Published : December 20, 2023Today, customers expect quick and efficient customer service. A HubSpot study shows that 93% of customers are likely to purchase from brands that offer compelling service.
The cloud-based call centers have been a game changer for businesses to communicate effectively with their customers and prospects. When compared to traditional onsite solutions, call center SaaS offers numerous benefits from cost savings to enhancements in customer service quality.
But what is call center SaaS and how are they different from onsite solutions? Read the blog to know more.
"Call center SaaS offers an exhaustive suite of innovative features that help businesses offer superior customer support, save costs, and enhance agent productivity. Invest in a robust cloud-based call center, capitalize on the benefits, and elevate your customer service to newer heights. "
What Is a Call Center SaaS Solution?
A call center Software as a Service (SaaS) solution is a unified, cloud-based platform that offers a comprehensive suite of inbound and outbound calling features like intelligent call routing, real-time analytics, and omnichannel support.
Call center SaaS solution does not require infrastructural investments and operates through the cloud. So, agents can take calls from anywhere, anytime. This makes the SaaS contact center, the most appropriate for businesses with remote customer support teams.
With an integrated dashboard, call center supervisors can monitor the activity across different channels- voice, video, SMS, live chat, social media channels, etc. Using these channels, businesses can streamline their internal collaboration and customer communication.
The Difference Between an On-Premise and SaaS Call Center
Now that you know what is a call center SaaS solution, let us move ahead to understand the differences between on-premise and SaaS call center solutions.
Installation and maintenance
The primary difference between on-premise and SaaS call centers is that the latter does not require physical hardware installed at the business site.
Traditionally, on-premise systems require hardware and software systems to be set up in the office space and demand periodic updates.
You must have a well-functioning IT team to help you with installation and maintenance.
When it comes to SaaS call center solutions, all they require is a reliable internet connection. The third-party service provider handles the maintenance, updates, and hardware requirements.
Cost structure
With on-premise hardware and software installation, there are significant upfront costs involved. You must also handle the maintenance and upgrade costs.
SaaS cloud center solutions are relatively economical as they operate on a subscription-based pricing model and do not require upfront investments in hardware systems and licensing.
Scalability
With an on-premise contact center solution, scaling up or down and adding new agents is a complicated task as it requires setting up new phone lines. You must also purchase licenses.
On the other hand, with a cloud-based call center solution, you can scale your call center configuration and abilities anytime. All that you need is a virtual number extension and upgrade the subscription plans accordingly.
Features
On-premise systems have standard features like call conferencing, live transfers, call hold, etc. whereas call center SaaS solutions come with advanced call management features like IVR systems, intelligent call routing, call queuing, warm and cold transfers, analytics, etc.
You May Also Read : Contact Center Vs Call Center: 10 Key Differences
Reasons Why You Need a SaaS Call Center
From cost savings to enhanced support quality, SaaS call center offers a wide array of benefits for businesses. Here are the main reasons why you must invest in a robust SaaS call center software system. Top SaaS call center benefits include the following.
1. Access innovative features
Call center SaaS platforms offer advanced call management features like IVR systems, chatbot builders, voicemail transcription, call recording features, analytics, and dashboarding abilities that help businesses deliver superior customer support. The features can be customized to match batch requirements.
2. Enhance customer support quality
SaaS call center software helps businesses deliver quick, efficient customer support. With self-servicing abilities using chatbot and IVR systems, businesses can ensure 24/7 customer support.
Also, advanced features like skill-based routing, ring groups, and call transfers help route incoming calls to the most capable agent. This way, customers can get their queries clarified and problems solved in a short time.
3. Minimize costs
Cloud-based call center platforms function through the Internet and do not require investments in physical infrastructure and hardware. Also, they do not need regular maintenance or updates.
Moreover, the call center SaaS solutions function on the pay-per-use model and most service providers offer multiple pricing plans. This helps businesses choose a plan based on their budget and feature requirements and save costs.
4. Improve agent productivity
VoIP call center solutions have advanced features that help automate call handling and routing so agents can channel their time and effort into doing more productive tasks. Also, with continuous monitoring and analytics, businesses can undertake training and staffing decisions all of which help enhance agent productivity.
5. Increased mobility
SaaS call centers help business agents to work from anywhere as long as they have a reliable internet connection. This makes SaaS call center platforms, an appropriate solution for businesses with distributed workforce.
Also, VoIP providers offer local, toll-free, and international numbers that businesses can leverage to build a presence in a country/ region while being headquartered elsewhere.
6. Deliver omnichannel support
Robust call center SaaS solutions help deliver customer support across multiple channels including voice calls, SMS, social media, email, live chat, etc. Businesses can manage different channels on a single dashboard to gain a centralized view while promoting consistency in communication.
You May Also Read : Call Center Technology: Top 5 Solutions & Key Benefits
Top 10 Call Center SaaS Providers
There are several SaaS call center service providers in the market and choosing a reliable one demands considerable time and effort. Our experts have curated the best call center software along with their key features, pros, and cons to help you out.
| Brand Name | Rating | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| CallHippo | Call forwarding Call recording Voicemail Text messaging | Basic: $0 Bronze: $16 /month Silver: $24 /month Platinum: $40 /month | |
| RingCentral | Business phone or toll-free numbers Unlimited calling within the US and Canada Business SMS IVR | Core: $20 Advanced: $25 Ultra: $35 | |
| Dialpad | Text, audio, and video calling Speech analytics Caller ID Mobile app and desktop app IVR systems | Standard: $15 Pro: $25 Enterprise: Contact sales | |
| Talkdesk | Omnichannel support Advanced IVR Real-time analytics | CX Cloud Essentials: $75 /month CX Cloud Elevate: $95 /month CX Cloud Elite: $125 /month | |
| Openphone | Call Recording Call Conference Call Routing Auto-attendant | Standard: $13 Premium: $20 Enterprise: Price on request | |
| Aircall | Unlimited outbound calls 50+ Integrations and API access Access to API developer support Call recording and monitoring | Essentials- $30/user Professional – $50/user Custom Plan | |
| Grasshopper | Unlimited free calls in Canada and the US Offers toll-free numbers Custom greetings Call forwarding | Solo: $26 Partner: $44 Small Business: $80 |
After extensive research and analysis, we have curated a list of Call Center SaaS. These softwares 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
CallHippo is a leading call center SaaS solution and has a comprehensive suite of modern call management features. It helps automate the call flow, monitor team performance, and reduce communication costs. Whether you are exploring options to automate your outbound calls and sales campaigns or inbound customer call handling, CallHippo has specific functionalities.
Key Features
- IVR system
- Automatic call distribution
- Call queuing
- Call recording
- Robust power dialer
- Time zone expertise
- Smart call forwarding
- Live call transfers
- Real-time call monitoring
Pros
- CallHippo setup, installation, and feature configuration is extremely simple taking only three minutes of your time.
- Online reviews show call center users appreciating CallHippo’s customer service teams for their timely support in handling queries and onboarding support.
- CallHippo has a high uptime and good call quality when compared to other VoIP systems.
- CallHippo has affordable pricing plans that are economical for small and medium-scale businesses.
- As CallHippo has a mobile app, it is convenient for agents to handle calls from wherever they are.
Cons
- Even though it allows you to add a custom voice for greetings, the default tone should be improved,
- The mobile application has technical glitches and it must be improved.
Pricing
- Starter – $18 Per user/Month
- Professional – $30 Per user/Month
- Ultimate – $42 Per user/Month
*Pricing as of 11-06-2024.
Top 10 Inbound Call Center Services2. RingCentral
RingCentral ranks second in our evaluation of top call center SaaS solutions. It helps businesses and call centers deliver omnichannel support to their users. RingCentral allows a greater degree of customization in terms of business hour setting, greetings, call routing strategies, etc.
Key Features
- Automatic call recording
- Voicemail to email
- Local and toll-free business numbers
- Call forwarding
- Unified inbox
- Multi-way conference
- Caller ID
- Omnichannel support
Pros
- RingCentral offers reliable customer support and the queries are logged and followed up promptly.
- The video conferencing and calling functionality of the platform helps internal teams to collaborate easily.
- RingCentral has a user-friendly interface that agents can easily navigate without any training.
- RingCentral allows you to customize the IVR system and call routing strategies to meet your business requirements.
- RingCentral offers dynamic reports that help businesses monitor their functioning and enhance their performance.
Cons
- The call quality is poor and users have reported frequent call drops.
- It is hard to make changes to the account and renew the subscription.
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
3. Dialpad
Dialpad is a robust call center SaaS solution known for offering an advanced suite of call management features. The platform is powered with AI abilities which help customer service agents with real-time coaching, live insights, and call-handling tips after performing a sentiment analysis about the ongoing call.
Key Features
- Flexible call routing
- IVR system
- Mobile customer support
- Real-time coaching
- Agent activity heatmaps
- Callbacks and voicemails
- Real-time dashboards
Pros
- The Dialpad mobile application is robust and functions without any glitches.
- Integration with Google Contacts helps automate dialing and reduces manual contact uploading and management efforts.
- Dialpad offers an extensive range of metrics and actionable insights that promote informed business decisions.
- With Dialpad, the call clarity is good and it is easy to track the quality of every agent interaction.
- Dialpad offers live call transcripts and customer sentiments that help agents understand the other person on the call.
Cons
- Installation requires technical support and customer support is not responsive at times.
- A lot of times, agents do not get notifications about text messages and missed calls.
Pricing
- Standard: $15 per user per month
- Pro: $25 per user per month
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote
4. Talkdesk
Talkdesk is a popular, AI-powered, call center SaaS solution that helps automate every step of customer support. Talkdesk has a robust self-service with voice and digital bots that allow businesses to automate responses to common customer questions. Leveraging generative AI abilities, Talkdesk offers insights into customer behavior and pain points.
Key Features
- Advanced call routing
- Click-to-call functionality
- No answer call forwarding
- Seamless integrations
- Call barging
- Local caller ID
- IVR systems
- Automatic call distribution
Pros
- With Talkdesk, the call quality is great and there are no call drops, which is a common problem with many other SaaS call center solutions.
- Talkdesk integrates well with Salesforce and 70+ other sales and marketing tools like Zendesk, Slack, etc.
- The Talkdesk customer support team is always on its feet and offers reliable answers to technical questions.
- With Talkdesk, the IVR system is flexible and customizable allowing businesses to route customers to the right agent.
- There is no learning curve and new agents learn to use the tool in a few minutes.
Cons
- To capitalize on the reporting you must have analytical and strong Excel abilities.
- It lacks search functionality for calls and messages, and you must go through the entire call and chat history to find the one you are looking for.
Pricing
- CX Cloud Essentials: $75 per user per month
- CX Cloud Elevate: $95 per user per month
- CX Cloud Elite: $125 per user per month
- Experience Clouds: Custom pricing
5. Openphone
Openphone is one of the leading SaaS contact center solutions with extensive abilities that promote seamless internal collaboration and customer communication. It helps businesses gain a consolidated view of agent interactions, call flows, contact details, etc. Openphone has a mobile app that allows remote teams to handle customer calls effectively from wherever they are.
Key Features
- Dedicated phone numbers
- Call conferencing
- Call recording
- Time zone expertise
- Contact management
- Customizable business hours
- Powerful integrations
Pros
- The customer support team of Openphone is well-equipped to answer technical questions and is usually quick.
- The interface of Openphone mobile as well as the desktop application is user-friendly and intuitive.
- With Openphone, businesses can gain a consolidated oversight of texts, phone calls, and voicemails on a single dashboard.
- Openphone offers extensive customer support that helps port existing numbers and call flows seamlessly.
- Openphone helps separate personal and professional interactions without investing in extra mobile phone devices.
Cons
- Call blocking functionality needs fixes as there are calls from numbers on the blocked list.
- The app takes longer to update the call logs and it must be improved.
Pricing
- Standard: $15 per user per month
- Premium: $23 per user per month
- Enterprise: Contact OpenPhone technologies
6. Aircall
Aircall is a unified call center SaaS solution that works well for businesses with 3+ users. Aircall integrates seamlessly with 100+ CRM and Helpdesk tools that help sync the information on different tools allowing for automated flow of data and calls. It can be accessed through mobile and desktop applications.
Key Features
- International numbers
- Call conferencing
- Business hours configuration
- IVR system
- Shared contacts
- Warm transfer
- Queue callback
- Pause-resume recording
Pros
- The interface of the Aircall phone system is easy to use and agents can master the platform with no/minimal training.
- Aircall integrates well with Pipedrive, Hubspot, and other CRM platforms allowing the system to export call summaries and logs automatically.
- Aircall has a pause-resume recording that allows agents to pause recording while getting sensitive customer data like credit card numbers.
- Users have appreciated the time zone feature as it allows agents to view the time of the prospect and make appropriate decisions.
- Aircall offers actionable analytics which helps make businesses make sound decisions regarding resource allocation.
Cons
- Some features like power dialer and SMS messaging need improvements.
- The reporting abilities in the basic plans are limited and do not provide reliable insights.
Pricing
- Essentials- $30 per license
- Professional – $50 per license
- Custom- Contact sales
7. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is an integrated, cloud-based contact center solution that is designed to exclusively support solopreneurs and small businesses. With dedicated numbers, Grasshopper offers different types of virtual numbers including local, toll-free, and vanity numbers. It helps business owners separate their professional and personal communications.
Key Features
- Business numbers
- Call forwarding
- VoIP & WiFi calling
- Live call transfer
- Virtual fax
- Virtual extensions
- Desktop and mobile app
Pros
- Grasshopper offers a voicemail transcription feature that helps transcribe voicemail into text for agents to read and respond to.
- You can keep your business number separate and still answer calls using the same device.
- Grasshopper has cost-effective plans that work well for solopreneurs and small businesses.
- Grasshopper helps add a professional look and large-scale image to small businesses.
- With Grasshopper, you can add/remove extensions easily without investing in additional infrastructure.
Cons
- Grasshopper does not have advanced features like video conferencing, call analytics, custom reporting, etc.
- Grasshopper is available only in the USA and Canada and this limits its usability in other countries.
Pricing
- Solo: $26 per month
- Partner: $44 per month
- Small Business: $80 per month
You May Also Read : Inbound vs Outbound vs Blended Call Center
8. Zendesk
Zendesk is a leading provider of call center SaaS solutions, offering versatile and user-friendly SaaS call center and contact center services. With a focus on streamlined customer interactions, Zendesk empowers businesses with efficient tools for customer support, ticketing, and engagement. Whether managing inquiries, tickets, or customer relationships, Zendesk’s SaaS solutions elevate customer experiences while optimizing operational efficiency.
Features
- Ticketing system
- Standard bots
- Pre-built analytics dashboard
- Pre-defined responses
- Custom business rules
- 1000+ apps and integrations
Pros
- The native Zendesk Support integration allows for seamless customer case management during calls.
- The flexible call flows enable advanced IVR routing and call direction logic to be configured.
- The call center analytics provide in-depth insights into queue trends and performance.
- It has a detailed knowledge center and a community forum where you can get quick help.
Cons
- The mobile SDK has limited capabilities compared to the desktop agent application.
- It does not have an in-built CRM integration and requires custom work.
- The call recording and conversation transcript features come at an added cost.
- Configuring the Zendesk Voice admin portal has a steep learning curve.
Pricing
- Suite Team: $55/agent/month
- Suite Growth: $89/agent/month
- Suite Professional: $115/agent/month
9. Five9
Five9 is a prominent SaaS contact center software company offering innovative solutions for customer service and sales teams worldwide. With its advanced SaaS platform, Five9 enables businesses to deliver exceptional customer experiences through seamless omnichannel communication. From inbound and outbound calls to chat, email, and social media interactions, Five9 empowers organizations to boost productivity, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive business growth with cutting-edge contact center technology.
Features
- Call routing
- IVR and IVA
- CRM integration
- Agent desktop
- Agent Assist
- Encrypted call recordings
- HIPPA and GDPR compliance
Pros
- Five9 enables easy configuration of complex call routing flows.
- The platform provides detailed call analytics to help improve agent performance.
- It offers robust outbound call campaign management tools to boost sales.
- The system uptime and reliability help ensure calls are not dropped.
Cons
- Building custom real-time and historical reports is cumbersome.
- It lacks integration with post-call customer survey data.
- It doesn’t have a mobile application, which limits agent accessibility when working remotely.
- Customizations of real-time dashboard widgets are limited.
Pricing
- Digital: $175/month
- Core: $175/month
- Premium: $235/month
- Optimum: $290/month
- Ultimate: $325/month
10. Genesys
Genesys is a global leader in SaaS call center solutions. Their innovative SaaS contact center solution empowers businesses to create seamless customer journeys across all touchpoints. With advanced omnichannel capabilities, AI-driven insights, and workforce optimization tools, Genesys helps organizations deliver personalized and efficient customer interactions. From inbound calls to social media and chat, Genesys enables businesses to elevate customer satisfaction and drive meaningful connections at every step of the customer journey.
Features
- IVR and self-service
- Automatic call distribution
- Agent Assist
- Predictive routing
- Customer journey analytics
- Analytics and Reporting
Pros
- The call quality is crystal clear, with no lags or echoes.
- It seamlessly integrates with popular CRM platforms like Salesforce.
- The call routing logic is easily configurable to handle complex call flows.
- Real-time call analytics provide insights to improve call center operations.
Cons
- Some features, like call recording, only work on Genesys phones, not BYOD ones.
- The mobile app lacks certain functionalities available on the desktop site.
- Groups created in Genesys don't integrate well with other parts of the platform.
- Administrator training is required to master its complex configurations.
Pricing
- Voice: $75/month
- Digital: $95/month
- Digital + Voice: $115/month
Features of SaaS Call Center
The SaaS call center solutions offer sophisticated call management features when compared to on-premises solutions. We have listed some of the key features below.
Source Key features of cloud-based call center software
1. Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
In a Saas call center, IVR systems greet the callers and navigate them through a pre-recorded menu. Based on their inputs, the system helps call centers route incoming callers to the right agent, department, etc. IVR system helps call centers offer round-the-clock support and improve customer satisfaction.
2. Advanced analytics and reporting
Call center SaaS solutions use KPIs and metrics that offer actionable insights and analytics about the contact center’s functioning and service quality. Most tools offer real-time dashboards that help gain a comprehensive overview of call center performance across different support channels like voice, video, SMS, live chat, social media, etc.
3. Intelligent call routing
Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) is a key feature of call center SaaS platforms and they help route the incoming calls to the most qualified agent based on pre-defined criteria.
You can assess callers based on their inputs like skills, location, requirements, language, agent work hours, etc., and navigate them to the appropriate agent.
4. Ring groups
Another defining aspect of call center SaaS solutions is the ring groups using which business administrators can set custom routing rules: simultaneous ring, round-robin, etc. Using the ring group feature, you can route calls to a group of call center agents or an entire department at once for the first available agent to pick the call. This helps minimize wait times.
5. Call recording
With call center SaaS systems, you can record each customer interaction and archive them for performance monitoring, agent training, compliance monitoring, dispute resolution, etc.
6. Multi-channel support
Cloud-based, call center SaaS solutions help businesses offer customer support across multiple channels like SMS, voice calls, video calls, live chat, social media platforms, etc. This allows customers to seek customer support through their preferred channels.
7. Integration
Call center SaaS platforms integrate well with other CRM, helpdesk, sales, and productivity tools. This makes it easy to streamline customer data and business workflows to ultimately increase the efficiency of the call center’s functioning.
How to Choose the Best Call Center SaaS Solution for Your Business?
While choosing the right call center SaaS solution depends on the individual business requirements, here is a general summary of the steps that you must follow.
- Identify your business and call center requirements.
- List down the features and functionalities your business needs to deliver seamless customer support. Determine your budget and affordability.
- Evaluate the best call center SaaS solution providers in the market and examine their features, pros, cons, and pricing.
- Choose a platform that matches your business requirements.
- Port your existing numbers, contact list, and call flow.
- Sign up to the platform, choose a pricing plan, make payments, configure the phone system, and start making calls.
Conclusion
Investing in a reliable call center SaaS solution empowers businesses with advanced features like IVR, call recording, voicemail, etc. that help deliver high-quality customer support.
SaaS call center solutions are more affordable than on-premise solutions and do not require upfront hardware and infrastructural investments. Studies show that they help businesses save 30-50% of their communication costs. So, if you have not invested in a Saas call center software, it is the right time for it offers enormous savings and functionality benefits that put you ahead of the wave.
FAQs:
1. What software is used in call centers?
Call centers use various tools for customer support, sales, and marketing. CallHippo remains one of the commonly used platforms as it offers advanced features at affordable prices.
2. What is the meaning of SaaS in BPO?
SaaS stands for Software as a Service and it refers to the cloud-based solution that is hosted, managed, and maintained by a third-party service provider.
3. What is CRM for a call center?
Call center Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to the exhaustive suite of tools that call centers use to enhance their customer service quality. It helps employees store customer history data and access them while answering calls.
Updated : January 31, 2025
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.
Subscribe to our newsletter & never miss our latest news and promotions.
+24K people have already subscribed