 questions

The best software providers in any business niche offer world-class support services and strong feature sets and capabilities. Ideally, your choice of software should be limited in scope , specializing in a few key call center management processes, rather than generalizing across all of them.

For this reason, I have asked myself some questions, which you should also ask yourself, so that you can find a guide to the solution you seek to solve from call center software.

1. How will it work with my existing tools?

A complete call center reset is not required when changing or implementing new software . If your business has been using customer relationship management (CRM) software or payment gateways, it would make sense to switch to a provider that easily integrates with your existing applications seamlessly.

Doing otherwise would only lead to delays in getting your business up and running. Thus frustrating the purpose of improving the productivity of your business and the customer experience.

2. What is the setup time?

One of the many benefits of using a cloud-based solution is how easy it is to set up. Your IT team shouldn’t be too overwhelmed with the setup process. Instead, your provider should have a defined process mapped out , which typically takes a maximum time between 10 minutes and 72 hours.

However, it will all depend on the complexity of your business structure and how your campaigns are set up.

3. Does it allow my company to scale operations?

All call centers typically experience the challenges of scaling exponentially as the business grows . However, some providers do not give users the freedom to scale at their own pace based on growing business needs and changing demands.

This is a problem that cloud-based solution providers solve. You need to make sure that the supposed new solution provider supports scalability and flexibility, allowing your business to expand without restriction.

4. Can agents work remotely?

With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting businesses globally, remote work-enabled solutions are needed more than ever . Before choosing a contact center solution, it is vital to ask about the functionality that allows your agents to connect to your business from anywhere.

For example, contact software features like Score allow your call center agents to access remotely from any browser they’re on and from any device.

5. What are the reporting and analysis tools like?

Reporting and analytics are vital features that help a business achieve the required growth. Without these, decision making could be questionable, since it would not be based on data.

How is staff productivity and performance measured? For example, what is the average call time, call abandon rate, abandon rates, first call resolution rate?

Effective data reporting and analysis help a business understand customer needs and develop strategies to retain them. Choose a contact center provider that offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use reporting and analytics tool.

6. What is the demo process like before deployment?

Free demos are often a great way to try out software before you buy or sign up for a service. Explore all the available features and try to ask questions about the requirements for your business.

Try to get many agents to test the software. They are likely to give the best feedback on how the software fits into your current business system.

While many vendors offer free demos to potential clients, not all are patient to take you through the detailed works. Therefore, it is advisable to take your time with the demo process before deciding.

7. Can the system handle my busy periods?

Contact centers have peak periods: days with high call traffic and days with low call volume. Therefore, it is essential to consider software that effectively handles both cases . It’s best to choose with a system that can scale when needed and return to handling lower volumes when needed.

8. Does it have multi-channel functionality?

Having a multi-channel contact center helps your company offer a personalized customer experience. Before deciding on a provider, you should know that not all of them are multi-channel ready and would typically take a few extra days to set up or cannot be integrated at all due to API limitations.

Look for call center software with an API that enables fast and seamless integration with multiple channels for accessible communication with customers. Thus, your company can reach customers on their preferred communication channels.

9. How easy is it to add new users?

As your organization changes, you need contact center software that allows you to add and remove users on your own , without the need for technical support.

Adding users, managers, and phone numbers to your contact center should be as easy as saving phone numbers to your mobile phone. In this case, instead of numbers, you are storing profile information like name, date of birth, specifying the queue and dial plan they will be on , etc.

Adding new users will be a frequent activity in your contact center software. Therefore, it must be quick and direct. Deactivating users should also be an easy process .

Ease of use is an essential feature for your checklist when considering contact center software. An ideal interface should be easy to use, providing quick access to standard functions or commands . It’s also well-organized, making it easy to locate different tools and options.

Does the software meet these requirements and also any others you may consider necessary? The demo process is the best opportunity to determine the ease of use of contact center software.

Another way to determine the ease of use of the software is the training time. If your agents take a long time to understand the platform, this could mean that the software is not very usable.

11. Can the software track positive and negative results?

KPI metrics are the right way to know which agents are performing high or low in your contact center.

While it’s good to know how well your contact center is doing in customer satisfaction, it’s also vital to know the agents who contribute to the success of your business. So choose contact center software that offers real-time voice monitoring tools.

12. What is the training and support like?

Knowing how much time is required to train your agents is essential . Some software providers have the training included in the setup fee as an add-on, while others bill separately.

Having to pay separately for training could be costly , especially if the software isn’t user-friendly and would take weeks for your staff members to get used to.

You should know the provider’s support program. However, are they always available to help with any issues that arise? You should also ask questions if you require additional training, would there be an additional cost after the initial one? What would be the cost structure, per hour or per day?

Look for a cloud-based contact center provider that takes very little time to train your agents and offers 24/7 support to your business.

13. Does it cost money to set it up?

Some software vendors ask for setup charges in addition to license fees. Although it shouldn’t be a regular practice, often this cost isn’t known from the start and only creeps in as an unwelcome surprise when it’s time to pay.

Before you sign an agreement, ask if the purchase of the software is different from the setup charges . Always make sure you have a clear understanding and are on the same page with the solution provider.

14. What is the pricing structure?

The pricing structure of a software provider should be a primary concern so that your business doesn’t find itself in for unpleasant surprises. Therefore, you must be clear about whether it is a pay-per-use solution without any capital expenses , or pay for each service regardless of the need.

Also, if the payments come with support or are separate charges. For example, at Securitec we work with the pay-per-use structure , which includes providing a full service with technical support and a dedicated project manager.

This pricing structure makes more sense for most businesses, as they would not have to pay additional fees for support and services they do not need. Remember that it is always necessary to ask about the pricing structure before deciding on contact center software.

And these were the 14 questions that will help you know which is the ideal call center software for you. It is important to take into account each point not only so that the investment is wasted, but also so that time is not lost between one implementation to another . This would cause a substantial loss in the productivity of your business.