Traditional call recording has long been the bread and butter of call centers. It enables them to accurately capture conversations, allowing for quality management and monitoring, improved dispute resolution, and targeted agent training.

However, sifting through those audio files can take hours, draining valuable contact center resources. Manual evaluation of call records can also make it difficult to identify trends in customer sentiment, agent performance, or call resolutions — especially given the high volume of calls that contact centers regularly manage.

Fortunately, many recent innovations in call center recording make it easier to observe the interactions between agents and customers.

What Call Center Recording Looks Like Today

Call center recording and analysis historically involved manually recording calls and then reviewing them as needed. Fortunately, call center recording has come a long way and now goes beyond audio to provide a richer picture for both inbound and outbound calls.

Screen recording

In addition to the audio recording, modern call center solutions capture the agent’s desktop screen, showing what they see during the phone call, which potentially includes the customer experience software and the client’s CRM.

Screen recording can be invaluable for the following purposes:

• Troubleshooting: Identify and track technical issues impacting customer interactions to resolve them faster.
• Training purposes: Capture an agent’s call to demonstrate best practices for navigating internal systems and applications, using the recorded calls to provide training resources with real examples.
• Improving internal processes: See how agents are using customer experience software during calls and spot potential areas for improvement and opportunities to optimize customer service processes or policies.

Integrated data capture

Today, many contact centers use VoIP technology, which offers plenty of advanced functionality, including integrated data capture as part of audio recordings.

In addition to the audio file, and potentially the screen recording, advanced call recording systems also collect additional data points, like the following:

• Caller ID: Allows for easier identification of repeat callers and tracking call history associated with caller phone numbers.
• Interactive voice response (IVR) selections: Shows the path a caller took through the IVR system, including the information they accessed and what actions they took (for example, paying a bill or checking an account balance).
• Timestamps: Pinpoints specific moments in the call for quick reference during review, including when a customer received a solution or was transferred to another call center agent.
• Screen recording: Provides a video recording of the agent’s screen, which can be valuable in confirming what information agents see alongside their verbal conversations.

The Shift to Conversational Intelligence

Many businesses and contact centers have recorded customer service calls for quality assurance and dispute resolution. Now, though, businesses can learn so much more from both customer service and sales calls, thanks to conversational intelligence (CI) features.

Speech analytics

Speech analytics uses AI to turn live calls into text via call center telephony, enabling authorized users to efficiently review interactions. This call monitoring technology enhances several key areas:

• Keyword search: Identify specific topics or phrases in live or outgoing calls, using the dialer for focused analysis.
• Sentiment analysis: Extract insights on customer emotions and satisfaction from calls, tracking customer views on support, brands, and products.
• Automated call categorization: Use automation to sort types of calls based on keywords or themes, cutting manual efforts in PBX or Salesforce integrations.
• At-a-glance summaries: Create brief recaps of calls, helping agents and supervisors to quickly grasp previous interactions. Optimize communication without manual effort to transcribe highlights.

Conversational intelligence

CI is a call recording feature that can provide significant insight into the messaging during your customer calls. It can help call centers detect where they can make improvements at all points of the customer experience and then implement them accordingly.

Examples include:

• Identifying coaching opportunities: Flag areas where agents might need to improve their communication skills or their adherence to company policies, including how to better empathize with upset customers or propose personalized solutions.
• Uncovering trends: Analyze call patterns to identify common customer issues or areas that could benefit from improved scripting, training, or support policies.
• Boosting customer satisfaction: Gain a better understanding of customer needs and preferences to provide a more personalized experience. This can directly improve customer satisfaction scores, leading to increased customer engagement and retention.

Benefits of Integrated Call Center Recording Software

Some contact centers rely on standalone call recording solutions like Calabrio or Sybil. These can be effective, but they’re also clunky and inefficient.

Today’s advanced call center solutions offer extensive call recording capabilities within their suite of tools. Multiple benefits come with this integration, whether you’re recording sales calls or customer support calls.

Automatic call recording

Some separate call recording software requires manual processes, resulting in IT obstacles and potentially high-cost API integrations, but native recording features often include the option for automatic recording.

Nextiva’s VoIP phone system, for example, allows call centers and businesses to choose between the following options for call recording:

• Always on: Always automatically record calls.
• Always on, user-controlled: Always automatically record calls with the option to pause and resume recording.
• On-demand call recording: Agents and supervisors can trigger call recording remotely or with their softphone app.

You can also set up automated announcements to inform the caller that their call is being recorded.

Seamless user experience

When using an advanced contact center solution, recording controls are part of the agent’s interface, eliminating the need to switch between applications. This can improve workflow efficiency and reduce errors, enhancing the customer experience.

Cloud contact center software makes it easier to manage customer calls in real time, even leveraging CRM integrations to provide agents with more advanced customer data. The ability to record calls — including pausing and resuming them — is at their fingertips as they deliver the best customer service possible.

Enhanced data management

Automatically linking call recordings to call data (including phone number and call duration) within the contact center platform allows for effortless real-time search and retrieval based on various criteria. This delivers more personalized experiences for each individual customer.

Improved reporting & analytics

Integrated call recording data provides a comprehensive view of call center performance and customer interactions. This empowers data-driven decision-making to optimize agent training, improve customer satisfaction, and boost overall call center effectiveness.

Call center managers can use call monitoring and customer support metrics to better understand the true customer experience, agent performance, and customer sentiment.

Security & compliance

All call centers need to consider data security and compliance with privacy regulations. Integration with specialized contact center solutions can offer advanced security and built-in privacy compliance features.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), for example, regulates over-the-phone payment processing. Businesses cannot store card validation codes, even if they’re encrypted, so it’s vital to be able to pause recordings while customers share payment data.

The healthcare industry must also take special care regarding HIPAA compliance. Nextiva has specialized HIPAA-compliant services for healthcare organizations, automatically removing some functions, like voicemail-to-text transcription.

Finally, businesses with customers in European territories should consider GDPR, which requires that all participants consent to call recording. Leveraging automatic call recording announcements at the beginning of each incoming or outbound call can help maintain compliance, and you can also include the disclosures in agent prompts for good measure.

Nextiva: Your All-in-One Call Center Recording Solution

More contact centers are moving away from traditional call center recording tools and opting instead for an integrated, well-rounded solution with advanced features. So, if you’re looking for the best call center software with an all-in-one recording solution, look for integrated platforms like Nextiva.

Take advantage of Nextiva’s call center solutions, which include the following benefits:

• More efficient call center workflows: Raise your customer experience metrics and agent performance with Nextiva’s call recording software.
• Security and compliance: Ensure your call recording procedures meet legal requirements as well as industry standards.
• Worry-free call recording: Implement advanced recording tools in your contact center to capture every conversation clearly. The system is reliable, with a 99.99% uptime.
• Maximization of your existing tech budget: Benefit from Nextiva’s straightforward, transparent pricing and industry-leading support.

Nextiva offers dedicated contact center solutions, which include AI-powered features for inbound, outbound, and omnichannel customer interactions. Our software is scalable for call centers of all sizes.

If you’re running large-scale sales and marketing campaigns, you need outbound call center software. It will provide all the tools and features required to coordinate call center campaigns across multiple channels to ensure efficiency and consistently deliver the best customer experience. 

What Is Outbound Call Center Software?

Outbound call center software is a specialized tool designed to facilitate and manage the outgoing communication activities of a call center. It automates and streamlines the process of making calls to customers or prospects for various purposes such as sales, customer updates, appointment setting, or market research. 

A key function of this software is to improve the productivity of an outbound call center. It achieves this by utilizing features such as auto-dialers and intelligent call routing systems, which help connect call center agents to customers or prospects quickly. 

Call center software provides tools for real-time performance monitoring, helping managers make data-driven decisions to enhance operations.

Unlike inbound call center software, which fields customer inquiries, outbound call center solutions are commonly used for sales, customer service, and other call center campaigns. 

Key Features to Look for in an Outbound Call Center Software

The best outbound call center solutions offer the following capabilities:

1. Automated dialing systems

Automated dialing systems are core features of an outbound call center software. They optimize the calling process by automating the dialing sequence, significantly increasing efficiency by reducing agent idle time. 

There are three primary types of dialers:

• Predictive dialer: This is the most advanced dialer. It uses algorithms to predict when an agent will be available and dials multiple numbers in advance to ensure that there is always a call waiting as soon as the agent finishes their current call. It is particularly useful in high-volume call centers because it maximizes talk time and minimizes idle time.
• Power dialer: This dialer automatically dials the next contact as soon as the current call is complete. It’s less aggressive than a predictive dialer, ensuring that agents have a brief moment between calls. This can lead to better call quality because agents have time to prepare for each call.
• Preview dialer: This dialer gives agents a chance to see the next customer’s information before deciding to dial. This allows more personalized service, as the agent can prepare for the call by reviewing notes or history, leading to potentially higher success rates in calls that require more context.

Related: Outbound Dialers: Benefits and Essential Use Cases

2. Call scripting

Outbound call centers have built-in call scripting software to guide conversations with customers. 

The software lets you create pre-written templates for different customer conversation contexts, such as cold calling, responding to customer inquiries, troubleshooting issues, and de-escalating frustrating situations. Agents can use these scripts as they are or tweak them to match the specific customer interaction. 

For example, in industries where regulatory compliance is mandatory, scripts ensure that all the necessary information is conveyed correctly and that legal guidelines are followed. This reduces the risk of non-compliance and potential legal issues.

Call scripts ensure a consistent delivery no matter which agent customers interact with, enhancing the overall customer experience. 

3. Call recording and monitoring

When selecting outbound call center software, prioritize advanced call recording and monitoring features that offer real-time tracking of agent-customer interactions. 

This functionality is essential for supervising call quality and ensuring agents provide a consistently high-quality customer experience. It also plays a crucial role in compliance, allowing managers to verify that conversations adhere to industry regulations and company policies.

Furthermore, the recorded calls serve as useful training material. By reviewing real-life interactions, new and existing agents can learn effective communication strategies and quickly rectify any shortcomings in their approaches, thereby enhancing their overall performance. 

This is also applicable to sales teams, as it allows them to analyze conversations as they happen, identifying key customer cues that may signal new sales opportunities or areas where additional product training is needed. These immediate insights help sales professionals adapt their strategies on the fly, significantly increasing the likelihood of closing deals.

4. Reporting and analytics 

Choose call center software with robust reporting and analytics features. At the very least, the software should allow you to monitor key metrics, such as the number of inbound, outbound, abandoned, and missed calls throughout each day.

You’ll use this information to optimize your call center operations. For example, if you notice you’re receiving many inbound calls during a particular time of the day, you can assign more agents to cover that period.

However, to truly leverage the power of analytics, look for features that go beyond simple metrics. Advanced software solutions offer detailed insights into call durations, wait times, and resolution rates. They also provide tools for deeper analysis, including trend detection, peak load forecasting, and behavior segmentation. 

5. CRM integration

A good call center software integrates with your customer relationship management (CRM) tool for seamless data exchange. This integration facilitates the smooth exchange of data between the two systems, ensuring that agents have immediate access to comprehensive, up-to-date customer profiles, including purchase history, customer preferences, service records, and health scores.

With CRM integration, every interaction within the outbound call center is instantly updated in the CRM, maintaining a consistent and current view of the customer’s status. This synchronization helps in personalizing customer interactions, as agents are always informed about the latest developments in each customer’s journey. It also prevents the duplication of efforts and reduces the chance of errors, which can occur when agents need to switch between multiple platforms.

Customer updates in the outbound call center are automatically reflected in the CRM tool. Agents can also use the embedded click-to-dial button to initiate customer calls from the CRM tool without switching to the outbound call center software.

Plus, integrated CRM systems typically include productivity-enhancing features such as click-to-dial functionality. This feature allows agents to initiate calls directly from within the CRM by simply clicking on a customer’s phone number, which eliminates the need for manually dialing or switching applications. This not only speeds up the response time but also ensures a smoother workflow, allowing agents to spend more time engaging with customers.

6. Omnichannel communication

Coordinating customer communications across channels can be challenging. That’s why good outbound call center software lets you centralize all your customer touchpoints — from email to social media and live chat — in one place. 

The key benefit of omnichannel communication is that it ensures consistency in customer interactions. For example, if a potential customer first reaches out through email and then follows up with a phone call, the agent handling the call will have immediate access to the email conversation. This continuity eliminates the need for customers to repeat information, thereby enhancing the customer experience and reducing the time spent on each interaction.

This integrated approach allows for personalized customer service. With full visibility into the customer’s journey across channels, agents can proactively address concerns, anticipate needs, and offer tailored solutions informed by previous interactions. 

Outbound Call Center Software Use Cases

An outbound call center solution has several business applications, including:

1. Sales and lead generation

Outbound sales software provides end-to-end telemarketing solutions, such as CRM integration, predictive dialing, and performance tracking, for large-scale sales and lead generation campaigns.

CRM integrations give agents access to up-to-date customer and prospect information, including contact details, previous interactions, and purchase history, to tailor sales pitches and improve the chance of success. 

Agents can initiate calls from the CRM or outbound calling software via a click-to-call button instead of manual dialing. You can also set up predictive dialers to auto-dial numbers and route the answered calls to available agents for increased call center efficiency. 

The software tracks and analyzes performance metrics, such as call volume, conversion rates, and average call duration, helping managers optimize their sales and lead generation campaigns and improve results over time.

2. Customer satisfaction surveys 

Outbound contact centers have embedded survey tools for measuring customers’ feelings after every interaction with your business. 

You can build customer satisfaction and net promoter score surveys and automatically administer them at the end of every customer interaction via email, live chat, or SMS. Then, you can filter the results by the most positive and most negative responses. 

Agents can call the customers in these categories to better understand their perspectives and gather in-depth feedback in real time. 

3. Market research

Outbound call center software solutions are useful for gathering first-party data for market research. First-party data refers to data a company collects directly from its customers, usually through surveys, polls, and one-on-one conversations. 

For large-scale quantitative data collection, you can use the software’s built-in survey tools to administer polls and surveys across all customer touchpoints, including social media, emails, and live chatbots. Consider organizing direct telephone conversations with small-sized focus groups by customer segment for qualitative feedback.

4. Debt collection

Outbound call center software can help you streamline debt recovery through call scripts and automated follow-up messaging. 

You can create Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)-compliant call scripts to guide your reps through debt recovery conversations. This ensures that all calls comply with FDCPA rules. 

An automatic message can play before connecting calls to a live agent, informing recipients that the call is an attempt to collect a debt. 

Instead of manually following up on payments, you can program the call center software to send pre-recorded messages or emails to debtors who have missed payments on specific schedules, making debt collection more efficient.

5. Appointment setting

Outbound call center software can double as a centralized scheduling system. For example, you can block standard business hours for appointments so your customers know when agents or salespeople are available for meetings. You can set up autoresponders for appointment requests made outside business hours and reroute these requests to live agents. 

Once an appointment is confirmed, the software will send customers reminders via email or text message at specific intervals so they don’t miss it. Multiple agents can view and manage the same schedule, limiting double bookings or scheduling conflicts.

Best Outbound Call Center Providers

Here are the top outbound call center solutions for your organization. Read on to see which features and pricing stand out for outbound calling. 

1. Nextiva 

Nextiva is a robust cloud-based call center solution with outbound capabilities. Unlike traditional call centers, which are restricted to a specific location, Nextiva handles all calls via the internet, enabling flexible and distributed communication. This means your agents can deliver the same customer experience from anywhere, whether on-premise or remotely.

Top features

• CRM integration: You can connect Nextiva to other business applications, like your CRM software, giving your agents instant access to customer data for more personalized interactions. They can also make calls directly from the CRM without switching apps — improving call center efficiency. 
• Nextiva app: NextivaONE allows agents to make outbound calls, sign into call center queues, and chat with team members on the go. It integrates seamlessly with your existing Nextiva phone system, so you can access all of your contacts, call history, and voicemail from one central mobile app. Plus, it’s easy to use and available for iOS and Android.
• Workforce management: Nextiva provides a suite of tools for efficient call center management, including a call monitoring dashboard, scheduled reports, and visual call analytics. For example, you can track call queues, agent performance metrics, and average call quality in the live call monitoring dashboard. You’ll use this information to optimize your call center operations. 
• Automated dialer: Use Nextiva’s click-to-call feature to make outbound calls with a single click. Your call center agents can make phone calls directly from NextivaOne or your CRM software by clicking a single button instead of dialing a phone number manually, eliminating human error. 

Why choose Nextiva?

Enterprise-grade mobility

Nextiva’s VoIP systems provide unmatched enterprise-grade mobility, allowing you to conduct business seamlessly, whether you’re working remotely or from the office. 

With the NextivaONE App, your business gains a robust, secure solution for full mobility. This technology ensures that you can always stay connected and manage business operations from any location, enhancing flexibility and efficiency. 

The app facilitates reliable communication and integrates various business functions into a single platform, streamlining processes and boosting productivity. By adopting Nextiva, you are equipping your business with a powerful tool that supports a dynamic, modern workforce. 

Security and reliability designed for enterprises

Nextiva’s security and reliability are specifically engineered for enterprise needs, ensuring your communications infrastructure never lets you down. Boasting eight points of presence and carrier-grade data centers, Nextiva offers an impressive 99.999% uptime. 

This means you can consistently maintain flawless communication with your customers without interruption. By leveraging one of the world’s most dependable enterprise-ready voice networks, Nextiva provides you with a seamless, secure, and robust platform that can handle any business demands. 

This high level of reliability and security ensures that every interaction is safeguarded, giving you the peace of mind to focus on growing your business and enhancing customer relations. 

Actionable voice and business analytics

With customizable dashboards and wallboards, Nextiva enables you to tailor your monitoring tools to meet the needs of your organization, enhancing oversight and driving performance at all levels. 

Ready-to-use analytics ensures you can make informed decisions quickly, optimize operations, and boost productivity throughout your company. By leveraging these powerful analytics, you position your business to excel by continuously improving strategies and achieving key performance targets. 

Your enterprise communications partner

Nextiva stands out as your premier enterprise communications partner backed by award-winning customer service. Nextiva has garnered top ratings from industry-leading authorities such as Gartner and Frost & Sullivan. 

To show our commitment to excellence, Nextiva ensures you have 24/7 access to our customer support team, which is ready to assist you at any time. Additionally, you can enhance your experience with our Professional Services add-ons, which offer hands-on consultations tailored to your specific communications needs.

By choosing Nextiva, you are selecting a partner recognized for its dedication to quality and customer satisfaction, ensuring your enterprise communications are in expert hands.

Track and analyze your entire pipeline for valuable hidden business insights

By monitoring the complete customer journey — from initial lead generation to the end of the lifecycle — you can capture every interaction along the way. This comprehensive tracking and analysis offer a detailed view of your customer engagements, allowing you to refine strategies, enhance customer relationships, and drive business growth.

With Nextiva, you gain the tools to understand the nuances of your operations and make data-driven decisions that propel your company forward. 

Pricing 

Nextiva’s call center plan starts at $50 per user/month. With this, you get unlimited call queues, intelligent call distribution, and up to 500 queued calls. 

Related: Best Call Center Software to Try in 2024

2. Five9

Five9 is a call and contact center solution that mostly caters to mid-sized and enterprise businesses with complex needs. It offers AI-powered predictive dialing, omnichannel communication, and advanced analytics to improve customer engagement and optimize agent productivity.

Top features 

• Predictive dialing: Five9 uses predictive dialing to reduce agent wait time in between calls. The system relies on smart software to predict when an agent will be free and how long it will take for the next call to be answered. This minimizes the wait time between calls, improving call center efficiency.
• Omnichannel communication: Five9 brings all your customer communication channels, including email, SMS, and voice calls, into a central platform, allowing you to power customer communication from one place. It helps you create a unified and personalized experience for the customer, regardless of the channel they choose to use.
• Advanced analytics: Five9 provides a central data repository where you can track everything about your call center and agent performance. It also supports real-time and historical performance tracking, speech analytics, and call quality monitoring.

Pricing

Five9’s voice-only plan costs $175/month and offers blended calling features (inbound and outbound), call recording, and 24/7 customer support. To access more features and platforms, you’ll need to upgrade to its higher-tiered plans.

3. Genesys 

Genesys is a highly customizable contact center platform that offers outbound calling solutions, including workforce engagement and automation tools. It’s also hosted on the cloud, delivering call center flexibility for enterprise businesses. 

Top features

• Customer journey orchestration: Genesys analyzes customer behavior and uses this information to personalize their experience at every stage of the customer journey until they make a purchase. It helps you give customers the right information at the right time and nudge them towards action. 
• Workforce management: Genesys Cloud’s workforce management tools help supervisors schedule agents, forecast call volumes, and manage staffing levels to ensure optimal service delivery.
• Real-time analytics and reporting: Supervisors can access real-time metrics and insights into contact center operations to identify trends and make data-driven decisions.

Pricing

Genesys’s voice-only plan costs $75/month and offers voice outbound campaigns, performance dashboards, and speech-enabled interactive voice response. 

What to Consider When Choosing Outbound Call Center Software 

Beyond features, you should consider scalability, pricing, ease of use, and security when choosing a call center software solution. Let’s examine these criteria further.

1. Pricing 

Choose outbound call center software that offers the best value for your budget. If you’re a small business, consider choosing a call center provider that offers flexible pricing plans without locking you into expensive long-term contracts. 

You should also check for ad-hoc costs outside monthly subscription fees, such as the maintenance and license fees, as they can rack up quickly. An outbound call center solution might have a low base fee, but adding all the other fees may blow your budget, so be sure that you can comfortably cover all its costs long-term before investing.

2. Scalability 

Choose a call center solution that scales with your organization. It should be able to expand its bandwidth to accommodate business changes, such as an increase in customers, agents, and channels. 

Switching call center software every few months makes your team inefficient. Each time a new software is implemented, the team must learn the ins and outs of the new system, which can be time-consuming and confusing. This learning curve can reduce productivity as team members struggle to navigate the software and adapt to its features.

3. Ease of use

Ensure that the call center software is easy to set up and use. Ideally, you shouldn’t require any advanced technical skills and knowledge to implement the software for your call center. 

It should have self-service resources for troubleshooting issues independently. A responsive support team should also be on standby to answer your questions and help as needed.

4. Security

Ensure the software has robust security features to protect sensitive customer data. It should offer voice call encryption to protect the information exchanged during outbound and inbound calls. 

It should also meet global security standards like SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI to guarantee data security across all channels. 

Related: Call Center Software for a Small Business: Overview & Key Features

Make Outbound a Breeze With Nextiva

You don’t need to invest in separate call center software for inbound and outbound campaigns. You can enjoy the best of both worlds with Nextiva. 

Nextiva offers a robust platform with outbound capabilities for lead generation, sales and market research, and inbound calling features for fielding customer inquiries. It’s affordable, easy to use, and scales with your business. 

Learn more about Nextiva’s comprehensive contact center solutions for your business.

Outbound Call Center FAQs

Customer satisfaction is more important today than ever before. Given the large number of choices consumers have in almost every market, companies that listen to their customers have a distinct advantage.

A customer satisfaction survey is an invaluable tool for both small business owners and large corporations. Surveys can help determine how customers are feeling about an organization’s customer service, web experience, products, or services. They can also help an organization get to know their customers in order to better communicate with them.

The best survey questions typically include an overall company rating, a rating of their offerings or customer service experience, and some open-answer questions so that customers can give constructive feedback.

Popular types of customer service satisfaction survey questions are as follows or, for a quicker version, jump down to our visual.

What Are Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions?

Customer satisfaction survey questions are specific queries designed to assess how pleased customers are with a company’s products, services, or experiences. These questions help businesses gather valuable feedback to identify strengths and weaknesses in their offerings and customer service practices. By understanding how happy their customers are, businesses can make informed decisions to improve quality, enhance customer service, and increase customer loyalty.

The questions in customer satisfaction surveys are used to gauge customer needs, understand problems or weak points in a company’s offerings, or determine clearer routes of communication. These questions often come in the form of a follow-up email or popup window and typically include a rating scale, though they can sometimes be left open-ended.

Deciding exactly which rating scale to use and what questions to ask can be confusing. We’ve gathered some of the most helpful survey questions below so that business owners can browse the issues that are important to them and craft the perfect customer satisfaction survey.

Customer Service Specific Questions

Customer service questions are used to measure how effective a company’s customer service department is. They can include questions about the overall customer service experience and the ease with which the customer’s questions were answered, or they can be about the representative who assisted them specifically.

• Please rate the service provided by the [company] representative.
• Please rate how clearly the representative communicated.
• Please rate the friendliness of the representative.
• Did your representative resolve your issue completely?
• Was your inquiry resolved in a timely manner?
• How many representatives assisted you today?
• Was your representative knowledgeable about the company/policies/product?
• Did your representative make you feel valued as a customer?
• On a scale of 1-10, how much effort did you have to put forth to solve your problem?
• On a scale of 1-10, how easy did [company] make it to handle your issue?

Website and User Experience Questions

These types of questions can help a business gauge how user-friendly its website, app, or processes are. They can also determine which features are used, which are not, and whether new features are needed.

• How would you rate your experience using [company]’s web portal?
• On a scale of 1-10, how easy was it to find what you were looking for on [company]’s website?
• Did the website load efficiently?
• On a scale of 1-10, how easy was [feature] easy to use?
• What was the reason for your visit to [company]’s website?
• Which of [company]’s features is/are most valuable to you?
• On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate our installation/onboarding experience?
• Was [company]’s website aesthetically pleasing?
• Rate the quality of [company]’s vendor options.
• Rate your level of satisfaction with the variety of options offered.

Product, Shipping, and Warranty Questions

Questions about the actual product (and how it’s delivered or warranted) can provide a company with knowledge about which features are most valuable to their customers, which could use improvement, and if their product is meeting expectations.

• On a scale of 1-10, how well does our product meet your needs?
• What product features are the most valuable to you?
• Are there any features that we’re missing?
• If you could solve one problem with our product, what would it be?
• On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the value of our product for the money spent?
• Which of the following words would you use to describe our product?
• How would you rate the following services?
• How would you rate the quality of this service?
• Did our product/services meet your expectations today?
• On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with our shipping options?
• Did [product] arrive on time?
• Did the description of [product] on our website accurately represent what you received?
• On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate our warranty/repair experience?

Related: See how we turned our customer reviews into a blog

Customer Loyalty Questions

These questions are used to determine which customers are advocates for the company and which are at risk of taking their business elsewhere. By asking the customer’s level of satisfaction with the company or willingness to recommend the company, organizations can gain insight into how loyal their customer base is.

• How likely are you to recommend [company] to a friend or colleague?
• How likely are you to use [company]’s services again?
• Was this your first time working with [company]?
• Will you purchase more products from [company] in the future?
• Would you identify yourself as a loyal customer of [company]?
• Compared to our competitors, how would you rate our product?
• How frequently will you use [company]’s product?
• On a scale of 1-10, how strongly do you feel that [company] acts in your best interest?
• On a scale of 1-10, how competitive do you feel our prices are?
• How would you feel if you could no longer use [company]’s product?

Related: How to Write 10x Better Customer Service Emails (+Templates)

General Marketing Questions

The marketing department can gain valuable insight into how customers are finding out about the company, what platforms they are using.

• Where did you learn about [company]?
• Which of our products/services are you interested in?
• How would you explain our product/service/offering to a friend, family member, or colleague?
• Would you like to receive more information about new products or special offers?
• Are you following [company] on social media? If so, which platforms?
• Do you subscribe to [company]’s email newsletter?
• Do you read [company]’s blog?
• Which competitors did you consider before choosing [company]?
• Are there any communication channels you would prefer we use?
• What can we do to improve your experience with [company]?
• What would you use as an alternative if [company]’s services were no longer available?

The marketing survey questions help assess how well a company’s marketing strategies are working and, at the same time, whether you’re able to read customer’s minds and offer the services they’re actually looking for.

Customer Satisfaction and Demographics Questions

Questions about the overall opinion of a company should almost always be included in a customer satisfaction survey. This gives the company an idea of how the customer views them as a whole. Demographic questions help gather insight into exactly who their customers are.

• Overall, how satisfied are you with [company]?
• What is the primary benefit you have received from [company/product]?
• Select your age group from the ranges below:
• Select your level of education:
• Select your employment status:
• Select your range of household income:
• Select your marital status:
• What is your ethnic origin?
• Do you have children/dependents?
• Enter your zip code below:

Why Are Customer Surveys Important?

Surveys are useful in gauging how an organization’s customer base views them, their products or services, and their interactions. Without surveys, it would be difficult to get an idea of how customers are truly feeling.

Companies who listen to their customers’ praises, complaints, and opinions ensure their future growth and success by making needed improvements or altering their communication strategies.

Surveys can be deployed strategically to identify specific types of improvements that need to be made. For example, they can be sent out after a product return to find out exactly why the item didn’t meet the customer’s needs. They can also be deployed after a drop in sales volume to find out exactly what went wrong.

Here are a few more reasons why creating customer satisfaction surveys is essential for any business looking to improve and grow:

• A satisfaction survey provides direct insights into what your customers expect from your products and services, which makes it much easier to tailor your offerings to meet their needs more effectively.
• Regular feedback can help you identify specific areas where your business can improve, whether it’s the quality of customer service, the user experience on your website, or the functionality of your products.
• Surveys can help you measure customer sentiment and, thus, how well your business is doing over time (and against competitors). They allow you to track customer satisfaction scores and see the direct impact of any changes you make.
• The data collected from customer satisfaction surveys can guide strategic decisions and prioritize resource allocation to areas that will most improve the customer experience.
• By demonstrating that you value their opinions and are committed to making improvements based on their feedback, you can build stronger relationships with your customers. This often leads to higher retention rates because they feel more valued.

If an overwhelming response is received on any one topic, that can be used to identify where changes need to be made before a customer is lost.

Remember, while finding out what’s wrong can be helpful, it’s also important for companies to send out surveys when business is good. Sending out surveys when business is doing well is essential for maintaining success because it helps companies understand what is driving their success. Regular feedback can also reveal unseen issues that you can tackle before they become a bigger issue.

Use a customizable survey tool plugged into your communication software to save time and effort in creating and sending surveys and collecting and analyzing data. 

Types of Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions

Rating scales are used to measure customer experience in different ways. The most popular scales are:

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Commonly used to gauge customer satisfaction levels with a purchased product, the CSAT scale typically uses a rating between one and five. One represents the lowest level of satisfaction, while five represents the highest.
• Customer Effort Score (CES): This scale is used to measure how easy it was for a customer to complete certain tasks, like speaking with customer service or using an online help portal. The scale usually ranges from very easy to very difficult.
• Net Promoter Score® (NPS): Probably the most straightforward of the three, the NPS measures overall satisfaction with a company, often using a scale of one to ten.

Retaining a customer is much less expensive than gaining a new one, and surveys can ensure that an organization’s customers are loyal. Sending out a survey also shows the customer that a company cares and is always striving to improve its offerings. There are countless benefits to customer satisfaction surveys, and businesses large and small should be executing them early and often.  

Nextiva Helps You Make Better Business Decisions

Nextiva’s survey software makes it easy for you to understand your audience, make better business decisions, and solve customer issues.

Design short or long surveys, using a variety of question types. Custom options allow you to build a survey that asks questions in just the right way. Plus, you can easily customize your surveys to make it look and feel like your brand. Make the entire experience with your business consistent and clean.

Our online survey software has these features:

• Create Surveys in Minutes
• Drag-and-Drop Functionality
• Website Embeds
• 9 Built-In Question Types
• Design Surveys like a Pro
• Customizable Branding
• Responsive Design
• Question Skip Logic
• Save Time and Work Efficiently
• Duplicate Existing Surveys
• Create Templates
• No Coding Necessary
• Analyze Responses Instantly
• View Results in Real Time
• Emailed Responses
• Capture Incomplete Responses

Wow your customers every day. Get the answers your business needs with survey software and level up the customer experience in every interaction. Elevate your CX.

Get to Know Your Customers Through Survey Questions:

Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions FAQs

There are several great cloud contact center solutions on the market today — so many that finding the right one for your business can be challenging. Many organizations start by looking at the most recognizable brands on the market, but does a big name guarantee the contact center will be a good fit? 

You can get a better understanding of which contact center platform is right for your business by comparing the options and seeing which has the features, technology, and price point that best match your needs.

With that in mind, let’s look at two of the biggest players on the market: Genesys and Amazon Connect. We’ll explore the pros and cons of each and see which best matches your business needs.

Genesys vs. Amazon Connect: The Pros

Both Genesys and Amazon Connect are leaders in the cloud contact center space, so it’s no surprise that they each offer several benefits.

Each solution has a wide array of features and capabilities that make it an attractive option to organizations looking for a cloud-based contact center solution. However, which one is preferable will come down to individual needs. 

Pros of Genesys

Genesys Cloud CX is a comprehensive Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solution with a focus on omnichannel customer engagement.

It excels in providing immersive and seamless customer interactions across a wide array of channels, so companies can meet their customers almost anywhere. In addition to voice, these channels include:

• SMS/MMS
• Email
• Website chat
• WhatsApp
• Facebook Messenger
• Social media

Additionally, Genesys is known for its extensive feature set. These features go beyond basic call center capabilities; they offer advanced tools for managing hybrid and remote teams, allowing contact centers with employees around the world to work together regardless of physical location. 

Here’s a detailed breakdown of Genesys’s offerings:

• Customer self-service: Provides multilingual speech-enabled IVR with natural language understanding, allowing customers to interact with systems in a natural way. Genesys’s voicebots and chatbots also offer conversational self-service across various channels, including phone, web chat, mobile messaging, and smart speakers.
• Digital channels: Supports web messaging, email, SMS, and social media, integrating these channels into a unified omnichannel experience. This allows for a seamless transition between self-service and live agents while retaining conversation context​.
• Voice services: Includes Genesys Cloud Voice for VoIP telephony and bring-your-own-carrier options, alongside tools for straightforward cloud communications administration. 
• Inbound and outbound routing: Features inbound voice routing that includes skills-based and intelligent routing, voicemail, callback options, and predictive routing powered by Genesys AI to optimize agent assignment​.
• Outbound campaigns: Supports basic outbound campaigns, inbound/outbound blending, and proactive notifications, allowing for more personalized customer interactions and reducing inbound call volumes.
• Workforce engagement: Includes tools to monitor employee performance, manage resources, and ensure quality assurance, all aimed at improving service levels and employee satisfaction​​.
• Unified communications: Offers anywhere access for remote and distributed teams with a web-based solution, fostering better collaboration and engagement through integrated communication tools​​.
• Reporting and analytics: Provides performance dashboards, historical reporting, and the combination of real-time and historical data views for comprehensive insights into contact center operations and customer interactions​.
• Integrations and apps: Offers over 350 third-party apps in the Genesys AppFoundry Marketplace, which extends and enhances the Genesys Cloud solution, including CRM integrations and AI applications​​.

Genesys pricing

Genesys Cloud CX is available in three subscription packages, each building upon the features of the previous:

• Genesys Cloud CX 1: Starts at $75 per month.  Focused on solving customer problems faster with inbound and outbound voice capabilities, secure IVR, and essential data storage and API requests​. 

• Genesys Cloud CX 2: Starts at $95 per month. Adds comprehensive digital channels, AI-powered customer engagement, and extra IVR minutes and data storage​ to the mix. 

• Genesys Cloud CX 3: Starts at $135 per month. Includes everything in CX 1 and CX 2, plus workforce engagement management, voice transcription minutes, and maximum allocations for IVR minutes, data storage, and API requests​.

Pros of Amazon Connect

Amazon Connect is a contact center solution that integrates SMS, video, chat, and voice communications. It’s known for its ease of use, quick setup, and scalability, which enable it to support operations on a global scale.

One of Amazon Connect’s strengths is its ability to create an AI-enhanced ecosystem for client interactions. This utilizes Amazon Web Service’s scalability and reliability to provide a consistent and high-quality experience.

Similarly, Amazon Connect’s machine learning–based insights and extensive reporting are all displayed on a unified control panel, providing a detailed look at key metrics and analytics across devices.

Among Amazon Connect’s features are: 

• Omnichannel routing: Offers a unified interface for voice, chat, and tasks, allowing for efficient contact routing and management. This setup ensures customers can interact on their preferred channels without agents needing to switch tools​​.
• Skills-based routing: Directs contacts to the most appropriate agent based on availability, skill set, and other criteria, ensuring efficient issue resolution and minimizing wait times​​.
• Task management: Allows agents to prioritize and assign tasks as well as track them to completion with Amazon Connect Tasks, improving productivity and customer satisfaction by ensuring follow-up items are resolved quickly​.
• Rules engine: Allows for automated performance monitoring and actionable insights at scale, improving operations, agent performance, and customer experience based on specified criteria​​.
• Caller authentication and fraud risk detection: Uses machine learning for Amazon Connect Voice ID, which enables real-time caller authentication, enhances security, and speeds up the verification process​.
• Agent productivity tools: Includes an intuitive agent workspace, step-by-step guides for issue resolution, unified customer profiles for a holistic view of customer information, and case management to track customer issues​.
• Generative AI-powered agent assist: Includes Amazon Connect AI functionality in a product feature named Q, which provides real-time suggestions and actions to agents for improved customer interactions​.

Amazon Connect pricing

Rather than provide different all-in-one pricing packages, Amazon Connect charges based on usage. Its prices start at $0.018 per minute for voice calls and $0.01 per SMS. For a simple voice-only operation, Amazon Connect’s call center cost is hard to beat. For low usage, it’s great, but for a busy contact center, its costs add up. 

⚠️ Be aware that Amazon Connect’s other features, such as agent productivity tools, analytics features, and task automation, are also charged on a metered basis. Read on to see how this makes its contact center pricing unpredictable.

Amazon Connect vs. Genesys: The Cons

Although Genesys and Amazon Connect each have several powerful features and capabilities, they’re not without drawbacks. The cons of each platform include:

Cons of Genesys

While Genesys Cloud CX is a feature-rich platform, some user reviews have suggested that its basic functionalities need improvement: 

• Reporting limitations: Some users have pointed out that the reporting features can be somewhat rigid and that customizing them to specific needs is challenging.
• System updates impact: There have been mentions of back-end updates occasionally disrupting internal systems. While updates are essential to maintaining and improving the platform, they can sometimes lead to temporary issues with specific configurations not working as expected​​.
• Lag and performance issues: Due to Genesys’s cloud-based nature, some users have experienced lag, especially when high demand puts a strain on internet bandwidth. This can affect the smooth running of operations, particularly in scenarios where real-time responsiveness is crucial​​.
• Workforce management tools: The workforce management aspect of Genesys Cloud CX is noted to require improvement. Users have found it to be somewhat complex, as it has many interweaving layers that make schedule creation for agents less straightforward than desired.
• Email interaction and mobile app development: The platform’s email interaction functionality could be more refined. Additionally,  a mobile app with full features is notably absent, though it has been mentioned that development for this is on the roadmap​​.

Cons of Amazon Connect

Amazon Connect’s biggest drawback is its lack of adaptability. Its feature set is constrained, so users need to add additional integrations for any specific functionality that its core offering doesn’t include. Specifically, users have pointed out the small feature set regarding contact center functionality, mentioning issues with voicemail and the handling of recorded statements. 

Some users experienced problems with connectivity and reliability, which led to frustration. The graphical user interface has also been criticized for not being intuitive for immediate actions, such as displaying caller IDs or customizing alerts when metrics are exceeded.​ 

Finally, Amazon Connect’s costs are highly unpredictable from month to month, and the additional expenses can strain an organization’s contact center budget.

Breaking down the costs of Amazon Connect

Here’s an excerpt of the complexity surrounding the costs of running an Amazon Connect contact center. 

Here’s an excerpt from AWS Connect’s pricing page:

“For Amazon Connect Voice, there are two charges associated with usage, voice service charges and a charge for the communication service (i.e., telephony or web calling).

With voice service usage, you are billed on a per-second basis (minimum 10s). Amazon Connect Voice service usage for inbound calls as well as manual outbound calls dialed from the contact control panel (CCP), is determined by the seconds your end-customer is connected to the service. For outbound voice usage initiated by invoking the startOutboundVoiceContact API or using Amazon Connect outbound campaigns, you are billed on a per-second basis (minimum 10s) from the time the contact attempt is initiated by Amazon Connect.”

Voice and Video Pricing	Cost per Minute
Inbound voice usage per minute	$0.018
Outbound voice usage per minute	$0.018
Outbound campaigns voice usage per minute	$0.025
In-app and web calling audio usage per minute	$0.01
Video connection per minute	$0.015

Messaging and Chat Pricing	Cost per Message
Chat usage per message	$0.004
SMS usage per message	$0.01
Chat self-service using step-by-step guides per message	$0.005

For Amazon Connect Tasks, it’s $0.04 per task created by an API, an agent through pre-built connectors with external applications (e.g., Salesforce), or Connect Flows. Agent-initiated task transfers are also billed at $0.04 per task.

Task Usage Pricing	Cost per Task
Task usage	$0.04

While paying per usage may be beneficial for smaller contact centers, those minutes can add up quickly for contact centers with a large volume of calls. As such, larger contact centers typically prefer a set monthly fee.

To avoid spending all day counting each team member’s minutes and customer interactions, plus building the platform, check out a better alternative below.

Comparing Genesys and Amazon Connect to Nextiva

Nextiva emerges as a better option for an enterprise’s contact center solution, offering a CCaaS platform that integrates voice, video, and messaging. 

It excels in providing a comprehensive contact center platform with features such as advanced IVR, customizable call routing, omnichannel support, predictive analytics, workforce management, and single sign-on.

Nextiva is preferred by many for its robust feature set and even scores higher than Amazon Connect in customer satisfaction.

In addition, its comprehensive VoIP cloud contact center software includes a wide range of features and workforce optimization tools, such as:

• Advanced IVR: Enables customers to navigate through options using voice commands or keypad inputs, ensuring they’re directed to the appropriate department or information source.
• Customizable call routing: Tailors call routing based on business hours, caller IDs, and other criteria to improve efficiency and caller satisfaction.
• Omnichannel support: Provides support across various channels, including voice, email, chat, and social media, allowing businesses to interact with customers on their preferred platforms.
• Predictive analytics: Utilizes data analytics to predict customer behavior and call volumes, allowing for better resource planning and personalized customer interactions.
• Workforce management: Includes tools for scheduling, monitoring, and managing staff performance to optimize productivity and service levels.
• Single sign-on: Enhances security and convenience by allowing users to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials.
• Built-in AI assistant: Automates responses and assists in handling customer inquiries, reducing the need for live agent intervention.
• Dynamic scripting: Facilitates the creation of responsive scripts for agents based on the context of customer interactions.
• Native process automation: Streamlines workflows by automating routine tasks and processes.
• Intelligent display for agents: Unifies essential information and tools into a single dashboard, enhancing agent productivity and their ability to provide personalized service.

In fact, Nextiva consistently scores above average for features like its quality management, call tracking, and agent dashboard.

Comparison	Genesys	Amazon Connect	Nextiva
Plan	Genesys Cloud 3	AWS Connect	Professional
Monthly price	$155/user	Unpredictable	$119/user
Restrictions	On-premises solutions sunset	Development resources required	Available only for U.S.-based organizations
Key features	Voice and digital channel engagementOpen-API composable architectureAI-powered speech and text analytics	Omnichannel supportAgent workspace and AI-powered assistanceAnalytics with sentiment analysis	Full omnichannel capabilitiesPlug-and-play advanced AIQuality management
Customer rating (G2)	4.3 out of 5 (1,313 reviews)	4.4 out of 5 (61 reviews)	4.5 out of 5 (3,119 reviews)
Best for	Sales and support teams	Companies with large development teams	Sales, service, and support teams

Nextiva is also known for its ease of setup and scalability, which enable organizations to quickly add seats, onboard agents, and start taking calls. Nextiva is designed for businesses of all sizes, enabling customers to create contact centers that grow with their companies.

Additionally, Nextiva’s proactive customer service comes highly recommended and is consistently praised for going above and beyond to support customers. This has contributed to its high recommendation and renewal rates among users — they know that they can expect high-quality communications and support from Nextiva.

While expenses are often a concern with big names like Amazon Connect and Genesys, Nextiva offers all-inclusive pricing. Plans start as low as $50 per user per month, and its Professional plan caps out at $119 per user per month.

Between its extensive capabilities, superior service quality, and affordable prices, Nextiva is a great fit for businesses of all sizes.

Nextiva: There’s Something for Every Business

When you look at the options, compare the pros and cons, and see everything you’ll get for your money, the choice is clear.

Nextiva is a robust contact center that integrates seamlessly with your tech stack and bundles all necessary business apps in a single solution. It provides all the omnichannel contact center and telephony features you need to delight your customers, brings you the latest in AI-powered contact center technology, and scales to grow with your business.

Whether you’re a small business starting to grow or an enterprise looking to empower your contact center agents, you can’t go wrong with Nextiva.

Requests from customers or employees can come from anywhere. 

These requests are easier to manage when there are just a few. But when you scale, no matter how efficient the team is, some requests are prone to slip through the cracks.

When requests go unanswered, customer and employee experiences and relationships that you have nurtured for a long time are harmed. Helpdesk tools prevent this and provide an easy way to manage interactions when they occur. 

With several tools on the market, it can be difficult to choose one. But what if we can make the choice easier? Let’s dive in. 

What Is a Helpdesk Tool? 

A helpdesk tool, also known as service desk software, is a centralized platform designed to manage and resolve customer inquiries, support requests, and technical issues. It streamlines the process of tracking, prioritizing, and resolving support tickets submitted by users or customers. 

Some of the features you’ll typically find in a helpdesk tool include ticket management, automation for common tasks, self-service options for users, reports and analytics for performance tracking, and integration capabilities with other business tools. 

How does a helpdesk tool work?

• Ticket creation: The process begins when a customer encounters an issue and reaches out for support through various channels like email, chat, phone, or a web form. The helpdesk tool automatically converts this communication into a support ticket, which is a unique record of the issue.
• Ticket assignment: Once a ticket is created, it can be automatically or manually assigned to a support agent or team based on predefined rules, such as issue type, customer priority, or agent expertise. This ensures that the right resources are working to resolve the issue as efficiently as possible.
• Prioritization and categorization: Tickets are categorized and prioritized based on urgency, impact, or other criteria. This helps identify issues that need immediate attention and ensures that critical problems are addressed promptly.
• Response and resolution: Support agents interact with customers through the helpdesk tool to gather more information, provide solutions, or offer workarounds. The tool may offer functionality like knowledge bases, canned responses, and automation to resolve tickets more efficiently.
• Escalation: If an issue cannot be resolved at the initial level of support due to its complexity, it can be escalated to higher-level support teams or specialists within the organization.
• Closure: Once an issue is resolved to the customer’s satisfaction, the ticket is marked as resolved and eventually closed. To help improve service quality, customers may be asked for feedback on their support experience. 

💡Pro tip → When choosing your helpdesk solution, opt for one that provides analytics and reporting features to track performance metrics, such as resolution times, customer satisfaction scores, agent productivity, and ticket trends. This data helps you identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions.

Types of helpdesk tools

There are multiple helpdesk systems businesses can consider when dealing with service requests from customers or internal teams.

• Inbound helpdesk software manages incoming customer requests, such as questions, support needs, or complaints, assisting support teams in responding efficiently. 
• Outbound helpdesk software lets the customer success team reach out to customers proactively. It allows your department to engage customers with updates or feedback. Customers feel supported, and their satisfaction level is clearly reflected in your net promoter score.
• Internal helpdesk software handles employee requests and issues. It focuses on streamlining support related to IT, HR, or admin. 

What Are the Key Functions of a Helpdesk Tool?

Below are some critical functions of a helpdesk tool that assist customer and employee service departments in better managing service requests and escalations. 

Centralizes ticket management

One of the key functions of a helpdesk tool is its ability to centralize ticket management. This means that whether a customer prefers to reach out via email, phone, social media, chat, or web form, every interaction is automatically converted into a ticket within the helpdesk system. This consolidation is crucial for maintaining a unified view of customer interactions, ensuring that no request slips through the cracks. 

Organizes support tickets

When support requests arrive, the helpdesk software turns them into tickets. The helpdesk ticketing module categorizes them based on context and priority and uses a routing mechanism to direct them toward the right agent. 

For example, when customers send requests to a specific email address like [email protected], the helpdesk software automatically turns them into support tickets. Then, it routes the ticket to the right person to address the issue. The ticket is tracked from when it is created until your support people close it. 

Makes communication easier

Helpdesk platforms let support agents connect directly to customers or employees. They also allow teammates to collaborate on solving complex issues involving many stakeholders. 

In many cases, the software communicates updates using direct messaging, chatbots, and messaging app integrations, making your service desk highly interactive. Moreover, it lets you proactively convey service level agreements (SLAs) and resolution time while automating routine tasks, such as notifying managers about high-priority cases.

Encourages self-service

Helpdesk software stages a knowledge base with product guides and FAQs to enable users to solve simple issues. Customers appreciate faster resolution through documented content, and your support team gets more time to tackle complicated service requests.

Some companies create a forum around their knowledge base where users can ask questions to the broader community. Other professionals answer these questions, saving your service teams’ time while creating a sense of community among customers.

Tracks key metrics

Helpdesk tools offer a dashboard to track metrics such as agent performance, customer feedback, first response rate, resolution time, and other important measures. These insights help identify opportunities to improve and deliver better service. 

Overall, helpdesk software truly brings your service desk to life. Leaders see it as a business enabler and an opportunity to expand revenue and increase profitability.

Top 4 Inbound Helpdesk Tools

Inbound helpdesk software lets businesses manage inbound customer requests at scale while keeping the team focused and organized. 

1. Zendesk

Zendesk excels at managing customer interactions across various platforms through CRM and other business system integrations. It helps companies maintain high service quality and efficiency to improve the customer experience. 

Source: Zendesk

Key features of Zendesk

Below are some notable features of Zendesk. 

• IT ticketing system offers a unified customer view.
• Self-service portal and knowledge base encourage self-service among customers. 
• Advanced reporting gathers valuable insights into customer service operations.
• Routing and intelligence select the best agents for the job and send tickets.

2. Freshdesk

Freshdesk helps companies manage customer queries and issues through a single, user-friendly SaaS platform. It tracks and responds to customer support tickets through multiple channels, like email, social media, or live chat. It also offers a shared inbox for teams to collaborate and resolve complicated customer queries. 

On Freshdesk, you can edit the SLA management policy to improve customer service transparency.

Source: Freshdesk

Key features of Freshdesk

Below are some notable features of Freshdesk. 

• Freshbots assist the customer in self-service and deflect around 70% of customer conversations.
• Freddy Copilot lets agents personalize service delivery. 
• Freddy Insights monitors performance data and showcases optimization opportunities.

3. Kustomer

Kustomer lets businesses manage customer interactions and support in a personalized and efficient way. It detects language and provides easy translation, allowing you to localize customer support. 

Source: Kustomer

The platform sees customers as individuals with all their past interactions and transitions. This gives the support team clarity on who they’re talking to and what they need rather than having to ask repetitive questions.

Key features of Kustomer

Below are some notable features of Kustomer. 

• Messaging offers instant answers through CRM-powered chatbots. It also encourages self-service and guides customers to FAQs and the knowledge base. 
• A vast app ecosystem lets you use open APIs to display key information, such as order details or billing status.
• Performance insights allow you to estimate staffing needs using heatmaps for the busiest days and hours. 

4. Help Scout

Help Scout is a cloud-based customer support tool that offers shared inboxes for all customer communications. It ensures every team member can see and respond to customer queries. Conversations are kept in one place, where the team can see previous interactions and respond with contextual consistency.

Source: Help Scout

You can create a self-service knowledge base to direct customers to the right place for faster resolution. There’s plenty of functionality available in Help Scout’s customer support solution for support teams, but less applicable for those in other departments. 

Key features of Help Scout

Below are some notable features of Help Scout.

• Automation features keep response times low with customizable workflows.
• Customer data lets you see who you’re talking to and their previous activity.
• Integrations with more than 50 tools make it easier to streamline communication and offer better service delivery. 

Top 4 Outbound Helpdesk Tools

Outbound helpdesk tools focus on offering proactive support to customers. Instead of expecting customers to act, customer success teams reach out to them with product updates, changes, and other information to increase their satisfaction and engagement. 

Here are the leading outbound tools on the market:

1. Nextiva

Nextiva seamlessly integrates phone, web chat, social media, and SMS messaging into one unified channel that connects with CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and other business systems. This allows you to efficiently track and manage customer interactions while offering a personalized experience to customers at scale.

The unified communications platform offers advanced features to handle inbound and outbound interactions, even through the mobile app.

Key features of Nextiva

Below are some notable features of Nextiva. 

• Advanced call routing lets you route inbound calls to any person or team in real time based on predefined rules. 
• Customer insights come straight to the conversation space.
• Integrations allow you to connect to your favorite tools for faster ticket management.
• Automated surveys collect how customers feel right after the call. 
• Macros and automations help reassign tickets, notify managers, and autofill common responses.

2. Five9

Five9 focuses on improving agent productivity through intelligent routing. It comes with omnichannel support for voice, email, chat, and social media. You can see real-time reporting analytics and encourage the team to provide timely and effective support.

Source: Five9

Key features of Five9

Below are some notable features of Five9.

• A progressive dialer automatically calls one customer per available agent.
• A predictive dialer ensures agents spend more time talking to real prospects and customers.
• Reputation management protects your phone numbers’ reputations in outbound dialing.

3. Genesys 

Genesys delivers an AI-powered customer experience platform that personalizes customer service at scale. It offers voice and digital channel support with AI bots for automated responses.

Source: Genesys

Key features of Genesys

Below are some notable features of Genesys. 

• Self-service campaigns increase the productivity and cost-effectiveness of your outreach strategies.
• Software-based verification improves contact rates through pre-call checks.
• Integrated analytics give a single performance view of outbound and inbound calls.

4. Aircall

Aircall is known for its simplicity and integration with other CRM and business tools. It streamlines call management and offers context for customers’ interactions to make service delivery faster.

Source: Aircall

Key features of Aircall 

Below are some notable features of Aircall. 

• Automation syncs call notes and tags, allowing agents to focus on helping customers.
• Smartflows call routing connects customers with the agent who can best support them.
• Dashboards help to visualize agents’ performance trends.

Top 4 Internal Helpdesk Tools

Internal helpdesk tools support a company’s internal teams in being more productive and organized in managing internal requests. This software allows admin, HR, and IT support teams to focus on more critical tasks rather than repetitive requests for internal employees. 

Check out the leading internal helpdesk tools on the market:

1. ServiceNow

ServiceNow serves internal teams with IT service management capabilities. You can automate workflows while offering a single place for managing internal service requests and incident resolutions. 

Source: ScienceSoft

Key features of ServiceNow

Below are some notable features of ServiceNow. 

• Workforce optimization lets you manage a team with insights into their performance in real time.
• Process mining streamlines work and improves outcomes with optimized process flows. 
• Employee Center creates a single portal for service delivery across an enterprise or a small business. 

2. Tettra

Tettra has knowledge management features that make it a decent internal helpdesk. It lets you create, manage, and share information easily to reduce repetitive inquiries from the team.

Source: Tettra

Key features of Tettra

Below are some notable features of Tettra.

• Q&A stores questions to help others find answers fast.
• AI assistant Kai provides relevant answers to questions. If the answers aren’t found, it assigns the right person to respond and then sends a notification.
• Knowledge management workflows keep information up to date.

3. Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management serves high-velocity teams with IT service management to organize all requests in one place. The software empowers people to self-serve while automating several workflows to ensure everyone gets help quickly. 

Source: Atlassian

Key features of Jira Service Management

Below are some notable features of Jira Service Management. 

• Incident management brings IT operations teams together to address and resolve incidents quickly. 
• Knowledge management enables self-service and deflects more requests, letting your team focus on critical requests. 
• Robust APIs allow you to connect and integrate with your favorite IT tools. 

4. Hiver

Hiver turns Gmail into an internal helpdesk, offering an intuitive solution for managing support tickets right from your inbox. It’s suitable for small and medium-sized teams looking for a simple tool to handle internal requests and track task assignments.

Source: Hiver

Key features of Hiver

Below are some notable features of Hiver. 

• Centralized communication helps you manage group email IDs in your Gmail inbox. 
• A collaborative inbox brings different teams together to solve employee issues. 
• Automation moves your focus from routine tasks to complex technical problems.

How to Choose Helpdesk Software

It’s important to choose helpdesk software that fits your business. Below are a few ways to research support software to make an informed decision. 

Jot down your needs

The simpler it sounds, the harder it is to jot it down. Objectively answer the questions below when preparing to consider your options. 

• How many people would use the tool? 
• What are your communication channels (email, live chat, phone, or others)?
• What are the key features you’re seeking? 
• What challenges are you trying to solve with the product?
• Who are the stakeholders, and what are their exclusive needs from the tool?

Set a budget

Money matters, so compare what you’re getting to what you’re paying. 

Look at the costs and features included, and consider how this tool can help you save or make more money in the long run. Compare vendor offerings to find the best deal at a price that fits your budget. 

Prioritize usability

Consider software you would love to use day in and day out. Ask a small customer group for feedback on their likes and dislikes and any problems they may have encountered. It’s better to resolve these issues before signing a contract or proceeding with the final purchase. 

Let the vendor know what customization you would require. Understand what it takes to get those modifications up and running. 

Think future-proof

See to it that the helpdesk software can scale with your business and that adding more end users or managing support channels is easy. Make sure the software offers data protection and security, as you will often deal with customer’s sensitive data. 

When your customers increase, understand how the tool will maintain its availability. Look for its track record to see if the software is reliable and available when needed. 

Nextiva: The Preferred Helpdesk Option for Contact Centers 

By this point, you already understand what you need to look for when choosing helpdesk software. Take a look at what companies like you are using. 

For many, Nextiva stands out for managing a large number of customer interactions across channels. It offers functionalities like advanced call routing, IVR, insightful analytics, and seamless integration with SMS, social media, web chat, and email, making it a complete customer communication solution for efficient service delivery. 

Integrate secure phone service, SMS, video, and team chat in ONE platform.

Related: 7 Features Customer Service Software Support Teams Need

What’s the Difference Between a Warm Transfer and a Cold transfer? A warm transfer ensures a smooth call transfer between the initial agent and the receiving agent, complete with introductions and context, while a cold transfer is when the initial agent transfers the customer to another agent without warning.

Customer experience 101: Don’t make customers repeat themselves. 

Think about it: When you need customer support, do you want to explain your issue to an agent just to repeat the same story to someone else after being transferred? An exceptional customer experience (CX) is tied to every touchpoint across the customer journey. By simply warm-transferring a caller, you can add that little “extra” in an extraordinary customer experience.

Our guide breaks down the cold transfer vs. warm transfer processes in detail, including the examples, pros and cons, key differences, and which practice is more beneficial to customers and businesses alike.

What Is a Cold Transfer?

A cold transfer, also called a blind transfer, is when the initial agent connects the customer to another agent or department without communicating customer context or query details. The receiving agent has little or no information about the incoming call or what the customer needs. The customer must explain their issue or reason for reaching out again, leading to a frustrating customer experience.

When to use it: It’s a best practice to use warm transfers whenever possible. However, you can use a cold transfer in these situations: – When a customer asks for a specific agent or department  – When a customer reaches the wrong department that cannot assist with their issue – The call center receives a massive surge of calls  – If you have an internal phone system, like a Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

Cold transfer example 

Here’s an example of a cold transfer exchange in action.  

• Customer service agent: “Thank you for calling [Company Name]. My name is David. How can I help you today?”
• Customer: “Hi David, I’m having trouble logging in to my account. I keep getting an error message.”
• Customer service agent: “I understand, login issues can be frustrating. May I have your name and account number? 
• Customer: “Jenny Smith. Account number 8675309.”
• Customer service agent: “Thank you, Jenny. It looks like several Platinum accounts are getting the same error messages. May I transfer you to our technical support team who can assist you further?” 
• Customer: “Sure, thank you.”
• (Brief hold music)
• Technical support agent: “Technical support, this is Tommy. How may I assist you?”
• (Customer sighs)
• Customer: “Ugh, okay. Like I said, I keep getting an error message when I try logging into my account.”
• Technical support agent: “Gotcha. May I have your name and account number so I can take a look?”

This cold transfer interaction lacks positive and proactive elements that enhance the customer experience. Though the call center agent is polite, they use neutral language that doesn’t offer reassurance to the customer. The main issue is that the customer is transferred blindly to a new agent without providing an introduction or context, affecting CX and potentially harming your brand reputation.  

Cold transfer pros and cons 

Cold transfers can be useful for efficiency, but only use them strategically to avoid harming the customer experience. Consider warm transfers or alternative solutions whenever possible.

Cold Transfer Pros	Cold Transfer Cons
Faster call resolution Improved agent efficiency Reduced costs	Negative customer experience Lack of context Lower customer satisfaction

What Is a Warm Transfer?

A warm transfer refers to the process of an initial agent providing the relevant information and context of a customer interaction to a receiving agent before handing off the customer for further assistance. Warm transfers are preferred and should be part of your business’s call center strategy.

When to use it: You should use a warm transfer whenever you want to deliver a positive customer experience. Some common situations to use a warm transfer include: – When a customer has a complex issue that requires an expert or specialized agent   – When you need to escalate an issue or interaction – When an issue contains sensitive information or topics

Warm transfer example

Now, let’s check out the same interaction from before, but as a warm transfer.

• Customer service agent: “Hi Jenny, thanks for calling [Company Name]. This is David. I see you’re having trouble logging in to your account. Don’t worry; these things happen sometimes! To get this resolved quickly, I’ll connect you directly with one of our technical support specialists who can troubleshoot the issue for you.”
• Customer: “Oh, that would be great! Thanks, David.”
• (Brief hold music)
• Customer service agent: “Great news, Jenny! I’ve connected you with a specialist named Tommy who’s familiar with this type of login issue. He already has your account information, so you can jump right into getting this resolved.”
• (Call transfers)
• Technical Support Agent: “Hi Jenny, this is Tommy from technical support. David provided your account info and filled me in on the login trouble you’re experiencing. Let’s take a look together and get you back into your account!”
• Customer: “Hi Tommy. Thank you!”

This warm transfer uses positive language like “don’t worry,” “quickly,” “directly,” and “jump right in” to reassure the customer. It also highlights the specialist’s knowledge and David’s proactive approach to solving the issue. This makes the experience smoother and less frustrating for Jenny.

Warm transfer pros and cons 

The benefits of warm transfers can be significant for the customer experience and resolution speed, but they do sometimes increase your average handle time and resources. Here are a few pros and cons of taking a warm transferring approach. 

Warm Transfer Pros	Warm Transfer Cons
Enhanced customer experience Faster resolution Reduced agent errors	Increased handling time Agent availability Training requirements

Key Differences Between Cold and Warm Transfers

The key differences between cold and warm transfers are in the level of communication and preparation involved before routing the customer to the receiving agent. Here’s a breakdown focusing on the communication dynamics, relationship building, and impact on CX:

1. Communication dynamics 

A cold transfer involves minimal prior interaction, often leading to impersonal exchanges, while a warm transfer entails establishing rapport beforehand, fostering smoother transitions.

Think of a warm transfer like having a helpful friend at a party introducing you to everyone. The initial agent takes the time to establish some rapport, explain your situation to the receiving agent, and then smoothly connect you. This fosters a more welcoming and informative transition.

Imagine going to that same party, but your friend disappears into another room minutes after you arrive. That’s the vibe of a cold transfer. There’s minimal prior interaction between the first agent and the person you’re being transferred to. This often leads to impersonal exchanges where you have to repeat yourself and explain everything again.

2. Relationship building

A cold transfer lacks the opportunity for relationship development, whereas a warm transfer allows for trust-building and personalized assistance, enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction.

In warm transfers, when the initial agent introduces you by name and explains your situation, this adds a personal touch that puts all parties at ease.

Warm transfers:

• Help customers feel valued
• Demonstrate the brand’s genuine interest in resolving your problem 
• Establishes trust and builds relationships
• Set the stage for a more positive and collaborative interaction with the specialist

A cold transfer doesn’t offer any opportunity for relationship development. They may leave customers feeling like a ticket number rather than a valued customer.

Blind transfers:

• Lack of personalization for your customers
• Offer missed opportunities to establish customer rapport 
• Confuse and frustrate customers

In fact, a lot of cold transfers skip the human touch entirely. When callers interact with an auto-attendant or interactive voice response (IVR) system, their calls are typically automatically routed based on the option they select from a phone menu. IVRs are effective for fast support but may miss out on connecting with customers via human interactions. 

3. Impact on customer experience

A cold transfer may result in frustration due to abrupt handoffs, whereas a warm transfer fosters a seamless experience, leading to higher customer loyalty and retention.

Abrupt handoffs without context can be frustrating. You may feel like you’re starting from scratch with each new agent. Cold transfers impact the customer experience by can lead to: 

• Extended call times
• Loss of context
• Reduced confidence and loyalty

Warm transfers create a better customer experience. Even small businesses with limited support agents can use a VoIP phone system with an auto-attendant or virtual receptionist to help make warm transfers easier and more efficient. The specialist you connect with already has a basic understanding of your issue, allowing them to jump right in and start working on a solution. 

Cold Transfer or Warm Transfer: Which Is Better for My Business?

Choosing between the different types of transfers hinges on the nature of your business calls and priorities.

Cold transferring a call is faster service but not necessarily good service. It can result in lower customer satisfaction and a risk of sending them to voicemail, especially for complex issues. 

In contrast, a warm call transfer enhances customer satisfaction and efficiency by introducing the customer and providing context and background information to the receiving specialist. Still, they require slightly longer call handling time and depend on agent availability. 

For best practices, train your agents on both transfer methods, invest in technology for seamless warm transfers, and monitor call center metrics and KPIs to gauge their impact on customer satisfaction and resolution rates. Aligning the right transfer method with your specific call types can optimize efficiency and create a more customer-centric experience.

Simplify Customer Call Handling with Nextiva

When we talk about warm transfer vs. cold transfer in customer service, the right software can help you put customer satisfaction front and center.

Nextiva’s contact center solution makes it easy to seamlessly transfer customers where they need to be. Its user-friendly features, like easy-to-navigate interfaces, phone tree, and call recording, make warm transfers a breeze.

And guess what? Nextiva’s omnichannel capabilities mean it’s not just about calls — it can handle all customer interactions smoothly, ensuring everyone remains happy.

Cold Transfer vs. Warm Transfer FAQs

Check out these frequently asked questions about cold transfers vs. warm transfers.

Twilio Flex and Five9 come up quite a lot in contact center conversations — and for good reason. They’ve been around for a while, offering advanced capabilities and features to help businesses manage agent-customer interactions across channels. 

If you’re considering investing in either of these platforms, you need to know exactly what they offer to make the right choice. 

In this article, we’ll dig into their pricing, features, and everything in between to see which contact center comes out on top. We’ll also show you how Nextiva compares as a third option. 

Five9 vs. Twilio Flex: The Pros

Here’s a quick look at the top features of these two contact center platforms. 

Pros of Five9

Five9 is a comprehensive cloud contact center solution that improves customer experiences, agent productivity, and business operations through a suite of advanced features and services. 

Being a cloud-based solution, Five9 offers flexibility, scalability, and reliability. Businesses can scale their operations up or down based on demand without needing to invest in physical infrastructure. The cloud model also ensures a seamless rollout of updates and new features without significant downtime. 

1. Omnichannel routing

This component allows businesses to manage interactions across various channels seamlessly. By routing customer inquiries to the most appropriate agent based on their skills, availability, and customer history, Five9 ensures the efficient handling of customer needs. 

The omnichannel capabilities are built on a universal queue that integrates voice, video, chat, email, and social media interactions.

2. Interactive voice response

Five9’s interactive voice response system enhances the customer experience by providing self-service options and directing callers to the right agent or department with voice commands or keypad inputs. 

It supports natural language processing for more intuitive interaction and can integrate with external databases for personalized caller experiences.

3. Workforce optimization

The workforce optimization (WFO) feature encompasses tools for quality management, performance monitoring, and workforce management. It includes features like call recording, speech analytics, agent scheduling, and real-time analytics to ensure that the contact center operates efficiently and effectively. 

The WFO tools help managers make data-driven decisions to improve agent performance and customer satisfaction.

4. CRM integration

Five9 integrates with major CRM platforms such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, and Zendesk. This integration provides agents with immediate access to customer information, enabling personalized and informed interactions. 

The CRM integration helps to reduce call times and improve customer satisfaction by making relevant data accessible to agents during calls.

5. Advanced outbound dialing options

Five9 offers multiple auto dialers for efficient call center management. 

For example, its predictive dialer automates outbound calls, freeing time for actual customer conversations. It also has a power dialing option that’s useful for outbound campaigns where agents need to contact a large number of prospects quickly. 

Need to familiarize yourself with a customer before a call? Use Preview Dialing to view past customer interactions and get real-time context about your relationship with them for more personalized interactions.

6. Artificial intelligence and automation

Get real-time insights into your contact center performance with Five9’s unified interactions dashboard, powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Here, you can track metrics such as the total number of calls, average chat handle time, and average response speed. 

You’ll use this data to adapt your contact center strategies to meet customers’ evolving expectations. For example, if you notice a drop in call response time, you can plan to hire more agents to increase capacity and efficiency across the board. 

Five9 also leverages AI to enhance customer interactions and agent productivity. Features like AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can handle routine inquiries, freeing agents to focus on more complex issues. 

7. Excellent customer support

Five9 has a highly responsive support team that’s available to answer questions 24/7. In one customer’s words:

“Five9 has great customer support. Issues are always resolved in a timely manner, and they stay in constant communication with you with updates so you always know the status of your issue being resolved.”

You can contact the support team via online chat, phone, and email. You can also use the self-service documentation to troubleshoot and resolve issues independently.

Related: Five9 Pricing: How Much Does Its Cloud Contact Center Cost?

Pros of Twilio Flex

Twilio Flex is a fully programmable cloud contact center platform that provides businesses with the flexibility to customize every aspect of their customer interaction workflow. 

Unlike traditional contact center solutions, Twilio Flex allows for deep customization and integration, enabling businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs. 

1. Highly customizable platform

Twilio Flex offers a user interface that is completely customizable and extendable through code. This means businesses can design their own workflows, user interfaces, and integration points. 

The platform uses a combination of React and Twilio’s own APIs, allowing for a high degree of customization and flexibility.

2. Extensive integration capabilities

In addition to its customization capabilities, Twilio Flex also integrates with multiple third-party tools, helping you build a more robust contact center. 

For example, you can connect Twilio Flex to Glance to enable co-browsing and screen sharing on the platform. You can also sync Twilio Flex with your CRM to deliver up-to-date customer information to agents directly. 

3. Broad omnichannel support

With the Flex Conversation API, you can integrate all your customer touchpoints, such as SMS, MMS, and online messaging apps like WhatsApp, into one central platform to monitor interactions efficiently. This helps you deliver omnichannel customer experiences at scale. 

Let’s say a customer sends a message via online chat, then later continues the conversation via SMS. They won’t have to repeat what they shared earlier because you can track their interactions in a single platform.

4. Extensive documentation

Twilio Flex has a comprehensive knowledge base with developer tutorials and explainer documents for its features. 

This is a beneficial resource for developers, as it helps them quickly understand how to use the platform and start building their solutions without spending too much time figuring things out.

5. Flexibility

Twilio offers flexible pricing plans that cater to businesses of all sizes. 

You can choose to pay per active user hour or per agent. The former option means contact centers with seasonal traffic or part-time agents only pay for the hours that they use, while the latter is suitable for large-scale contact centers with a predictable call volume.

Five9 vs. Twilio Flex: The Cons

Here’s why users consider switching from Twilio Flex and Five9 to other contact centers. 

Cons of Five9

Some of the challenges users face with Five9 include: 

• Technical issues: Multiple user reviews suggest that Five9 customers experience frequent downtime, leading to operational disruptions. Sometimes, the software becomes buggy, and you have to log in and out a few times before it works. If this happens during a crucial customer conversation, it can ruin their experience and perception of your business. 

• Connectivity delays: Some customers have also experienced abrupt call drops and connectivity delays, such as a two- to three-second delay between the agent answering and the call connecting. Hear from one of them: 

“Five9 sold us on the theory that 99.999% of the time, we would have seamless connectivity and not experience any drop in calls. Less than 15 days after this application was implemented, we experienced dropped calls. Even after a resolution was in place, we continued to have issues with connectivity.”

• Complexity and training: New users might struggle with the tool because of its extensive features. It has a significant learning curve, so it takes quite some time to fully grasp how things work and use the platform effectively. 

Cons of Twilio

Some of the challenges users face with Twilio Flex include:

• Navigational challenges: Users have mentioned that finding their way around the Twilio website can be difficult. Despite the extensive documentation, setting up certain functions can be confusing, especially for non-technical users who are new to the platform. Customers struggle to resolve these challenges independently, and Twilio’s support team can be unresponsive:  

• Complex setup for multi-channel routing: Some users struggle with implementing multi-channel routing in Twilio Flex. Say a customer contacts your organization on social media and later continues the conversation via email. You won’t be able to assign the new discussion to the original agent on the case. This affects omnichannel delivery, which relies on seamless channel integration.

Comparing Five9 and Twilio vs. Nextiva

Let’s see how Nextiva stacks up against Twilio Flex and Five9.  

1. Ease of use 

Unlike Five9, Nextiva doesn’t sacrifice usability for features. Our AI-powered contact center platform is easy to implement and use, even if you don’t have any technical experience. 

We’ve provided extensive documentation to guide you through every feature, and our support team is always available to answer questions and resolve any issues you might encounter. 

Here’s what one of our customers says about our contact center software:

2. Customer service

Customer support is one of Nextiva’s many strengths. Service disruptions negatively impact your customers and their overall contact center experience. That’s why our support team is always available to help you resolve any issues quickly. 

3. Value for money and overall user satisfaction

Nextiva has a higher value-for-money rating than Five9, indicating that customers believe the benefits they are receiving from Nextiva’s contact center software outweigh its costs. This is a positive indicator of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

You Get More Value With Nextiva

While all three platforms offer robust features, Nextiva’s user-friendliness, exceptional support, and perceived value make it a compelling choice, particularly for businesses prioritizing ease of use and supportive customer interactions.

Customer expectations have reached an all-time high, and businesses are feeling the pressure.

Customers now expect companies to be available across multiple communication channels, providing quick and efficient customer service. Traditional contact centers are just not capable of handling surging demands.

If customers struggle to reach out to you, they’ll leave you for competitors.

The solution? Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) — a cost-effective and flexible cloud-based alternative to traditional contact centers, empowering businesses to deliver exceptional service through a centralized platform.

In this guide, we’ll explore CCaaS in more detail and show you how you can use it to improve your customer journey while making the most of your resources.

What Is CCaaS?

CCaaS is short for Contact Center as a Service. It’s an on-demand, cloud-hosted solution that provides all the features and functionalities of a traditional contact center without needing physical hardware. CCaaS software allows companies to establish a scalable method to handle inbound and outbound communications on every channel while reducing hardware, telephony, and IT costs.

A contact center is ideal for handling consistent customer requests, orders, or help desk tickets. CCaaS helps businesses manage various communication channels, such as phone calls, SMS, emails, web chats, and social media messages from a single platform.

Core functionalities of CCaaS include:

• Omnichannel communication: Manage all customer interactions seamlessly across channels, providing a unified customer experience.
• Call routing: Intelligently route calls based on caller information, agent availability, and skills, ensuring efficient call handling.
• Automated workflows: Use automated greetings, self-service options (IVR), and chatbots to handle simple inquiries and free up agents for complex issues.
• Real-time call analytics: Gain valuable insights into agent performance, customer behavior, and key call metrics to identify areas for improvement.

Unlike traditional systems, CCaaS is readily available from anywhere with an internet connection, offering increased flexibility and remote work capabilities for contact center agents.

Cloud-based vs. on-prem contact centers

Let’s examine the key differences between cloud-based and on-premises contact centers to better understand why CCaaS is becoming the preferred choice for many businesses.

Cloud-based contact centers offer several advantages over on-premises solutions:

• More cost-savings with pay-as-you-go pricing and no maintenance costs
• Faster and easier to set up, taking days rather than months
• Support multiple communication channels like phone, email, chat, text, and social media
• Enable remote work and flexible scaling of staff
• Integrate with existing tools via APIs
• Are highly scalable and flexible to accommodate growth

Gartner projects cloud contact center revenues will reach $17.9 billion by 2024 while on-premises infrastructure declines. Cloud solutions provide faster deployment, more features, and better overall value than on-premises technology that lags market demands.

CCaaS Software Benefits

Companies adopt cloud-based contact center technology for many reasons. If you’re researching use cases and the advantages of using a contact center as a service, this will help.

1. Cost-effectiveness

CCaaS eliminates the need for expensive hardware, software purchases, and ongoing maintenance costs associated with on-premise systems.

With a pay-as-you-go subscription model, businesses can scale costs according to their needs, paying only for the needed capacity and functionality.

This approach is more cost-effective than traditional contact center infrastructures, which can easily surpass six figures, along with additional licensing and maintenance expenses.

2. Scalability & flexibility

Businesses can easily add or remove seats and features on-demand, adapting to changing customer volumes and business needs. This allows companies to quickly scale their operations for seasonal peaks or unexpected growth without significant upfront investments.

CCaaS solutions also enable agents to work across multiple time zones and on any device, including phones, laptops, and tablets, creating a more flexible and optimized team.

3. Improved customer experience

CCaaS platforms offer omnichannel support, so customers can interact through their preferred channels, such as phone, email, or social media, while receiving consistent service.

Centralizing every customer interaction in one place helps agents access real-time customer sentiment, account value, and customer satisfaction without switching platforms.

Advanced analytics and AI-powered tools like natural language processing and chatbots enable businesses to identify and address customer pain points proactively, driving better customer satisfaction and engagement.

4. Increased agent productivity

Cloud-based contact center solutions automate repetitive tasks and equip agents with advanced tools like call recording and quality management. Agents can better focus on resolving complex customer issues and deliver personalized service.

CCaaS lets agents work more efficiently, maximizing labor and technology investments. Using customer experience analytics, you can easily optimize any gaps in the support process to boost customer retention and lifetime value.

5. Better security & reliability

CCaaS providers invest heavily in data security and infrastructure redundancy, protecting sensitive customer information and offering continued service availability.

With enterprise-grade reliability and uptimes of 99.999%, cloud telephony minimizes the risk of downtime due to office moves, severe weather, or equipment failures.

Leading CCaaS providers, like Nextiva, have multiple data centers across North America, offering automatic failover and real-time call routing adjustments to keep teams operational under any circumstances.

Differences Between a Call Center and a CCaaS

Call centers and contact centers are often used interchangeably but serve customers using two distinct customer support technologies.

A call center handles voice calls only. Call center software is ideal for outbound and inbound calls, such as customer support and sales teams. It provides features like call routing, queuing, and recording.

Contact center functions over multiple channels, including phone, email, text message, live chat, and social media. When offered as a service (CCaaS), contact centers field customer interactions over several touchpoints, as today’s customers no longer funnel through just one channel to reach a business. This omnichannel approach allows for seamless customer experiences.

Companies primarily serving customers over the phone should turn to a hosted call center.

However, if you want to give your customers multiple options for contacting you and provide a more comprehensive customer experience, a cloud-based contact center (CCaaS) is the better choice.

Related: Customer Service Contact Center 101: Features, Metrics & More

UCaaS vs. CCaaS Solutions

While both UCaaS and CCaaS are cloud-based, subscription-based services, they serve different purposes.

UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) is designed for internal communication and collaboration, providing features like team messaging, video conferencing, and workflow automation tools. It’s ideal for businesses looking to improve employee productivity and enable remote work.

CCaaS, in contrast, is focused on managing customer-facing communications and improving the customer experience. It offers omnichannel routing, IVR, and real-time analytics, making it the preferred choice for customer service and sales teams.

Some UCaaS solutions may offer basic customer-facing communication features, such as a business phone service, but they typically lack the advanced functionality and reporting capabilities of a dedicated CCaaS platform.

UCaaS	CCaaS
Internal communication & collaboration	Customer-facing communications
For all businesses prioritizing employee productivity	For customer service, sales, & support teams
Features: instant messaging, video conferencing, screen sharing	Features: call routing, IVR, call recording, call analytics
Integrates with productivity apps (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)	Integrates with CRM & helpdesk systems (e.g., Salesforce)
Streamlines employee communication	Streamlines customer interactions across channels
Improves employee collaboration	Enhances customer experience & satisfaction
Basic customer-facing features	Advanced customer interaction management

How To Implement CCaaS Software

All you need to deploy CCaaS is a reliable internet connection. But there’s a little more to it than that.

Each company has unique needs for addressing customer questions or running outbound sales campaigns. The specific implementation of CCaaS ultimately comes down to the desired workflow and automation the business needs.

Here are a few key things you’ll want to remember to ensure a smooth and successful transition to CCaaS.

1. Identify your business needs and goals

First and foremost, clearly define your business needs and goals.

What do you want to achieve with your customer service? What specific features and functionalities do you need to make that happen?

Sit down with your team, including business leaders and customer support management, and prioritize the contact center software functions most important to you.

Consider metrics like first-call resolution, average handle time, and customer satisfaction scores to help guide your decision-making.

2. Choose the right provider

Not all providers are created equal, so it’s important to research and evaluate your options based on features, pricing, scalability, security, and integration capabilities. Look for an experienced provider that offers a comprehensive suite of tools to meet your needs.

Make sure your CCaaS provider adheres to relevant industry regulations and data privacy laws and has robust security protocols in place to protect customer information. Look for certifications like SOC 2, PCI DSS, and HIPAA based on your industry requirements.

3. Check your network connectivity

Before you dive in, check that your network connectivity is up to par.

All users should have a reliable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth and low latency. Run some initial network connectivity checks to confirm that users can maintain at least 1 Mbps up and down with low latency and jitter.

A VoIP quality test can help you assess your network performance.

4. Automate your workflows

Once you’ve got the basics covered, it’s time to configure your workflows. This is where you’ll streamline processes and improve efficiency by authenticating business app integrations and adjusting rules to ensure cases and requests are handled correctly.

Consider integrating with CRM systems, helpdesk software, and other relevant tools to create a seamless customer experience.

5. Train and onboard agents

Don’t forget about your agents.

Provide comprehensive training to ensure they understand and can effectively use the CCaaS platform. Onboard agents in phases, aligning with each customer communication channel.

Adjust your company’s IVR, automatic call distribution (ACD), and workflows in an online portal to optimize the agent experience.

6. Use call analytics & reporting

Use customer experience analytics to gain insights into customer interactions, sentiment, and customer engagement. Analyze metrics like the number of interactions required to resolve issues, customer retention rates, and customer lifetime value.

These insights will help identify areas for improvement to optimize your support processes.

7. Plan ahead to transition

If you’re migrating from an existing contact center system, have a well-defined plan to smoothly transition to CCaaS.

Work closely with your CCaaS provider to develop a detailed timeline and checklist for data migration, agent training, and minimizing disruption to customer service operations.

Related: Customer Experience Analytics: How to Track and Improve CX

Key Features of CCaaS Solutions

CCaaS platforms offer a range of features to streamline customer interactions and improve overall contact center operations:

• Omnichannel contact center: Handles inquiries from various channels (phone, email, chat, social media) within a single platform, offering a unified view of all customer interactions.
• Automatic call distribution (ACD): Efficiently routes incoming calls to available agents based on their skills, workload, and pre-defined criteria.
• Interactive voice response (IVR): Provides self-service options for routine inquiries, reducing agent workload and freeing them to handle more complex issues.
• Intelligent virtual agents (IVAs): Offers AI-powered conversation with customers, often taking care of basic tasks or routing their requests to the right team.
• Workforce management: Strategies and processes for optimizing agent productivity so a contact center can operate efficiently.
• Contact center monitoring: Records calls for quality assurance purposes and provides valuable insights into agent performance and customer interactions.
• Contact center reporting and dashboards: Offers comprehensive reports and real-time dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as call volume, resolution time, and customer satisfaction.
• CRM integration: Maintains all customer relationship and sales transaction data.
• Natural language processing: Uses artificial intelligence to analyze conversations in real-time for the intended meanings and suggest helpful tips for team members.
• PCI compliance: Offers secure methods for people to provide their credit card details to agents.

When exploring different contact center solutions, remember that you want a platform that helps solve your business needs with the right blend of communication functionality.

Related: Small Business Contact Center Software: Overview & Key Features

How To Choose The Best CCaaS Software Platform

Selecting the right contact center software ensures that your agents provide customers with top-notch service, regardless of how they reach out.

As you explore different providers, here are some essential questions to consider: 

1. What are your business priorities? Align the features and perks of a new communication platform with your OKRs to ensure they support your business goals.
2. How easy is it to add users? Consider the platform’s scalability and understand how easy it is to manage new users as your team grows.
3. Do you need any app integrations? Determine which integrations you need and check if the platform offers built-in email or CRM integrations to streamline your workflow.
4. What support options are available to you? Research the technical support and onboarding options, as these may come at an additional cost.
5. What kind of training or learning resources will you need? Assess the ease of use and the availability of training materials to ensure a smooth transition to the new platform.
6. Which industry-specific features do you need? Consider your company’s specific business processes and legal obligations, such as HIPAA, PCI, or other recordkeeping requirements, and ensure the providers you’re evaluating can accommodate these needs.
7. How does the platform handle customer data security and privacy? Evaluate the security measures and compliance certifications of each provider to ensure the protection of sensitive customer information.
8. What is the total cost of ownership? Look beyond the initial subscription fees and consider additional costs such as implementation, customization, and ongoing maintenance to get a clear picture of the total investment required.
9. How does the platform integrate with your existing infrastructure? Assess the compatibility of the CCaaS platform with your current IT infrastructure and identify any potential integration challenges.
10. What are the platform’s reporting and analytics capabilities? Evaluate reporting and analytics tools to ensure you can effectively monitor and optimize your contact center performance.

And with that, you’re ready to select your next Contact Center as a Service provider with confidence.

Get a cloud contact center from Nextiva.

IVR, call recording, VoIP numbers, call routing, advanced reporting–integrated in ONE cloud platform.

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CCaaS Software Providers

Here are the top-rated CCaaS providers to consider when exploring a contact center solution for your organization.

1) Nextiva

Nextiva Contact Center is a CCaaS platform designed for high scalability and integration with existing business systems, focusing on cost-effectiveness and enhancing user experience through features like automation, artificial intelligence, and real-time analytics.

• Advantages: Cost-effective, scalable, robust CRM integrations
• Best for: Businesses looking for an all-in-one communication solution
• Pricing: Starts at $99 per user per month for voice and digital CCaaS functionality

2) Avaya OneCloud CCaaS

Avaya offers a widely known call center software solution with a focus on flexibility and customized setups using AI tools and noise removal for enhanced communication clarity.

• Advantages: High customization, comprehensive omnichannel support
• Best for: Companies needing tailored communication solutions
• Pricing: Not publicly disclosed.

Related: Avaya Contact Center Pricing: Is It Worth It?

3) Genesys Cloud CX

Genesys blends AI-driven management with comprehensive analytics and workforce optimization to adapt to business needs, prioritizing personalized customer engagement.

• Advantages: Flexible AI integrations, scalable solutions
• Best for: Dynamic businesses focusing on customer interaction
• Pricing: Starts from $75/month for standard voice features

4) Cisco Webex Contact Center

Cisco Webex is versatile CCaaS platform integrating various communication tools and analytics, recognized for its ease of customization and integration with the broader Webex suite.

• Advantages: Reliable, customizable, integrates with UCaaS
• Best for: Businesses seeking a unified communication approach
• Pricing: Not publicly disclosed, but some sources suggest $150 per user per month.

5) Five9

Five9 delivers a cloud-based platform integrating CRM and voice services, focusing on efficiency and data insights through AI and automated workflows, aimed at improving customer service.

• Advantages: Integrative AI features, comprehensive analytics
• Best for: Enterprises seeking traditional contact center software
• Pricing: Starts at $175 per user per month

Close the CCaaS Gap with Nextiva

If you want to equip your sales and support teams, CCaaS is the perfect, scalable solution. For almost every other department, UCaaS is a wise choice. You get the communication features that most employees need.

Combining CCaaS and UCaaS, you can create a seamless communication ecosystem that caters to the specific needs of each department. You work efficiently and provide a better customer experience across all touchpoints.

With the right business phone system, you won’t need to settle for one or the other.

See how Nextiva helped Shelby American deliver better customer experiences.

Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) FAQs