For a business to maintain a reputable standing, it is important to offer excellent customer service. But, replying to each customer query and complaint can be challenging, especially when they demand exceptional services. In such situations, call center platforms can provide effective solutions by helping businesses respond to customer calls promptly while maintaining productivity and efficiency. They also allow organizations to seamlessly handle customer service by tracking and managing every call and inquiry.

Evolution of call centers

The earliest call center software was based on the original telephone systems. Basic systems were used to manage outgoing and incoming calls of a business. Compared to traditional manual ways of handling customer calls, these types of software allowed businesses to handle large volumes of calls through features like basic call routing and queuing functionalities.

The emergence of Automatic Call Distributors and Computer Telephony Integration
In the mid-1950s, the manual call routing process was replaced by computer-based systems known as the Automatic Call Distributor (ACD). The ACD eventually became the foundation for today’s call centers.

Furthermore, in the 1980s, the use of computer telephony integration or CTI advanced call center technology significantly. This was possible because CTI seamlessly blended traditional telephony systems into modern computer systems. As a result, advanced call routing, automatic call distribution, and screen-pop functionalities began to be featured. Because of this integration, call handling became highly efficient, allowing enhanced customer relations.

Shift to cloud computing
Moving forward to the early 2000s, cloud computing shifted call center technology towards a higher level of flexibility, scalability, and accessibility. Then came the multichannel support built within call center software. This enabled businesses to provide customer support through various channels such as phone, chat, email, SMS, and social media.

AI revolution
In recent years, call center software has evolved further and is now powered by artificial intelligence. AI has completely changed the game by making call center software capable of natural language processing and sentiment analysis. Chatbots are one of the best examples to demonstrate the new prowess of modern call center software.

Benefits of using call center platforms

1. Better customer service management
A business’s call center number serves as the first line of contact for customers facing issues with the product or service. So, it is important that the customer experiences seamless communication through immediate assistance. After all, customers expect the quickest solution possible from a business. To meet customers’ needs and ensure there is higher trust in the business even during busy hours, call center software is essential.

2. Improved productivity
A business must enhance its productivity to provide an exceptional customer service experience. This is because seamless customer services require a business to dedicate a significant amount of time and resources. After all, customers demand to have queries answered in their timeline, which often means 24/7 availability. By incorporating call center software, a business can easily offer full-time service. This directly improves productivity since call center agents use features of this software, such as ticket support, sales, and appointment setting.

3. Reduced costs
The overall cost of call center software is much less than hiring too many customer agents to manage the calls. Besides, the software comes with several advantages and features that can work 24/7. A business pays for a single software and reaps the benefits of multiple features, reducing overall costs in the long run.

4. Better professional image
How a business handles customer service calls can directly impact the image of the entire organization. For instance, if customers connect with the call center and have their queries answered instantly, they will have a professional perception of the organization. Besides, call center software powered by the latest technologies can automatically direct and respond to a customer call professionally. For example, the software will inform customers to wait briefly until an agent connects with them to address their queries.

5. Improved data protection
Customer data is one of the most valuable resources for a business. Information such as shopping history, product/service preferences, phone numbers, and email addresses are quite critical. A business may find it challenging to safeguard and secure this information, especially when there is no security or backup system for data protection. Call center software with instant cloud backup can be highly useful in such situations. Such systems instantly secure all the customer information whenever a call is received. This way, a business does not have to worry about losing critical customer data.

Leading call center platforms

1. Grasshopper
This is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution often preferred by small to medium-sized businesses that are looking for call center software.

2. RingCentral
Offering a wide variety of features, RingCentral is popular for its HD-quality voice and video and seamless omnichannel experience.

3. CloudTalk
A good option for mid-sized businesses that have the potential to scale up in the future, CloudTalk is typically used for inbound calls in customer servicing.

4. Vonage
Known as a top virtual phone provider, Vonage has a unique Virtual Receptionist automated attendant feature that can forward calls to several departments.

5. VirtualPBX
This cloud-based phone system offers a wide range of features for enhanced communication capabilities.