What is Call Center Software?
Call center software is a 360-degree customer relationship management application that allows agents to make and receive calls, generate IVR responses, and track call volumes, among other tasks.
Call center CRM software helps enhance customer experience and increase operational efficiency. CRM for call centers stores the customer data and conversation history, making it easier for a call center agent to provide more personalized service to the customers.
What is Call Center CRM?
Call center CRM systems are used to automatically provide relevant customer information during the call, the agent doesn’t require wasting time with data entry. Instead, he/she can nurture the lead/customer more effectively. Such software programs help streamline an organization’s entire telephonic customer service campaign and sales workforce.
CRM for call centers further helps automate the dialing process and boost live chat volumes while managing the incoming flow of messages, calls, and customer inquiries. It helps match customer inquiries with the right resources to ensure customer satisfaction.
Why Do Call Centers Need Call Center CRM?
Given the fact that contact center CRM solutions help streamline a call center’s customer interaction process, the tool has become an absolute necessity for strategic planning, centralizing data, automating workflow, and evaluating performance:
- Strategic Planning: Call center CRM systems provide real-time customer data, streamlining the telecalling process. To monitor, analyze, and maintain volumes of relevant data, call center software gives users a clear understanding of call success rate, revenue per call, case times, up-sell rates, and call volumes. This enables the organization to make more informed decisions and finalize effective business strategies.
- Centralized Data: With large volumes of customer data comes the freedom to practice a personalized approach to customer service. Since the call center software stores all customer data in a centralized location, it gets easier for the call center agents to access call records and customer information. The CRM for call centers helps users to filter data related to customer’s preferences, enabling them to close the call faster and cater to the client’s immediate needs.
- Automation: As a business grows, call queues can get busier. During these busy times, call center CRM software automatically routes the calls to the right representatives based on customer data. The system detects the most important calls in the queue and transfers them on a priority basis, increasing customer satisfaction.
- Employee Evaluation: Exceptional customer service is the lifeline of call centers. Call center CRM systems allow managers and team leaders to monitor employee activities. In case of performance lags, the CRM software allows the organization to track the weaknesses and organize a training session to enhance customer service skills.
- Integrate Business Tools: Call center CRM systems support third-party integration, allowing users to automate data flow between different software. This makes the process of team coordination smooth, giving the organization complete control over customer service, marketing, and sales activities.
Benefits of CRM for Call Centers
Call center software is crucial for dealing with significant call volumes. It can assist your company in remaining responsive to customer queries, improving customer service, and increasing accessibility:
- Advanced Calls Analytics: By employing call center analytics, organizations can slash their average call time by 40%. A call center software helps the organization generate customized reports and take control of call volume details. The software enables users to track peak days and better plan personnel schedules to ensure consistent service levels.
- Reduced Costs: Automated call center technologies are the ideal solution for optimal resource planning. With contact center CRM, the organization can cut down on idle resources, and hence, reduce the total cost of operations. Moreover, increased productivity leads to lower call center operational costs, which can be achieved with the help of advanced analytics offered by call center CRM systems.
- Exceptional Customer Service: Increasing customer experience is the key priority of a call center. 86% of consumers wouldn’t mind paying a premium if they get seamless customer services. An automated call center system can help the organization extend round-the-clock support to customers by increasing availability and delegating responsibilities to the agents.
- Enhanced Data Security: Data security is a big concern for contact centers maintaining a large amount of personal client information. A call center CRM keeps all the customer data in the cloud, following relevant security and privacy protocols. By employing strict security measures, such as user access limits, password protection, and data encryption, call center software prevents unauthorized staff from accessing and misusing critical consumer information.
- Support for Multiple Channels: Call center software is crucial for creating a comprehensive client experience across multiple communication channels. Regardless of the communication path the consumers use, call center CRM technology can help streamline operations. A good call center software allows you to communicate with your customers via SMS, chat, email, audio calls, video, and even social media platforms.
- Higher Resolution on the First Call: To increase operational efficiency, it is important to measure the first call resolution. Using call center solutions to improve first-call resolution rates is a sure-fire strategy to do so. Call center software promotes accessibility to real-time data, allowing call center agents to better comprehend customer concerns, deliver faster service, and resolve issues on the first call.
Essential Features of Call Center CRM Software
Mentioned below are the must-have features of call center software, including telescript, incident management, automatic escalations, contact center analytics, multi-channel integrations, call recordings, and so on:
- Telescript: Telescript is an important feature in CRM software for call centers, used to answer typical customer inquiries. Call center agents can consult the telescript to understand exactly what questions to ask to provide prompt resolution. In another scenario, if a company wants to sell its product in a new territory, agents can use the prior region's telescript to construct a successful campaign.
- Incident Management: This feature allows agents to prioritize cases according to their severity level and delegate these cases to the agents accordingly. A call center CRM keeps track of customer requests, inquiries, and issues, which representatives can refer to for assisting the customer in a better manner.
- Automatic Escalations: There may be times when an agent is unable to respond or address a problem effectively. Call center software automatically escalates such calls to a higher authority. CRM call center management tool allows agents to set up escalation metrics and ensure prompt actions.
- Contact Centre Analytics: CRM calling software keeps track of customers' contact information, which can be broadly applied to studying call trends and patterns. With the help of a CRM for call centers, users can manage and monitor key performance metrics like First Contact Resolution Percentage, Average Response Time, Average Resolve Time, as well as Average Cost per Incident.
- Multi-Channel Integration: Today's businesses operate in a multi-channel environment to create a consistent consumer experience. As a result, call center software guarantees CRM integration with different channels to provide customers with a hassle-free experience.
- Integrated Agent Desktop: Agents can gain a 360-degree view of consumer interactions with a CRM’s integrated desktop feature. Different channels are linked through a unified interface, allowing agents to have instant access to critical case information in the CRM in BPO, allowing them to serve clients swiftly and efficiently.
- Transparent Telephonic Processes: Managers can overview the performance of their sales team using a call center CRM. The software efficiently indicates how many calls each agent makes every day, the number of calls resulting in positive sales action, deals closed, and more. This enables you to map outcomes correctly and mark out weak performers.
- Outbound Call Management: With the right call center CRM software, your agents will have access to all the necessary data and information saved in the customer record. This ensures that the outbound dialling time is minimized, and overall operational hassles are reduced.
- Helpdesk Ticketing: The helpdesk ticketing feature in call center software keeps track of your customer queries and support requests. Automated helpdesk ticketing doesn’t require manual labor to carry out its operations. Such technology allows you to solely concentrate on hiring representatives who can stay on call to assist more customers, rather than having to manually enter data into the CRM.
- Call Recording: Call center CRM can record telephonic conversations and store the audio files for quality assurance purposes in the customers’ records. Recordings of previous calls can help the call center team to get the best out of their training regime. Additionally, you can monitor your call center representatives’ performances and track whether the agents are adhering to the organization’s values, beliefs, and motives.
How to Choose the Best CRM for Your Call Center
To choose the best CRM for your call center, it is important to evaluate factors like omnichannel customer experience, data analytics, integration support, scalability, security, and user-friendliness of the call center software:
- Omnichannel Support: To choose the best CRM software for call center, ensure that the CRM provides omnichannel support. By integrating the CRM calling software with different platforms like social media, email, instant messaging, and more, your organization can ensure consistency in client query resolution.
- Analytics & Reporting: Call center CRM systems should offer a comprehensive dashboard for analyzing customer behaviour and the agent’s performance. Seek a CRM platform equipped with advanced and customizable analytics reports with real-time insights into customer data.
- Integration Capabilities: Integration of the call center software with your existing systems is imperative to streamline call center management in CRM. Ensure that your call center software integrates with your existing CRM, database, and other sales tools.
- Scalability: CRM for call center should scale with the growing needs of your organization. Look out for a CRM calling software that offers various pricing options and a flexible ecosystem to support scalability.
- Data Security: Protecting sensitive customer data from potential theft or loss is crucial for any CRM in BPO. When choosing a CRM call center management tool, ensure that the software offers regulatory compliance, access controls, privacy protection, and relevant security tools to maintain data integrity.
- User-Friendly Interface: A straightforward and easy-to-use interface will save your organization from extensive technical training and potential errors. Choose a call center software with a low learning curve for fast adoption and effective support.
Top 10 CRM for Call Center Comparison
Listed below is a comparison of the top 10 call center CRM systems based on their key features and pricing:
| Best CRM for Call Center |
| Softwares | Features | Call Center CRM Pricing |
| NeoDove | Progressive Dialer, Integration with leading portals, Lead management system, Real-time BI and analytics, Integration with WhatsApp, Sending a preconfigured message after every call | Starting at ₹ 2,500 |
| EasyGoIVR | Time-based call routing, Sticky agent, Call Tracking/Push API, Call recording, Click to Call, Voice Mail | Starting at ₹ 1,500 |
| Archiz CRM Software | Contact & account management, Customer contract management, Lead qualification, Email marketing, Reporting & analytics | Price On Request |
| MyOperator | VoIP activated, Advanced IVR, Easy integration, Campaign management, CRM collaboration, AI-powered analytics | ₹ 2,499 |
| Aavaz Call Center Suite | Sales workflow automation, Attendance management, Inbound and outbound calls, Multichannel support, Multi-location, Contact management | Price On Request |
| CircleOne CRM | Contact & account management, Opportunity & pipeline management, Customer contract management, Lead qualification, Third-party integrations, Email marketing | Starting at ₹ 999 |
| CallHippo | Activity feed, Add New Number, Set Working Hours, Team collaboration, Call Recording, Call Analytics | Starting at ₹ 1,600 |
| CRMNEXT | Contact & Account Management, Opportunity & Pipeline Management, Task / Activity Management, Customer Contract Management, Lead Qualification, Workflow Automation and Management | Price On Request |
| Five9 | Inbound Call Center, Outbound Call Center, Blended, Omnichannel, Workforce Optimization, Reporting | Price On Request |
| Salesboom CRM | Contact & Account Management, Opportunity & Pipeline Management, Quote Management, Customer Contract Management, Lead Qualification | Starting at ₹ 980 |
How Do We Rate and Review the Best Call Center CRM?
With the several options available for call center CRM software, it is difficult to choose the right platform that aligns with your business needs. To assist you in navigating through the complexities of call center management in CRM and helping you find the best CRM, we have compared different call center software based on their distinctive features and pricing.
To support your choice of call center CRM, ensure that the software integrates with your existing systems and communication channels. Moreover, ensure that the CRM and call center software provides advanced analytical capabilities and a scalable environment to promote your business expansions.
Call Center CRM Modules
An effective call center CRM comprises various modules like case management, collaboration tools, customer self-service module, average handling time, average interactions, and case reopening:
- Cross-channel service: The case management module makes it easier to establish and track new cases, regardless of how consumers contact you. A case may be tracked from the first contact until resolution across various communication channels, including email, phone, or social media platforms.
- Collaboration: A sophisticated customer care solution includes collaboration modules to increase efficiency in internal communications. Your staff can ask questions or answer swiftly to other colleagues' concerns using an employee social network built into your call center CRM.
- Self-Service for Customers: A self-service module in call center software can help in providing seamless, round-the-clock service. Online communities and knowledge forums can assist your customers get quick answers to common queries.
- Average Call Handling Time (AHT): The AHT module in CRM for call centers tracks the average time taken by the agents to resolve customer queries. This is calculated by keeping track of how much time an agent spends modifying an active case screen, which CRM systems for contact centers can accomplish quite effectively.
- Average Interaction Tracking: Call center CRM logs all possible channels of interaction with customers. It also detects interaction patterns based on the average inbound and outgoing communication volumes in open cases. The average interaction tracking module indicates whether your team is resolving situations quickly and efficiently.
- Case Reopening: If a customer contacts the call center with a previous query that was supposed to be resolved, the case will be reopened. In that case, the status of the case will then be set to either Open or Pending. A CRM for call centers keeps track of different cases and automatically changes the status of these cases as per the actions taken by the customer service representatives.
Call Center Software Price in India
The average call center software price in India starts at ₹980. This price depends on different factors, such as the number of users, number of customers, integrations required, channels, support, level of security and privacy required, add-on features, and so on.
Most call center software charges a monthly subscription price; however, some CRM tools might require you to pay per agent. While there are a few free call center software in India, upgrading to a paid plan becomes necessary to unlock advanced features and analytics.