Companies can use call center software for marketing, customer support, and other purposes. This system can manage multiple communication channels including phone, email, live chat, instant messaging, SMS text, and social media. Call center software is offered in various types including auto dialer, call center monitors, call accounting solutions, call analytics, predictive dialer, computer telephony integration (CTI), interactive voice response (IVR), and automatic call distributor (ACD).Show moreCustomer support and help desk systems offer ticketing features to help agents resolve customer issues. Other main functionality include quality monitoring, call recording, speech/text analytics, virtual queuing/Web callback, and social media support. If you are looking for a high quality call center solution, you can read our reviews of the leading apps in this category. We especially recommend Zendesk which our review team currently rates as the top platform.Show less
To come up with this list of best Free Call Center Software we have examined different applications currently available on the market, analyzing their features, how easy are they are to learn, customer service, available integrations with other systems as well as mobile device support with our unique SmartScoreTM rating system. This ranking has been prepared by Nestor Gilbert, our B2B authority responsible for the Free Call Center Software category.
Call center software is the hub of customer support for businesses that aim to deliver quick responses to their customers’ concerns. But just like the majority of good business technologies, adopting a call center solution requires a significant financial investment. For SMBs, premium platforms can be too much of a burden on their budget. Fortunately, there are free call center software options that provide small businesses with the appropriate tools to deliver good real-time support to their customers.
Although the “free” option can be very tempting, it is important to remember that not all software vendors provide the same level of free service. Determining the ideal call center free software can be a challenge for SMBs, especially for those that are still quite unfamiliar with the free features that will be useful to their business. For this reason, we prepared this brief guide to help you get to know how free call center software works, the essential tools that should come with the free package, and the best ones available in the market.
Getting the free version is the best way to test and compare call center platforms’ effectiveness and reliability. Although the free version usually offers limited features, capabilities, and limited a number of users, the elements provided are enough for you to get a feel of how a software call center free platform works and if it fits your business’s customer service needs and requirements. Currently, the most popular call center solutions that offer completely free versions include Zendesk, Freshdesk, Zoho Desk, 3CX, and Axon Virtual PBX. These platforms also rank high in our SmartScore and Customer Satisfaction Rating in the call center software category, thus we recommend including these in your list of free call center software to try out first.
Free call center software generally caters to businesses that aim to make their customer support team more efficient without worrying about subscription and/or maintenance costs.
Free call center software systems can be categorized based on their deployment.
Free call center solutions typically come with the basic or standard features of a call center platform for a limited number of agents. These tools enable teams to provide the best customer support in a timely manner.
Aside from being the most cost-effective options for small and growing businesses, free call center solutions also offer the following benefits:
Just like other business technologies, call center software continuously innovates to provide businesses and customers with secure and reliable platforms. Below are some of the new call center trends predicted to make a significant impact on customer support service.
Free call center software is definitely a practical option for SMBs but it is also important to note that it has its own set of disadvantages, including the following:
While free call center platforms are ideal for startups and SMBs, these are not designed to sustain a growing business’s long-term needs. When the free version you are using is no longer enough to accommodate the increasing demand for customer support, scaling up to premium features is the expected next step. In case you are ready to level up your call center software, below are the pricing schemes you can expect vendors to offer:
Choosing the right free call center software can be a daunting task despite not having to take the cost of the software into consideration right away. This is because—while this version of the software is definitely free—you still have to make sure that it has the right tools and capabilities to effectively run a customer support system that addresses your business’s unique needs and requirements. Scalability is another important factor to consider as it is easier to scale up to the premium version of the same software than switch to a different platform and start the adoption process all over again.
Aside from assessing the features, usability, and scalability of a free call center platform, another way to identify the good ones is by checking out the feedback of actual users and reviews from reputable sites. Doing so gives you a different perspective of the software you are examining, allows you to make detailed comparisons, and make informed decisions on which free call center solution to pick.
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First, be clear about the reasons why you wish to use a SaaS system. You should also have a good understanding of your existing infrastructure and business processes. This information will help you to easily integrate the SaaS software with your existing infrastructure without any problems.
The second consideration is a follow up to the first one. Ask yourself what you want the SaaS solution to do for your firm. Then, be clear about the features the software should have. For example, if you want improved data collaboration between different business departments you need a platform that can be accessed by multiple users. However, if you want a competent app that is similar to an on-premise solution, you need to invest in a SaaS product that can be accessed by only a few users at a time.
After you choose a suitable provider, do not sign an agreement before you take a good look at the Service Level Agreement (SLA). The SLA will clearly define what the SaaS vendor is offering and the reparation they will pay if they do not deliver the agreed services. Read and comprehend the SLA thoroughly to know what you are getting into and to avoid concerns later.
The best free call center software is Zendesk. This offers a comprehensive cloud-based voice platform that enables businesses to handle various customer support processes, such as phone calls, emails, and live chat. Zendesk is also equipped with standard and advanced tools that enhance your support team’s productivity and improve customer service efficiency. These tools include intelligent routing, automated responses, maximum queue size and waiting time, as well as the option for callers to request a callback.
Furthermore, Zendesk gives room for the expansion of its functionalities via integration. Currently, it supports integration with more than 90 telephony services and a wide range of prebuilt applications available in Zendesk Marketplace. And in case you need a custom app, Zendesk allows you to build your own using its own app and channel framework.
While Zendesk does not offer a free forever plan, it gives startup businesses enough time to test its customer service platform and see if it effectively works for their business. Once the free program ends, businesses can make an informed decision to upgrade to any of the premium plans that start at $49 per month for every agent.
Free call center platforms offer the following benefits:
The set of free tools offered varies depending on the vendor but here are the features typically included in a free call center solution:
Free call center solutions are often designed to be easily operated and here are some of the most user-friendly platforms in this category:
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