Published : January 26, 2024VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a rapidly evolving system that allows businesses to make phone calls and send messages over the Internet. It has emerged as a go-to for call centers that relied on traditional phone lines. About 31% of businesses are using VoIP for call centers and reaping the benefits in terms of cost savings and productivity enhancements.
VoIP call center solutions help businesses elevate customer service quality to greater heights. Looking for a robust call center phone system? Read the blog to find the best platforms in the market.
Handling high-volume calls and monitoring agent performance in a call center is a challenging affair and requires meticulous efforts.
With CallHippo, automate call handling, routing, and monitoring to streamline agent performance and deliver superior customer support. Gain a leading edge in the competitive market space.
What Is a VoIP Call Center?
A VoIP call center solution is a software system that call centers use to handle a high volume of incoming and outgoing calls seamlessly. VoIP technology routes call over the internet. This is a major advantage over traditional call center phone systems that depend on telephone networks and wired connections.
Using hosted VoIP call center solutions minimizes infrastructural requirements limited to a stable internet connection and a desktop/ mobile device. This makes it a preferred option for businesses against traditional systems that require expensive hardware installations.
As they function over the internet, using VoIP for call centers helps set up and manage a distributed workforce in a quick time span. Also, VoIP call center solutions come with a wide gamut of features that help streamline call handling, routing, and monitoring.
Reasons to Choose VoIP for Call Center
Let us move ahead to understand why you must choose VoIP for a call center. From improving efficiency and scalability to lowering operational costs, VoIP call center software offers a multitude of benefits. Here are the most important among them.
1. Minimizes costs
A key reason why businesses prefer VoIP for a call center is that it helps reduce a major chunk of their costs. Traditional phone systems require dedicated phone lines, PBX systems, etc. that demand significant investments in infrastructure.
On the other hand, VoIP systems function over the Internet and do not demand infrastructural investments. A Microsoft study shows that using cloud telephony services can save 82% of business costs.
Also, VoIP call center solutions have monthly and annual subscription plans. They cost far lower bucks than the traditional phone lines. This helps reduce their calling costs. So, using VoIP for call centers helps businesses save hardware, operational, and maintenance costs.
2. Improves agent productivity
VoIP call center solutions have an extensive gamut of call management features. Call recording, analytics, real-time dashboarding, IVR systems, intelligent call routing, etc. are some of the important ones. All these features help automate call center functioning and enhance agent productivity.
For instance, automatic call distribution (ACD) systems help sort incoming calls and automatically route them to the most capable agents or departments. This helps reduce manual effort and time. Agents can divert their focus from performing administrative tasks to more critical tasks that require human attention.
A Cisco study shows that small businesses experience a 77% increase in productivity while using VoIP contact center solutions.
3. Enhances customer service quality
Using VoIP for call centers helps businesses improve their customer service quality. As VoIP systems automate call handling, they help businesses offer a prompt response to customer queries. This improves customer service quality.
Also, VoIP systems allow businesses to communicate across multiple channels like voice, text, video, audio, etc. Businesses can choose a customer’s preferred channel, which ultimately enhances customer satisfaction.
4. Higher flexibility
VoIP call center solutions offer a greater degree of flexibility to businesses. As they are not attached to a location, device, or other hardware equipment, VoIP systems help operate the call center from anywhere. For instance, you can engage with customers in the USA while being located elsewhere. This helps businesses save costs in setting up physical office space.
As VoIP systems do not require special hardware, businesses can access the call center solution using mobile phones, desktops, tablets, laptops, etc. This allows businesses to start with their existing hardware and scale gradually.
5. Easily scalable
VoIP systems are highly scalable. They allow you to scale your communication abilities by adding extensions through the app. Unlike traditional phone systems, you do not have to install new equipment or add new phone lines.
6. Call center analytics
By using VoIP for call center systems, businesses gain access to advanced call analytics. They can draw insights regarding customer service quality, agent performance, call quality, etc. Monitoring these metrics helps businesses make timely decisions and corrective actions to improve agent productivity and customer service quality.
Businesses using VoIP systems can spot changes and trends in customer expectations earlier than others. This enables them to earn an edge in the competitive business space.
Top 6 VoIP Call Center Solutions for Businesses
There are hundreds of VoIP call center solution providers in the market. Choosing an appropriate one for your business requires intensive research and evaluation of its features and pricing plans. Our experts have curated the top 6 call center VoIP software for your reference.
After extensive research and analysis, we have curated a list of VoIP for call center. These software are carefully selected based on usability and satisfaction scores, including features, ease of use, customer support, ratings, and reviews from SoftwareSuggest, G2, and Capterra. Our aim is to assist businesses in identifying the most suitable software to streamline their operations.
1. CallHippo
With 50+ advanced features and extremely affordable pricing plans, CallHippo ranks at the top of the VoIP contact center solutions. Whether you intend to scale your customer service quality or improve sales figures, CallHippo is your go-to solution. It can be easily integrated with your existing tech stack with almost no/ minimal disruption. CallHippo’s robust features help businesses streamline their call volumes effortlessly.
Key features
- IVR system
- Intelligent call routing
- Power dialer
- Warm call transfers
- Call barging
- On-hold music
- Voicemail to email transcription
- Smart call forwarding
Pros
- CallHippo has an intuitive, user-friendly interface.
- CallHippo can be installed easily and configured quickly and it takes only three minutes.
- Users have appreciated CallHippo for its affordable pricing plans and called out how it is appropriate for small businesses.
- CallHippo can be easily accessed and managed on mobile and desktop applications.
- CallHippo offers high-quality transcription and robust call-forwarding abilities.
- CallHippo has extensive integration abilities and it goes well with popular tools like Pipedrive, HubSpot, Zendesk, Slack, etc.
- The CallHippo support team is technically sound and they help resolve installation challenges in a few minutes.
Cons
- There is a lag in receiving messages when the internet connection is patchy and unreliable.
- CallHippo’s free plan lacks advanced functionality like call forwarding, shared inbox, holiday routing, etc.
Pricing
- Starter – $18 Per user/Month
- Professional – $30 Per user/Month
- Ultimate – $42 Per user/Month
*Pricing as of 11-06-2024.
2. DialerHQ
Next on our list of VoIP for call centers is the DialerHQ. It is a popular VoIP contact center solution with highly customizable features and cost-effective pricing plans. DialerHQ offers different types of business phone numbers, including local, toll-free, and international numbers. They help businesses build a professional identity in the competitive market. It operates on the cloud, allowing businesses to manage their calls and messages from anywhere, anytime.
Key Features
- Business phone numbers
- IVR system
- Call center analytics
- Automatic call distribution
- Call queuing system
- PBX system
- Call monitoring
Pros
- DialerHQ allows users to receive business calls and regular calls on the same phone without much investment.
- The chat and messaging features are easy to use and navigate.
- With DialerHQ, there are not too many promotions, unlike many other tools.
- DialerHQ has customizable pricing plans, which means businesses pay only for the features they require.
- The DialerHQ customer support team is available 24/7 via chat, email, or phone calls and they are well-knowledged.
- The call quality is good and there are no call drops or downtime.
Cons
- DialerHQ demands high-speed internet for its functioning.
- The chat and calling features require frequent updates, which demands greater effort and time.
Pricing
- Contact sales at [email protected]
3. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a robust VoIP for call centers. Exclusively built to support small businesses and solopreneurs, Grasshopper has innovative features that help them separate their personal and professional communication lines. It has a mobile application that supports call centers with a remote or distributed workforce.
Key Features
- Simultaneous call handling
- Virtual receptionist
- Live call transfers
- VoIP & Wi-fi calling
- Business phone numbers
- Dynamic dashboards
- Voicemail transcription
- Business texting feature
Pros
- The voice-to-text ability allows businesses to access voicemail transcripts even when they are busy and unable to listen to a voice message.
- Grasshopper can be installed and configured easily without much technical support.
- Grasshopper has affordable pricing plans that support solopreneurs and small businesses.
- Business owners and agents can handle business and personal calls on the same phone number.
- With Grasshopper, you can add or remove extensions easily without major investments in hardware.
Cons
- Customer service quality is not up to the mark and requires improvements.
- Grasshopper does not have an audio and video conferencing feature, which impacts the communication flow.
Pricing
- Solo: $26 per month
- Partner: $44 per month
- Small Business: $80 per month
4. Dialpad
Dialpad is an AI-powered VoIP call center solution with omnichannel abilities. From greetings and on-hold music to call routing strategy, Dialpad can be customized to a greater degree. Dialpad has extensive voice intelligence capabilities that automatically transcript customer conversations. It also helps perform a live sentiment analysis that allows agents to access insights and tips for handling live calls.
Key Features
- Interactive Voice Response
- Live caller sentiment
- Agent activity heatmaps
- Mobile customer support
- Video conferencing
- Agent scheduling
- On-call coaching
Pros
- Dialpad has robust search abilities that allow businesses to access transcripts and call summaries without much effort.
- Dialpad helps send automated responses to customers when they approach a business beyond the standard working hours.
- Dialpad offers conversational recommendations and tips based on live sentiment analysis.
- Dialpad helps manage multiple call centers in an easy, centralized manner.
- Dialpad can be quickly installed and configured.
- With Dialpad, businesses can configure and customize their do-not-disturb feature.
- The AI call transcript helps businesses access call summaries and store them for further conversations.
Cons
- The speech-to-text feature is very basic and requires updates.
- Dialpad takes longer to start, particularly during peak call volumes.
Pricing
- Standard: $15 per user per month
- Pro: $25 per user per month
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote
5. RingCentral
An award-winning platform, RingCentral is one of the most robust VoIP for call centers. It has an advanced suite of features that can be customized and configured based on the needs of the business and domain it operates in. RingCentral offers mobile and desktop apps, and you can switch between the two even during a live call. It can be used to deliver omnichannel support across voice, video, audio, and text channels.
Key Features
- Multi-level IVR system
- Call filtering
- Call flow prioritization
- Video conferencing
- Dial-by-name directory
- Unified inbox
- Voicemail-to-email transcription
- Visual voicemail
Pros
- RingCentral phone system helps business owners separate their personal and professional calls.
- The IVR, call routing, greetings, and on-hold music can be customized based on business requirements.
- It is easy to onboard new agents and scaling the system only takes a few clicks.
- RingCentral has excellent collaboration features and video conferencing abilities.
- The customer support team is responsive and well-equipped to deliver quick responses.
Cons
- RingCentral lacks flexibility in configuration and pricing.
- The call quality is poor at times and requires major upgrades.
Pricing
- Essentials plan: $19.99 per user per month
- Standard plan: $27.99 per user per month
- Premium plan: $34.99 per user per month
- Ultimate plan: $49.99 per user per month
6. Nextiva
Nextiva is a leading VoIP for call centers and has excellent voice, text, and video abilities. It has a wide range of inbound and outbound calling functionalities that help businesses achieve greater productivity and lower operational costs. Nextiva helps streamline sales, customer service, and workforce management in one go.
Key Features
- Advanced IVR technology
- Click to dial
- Intelligent call routing
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Call analytics
- Auto-attendants
- Virtual fax
Pros
- Nextiva comes with a mobile application that allows business agents to handle calls even when they are not at their desks.
- Nextiva offers timely support for general queries and smooth onboarding.
- It is easy to integrate new tools and platforms with Nextiva.
- Call quality is clear and this eventually improves customer service quality.
- With Nextiva, user data can be uploaded in groups which in turn reduces the time spent in adding new users.
- The admin panel is intuitive and has all the essential information regarding the team’s functioning.
Cons
- With Nextiva, it is hard to change, renew, or upgrade the subscription plans.
- When compared to other VoIP call center solutions in the market, Nextiva is slightly expensive.
Pricing
- Essentials: $18.95 per user per month
- Professional: $22.95 per user per month
- Enterprise: $32.95 per user per month
You May Also Read : 15+ Best Simple Call Center Software
Get a Free Trial of the VoIP Call Center With CallHippo
It can be seen in the above section that CallHippo has an edge in terms of features and pricing plans. CallHippo offers a higher degree of flexibility and customization in terms of call routing, handling, and monitoring strategies. You can set up, configure, and scale the system in just a few clicks.
The best thing about CallHippo is that you can try its features and experience its full-on benefits beforehand. To access CallHippo’s free trial, click here.
FAQs-
How does VoIP support remote call center agents?
Using VoIP for call centers helps remote agents handle customer calls and collaborate with internal teams seamlessly. Most VoIP platforms offer mobile applications, which in turn helps them manage customer calls on the go. Also, they provide voice and video conferencing features that help agents collaborate with their counterparts.
Can I keep my existing phone numbers when switching to VoIP for my call center?
Yes, most call center VoIP software solutions offer portability, which helps businesses port their existing phone numbers. Platforms like CallHippo support a smooth transfer of existing call flows and contacts.
Is VoIP secure for handling sensitive customer data?
Yes! While choosing a VoIP provider for your call center, ensure that you pick one that has reliable security features like end-to-end encryption, number masking, user access controls, etc.
Updated : October 29, 2024
Supriya Bajaj is a senior content developer with immense experience in the VoIP telephony domain. With a deep knowledge of VoIP systems and emerging technologies in the field, she provides insightful and targeted content. Known for simplifying complex topics and her thought-leadership articles, Supriya delivers actionable content for both technical and non-technical audiences.
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