Call Center Software

By Sylvia Rosen

For buyers that want to go beyond the basics with modern call center software solutions, there are a number of ways that advanced call center software can provide much more robust results for their business. Call center software systems that offer more than just a basic platform can be customized to help business leaders accomplish top-level objectives such as:

• Speaking - reaching customers effectively and delivering precise messages
• Looking - monitoring call centers for specific results and adjusting appropriately
• Listening - taking in feedback and advanced analytics to plan for the future

Speaking: reaching customers

One way that advanced software packages help call centers is by building in more effective technology to help live employees or automated systems reach customers. This includes using Interactive Voice Response or IVR to help customers who call in during off-hours, or to route customers to the right destination.

Automatic dialing and call handling tools can also help expedite this process. In addition, the top call center software packages offer other features like multilingual support, time zone information, and items that will help match communications to a particular customer.

For most call center operations, it's extremely important that a customer gets the right information at the right time, and in the right form. These sophisticated technologies help make that possible for a wide spectrum of businesses.

Looking: monitoring a call center business

Another way that advanced call center software systems help is in showing business leaders a real-time view of call center operations. Many staff tracking and hour tracking features are built into these designs, along with call handling and workload handling analysis. Taking a close look at tracking data can help companies work smarter.

For example, observing peak-time activity will help management develop solutions for keeping their call centers operating efficiently 100% of the time. Monitoring is a key part of planning robust call center operations that are able to successfully accomplish their objectives, drive traffic, and support business models.

Listening: business intelligence and planning

The best call center software solutions can also provide "deep data" that businesses can use to evaluate their programs and inform changes that could help with future growth and expansion. Different call center software vendors offer a variety of state-of-the-art tools and functionalities for business and customer intelligence.

Buyers should ask targeted questions and browse vendor products and services to select the best kinds of technology for their own call center operations.

What you can expect to pay

The cost for call center software varies from platform to platform, with a wide variety of options that are included as standard as well as those that drive up the cost depending on the specific seller. Basic platforms start around $1,800 and go well above $2,400 for systems that include enhanced functionalities like real-time reporting and FTC compliance monitoring.

Cloud-based solutions are provided on a monthly basis (sometimes with a contract but not always) for between $99 to $600 per month, based on the level of minutes used and text messages sent. Another type of fee schedule for the cloud is per minute, which can save on costs for those with low-volume needs. Averages for this type of plan run between $.013 cents per minute and $.028 cents per minute.

In addition, you can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $500 for client-hosted setup and installation and $150 to $200 plus for user training.