Comparison of AI based call center solutions

If you’ve ever picked up the phone to call customer service (and we know you have), chances are you’ve encountered an interactive voice response - IVR- system. That is the most basic and quite frankly, outdated, form of call center automation. It’s just as likely that you’ve had a frustrating experience with one, too.

AI call agents are the next step in call center automation

If you want to learn the basics of how AI is implemented in call centers, I recommend you read a previous article on the subject.

Unlike legacy systems, AI is driven by ML and NLU (Natural Language Understanding). By combining NLU with automatic speech recognition, these AI call agents are able to recognize callers and understand what they’re saying, giving them the freedom to use everyday language. Making conversations feel more natural and human-like immediately improves the customer experience. Better understanding also leads to higher resolution and containment rates, boosting CSAT and efficiency.

According to reports, 94% of customers consider customer service a factor in deciding brands and purchases. Managing customer support can be tedious, expensive, and hard to track as businesses scale. Companies like Klarna are saving $40mn per year by integrating AI assistants to handle customer service chats. Klarna disclosed how its AI assistant now handles two-thirds of customer service chats and does the work of 700 full-time agents with 80% less time to resolve.

Customer service impacts your bottom line. But are you directing your communication where your users are? While digital communication is booming, 42% of customers want to resolve their issues on the phone. Call center software streamlines phone support for businesses of all sizes, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness for customers. By integrating AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, companies can provide round-the-clock support, personalize interactions, and streamline workflows.

In this episode of TechTonic Shifts, I explore the top call center solutions, including their features, pros, cons, pricing, and user/expert opinions for solutions offered by 13 providers, like Zendesk, Freshdesk, RingCentral, and more. It also includes guidelines for objectively evaluating platforms and selecting the most suitable one for your organization.

How can AI be used to improve customer service?

By integrating AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, businesses can provide round-the-clock support, personalize interactions, and streamline workflows. AI’s capability to analyze customer data enables personalized communication, while automated ticket routing ensures inquiries are directed to the right agents, reducing response time. Sentiment analysis and predictive analytics offer insights into customer behavior, allowing for proactive service adjustments. Additionally, AI can optimize internal workflows, create targeted content, and automate follow-ups, ensuring a seamless customer journey. Adopting AI in customer service improves efficiency and significantly enhances customer satisfaction.

Key features to look for in AI-based tools for call centers

• Predictive Call Routing: To match callers with the right agents for speedier solutions.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR): To allow customers self-service options, reducing wait times.
• Conversational AI: To leverage chatbots and virtual assistants for instant answers and save agents time for complex issues.
• Emotional Intelligence AI: To understand customer sentiment through voice analysis, enabling empathetic responses.
• AI-Powered Recommendations: To personalize product suggestions and increase conversion, retention, and repeat customers.
• Call Analytics: To gain insights from call data to improve agent performance and service quality.

Can AI replace call center agents?

Despite its ability to automate some tasks within Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), AI cannot entirely replace call center agents. Here’s a closer look at the reasons:

• Efficiency Through AI: AI excels at managing repetitive, low-value tasks, which lightens the load for human agents. This allows them to concentrate on more significant aspects of customer service, enhancing overall customer and agent efficiency.
• The Importance of the Human Element: Emotional intelligence, empathy, and the capacity to understand brought by human agents are irreplaceable. Human insight and personalized care are crucial for complex or sensitive issues, and customers often value the warmth of human interaction.
• AI as a Supportive Tool: AI is a valuable tool for streamlining routine operations rather than replacing human agents. This allows agents time for complex, nuanced customer needs.

The benefits of using AI for customer support

• Personalized Responses: AI understands individual needs and offers relevant and data-driven responses.
• Faster Response Time: It reduces wait time by automating FAQs.
• Improved Efficiency: AI assists agents in predicting needs and challenges for smoother workflows.
• 24/7 Support: It provides round-the-clock assistance, exceeding customer expectations.
• Empowered Agents: It helps agents improve performance and service with insights.
• Cost Savings: It saves costs by automating tasks, optimizing resources, and improving efficiency.
• Consistent Quality: AI-powered responses maintain consistent standards across channels.

The downsides of using AI for customer support

• Lack of empathy: Lack of empathy can make the customers feel neglected.
• Robotic Replies: Generic responses might fail to resolve complex issues.
• One-Size-Fits-All: Unable to customize responses for individual needs can lead to suboptimal solutions and unsatisfied customers.
• Humanity on Hold: Overreliance on AI can rob interactions of warmth, impacting customer satisfaction.
• Tech Jitters: Some customers may feel uncomfortable interacting with AI.
• Privacy Issues: Handling sensitive data raises privacy and security concerns.
• Waiting in Limbo: Slow AI responses can lead to frustration and lost customers.
• Optimization Required: Neglecting to monitor and improve AI systems can result in a subpar experience.

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1. Zendesk Virtual Call Center

Zendesk is a cloud-based customer experience (CX) software used by over 100,000 companies, including clients like Siemens, Uber, and Shell. It provides a unified workspace for ticketing, messaging, help centers, voice support, and powerful AI capabilities. The platform can automatically categorize and route calls based on intent, language, and sentiment and engage customers with chatbots to answer FAQs, deflect calls, and schedule appointments. However, Zendesk doesn’t have its own dedicated AI call center platform.

Ratings:

• TrustRadis: 8.2 out of 10 stars
• getapp: 4.4 out of 5 stars
• Gartner: 4.2 out of 5 stars.
• G2: 4.3 out of 5 stars

Best For:

• Support Teams: Streamline ticket management, track conversations, and reduce response time.
• Sales Teams: Utilize messaging and live chat for instant communication with customers.
• Collaborative Workflows: Benefit from advanced analytics, integrations, and customizable business rules.

Pros:

1. Unified Workspace: Zendesk Suite offers a contextual interface that bridges support and service teams with customers across different channels.
2. Omnichannel Support: Manage emails, chat, voice, social messaging, and more in one place.
3. Ticketing and Routing: Robust ticket management system with customization options.
4. Agent Support: Prebuilt analytics dashboards, business rules, and multilingual support.

Cons:

1. Environment Fit: While popular, Zendesk may not be the best choice for specialized solutions.
2. Quality Management Tools: Some users find room to improve quality management and workforce features.
3. Customer Service Experience: Reports indicate mixed experiences with customer service.

Pricing:

Zendesk Suite:

• Team Plan: Starting at $55 per agent/month.
• Growth Plan: Starting at $89 per agent/month.
• Professional Plan: Starting at $115 per agent/month.
• Enterprise Plan & Enterprise Plus Plan: Custom pricing.

Zendesk Support:

• Essential Plan: Basic ticketing system starting at $19 per agent/month.
• Team Plan: Includes business rules, social messaging, and performance dashboards.
• Professional Plan: Multilingual support, self-service portal, and custom analytics

Zendesk Sales:

• Sell Team Plan: Starting at $19 per agent/month.
• Sell Professional Plan: Includes pre-defined responses, custom business rules, and more.

2. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is primarily a customer engagement solution that seamlessly integrates within Freshwork’s omnichannel CRM. It provides a unified interface for intuitive ticketing, advanced automation, self-service, customizations, and a powerful AI model to deploy multilingual chatbots. Businesses can customize Freshdesk to suit their requirements. Freshdesk also integrates Freddy, an AI-powered copilot, to automate manual and repetitive tasks and solve customer queries faster.

Ratings:

• TrustRadius: 8.6 out of 10
• G2: 4.4 out of 5
• Gartner: 4.4 out of 5
• Capterra: 4.5 out of 5

Best For:

• Small Businesses looking to solve customer queries faster without increasing your agent headcount or support budgets.
• Customer Support teams reduce manual and repetitive tasks using advanced automation rules.
• Sales teams looking for integrated solutions within their current CRM platforms.
• Companies that are scaling or getting started with customer service.

Pros:

1. Omnichannel Support: Freshdesk provides consistent customer service across email, phone, chat, WhatsApp Business, and other social media channels from a single view.
2. Self-service Experience: Offers customizable internal and external knowledge bases, allowing customers and employees to access troubleshooting guides and FAQs.
3. Comprehensive Guides: Provides database with step-by-step guides and a separate video library for onboarding.
4. Analytics: Provides customizable analytics and reports to track team performance, identify bottlenecks, and monitor the team’s CSAT goals.

Cons:

1. Complex Onboarding: The onboarding for Freshdesk is overwhelming for those who aren’t already using their CRM Freshworks.

2. Generalized AI and Automation: Limited automation and general AI features that touch the surface.

3. Missing Functionalities: Some functionalities, like search within documents, themes, etc., are missing.

Pricing:

Free: $0/agent/month, billed annually

• Features: Integrated ticketing across email and social, Ticket Dispatch, Knowledge Base, Ticket Trend Report, Out-of-the-box analytics and reporting, Choose your data center location, Team collaboration, and 24x7 email support.

Growth Plan: $15/agent/month, billed annually

• Additional Features: Automation, Collision Detection, 1000+ marketplace apps, In-depth helpdesk report, SLA management & business hours, Custom Email Server, Custom Ticket Views, Custom ticket fields & status, Custom SSL, Easily track time spent by agents on tickets, 24x5 phone support

Pro Plan: $48.99/agent/month, billed annually

• Additional Features: Multiple products, Includes up to 5000 Collaborators, Round-robin routing, Custom Roles, Custom objects, Custom Reports and Dashboards, Segment customers for personalized support, Customer journey, Canned forms, Manage versions in knowledge base, Community forums, Extendable API Limits, CSAT surveys & reports, Multiple SLA policies & business hours, SLA reminder & escalation, Multilingual knowledge base, Custom apps, Average Handling Time (AHT), Custom Metrics, Report Sharing.

Enterprise Plan: $69/agent/month, billed annually

• Additional Features: Unlimited products, Sandbox, Easily manage agent shifts across time zones, Audit log, Skill-based routing, Knowledge base approval workflow, Flexible knowledge base hierarchy, IP range restriction.

2. RingCentral

RingCentral is a cloud-based communications company that offers unlimited calling, team messaging, business SMS, toll-free business lines, and document sharing throughout the US and Canada. RingCentral offers cloud-based solutions and mobile compatibility to facilitate simple access. RingCentral provides voice phone call solutions and online meetings, as well as SMS, group messaging, and call management features. RingCentral comes with a RingCX AI-first contact center with omnichannel capabilities, unified with the MVP App and key CRM integrations.

Ratings:

• TrustRadius: 7.4 out of 10
• G2: 4.0 out of 5
• Gartner: 4.4 out of 5
• Capterra: 4.3 out of 5

Best For:

• Remote workers requiring a hybrid-friendly system.
• Small businesses seeking professional business presence.
• Startups scaling operations at an affordable cost.

Pros:

1. Cloud PBX System: Provides a PBX system built on cloud technology, removing the need for on-site PBX hardware to store and transfer data.

2. Call Management: Comprehensive call management features such as call park, alert messages, call filtering, etc.

3. Unlimited Users: Enables multi-user accounts without creating several separate accounts.

Cons:

1. Rigid Contracts: Some customers allege that getting out of RingCentral contracts is difficult.

2. Call Quality: Some companies reported call drops and issues with landline calling.

3. Customer Service: The support is inconsistent and unreliable, and the quality of the support may vary depending on the service tier.

4. Limited Features: RingCentral offers limited features compared to modern customer support platforms.

Pricing:

Core: $20/user/month, billed annually

• Features: Unlimited domestic calling, SMS and MMS, IVR, Google, and Microsoft apps, and access to APIs, Single sign-on, and Analytics for IT administrators.

Advanced: $25/user/month, billed annually

• Additional Features: Auto call recording, Advanced call monitoring and handling, Multi-site management, Access to Salesforce, Zendesk, 300+ apps, Internet fax, and Essential business analytics.

Ultra: $35/user/month, billed annually

• Additional Features: Unlimited enterprise-grade HD video, whiteboards, messaging, Customizable business insights, Unlimited file-sharing, Unlimited storage for files and recordings, and Enhanced business analytic suite.

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4. Google Contact Center AI

Google Contact Center AI improves service experience by harnessing the power of conversational intelligence. The platform includes real-time support, intent identification, step-by-step guidance, and relevant customer history. It also offers omnichannel support across phone, chat, email, and more, ensuring a seamless experience regardless of how your customers reach you.

Ratings:

• TrustRadius: 8.9 out of 10
• G2: 4.5 out of 5
• Gatner : 4.5 out of 5

Best For:

• Businesses of all sizes seeking efficient customer service solutions.
• Contact centers looking to enhance agent productivity.
• Organizations that want to leverage AI for better customer interactions.

Pros:

1. Seamless Real-Time Conversational Support: The platform enables businesses to provide real-time assistance using virtual agents and chat tools. This enhances customer relationships and provides valuable data insights.
2. Integration Capabilities: The integration capabilities make implementing and working with various partners easier.
3. Training Support: The AI features assist in employee training, leading to improved customer insights and better real-time experiences.
4. Native Language Support: Google Contact Center AI performs well, even in native languages.

Cons:

1. Learning Curve: For beginners, understanding the full functionality of Google Contact Center AI can be challenging initially.
2. Complexity: Some users find it complex to operate, but with time, navigation becomes smoother.
3. Specific Use Cases: It may not cover all use cases equally.

Pricing:

The pricing for Google Contact Center AI varies based on factors such as the level of functionality required. Generally:

• For full contact center functionality, expect to pay between $100 and $200 monthly per agent.
• The price may be lower if you’re using specific CCAI APIs or products.
• Additionally, Google offers $300 in free credits for new customers to explore their Cloud products

5. Empower by Ringover

Empower by Ringover is an AI-driven transcription service that simplifies call management and enhances communication. It provides accurate transcriptions of calls, making reviewing and analyzing conversations easier. Empower also offers insights into the context and sentiment of interactions.

Ratings:

• Capterra: Rated 4.6/5.
• Google: Rated 4.2/5.
• Trustpilot: Rated 4.5/5.

Best For:

• Sales Teams: To analyze sales calls, identify patterns, and improve conversion rates.
• Customer Support Teams: For efficient call handling and better customer experiences.
• Managers and Supervisors: To gain insights into team performance and coaching opportunities.

Pros:

1. Accurate Transcriptions: Empower delivers reliable transcriptions, saving time and effort.
2. Conversational Insights: The analysis feature helps teams understand customer needs and preferences.
3. CRM Integration: CRM integration streamlines workflows.

Cons:

1. Not Real-Time: Currently, real-time transcription is not available.
2. Language Limitations: Some features may not be fully supported in French.

Pricing:

Empower by Ringover is priced at €69 per user per month. Considering its features and benefits, it’s a valuable investment for businesses optimizing communication.

6. Dialpad

Dialpad is an AI-powered cloud communications service for businesses. Since 2011, the company has served tens of thousands of business teams, including well-known clients like RE/MAX, Asana, TED, and Uber. As of 2021, Dialpad is valued at $2.2 billion.

Ratings:

• Capterra: 4.3 out of 5 stars
• Gartner: 4.4 out of 5 stars.
• G2: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Dialpad Features:

Dialpad’s communication solutions are available through a three-tier service plan, which includes features such as:

• Unlimited domestic calling
• Business SMS and MMS
• Unlimited video meetings
• Business phone number
• Visual voicemail
• Multilevel auto attendant
• Custom call routing
• Call and number forwarding
• Automatic spam call detection
• Three-way calling
• Contact syncing
• Call recording

Dialpad also allows you to forward calls and switch between devices, providing maximum communication flexibility.

Pros:

1. Free 14-Day Trial
2. Unlimited Domestic Calling
3. Up to 1,000 people in video meetings.
4. AI-Powered Call Transcriptions

Cons:

1. Limited Free Features: To access features such as Integration Library, Phone Support, and 24/7 Support, you must upgrade your account.
2. Login Issues: Some users reported issues with Google logins.

Pricing:

Standard Plan: $15/user/mo, billed annually.

• Features: Unlimited calling, AI meetings for up to 10 participants, SMS, MMS, voicemail transcriptions, and more.

Pro Plan: $25/user/mo, billed annually.

• Additional Features: 24/7 live agent support, CRM integrations, Microsoft Teams integration, and more.

Enterprise Plan: Contact for pricing.

• Additional Features: 100% uptime, unlimited office locations, dial-by-extension, integrations with leading SSO providers, data retention policies, and priority live agent support.

7. Talkdesk

Talkdesk combines customizable features, built-in AI automation, and seamless integration with various CRM and helpdesk applications, providing a robust solution for contact centers.

Ratings:

• TrustRadis: 8.3 out of 10 stars
• getapp: 4.2 out of 5 stars
• Gartner: 4.1 out of 5 stars.
• G2: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Best For:

• Cloud Call Centers: Ideal for both small and large call centers.
• Customer Support Teams: Provides inbound and outbound call capabilities.
• Sales and CX Teams: Customizable for customer-facing phone systems.

Pros:

1. Cloud Call Center Solution: Talkdesk is a great fit for cloud-based call centers of any size.
2. User-Friendly Interface: Its customizable user interface simplifies navigation.
3. Built-in AI Automation: AI-powered features for efficient call handling.
4. Integration Flexibility: Seamlessly integrates with numerous CRM and helpdesk applications.

Cons:

1. Environment Fit: Some users find that Talkdesk doesn’t fit all environments equally well.
2. Quality Management Process: The quality management and workforce tools need improvement.
3. Customer Service Experience: Some users report issues with customer service.

Pricing Plans:

CX Cloud Essentials: $75/user/mo

• Features: Essential capabilities for hybrid contact centers, including routing, voice engagement, virtual agents, dashboards, reports, and APIs.
• Integrations: 70+ out-of-the-box integrations and 100+ AppConnect marketplace options.

CX Cloud Elevate: $95/user/mo

• Additional Features: Digital engagement (3 channels), quality management, screen recording, mobile app feedback, and automated notifications.

CX Cloud Elite: $125/user/mo

• Additional Features: Custom reporting, performance management, and one add-on package (workforce management, customer experience analytics, agent assist, or proactive outbound engagement).

Experience Clouds: Quote-based.

• Industry-specific Solutions: Purpose-built solutions for financial services, healthcare, and retail.

8. CloudTalk

CloudTalk is a business-calling software for teams to communicate clearly and efficiently. CloudTalk’s AI features benefit call centers, but understanding both its strengths and limitations is crucial before making a decision.

Ratings:

• TrustRadis: 9.7 out of 10 stars
• getapp: 4.4 out of 5 stars
• Gartner: 4.1 out of 5 stars.
• G2: 4.3 out of 5 stars

Best For:

• Sales Teams: Enhance outbound calls and improve client relationships.
• Support Teams: Streamline inbound calls and provide dynamic client assistance.
• Collaborative Workflows: Facilitate communication among coworkers.

Pros:

1. Easy Setup and Use: CloudTalk is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing quick adoption.
2. Customizable Plans: Start with a small business plan and scale up to enterprise features as needed.
3. Advanced Analytics: Access detailed historical data and real-time client dashboards.
4. Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with other systems using APIs and skill-based routing.

Cons:

1. Environment Fit: Some users find that CloudTalk doesn’t fit all environments equally well.
2. Quality Management Tools: Improvement is needed in quality management and workforce features.
3. Customer Service Experience: While the product is strong, some users report issues with customer service.

Pricing:

Starter Plan: $25/user/mo, billed annually.

• Features: Unlimited inbound and intracompany calls, Click-to-call functionality, Automated call distribution, Mobile app access, and International numbers (160+ countries).

Essential Plan: $30/user/mo, billed annually.

• Additional Features: Advanced analytics with unlimited history, Real-time client dashboard, Integrations with other systems, Skill-based routing, Smart queueing, SMS/text messages, and Workflow automation.

Expert Plan: $50/user/mo, billed annually.

• Additional Features: Salesforce integration, Power Dialer and Smart Dialer, Call monitoring (Call Barging, Call Whispering), Wallboards, and Speech-to-text transcription.

Custom Plan: Contact CloudTalk for a tailor-made offer.

• Additional Features: Custom onboarding, Unlimited outbound calls (flat rates), Enterprise-level security, Developer support, Custom reporting, Service level agreement (SLA).

9. CallHippo

CallHippo is a versatile business phone system that enables efficient communication through voice calls, messaging, and more. It streamlines the communication processes by directing calls to the most qualified agents based on their skills and availability, potentially improving efficiency and customer satisfaction. It also optimizes your team’s performance and identifies areas for training or process changes by analyzing call data to identify trends, track performance, and gain insights for improvement.

Ratings:

• TrustRadis: 6.9 out of 10 stars
• getapp: 4.3 out of 5 stars
• Gartner: 4.2 out of 5 stars.
• G2: 4.4 out of 5 stars
• Capterra: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Best For:

• Sales and Support Teams: Enhance outbound and inbound calls.
• Collaborative Workflows: Facilitate communication among team members.
• Businesses with International Clients: Unlimited international calling.

Pros:

1. Flexible Plans: CallHippo offers a variety of plans, allowing businesses to choose what suits them best.
2. Unlimited Local Calling: Plans include unlimited local calls within the US and Canada.
3. Customizable Features: Tailor your phone system with click-to-dial, call forwarding, and more features.
4. Smart Switch: Allows seamless switching between devices during calls.

Cons:

1. Environment Fit: While popular, CallHippo may not be the most appealing choice for specialized solutions.
2. Quality Management Tools: Some users find room to improve quality management and workforce features.
3. Customer Service Experience: Reports indicate mixed experiences with customer service

Pricing:

Starter Plan: $18/user/mo

• Features: Unlimited users (pay only for numbers), Click-to-dial, global connect, voicemail, SMS/text messages, and Smart switch.

Professional Plan: $30/user/mo

• Additional Features: Unlimited calling minutes within the US and Canada, Call recordings, Intelligent reports and analytics, and Multilingual IVR (Interactive Voice Response).

Ultimate Plan: $42/user/mo

• Additional Features: Dedicated account manager, Personalized onboarding, 24/7 phone support, Advanced integrations, and Custom integrations.

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10. CallTools

CallTools helps businesses improve customer support, increase efficiency, and streamline call center operations. With an accessible customer support team, helpful FAQs, user training modules, and customizable plans, CallTools is an ideal solution for small teams, startups, and SMBs.

Ratings:

• getapp: 4.8 out of 5 stars
• Gartner: 4.6 out of 5 stars.
• G2: 4.9 out of 5 stars
• Capterra: 4.8 out of 5 stars

Best For:

• Sales and Support Teams: Enhance outbound and inbound calls.
• Collaborative Workflows: Facilitate communication among team members.
• Businesses with International Clients: Benefit from unlimited international calling.

Pros:

1. Flexible Plans: CallTools offers a variety of plans, allowing businesses to choose what suits them best.
2. Unlimited Local Calling: Plans include unlimited local calls within the US and Canada.
3. Customizable Features: Tailor your phone system with click-to-dial, call forwarding, and more features.
4. Smart Switch: Seamlessly switch between devices during calls.

Cons:

1. Environment Fit: While popular, CallTools may not be the most appealing choice for specialized solutions.
2. Quality Management Tools: Some users find room to improve quality management and workforce features.

Pricing:

Month-to-Month Plan: $119.99 per agent/month.

• Features: Unlimited inbound and outbound minutes; Predictive, power, and preview dialing; Intelligent dialing algorithms, SMS and email with templates, Integrations, APIs, and webhooks; Contact management, Call recording, Smart call distribution, Advanced IVR, Rules-based queues, Callback, Agent scripts, Preconnect and first caller announcements., DID matching, Live agent monitoring (listen, whisper, barge), Real-time reporting.

12-Month Term Paid Monthly Plan: $101.99 per agent/month.

• Additional Features: Same as the month-to-month Plan.

Both plans include unlimited inbound and outbound minutes, but SMSs are charged at $0.015 per message.

11. Convoso

Convoso focuses on lead generation and outbound calling. Its extensive features are adaptable to the needs of your specific business, making it easier for agents to reach out to and conduct conversations with potential customers more efficiently. It provides insights into your call center’s performance, such as average call handling time, call abandonment rate, and customer satisfaction, that helps teams identify areas for improvement.

Ratings:

• getapp: 4.5 out of 5 stars
• Gartner: 4.4 out of 5 stars.
• G2: 4.3 out of 5 stars
• Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Best For:

Convoso caters to businesses aiming to improve contact rates and increase sales through outbound calling. It is valuable for companies focusing on lead generation and proactive customer outreach.

Pros:

1. Improved Customer Contact: Convoso improves contact rates by at least 30% for many customers.
2. Managed Caller ID Reputation: Reduces the chances of calls being flagged as “Scam Likely.”
3. Hands-On Customer Support: Provides excellent customer support.
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Interface: Scale conversations with customers using AI.

Cons:

1. Lacks Transparent Pricing: Convoso’s pricing isn’t openly disclosed, requiring you to contact their sales team for a quote.
2. System Errors Reported: Some users experienced system errors during setup.
3. Training Required: Many features may require training.
4. No International Numbers: Convoso does not provide international phone numbers.

Pricing:

Convoso offers custom pricing. You’ll need to call their sales team for a quote. Generally, they charge either on a per-seat or per-minute basis. Here are some key features Convoso offers:

1. Power Dialer: Selects a new contact immediately after the previous call ends, minimizing waiting time.
2. Predictive Dialer: Uses algorithms to connect agents to more live conversations, maximizing agent productivity.
3. Voicemail Transcription: Converts voicemails into text for efficient follow-up.

12. VoiceBase

VoiceBase specializes in turning unstructured audio data into structured, actionable insights. Equip agents with AI-powered guidance during calls, suggesting keywords, next steps, and relevant customer history. This can significantly improve call handling efficiency and effectiveness. Automatically generate summaries of call transcripts, capturing key points and action items for faster review and analysis. This reduces manual work for agents and supervisors.

Best For:

• Contact Centers: Enhance customer service and agent performance.
• Sales Teams: Analyze sales calls for insights.
• Compliance and Security Teams: Detect sensitive information in audio data.

Pros:

1. Speech-to-Text Transcription: Delivers accurate transcription of audio content.
2. Anomaly Detection: Identifies unusual patterns or events in conversations.
3. Reporting and Analytics: Extracts actionable insights from call data.
4. Topic Clustering: Groups similar conversations for analysis.

Cons:

1. Lacks Transparent Pricing: VoiceBase’s pricing isn’t openly disclosed, requiring you to contact their sales team for a quote.
2. Customization Complexity: Some users find the customization process complex.
3. No International Numbers: VoiceBase does not provide international phone numbers.

Pricing:

VoiceBase uses a volume-based pricing model based on hours of audio processed per month. Available plans include Starter, Professional, and Enterprise, starting from $250 monthly.

13. Eleveo

Eleveo (formerly known as ZOOM International) offers solutions to protect businesses by recording contact center interactions, including service requests, outbound sales, and financial or healthcare transactions. It leverages vast data and complex constraints to optimize agent schedules, reducing manual work and ensuring better coverage. It also analyzes keywords, phrases, tone, and even silence in calls to understand customer sentiment, agent performance, and emerging trends. Additionally, it whispers suggestions and insights to agents during calls, boosting their performance and efficiency.

Ratings:

• TrustRadius: 9.1 out of 10 stars
• Glassdoor: 4.0 out of 5 stars.
• Getapp: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Best For:

• Contact Centers: Enhance customer service and agent performance.
• Sales Teams: Analyze sales calls for insights.
• Compliance and Security Teams: Detect sensitive information in audio data.

Pros:

1. Investment Protection: No additional licensing fees if you migrate from on-premises to the cloud.
2. Pricing Stability: You’ll know exactly what your pricing will be over the life of your contract.
3. Transparency: No hidden costs; support and professional services are included in the licensing cost.
4. Low Long-Term Cost of Ownership: Eleveo’s total cost of ownership is 20 to 40% less than the competition.

Cons:

1. Lacks Transparent Pricing: Eleveo’s pricing isn’t openly disclosed; you’ll need to contact their sales team for a quote.
2. Customization Complexity: Some users find the customization process complex.
3. No International Numbers: Eleveo does not provide international phone numbers.

Pricing:

Eleveo’s pricing is tailored to your contact center’s specific requirements. They work closely with your chosen partner and your business to design a solution at a price that fits your needs and objectives. Some key features include:

• Deployment and Pricing Flexibility: Choose between subscription pricing (on-premises or hybrid) or SaaS pricing.
• Microsoft Licensing Not Required: Eleveo operates independently of Microsoft licensing.

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