Inbound call center software

Every business needs a reliable way to support its customers, but in today’s marketplace, a simple helpline number isn’t enough. Organizations need a streamlined, process-driven method for handling incoming calls—that’s where inbound call center software comes in.

In this article, we’ll explain how inbound call center software works, its role in creating a comprehensive customer experience (CX), and how to select the right solution for your operations.

More in this guide:

• What is inbound call center software?
• Inbound call center software comparison chart
• The 24 best inbound call center solutions
• Features of inbound call center software
• Benefits of an inbound call center solution
• How to choose the right inbound call center software
• Frequently asked questions
• Ready to try inbound call center software?

What is inbound call center software? Inbound call center software is a tool that allows you to set up, manage, and optimize your inbound customer support team. With features that make it easy to discover trends and insights, look up customer information, and access support tickets, this type of software empowers teams to deliver a more personalized and effective CX. Businesses can receive thousands of customer service calls on any given day. Inbound call center software can route those calls to the appropriate customer service representative, record calls, generate reports on call center performance, and offer a host of other benefits for inbound departments. Unlike outbound call center software, inbound software is designed to help customers who initiate contact by reaching out with questions or concerns. Therefore, it must include features that aid in delivering an outstanding CX.

Below is a comparison chart of the top inbound call center software options. You’ll find an overview of pricing, free trial availability, and features.

Software	Starting price	Free trial	Best for
Zendesk	$55 per user/month (billed annually)	14 days	Integrated omnichannel customer support
LiveAgent	$15 per agent/month (billed annually)	30 days	Video calls
HappyFox	$24 per agent/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Agent scripts
Nextiva	$20 per user/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Cloud-based inbound software
Freshworks	$15 per agent/month (billed annually)	14 days	Remote teams
CloudTalk	$19 per user/month (billed annually)	14 days	Medium-sized businesses
Sprinklr	Contact for pricing	Unavailable	Contextual routing
Intercom	$29 per user/month (billed annually)	14 days	Screen sharing
Zoom	$69 per agent/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Video calls
Nice CXone	$71 per user/month (billed annually)	60 days	Automation finder
RingCentral	$20 per user/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Healthcare businesses
Five9	$119 per month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Gamification
uContact	$19.99 per user/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Preview dialers
Zoho Desk	$7 per user/month (billed annually)	15 days	Sentiment analysis
Aircall	$30 per license/month (billed annually)	7 days	Spam filters
Genesys Cloud	$75 per user/month (billed annually)	30 days	Predictive routing
Twilio Flex	Priced on a per-use basis	Available	WhatsApp users
8x8	Contact 8x8	Unavailable	Customer feedback
Convoso	Contact Convoso	Available	Outbound dialer
Talkdesk	$85 per user/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Financial businesses
3CX	$350 per year	Unavailable	Call queuing
JustCall	$29 per user/month (billed annually)	14 days	SMS capabilities
Call Hippo	$18 per user/month (billed annually)	10 days	Call barging
Call Center Studio	Contact Call Center Studio	Unavailable	AI speech recognition

Now, let’s jump into an extended breakdown of each software, including its pricing and features, so you can invest in the best one for your business.

• Zendesk: Best for AI-powered inbound call center software
• LiveAgent: Best for video calls
• HappyFox: Best for agent scripts
• Nextiva: Best for cloud-based inbound software
• Freshworks: Best for remote teams
• CloudTalk: Best for medium-sized businesses
• Sprinklr: Best for contextual routing
• Intercom: Best for screen sharing
• Zoom: Best for video calls
• Nice CXone: Best for automation finder
• RingCentral: Best for healthcare businesses
• Five9: Best for gamification
• uContact: Best for preview dialers
• Zoho Desk: Best for sentiment analysis
• Aircall: Best for spam filters
• Genesys Cloud: Best for predictive routing
• Twilio Flex: Best for WhatsApp users
• 8x8: Best for customer feedback
• Convoso: Best for outbound dialer capabilities
• Talkdesk: Best for financial businesses
• 3CX: Best for call queuing
• JustCall: Best for SMS capabilities
• CallHippo: Best for call barging
• Call Center Studio: Best for AI speech recognition

1. Zendesk

Best for: AI-powered inbound call center software

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$55 per user/month (billed annually)	14 days	Plug-and-play setup inside Zendesk with omnichannel agent workspace Handles inbound calls with ease Straightforward call routing  Interactive voice response (IVR) Clean, simple reporting and analytics

The Zendesk virtual call center software can help teams of any size deliver personalized, inbound solutions through robust customer profiles and data-driven insights—resulting in a reliable CX that improves customer loyalty.

Zendesk improves customer interactions by hitting on the concepts that matter most:

• Resiliency and scale: Zendesk is designed to grow with your business, offering additional features to meet rising demand or unexpected challenges.
• Easy setup: Our cloud-based solution works right out of the box, allowing your team to get up and running quickly without missing a beat.
• Low total cost of ownership: Zendesk delivers high ROI and low TCO through fast integration, increased agent efficiency, cost savings from deflected tickets, and more.

You'll also find that our inbound capabilities surpass the competition.

Our interactive voice response(IVR) capabilities empower you to effortlessly design customized IVR menus, routing workflows, pre-recorded responses, and prompts. Zendesk reporting and analytics help teams uncover customer insights and gain full visibility into call center performance. Meanwhile, the industry-leading Zendesk Agent Workspace enables agents to manage customer conversations across channels in a single, organized dashboard.

In addition, teams can implement Zendesk voice. With this AI-powered feature, you can automatically transcribe and summarize calls, evaluate 100 percent of customer interactions, and handle phone calls via AI agents that can resolve customer issues and route calls.

Discover why Zendesk is a top option for inbound call centers and try us out today.

Pros	Cons
AI agents AI-powered knowledge base Analytics and reporting Customization No-code apps and integrations Templates Omnichannel ticketing system Industry-leading AI-powered agent workspace Enterprise-grade security Approval and publishing workflows Knowledge management tools Easy to use and easy to scale Generative search	AI is a paid add-on No free plan Suitable for small or mid-sized contact centers (for larger teams, consider Zendesk for Contact Center)

User reviews

• "Very solid and easy to use."
• "Our sales and customer relationships have been strengthened by Zendesk."
• "Zendesk has made a huge impact on our Support team. We doubled our efficiency immediately!"
• "Zendesk is by far the best platform for customer support companies."

Explore Zendesk pricing plans.

2. LiveAgent

Best for: Video calls

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$15 per agent/month (billed annually)	30 days	Call monitoring and routing Recording Reporting/analytics Omnichannel capabilities

LiveAgent is a cloud-based call center software solution for businesses of all sizes. It offers omnichannel communication capabilities—including social media, live chat, and HD video calls—and integrations for gathering all these interactions in a central location.

LiveAgent’s skill-based routing lets businesses control how incoming customer calls get routed, and unlimited call recording can store and analyze past interactions for training purposes. Additionally, the platform includes IVR capabilities, automatic call distribution, and knowledge base features.

Pros	Cons
IVR capabilities Time tracking Service-level agreements	Free social media integration is only available in the more expensive tiers Only one knowledge base is available in the starter tiers

User reviews

• "Fantastic and exceeded expectations."
• "Good for small teams."
• "Okay tool, just not for our business needs."

3. HappyFox

Best for: Agent scripts

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$24 per agent/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	IVR support Call notes Call routing Auto assignments

HappyFox is a help desk management software with inbound call center capabilities. The platform’s Cloud Contact Center includes features, integrations, and automations designed to help support teams with incoming customer requests.

HappyFox’s ticketing system can process incoming calls and offers features like IVR support, call notes, and rule-based auto assignments. Furthermore, agent scripts allow organizations to develop best practices for their agents.

Pros	Cons
Service-level agreements Knowledge base SSO	Email support is not available in the Basic plan Limited to 5 agents on the Basic plan

User reviews

• "HappyFox was easy to implement and works great."
• "Strong basic functionality—unclear how to get the most out of it."
• "Great chat, little bit of issues."

4. Nextiva

Best for: Cloud-based inbound software

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$20 per user/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	IVR Voice recognition Workforce management and optimization Alerts and escalations

Nextiva is a phone support system that lets businesses consolidate all customer communications onto a single platform. It offers IVR, so customers can help themselves without agent intervention. It also includes skill-based routing and a dedicated agent interface.

One of Nextiva’s most popular features is its Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVA), which can manage high volumes of calls while handling sensitive data. Common applications of this feature include multilingual support, appointment scheduling, the ability to answer FAQs, and more. 

Additionally, Nextiva is cloud-based, which means data updates are typically non-disruptive.

Pros	Cons
Review management Business SMS Digital help desk	Skills-based routing is only available in the most expensive plans Unified team interface isn’t included in the lower-tier plans

User reviews

• "Beneficial product for my business."
• "Great when it works. Lots of issues."
• "Avoid at all costs!"

5. Freshworks

Best for: Remote teams

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$15 per agent/month (billed annually)	14 days	Call routing Omnichannel capabilities AI capabilities Automated workflows

Freshcaller by Freshworks is a cloud-based contact center solution designed to support remote teams. Users can bring their own carrier or purchase phone numbers from over 90 countries through the platform.

Managers can monitor call volume and queue times to evaluate remote team performance, while routing capabilities can ensure customers connect with the right support agent for their needs. However, some reviewers mention difficulty with customization and a lack of training resources, which may make the initial setup and implementation challenging.

Pros	Cons
Caller ID Call notes Reporting and analytics	Users need to pay per minute, regardless of plan Advanced metrics are only available in the most expensive plans

User reviews

• "Great service desk software that integrates with almost anything."
• "Really powerful and helpful, but really tedious."
• "Not good for smaller customers."

6. CloudTalk

Best for: Medium-sized businesses

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$19 per user/month (billed annually)	14 days	Call duration and tracking IVR Call scripting Number porting

CloudTalk’s call center software helps small and medium-sized businesses maintain customer satisfaction. Users can establish a local presence from anywhere in the world, automatically track and record calls, and receive calls through a browser or mobile device. 

Key features include integrations with technical support tools, smart detection of missed calls, a real-time dashboard, and IVR. 

Pros	Cons
Unlimited calls across the U.S. and Canada International numbers Business SMS	Security features are only available in the most expensive plans Full integrations are not available in the lower-tier plans

User reviews

• "A reliable VoIP solution with room for improvement."
• "I like it."
• "Interesting app with some improvements necessary."

7. Sprinklr

Best for: Contextual routing

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
Contact for pricing	Unavailable	AI and automation Self-service Capacity management Agent assistance

Sprinklr is a customer experience management platform with inbound call center capabilities. The product features an AI-powered IVR that allows businesses to handle customer calls using chatbots, facilitate self-service, and redirect conversations from phone to digital or social channels if needed. 

Contextual routing connects customers with the most qualified support agent, while a 360-degree customer view gives teams full visibility into consumer information and cross-channel conversations.

Pros	Cons
360-degree customer view Quality management Call deflection	Non-transparent pricing Only suitable for larger teams

User reviews

• "An all-round powerhouse for CX."
• "Big potential and poor maintenance."
• "It has a lot of potential but is very cluttered."

8. Intercom

Best for: Screen sharing

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$29 per user/month (billed annually)	14 days	AI and automation Omnichannel workspace Call routing Outbound capabilities

Intercom is a customer support platform with inbound capabilities. Teams can use it to facilitate phone calls, conduct video calls, and even screen share with customers to troubleshoot issues. 

Intercom features an omnichannel workspace where all team members can access calls, emails, tickets, and conversations. No-code automation allows users to create IVR trees and perform other simple tasks. 

Pros	Cons
Screen sharing Real-time call dashboard Local and toll-free numbers	Security features are only available in the most expensive plan AI is priced per-resolution, no matter the plan

User reviews

• "Best omnichannel tool."
• "The platform is complicated to use."
• "So much promise, but Intercom's development teams are their own worst enemy."

9. Zoom

Best for: Video calls

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$69 per agent/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	AI and automation Omnichannel workspace Knowledge base Reporting and analytics

Zoom is a virtual meeting platform that now features customer care capabilities. An AI-powered virtual agent empowers teams to offer self-service to their customers, engage in intelligent routing, and automate simple interactions. 

The platform features an omnichannel workspace where agents can connect with customers across SMS, social, chat, voice, or video. Teams can also use the native Zoom video calls feature to meet with teammates and managers.

Pros	Cons
Zendesk integration 360-degree customer view Real-time transcription	QA and WFM are only available in the most expensive plan Omnichannel capabilities are not available in the least expensive plan

User reviews

• "Great all-around communication platform."
• "Love the features of Zoom with adjustments."
• "Good product overall, but cumbersome implementation."

10. Nice CXone

Best for: Automation finder

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$71 per user/month (billed annually)	60 days	On-demand recording Network monitoring IVR/voice recognition AI routing

Nice CXone is a customer experience software with inbound call center services. It features routing, analytics, and workforce optimization functions that help teams address customer issues.

CXone’s Automation Finder allows users to select which automation features are best to implement, while the Automation Studio offers no-code implementation. Nice CXone also features Enlighten AI, an artificial intelligence feature that handles inquiries quickly, improves sales processes, and identifies at-risk customers. Enlighten AI can also produce audio transcriptions of meetings and calls.

Pros	Cons
Digital agent Call recording and storage Data dashboards	Advanced AI features are only available in the most expensive plans Agent KPIs are not available in the lower-tier plans

User reviews

• "Great tool to use."
• "It's fine."
• "Integration and support are lacking."

11. RingCentral

Best for: Healthcare businesses

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$20 per user/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	IVR voice recognition Alerts/escalation Queue management AI workforce management

RingCentral is a customer service software with inbound capabilities, catering to businesses in the healthcare, financial services, education, government, and retail industries. It provides multiple options for third-party integrations, such as Zendesk.

RingCentral blends outbound and inbound features that can help businesses create efficient schedules for their agents and prevent staffing issues. Skills-based routing directs incoming calls to the best-qualified available agent for speedier issue resolution. With incentivized gamification, managers can keep agents engaged and motivated to continue delivering good customer service.

Pros	Cons
AI summarization HD video meetings APIs and integrations	Only 100 monthly minutes in the lowest-tier plan Full AI capabilities are only available in the most expensive plan

User reviews

• "Best phone software for all sizes [of] companies."
• "RingCentral was fine, but we wanted to expand to something more professional."
• "Good features, could be better."

12. Five9

Best for: Gamification

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$119 per month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Automated routing Chatbots Call recording Gamification

Suitable for companies of all sizes across a wide range of industries, Five9 is a cloud contact center that can help businesses deliver personalized customer experiences. The platform offers features that benefit both agents and customers, including gamification, call recording, and employee performance management. Intelligent IVR and easy access to customer information can assist support teams in delivering faster service.

Five9’s visualization widgets also allow users to customize how they view their most important customer data. Meanwhile, automation tools help businesses identify and implement the right automation strategies to optimize workflows and improve efficiency.

Pros	Cons
Workflow automation Inbound and outbound capabilities WFM capabilities	Voice capabilities and SMS/digital messaging are not available in all plans

User reviews

• "Very reliable and customizable contact center solution."
• "Not bad."
• "It's been okay."

13. uContact

Best for: Preview dialers

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$19.99 per user/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	Call recording AI chatbot Real-time chat Omnichannel capabilities

Inbound platform uContact by net2phone positions itself as an all-in-one omnichannel contact center supporting call center services. It comes with features like preview dialers, IVR, and voice broadcast. The software also offers tools for monitoring performance, including a KPI dashboard, time-stamped recordings, and cross-channel interaction recording. Plus, it provides a customizable gamification feature that lets managers create games to motivate their teams.

Pros	Cons
Dashboard and analytics SMS messaging Unlimited calls between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico	Advanced AI is only available in the most expensive plan Call transcription not available in all plans

User reviews

• "Superior product, exceptional service."
• "net2phone is a good VoIP system with poor service."
• "The onboarding experience was brutally awful."

14. Zoho Desk

Best for: Sentiment analysis

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$7 per user/month (billed annually)	15 days	Customer complaint tracking Dashboard and analytics Response editor CRM integration

Zoho Desk is the inbound call center solution by Zoho. This software offers omnichannel communications, workflow automation, and a self-service center.

The platform has features like omnichannel support ticketing systems, self-service capabilities, and service-level agreements. It also includes sentiment analysis, which can automatically determine positive and negative messages from customers—and suggest the best way to respond to them.

Pros	Cons
AI and automation Workflows Contact management	Zia, the AI chatbot, is only available in the most expensive plan Multilingual features are not available in lower-tier plans

User reviews

• "Good experience with Zoho Desk."
• "Decent experience so far."
• "It’s great, but a lot of things require the support team."

15. Aircall

Best for: Spam filters

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$30 per license/month (billed annually)	7 days	Call tagging IVR/voice recognition Analytics Call routing

Aircall is a call center solution that seeks to help support teams connect with customers. The platform offers various integrations, so companies can implement their current CRM, help desk, or other software they use.

Aircall provides marketing and analytics tools that allow teams to monitor call volume and resolution time, automated workflows to eliminate repetitive tasks, IVR, and call routing. Additional product features include blocklist numbers, spam filters, customizable business hours, call conferencing, queueing, and monitoring capabilities.

Pros	Cons
Integrations with tools like Zendesk Unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada SMS and MMS capabilities	Service-level agreements are only available in the most expensive plan Call tagging is not available in the least expensive plan

User reviews

• "Aircall is easy and simple to use!"
• "I use it on a daily basis, and it is mostly functional most of the time."
• "Gets the job done, but clunky."

16. Genesys Cloud

Best for: Predictive routing

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$75 per user/month (billed annually)	30 days	Call routing and monitoring Predictive routing Reporting and analytics IVR

Genesys Cloud is an inbound call center software suitable for both inbound and outbound operations. It offers omnichannel communication so businesses can interact with customers on their preferred channels and transition between them if issues escalate. 

The platform also includes features like personalized scripts, predictive routing, workforce management, IVR, and analytics and reporting.

Pros	Cons
Omnichannel capabilities Virtual agents Screen recording	Digital channels not available in the least expensive plan Agent Copilot is only available in the most expensive plan, otherwise it's an add-on

User reviews

• "The contact center solution ahead of the competition."
• "Great for straightforward call centers. Not for anything complex."
• "It fulfills its function but often fails."

17. Twilio Flex

Best for: WhatsApp users

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
Priced on a per-use basis	Available	Archiving and retention Omnichannel capabilities Event-triggered actions Personalized interactions

Twilio Flex is a contact center platform that is part of a suite of business apps designed for various needs, including sales teams, marketing campaigns, inbound calling, outbound calling, and account security. Its inbound call center software offers integrations with tools such as Zendesk.

The software also provides customer profiles that present relevant customer information to support agents. Twilio offers omnichannel communication as well, supporting chat over multiple channels. For example, teams can use the WhatsApp API to engage in transactional and conversational messaging and leverage other contact center capabilities directly into the app.

Pros	Cons
Integrations with products like Zendesk Call recording Virtual agent	Everything is priced a la carte Transcription services cost $0.05 per minute

User reviews

• "Very user-friendly!"
• "Works well, but impossible to customize easily."
• "Bugs and slowness."

18. 8x8

Best for: Customer feedback

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
Contact 8x8	Unavailable	VR/voice recognition Quality management Alerts/escalation Personalized self-service

8x8 is a cloud contact center offering inbound and outbound capabilities. Its inbound features prioritize flexibility, as users can transition phone calls to chat and vice versa. At the same time, 8x8 offers several integrations with tools like Zendesk, so teams can stay on the same page while adopting a new product.

Key inbound capabilities include automatic call distribution, IVR, and support for digital channels. The platform’s workforce engagement management tools help keep teams motivated. It can also gather customer feedback directly after interactions, giving managers real-time insights into agent performance.

Pros	Cons
Omnichannel routing Agent workspace Self-service	Non-transparent pricing Plans have different features, making it difficult to find the one that completely fits your needs

User reviews

• "Best on the market."
• "Some good functionality, but dated software and unclear billing practices."
• "Not very user-friendly."

19. Convoso

Best for: Outbound dialer capabilities

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
Contact Convoso	Available	Skills-based routing Call blending IVR Queue position updates

Convoso is a platform designed to help call centers connect with their customers through AI tools and automation. Its outbound dialer enables support agents to work faster and assist more customers in less time.

The tool also offers customizable ratios, external systems, and IVR to improve inbound call management. Additional features like workflow dialing, dynamic scripting, and local caller ID might increase agents' productivity.

Pros	Cons
Dynamic scripting Workflow automation Caller ID	Non-transparent pricing Pay-per-call pricing

User reviews

• "A great dialer option."
• "It's pretty good but has so much more potential not being used."
• "Functional product with a few bugs to iron out."

20. Talkdesk

Best for: Financial businesses

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$85 per user/month (billed annually)	Unavailable	AI-powered workflows Synchronized databases Self-service capabilities Omnichannel communication

Talkdesk is an AI-powered cloud contact center platform with various features for inbound call center operations. The product caters to businesses across several industries—including healthcare and manufacturing—with specialized plans geared towards the financial sector. 

Features like AI-driven workflows, synchronized databases, and self-service options can boost productivity and help teams improve the customer experience.

Pros	Cons
Unified agent interface Real-time dashboards API access	Workforce management is only available in the most expensive plan Advanced reporting is not available in the lower-tier plans

User reviews

• "A game changer for customer and staff experience."
• "Talkdesk is good."
• "Over complicated, glitchy."

21. 3CX

Best for: Call queuing

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$350 per year	Unavailable	Call queue strategies Call recording Analytics and reporting Live chat

3CX is a communication platform that connects support teams and customers through phone, video, and live chat. It attempts to simplify communication by offering several features that allow people to interact in their preferred way.

Designed specifically for remote workforces, the software comes with multiple call queuing features to assist busy support teams, plus callback options and tools for creating call flows. Additionally, live chat and messaging capabilities let customers contact businesses through Facebook and WhatsApp.

Pros	Cons
Messaging services SSO Backup storage	Annual hosting is an add-on AI is an add-on

User reviews

• "Does everything we need and more."
• "Mediocre phone system."
• "After 10 years, I threw in the towel and left."

22. JustCall

Best for: SMS capabilities

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$29 per user/month (billed annually)	14 days	Call routing and forwarding IVR Call recording and notes Workflows and analytics

JustCall by SaaS Labs is a cloud-based phone and SMS system designed to assist customer-facing teams. It leverages artificial intelligence to help support agents connect with their customers through voice, SMS, and third-party messaging services like WhatsApp.

JustCall’s virtual call center software includes call routing, IVR, SMS workflows, and other features to promote efficiency. Additionally, JustCall offers 24/7 assistance to help businesses with onboarding and ongoing product support.

Pros	Cons
Call monitoring Free calling and SMS credits AI voice agent	SSO is only available in the most expensive plan Intelligent call routing is not available in all plans

User reviews

• "So many use cases—great tool for our business."
• "Easy-to-use system for sales and support."
• "It works for what you need it to."

23. CallHippo

Best for: Call barging

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
$18 per user/month (billed annually)	10 days	Call barging Call recording Analytics Smart transfers and call forwarding

CallHippo is a virtual phone system that aims to help support teams reduce communication costs. It offers numerous features, including AI routing, power dialers that allow support to quickly connect with customers, call queueing, and call analytics to identify performance trends and areas of improvement.

Support teams can also manage calls with features like Smart Switch and Smart Call Forwarding, ensuring calls are routed to the right agents at the right time. At the same time, call barging and call recording capabilities assist managers in employee training.

Pros	Cons
Global Connect Unlimited minutes Reporting	Only 100 SMS are allotted in the least expensive plan Power dialer is only available in the most expensive plan

User reviews

• "The best VoIP company I've tried."
• "Overall, the service works. I did wish it had a non-web-based app that actually works."
• "Seemed great. Turned out not great at all!"

24. Call Center Studio

Best for: AI speech recognition

Starting price	Free trial	Key features
Contact Call Center Studio	Unavailable	Call transfers Agent supervision CRM and social platform integrations Gamification

Call Center Studio is an inbound and outbound call center software that focuses on the customer experience, prioritizing features that enable agents to deliver timely support.

Features like agent supervision tools and unified agent workspaces improve team connectivity. Omnichannel capabilities and AI speech recognition can help support agents interact with consumers across various mediums. An analytics dashboard tracks agent metrics, allowing supervisors to monitor team performance and efficiency.

Pros	Cons
Self-service AI chatbots Reporting	Non-transparent pricing Plans are split by use case, so teams may not find something that completely fits their needs

User reviews

• "Works as sold and expected and more."
• "The reports are well designed. Meets the needs."
• "It’s a good experience, but they should focus on their deposition problem."

Here are the key features inbound call center software solutions should offer.

AI and automation

Organizations are increasingly implementing AI and automation to streamline operations and improve CX. Zendesk is pushing innovation even further by bringing advanced technology to phone systems.

Zendesk voice enables teams to integrate AI into their inbound call center systems. As a result, teams can:

• Assign AI agents to autonomously answer calls, handle customer requests, and route conversations to a human agent when needed.
• Use AI to automatically summarize and deliver call transcriptions to their workspaces after each call, allowing them to quickly move on to the next conversation.
• Harness AI-powered quality assurance (QA) to monitor churn risks, spot outliers, and identify areas of improvement.

Zendesk blends human connection with AI-powered precision to help teams deliver streamlined, personalized customer service experiences.

Interactive voice response system (IVR)

Interactive voice response (IVR) works like a chatbot for phone calls, guiding customers through predetermined scripts to answer their questions or transfer them to the appropriate agent. These systems automate the customer experience by routing callers, accepting payments, scheduling callbacks, and more. It’s a win-win: Customers get faster support, while agents gain back time to focus on high-value tasks.

Call routing

Companies commonly segment their support teams by specialized functions, such as IT or payment processing. Call routing features help consumers seamlessly connect to the right department.

At Zendesk, for example, our built-in routing and intelligence capabilities provide the smoothest path to resolution for all customer requests. You can direct calls to a specific group of agents or multiple groups within Zendesk. Additionally, if any calls come in after business hours or when agents are busy, they can be routed to an alternate phone number, ensuring customers can always reach a live agent.

Workforce management (WFM)

Workforce management in inbound call center software helps businesses optimize their staffing and scheduling processes. For call centers, it can be a never-ending battle to match the estimated call volume with the number of agents scheduled. With WFM tools, businesses can accurately forecast and monitor their labor needs.

Omnichannel capabilities

In today’s marketplace, consumers expect to reach your business through your website, social media pages, and anywhere else you have a presence. Omnichannel inbound call center capabilities allow your team to stay connected with your customers, no matter where they are, resulting in convenient support experiences across channels.

Reporting and analytics

Reporting and analytics are valuable features for businesses to understand the performance of their inbound call center operations.

Quality software can track important call center performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs), such as average wait times and agent productivity, to uncover areas for improvement. For instance, Zendesk offers both pre-built and custom dashboards that provide an overview of essential information to keep your inbound center running smoothly.

Here are a few benefits that call center software can bring to your operations.

Improve customer retention and satisfaction 

With inbound call center software, businesses can deliver an effective CX that customers appreciate. Omnichannel capabilities allow customers to contact an organization through their preferred communication channel. Meanwhile, efficient call routing and IVR systems connect customers with the appropriate support agent.

According to Zendesk Benchmark data, 72 percent of customers expect immediate service—the right software solution will ensure you assist your customers promptly.

Increase agent efficiency

Inbound call center software should include features that improve agent efficiency. Internal knowledge bases, for example, can help support agents resolve pressing issues faster. Call routing features enable quick escalation or call transfers, ensuring a seamless handoff for both agents and customers. Furthermore, managers can use call recording and monitoring functionalities for training purposes to help agents perform at their best.

Zendesk help center capabilities allow support agents to readily access relevant articles and information to assist customers promptly. Our help center features also empower customers to resolve common issues independently, resulting in a lower call volume for support teams.

Streamline operations

Efficient operations are the backbone of any successful business, and inbound call center software comes with features to achieve that goal.

You can use workforce management applications to optimize staffing levels and scheduling to meet call volume demands. Moreover, access to support data and actionable insights allows you to identify any bottlenecks or areas of improvement in your organization.

Manage more inbound calls 

Without software, individual customer service agents can only serve so many customers in a day, and this issue compounds as your business grows and experiences higher call volume.

Quality inbound call center software prioritizes scalability while providing capabilities that boost agent efficiency, like call monitoring tools. These features help your reps connect with more customers and provide great support experiences, even in the wake of increased calls.

When deciding which inbound call center software is right for your company, there are some factors to take into account. Before making a selection, consider a few questions about your needs.

Will it integrate well with existing applications and processes? 

Seamless integration is vital when introducing a new tool into your organization. Make sure the software integrates effortlessly with your existing processes to minimize disruptions and prevent mismanaged data. Easy setup and adaptability should be top priorities to ensure a smooth transition.

At Zendesk, we provide 1,800+ pre-built apps and integrations via the Zendesk Marketplace, allowing your team to seamlessly incorporate nearly every tool they rely on.

What level of security do you need?

In today’s increasingly technological marketplace, data breaches pose a significant threat to businesses and consumers. When evaluating inbound call center software, check the security measures and encryption protocols to ensure it can protect sensitive data.

Zendesk is committed to security, with the certifications and memberships to show we are qualified to keep information safe.

How long will it take team members to get up to speed?

A steep learning curve can cause short-term disruptions in CX and long-term employee frustration when introducing new software. Prioritize user-friendliness and ease of administration. The faster your team can get up to speed, the sooner you can reap the product's benefits.

What is the total cost of ownership?

Total cost of ownership (TCO) includes all direct and indirect costs, such as maintenance, training, customization, full-scale adoption, and other expenses a business may incur while using the product.

Zendesk consistently ranks as a top software, primarily due to our ability to deliver a high ROI with a low TCO. Our platform is fast to set up and easy to manage without large IT or developer teams—learn more in Forrester’s study on the ROI of Zendesk.

How quick will your time to value be? 

A quick time to value (TTV) implies a faster return on investment and increased efficiency, and the sooner your organization realizes the benefits of a new process or software, the better. 

At Zendesk, our inbound call center solutions enable businesses to get up and running rapidly so they can see the value of our product in days, not months.