Best call centre software: what to look for and what to avoid

The best call centre software is cloud software that lets your agents take calls in a browser with a headset, rings the next free agent, and shows who is calling and what they asked last time. It should also tell you what the total monthly bill is before you sign. This checklist covers eight things to test, how to spot the costs that vendors leave out, and a short trial script.

What is cloud call centre software?

Cloud call centre software runs on the vendor’s servers and agents use it through a browser or an app. You do not buy a phone system, install a server or run cables. Agents can work from an office, a branch or home with a laptop, a headset and an internet connection. People searching in the US write “cloud call center software” for the same thing.

The alternative is an on-premise phone system that you install and maintain yourself. Some products offer both. For example, 3CX offers on-premise, self-hosted and 3CX-hosted deployment, and its headline is “Bring your Own Trunk & Numbers”. That suits a team with in-house phone expertise. A small team that wants to start taking calls this week usually wants the cloud version.

What should you check before you buy call centre software?

Check eight things: how you get numbers, how calls are shared, what agents see when the phone rings, whether calls can be recorded, whether supervisors can watch the floor, what reports you get, which other channels are included and what the total monthly cost is. The table gives the question to ask for each and the sign that should make you pause.

How should calls be shared between agents?

Calls should ring the next free agent, and callers should wait in a queue rather than hearing a busy tone. A queue is a line of waiting callers served in order. Without it, a call that arrives while everyone is busy is lost, and the caller learns that you cannot be reached. For the mechanics, read call queues and ACD explained.

Ask how many queues each plan allows. SautiDesk Basic includes one queue. SautiDesk Pro allows as many queues as you need, which matters once you have separate sales, support and billing lines. Then work out how many agents you need at peak. How many agents do you need shows the calculation.

What should an agent see when the phone rings?

An agent should see who is calling and the whole history with that customer, not just a phone number. This is the check that separates a phone system from call centre software. In SautiDesk the caller’s past calls and chats open as the call rings, and the call lands on the customer’s ticket. A customer who called, then messaged on WhatsApp, then called again is one story rather than three.

The worst case is the missed call. When nobody answers, the caller often leaves without a trace. In SautiDesk a missed call opens a ticket, so someone always has a call to return. See missed calls for what that costs you if you ignore it.

Do you need recording, live monitoring and reports?

If you train agents or handle disputes, you need recording. If you have a supervisor, you need a live view. If you manage by numbers, you need reports. All three should be part of the plan or priced clearly. In SautiDesk, recordings sit on the customer’s ticket. On Pro, supervisors see the floor live, can listen in on live calls and get reports by agent, channel and outcome. Those are Pro features, and Basic does not include them.

Decide which of these your team needs now, not in a year. A team of three agents with an owner who listens to calls can start on Basic. A team with a supervisor responsible for results needs Pro. The call centre reports page lists what the reports cover.

Why do other channels belong in call centre software?

Customers do not stay on one channel. They call, then message, then email, and they expect you to remember. If your call centre software handles only voice, you will run a second tool for WhatsApp and email, and the customer’s story splits in two. Choose software where calls, WhatsApp, SMS, email and web chat all create or join one ticket per customer. For WhatsApp specifically, see WhatsApp customer service and the WhatsApp inbox page.

What costs do vendors leave out?

The costs most often left out are call minutes, phone numbers and extra channels, because they are priced separately from the per-agent fee. Zendesk, for example, includes telephony on its Suite Team and Suite Professional plans and lists text messages, local and toll-free numbers, and inbound and outbound minutes as add-ons. 3CX says “Bring your Own Trunk & Numbers”, so numbers and minutes come from a trunk provider you arrange separately. Neither vendor hides this, but you must add the parts up yourself.

SautiDesk puts every price on one page: KES 1,000 per person per month on Basic, KES 3,000 on Pro, the owner free, KES 500 a month per phone number, calls out at KES 0.05 per second and incoming calls free. Our call centre software prices in Kenya article works through monthly totals for 3, 10 and 25 agents.

What should you avoid when buying call centre software?

• Hardware you do not need. If a vendor sells desk phones, a server or a licence for each handset as a requirement, ask why a headset and a browser are not enough.
• A phone system with no customer record. If calls are logged somewhere agents cannot see while talking, they will ask callers to repeat themselves.
• Per-agent pricing that hides the call bill. Add the call charges before you compare.
• Separate tools for each channel. Voice in one product and WhatsApp in another means two histories for one customer.
• Features you will not use in year one. Predictive dialling and speech analytics can wait. Queues, caller history and a clear bill matter first.
• No way out. Ask how to export calls, recordings and contacts before you commit.

Which plan fits which team size?

A team of up to five agents with an owner who handles supervision usually fits SautiDesk Basic. Once a supervisor is responsible for answer rates, or you run more than one queue or number, you want Pro. The pricing page lists the differences, and the pricing calculator turns your team size and calling time into a monthly total.

How do you test call centre software before you commit?

1. Get a number and time how long it takes. Note whether you can place a real call the same day.
2. Have two colleagues phone in at once with only one agent free. Check that the second caller waits in a queue and is answered next.
3. Call from a mobile that has called before. Confirm the agent sees the earlier history as the phone rings.
4. Let one call go unanswered. Confirm a ticket exists for the caller.
5. Have the same person send a WhatsApp message. Confirm it joins the same record.
6. Ask a supervisor to find yesterday’s answer rate and a recording. Time how long it takes.
7. Add up the bill for your team size, your number count and your expected call time.