Selecting the ideal call center cloud software isn't easy: surging operational costs, aging infrastructure, and juggling multiple vendors are some of the challenges. Elements like scalability, integration, and customer support are important.
Here, we are spotlighting five standouts: Plivo CX, Genesys Cloud CX, Talkdesk, Zendesk Support Suite, and Nice CXone. Each excels in providing crucial features like real-time analytics, AI-driven chatbots, and versatile multi-channel support.
Must-Have Features in a Cloud Call Center Technology
Let's dive into the essential features that separate outstanding cloud contact center solutions:
Seamless omnichannel support: Service customers on channels they prefer with integrated interactions. Whether it's via phone, email, chat, or social media, the goal remains the same—uninterrupted communication. Look for a platform that centralizes these channels to empower meaningful customer engagements.
Voice bot, Chatbot andInteractive Voice Response (IVR): Boost your team's efficiency by automating 50-60% of customer service requests with voice bots, chatbots and IVR. Creating automated frameworks to collect and handle customers’ queries, reduces agent workload and speeds up resolution times. Choose a cloud based call center technology that lets you design IVR logic flows, and automate bots using rule-based and conversational AI.
Routing: Smart routing is your ally, steering customer interactions smoothly to the right agent based on a matrix of factors, and ensuring every call becomes an opportunity for resolution and connection.
Empowering tools for agents: Modern agents need modern tools—screen sharing, knowledge base access, and call recording are the hallmarks of an empowered customer support team
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Look for a cloud call center solution that allows you to automate the majority of your customer queries. Only the most complex queries that require human intervention reach your support agents. Even in that case, the AI should serve as a sidekick to your support reps, providing them with the necessary information that will help them to answer customer queries quickly and easily.
Real-time monitoring: Real-time monitoring lets you see contact center metrics and KPIS of everything—calls, chats, emails—at once. With one central hub, you can provide live coaching to agents, spot trends, and satisfy customers.
Reporting: Unlock hidden customer insights with comprehensive reporting features! Opt for a call center cloud software that helps you gain insights with historical reports, analyze recordings & transcripts for quality checks, and use performance data to give feedback to agents
Integrations: Your call center software cloud software should integrate with CRM, ERP, and other third-party apps for a unified view of customer data and streamlined operations.
Scalability: Choose a cloud-based call center technology that innovates quickly, thus allowing you to scale your business requirements and not lag behind the evolving industry landscape.
User-friendly software: Usability and customization should not be an afterthought. Opt for a platform that resonates with your team's expertise and can be tailored to your specific business needs, strategies, and workflows.
Pricing and ROI: Choose a pricing model that aligns with your budget and usage patterns and offers higher ROI.
Vendor reputation and support: Ensure your cloud call center solution is reputed, with stellar uptime and speed, even during software updates.
Large enterprises with complex needs. It's well-suited for companies across various industries that need to handle high call volumes and complex customer interactions
Mid-sized tech, banking, insurance, and finance businesses
Mid-sized and enterprise-level IT, FinTech and software businesses with multi-channel customer interaction mediums
Enterprise-level brands working in highly-regulated industries such as Insurance, Telecommunication, IT/services, Finance, government or healthcare
Strengths
Built to provide brands with a holistic omnichannel presence. A highly flexible application that supports the organization’s customization and scalability requirements.
Enterprise-grade features & integrations available in their on-premise version
Talkdesk offers a user-friendly platform with strong AI features for voice support
Zendesk integrates seamlessly with its CRM, making it ideal for companies that prioritize a unified omnichannel customer experience
Nice CXone offers robust security features and call recording capabilities, making it a good choice for companies that need to comply with strict regulations
Budgets based on pricing structures
Cost-effective even for startups
Cater to larger budgets
Cost-effective for startups
Cater to larger budgets
Cater to larger budgets
Feature innovation
Quick implementation of desired features
Slow to innovate
Chat features need to scale up to reach voice features’ standards
Quick to roll out new features
Slow at implementing new features
Omnichannel support
✅
✅
✅
* Available in the Essential and Elevate plans
✅
✅
IVR call routing
✅
✅
✅
✅
* Available in Professional and Enterprise plans
✅
Advanced tools - knowledge base access, call recording
✅
✅
✅
* Available in the Essential and Elevate plans
✅
Custom reporting and analytics
✅
✅
*Analytics available only in CX3
✅
* Custom reporting only in Elite plan and Analytics at additional cost
✅
* Custom and live analytics available only in Professional and Enterprise plans
✅
AI
✅
✅
* At additional cost
✅
* At additional cost
✅
Integrations
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
Stability
✅
Issues with stability, can be resolved only with IT assistance (G2)
Frequent connectivity issues (G2)
✅
Issues with platform connectivity (G2)
User-friendly interface
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
Now, let’s zoom in on the top cloud call center solutions and examine what they bring to the table.
1. Plivo CX
Plivo CX triumphs with a unified platform, where managing customer interactions is streamlined and intelligent. It focuses on simplicity and AI-powered automation to improve customer experiences and agent efficiency.
Plivo CX’s cloud-based call center technology is ideal for medium and enterprise-level B2C and eCommerce brands with a multichannel presence.
Plivo CX features
Facilitates seamless omnichannel customer care by managing all interactions through a unified agent desktop and eliminates tool juggling
Builds and deploys AI-powered bots to answer basic questions, deflect calls, and resolve simple issues, freeing up agents for complex inquiries
Conversation analytics scores allow agents to gain real-time insights into customer emotions during interactions, allowing them to tailor responses and proactively address concerns
Plivo CX integrates and holistically interacts with home-grown systems as well as popular CRM, ERP, and helpdesk systems for a unified view of customer data that interacts with each other
Drag-and-drop workflow builder helps you build custom user journeys across all business communication channels thus streamlining customer interactions
Smart routing feature to route calls, chats, and emails to maximize team efficiency, reduce resolution times, and improve customer satisfaction
Plivo CX limitations
Does not offer features that aid in quality assurance and workforce management
Genesys Cloud CX is designed to forecast, collaborate, and automate, setting the stage for stellar customer service. It is used by enterprise organizations that need a deeper level of customer support, including helpdesk, contact center management, and digital channel management.
Genesys Cloud CX features
AI-powered forecasting helps anticipate call volume and agent needs, allowing you to proactively schedule and optimize staffing, leading to better resource allocation and reduced wait times.
Built-in collaboration tools like video conferencing and knowledge base access empower agents to deliver better customer service.
Cloud IVR solutions designed to automate queries and facilitate self-service, thereby reducing the support team’s workload.
Genesys Cloud CX limitations
Lack of features in Genesys Cloud CX makes it rank lower than their on-premise counterpart
AI automation is outdated with the platform supporting only rule-based bot workflow builder
Genesys Cloud CX pricing
Cloud 1: $75/user/month
Cloud 2: $95 to $115/user/month
Cloud 3: $135 to $155/user/month
AI Experience is available at an additional cost starting at $40/month
Genesys Cloud CX reviews and ratings
G2: 4.3/5 (1000+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.4 /5 (200+ reviews)
3. Talkdesk
Talkdesk's cloud-based call center solution provides businesses with tools that optimize call routing, enable in-depth analytics, and streamline workforce management for enhanced efficiency and productivity.
This call center software cloud platform is preferred by financial services and insurance, government and education, manufacturing, and healthcare and lifesciences that require workforce engagement management and employee collaboration in addition to omnichannel engagement.
Talkdesk features
Agents can place calls directly from their helpdesk, CRM, eCommerce platform, or website, streamlining communication.
Configurable multi-level IVR ensures callers are directed to the right support team.
Real-time generative knowledge and automatic interaction summaries improve your customer support team’s productivity and reduce average handle time.
Talkdesk limitations
AI capabilities for text conversation channels lack the competency of AI for voice
Features for chat channels added to provide omnichannel support lack finesse, for example, the messaging interface doesn’t have automatic refresh, which hampers productivity
Talkdesk pricing
Essentials: $75/user/month
Elevate: $95/user/month
Elite: $125/user/month
Experience clouds: Custom pricing
Talkdesk reviews and ratings
G2: 4.4/5 (2000+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.6/5 (700+ reviews)
4. Zendesk Support Suite
Zendesk Support Suite provides mid-sized businesses with an omnichannel experience by combining ticketing and customer support capabilities. Known for its simplicity and ease of use, Zendesk's cloud call center software integrates with many third-party apps.
If your business extensively uses multiple business sources for the flow of information, Zendesk is the contact center platform of choice.
Zendesk Support Suite features
Route inquiries across channels like phone, email, chat, and social media to the most qualified available agent based on skills and availability, ensuring efficient resolution.
Efficient ticket handling feature allows your team to prioritize urgent tickets, thus ensuring prompt resolution of critical issues.
Self-service hub where customers can find answers, ask questions, and connect with each other. This reduces agent workload and fosters peer-to-peer support.
Zendesk Support Suite limitations
Issues with uploading and exporting data
Limitations and difficulties in implementing basic processes
Zendesk Support Suite pricing
Suite Team: $55/user/month
Suite Growth: $89/user/month
Suite Pro: $115/user/month
Suite Enterprise: Custom pricing
Suite Enterprise Plus: Custom pricing
Zendesk Support Suite reviews and ratings
G2: 4.3/5 (5000+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.4 /5 (3000+ reviews)
5. Nice CXone
Nice CXone is a cloud-based call center technology offering a clutter-free interface and detailed insights. The secure, robust IVR system and the user-friendly, browser-based Max agent interface allow agents to maintain focus.
Typically, industries such as healthcare, telecom, and BPO (business process outsourcers) use Nice CXone.
NICE CXone features
Session recording provides invaluable insights into customer interactions with comprehensive call, chat, and screen recordings. Enhance agent performance by identifying improvement areas, analyzing trends, and coaching agents.
NICE CXone's CCaaS offers crystal-clear voice quality and global reach. Enhance customer satisfaction with flexible routing, real-time analytics, and workforce optimization tools.
Schedule and route calls to agents intelligently with skill-based routing. Automate the process of forecasting call volumes and proactively assigning agents, minimizing waiting times and ensuring smooth operations.
NICE CXone limitations
Initial setup, data transfer and implementation is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process that warrants extensive support
Takes a long time to implement and deploy features
NICE CXone pricing
Digital Agent: $71/user/month
Voice Agent: $94/user/month
Omnichannel Agent: $110/user/month
Essential Suite: $135/user/month
NICE CXone reviews and ratings
G2: 4.3/5 (1000+ review)
Capterra: 4.2/5 (500+ reviews)
Scale your Business with Plivo CX’s Call Center Cloud Software
Choosing the right cloud-based call center technology is critical. Beyond features, pick the solution that threads through your business operations seamlessly, empowering your agents and surpassing customer expectations.
Plivo CX has a suite of impressive functionalities. Robust features such as a unified agent desktop, real-time conversation analytics score, transcription, drag-and-drop flow builder, custom APIs, integrations, and automation promise a fully realized eCommerce environment.
So why wait?
Take the next step towards a cloud-powered future with Plivo CX. Sign up today.
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