Get practical tips to improve your customer service strategy at Zoho CX Workshop.

Register now!
Skip to product menu
close
  • Sales
    Press Space or Enter to display list of options
EXPLORE ALL PRODUCTS

Sales

 
CRM

Comprehensive CRM platform for customer-facing teams.

CRM
 
Bigin

Simple CRM for small businesses moving from spreadsheets.

Bigin
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
RouteIQ

Comprehensive sales map visualization and optimal route planning solution.

RouteIQ
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Suites
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

CRM Plus

Marketing

 
Social

All-in-one social media management software.

Social
 
Campaigns

Create, send, and track targeted email campaigns that drive sales.

Campaigns
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
Survey

Design surveys to reach and interact with your audience.

Survey
 
Sites

Online website builder with extensive customisation options.

Sites
 
PageSense

Website conversion optimization and personalisation platform.

PageSense
 
Backstage

End-to-end event management software.

Backstage
 
Webinar

Webinar platform for webcasting online webinars.

Webinar
 
Marketing Automation

All-in-one marketing automation software.

Marketing Automation
 
LandingPage

Smart landing page builder to increase conversion rates

LandingPage
 
Publish

Manage all your local business listings on a single platform.

Publish
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
LeadChain

Sync, manage, and convert leads across channels seamlessly.

LeadChain
 
NEW
CommunitySpaces

Online community platform for individuals and businesses to grow their network and brand.

CommunitySpaces
 
Suites
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Marketing Plus

Commerce and POS

 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce

Service

 
Desk

Helpdesk software to deliver great customer support.

Desk
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
FSM

End-to-end field service management platform for service businesses.

FSM
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Suites
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Service Plus

Finance

 
Books

Powerful accounting platform for growing businesses.

Books
 
FREE
Invoice

100% Free invoicing solution.

Invoice
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Inventory

Powerful stock management and inventory control software.

Inventory
 
Billing

End-to-end billing solution for your business.

Billing
 
Checkout

Collect payments online with custom branded pages.

Checkout
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Practice

Practice management software for accounting firms.

Practice
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce
 
Suites
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Finance Plus

Email and Collaboration

 
Mail

Secure email service for teams of all sizes.

Mail
 
Meeting

Online meeting software for all your video conferencing & webinar needs.

Meeting
 
Writer

Word processor for focused writing and discussions.

Writer
 
Sheet

Spreadsheet software for collaborative teams.

Sheet
 
Show

Create, edit, and share slides with a sleek presentation app.

Show
 
Notebook

Beautiful home for all your notes.

Notebook
 
Cliq

Stay in touch with teams no matter where you are.

Cliq
 
Connect

Employee experience platform to communicate, engage, and build positive employee relations.

Connect
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
TeamInbox

Shared inboxes for teams.

TeamInbox
 
WorkDrive

Online file management for teams.

WorkDrive
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Office Suite

Powerful collaborative work platform for teams.

Office Suite
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
Calendar

Online business calendar to manage events and schedule appointments.

Calendar
 
Learn

Knowledge and learning management platform.

Learn
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
ToDo

Collaborative task management for individuals and teams.

ToDo
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
FREE
PDF Editor

Collaborative online PDF editing tool.

PDF Editor
 
Suites
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Workplace

Human Resources

 
People

Organize, automate, and simplify your HR processes.

People
 
Recruit

Intuitive recruiting platform built to provide hiring solutions.

Recruit
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Workerly

Manage temporary staffing with an employee scheduling solution.

Workerly
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Shifts

Employee scheduling and time tracking app.

Shifts
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Suites
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

People Plus

Security and IT Management

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Directory

Workforce identity and access management solution for cloud businesses.

Directory
 
FREE
OneAuth

Secure multi-factor authenticator (MFA) for all your online accounts.

OneAuth
 
Vault

Online password manager for teams.

Vault
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Toolkit

Complete resource for any admin-related lookup queries.

Toolkit
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA

BI and Analytics

 
Analytics

Modern self-service BI and analytics platform.

Analytics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep
 
NEW
IoT

Harnessing IoT analytics for real-time operational intelligence.

IoT

Project Management

 
Projects

Manage, track, and collaborate on projects with teams.

Projects
 
Sprints

Planning and tracking tool for scrum teams.

Sprints
 
BugTracker

Automatic bug tracking software for managing bugs.

BugTracker
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo

Developer Platforms

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Flow

Automate business workflows by creating smart integrations.

Flow
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA
 
NEW
Apptics

Application analytics for all apps.

Apptics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
NEW
IoT

Build, deploy, and scale IoT solutions for connected businesses.

IoT
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep

IoT

 
NEW
IoT

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

IoT

Search Result

 
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

Try now
CRM Plus
 
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Try now
Service Plus
 
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Try now
Finance Plus
 
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

Try now
People Plus
 
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Try now
Workplace
 
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Try now
Marketing Plus
 
All-in-one suite

Zoho One

The Operating System for Business

Run your entire business on Zoho with our unified cloud software, designed to help you break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency.

TRY ZOHO ONE
Zoho One
Zoho Marketplace

With over 2000 ready-to-use extensions across 40+ categories, connect your favorite business tools with the Zoho products you already use.

EXPLORE MARKETPLACE
Marketplace
Skip to main content

What is call center software?

The purpose of call center software is to help businesses manage customer communication over phone, email, live chat, instant messaging, SMS text, and social media. Here's how Zoho Desk can help you do that and more.

Take a free trial

What's an Inbound call center?

The most basic characteristic of an inbound call center is that agents wait for calls to come to them instead of actively making calls. Inbound callers are usually seeking customer service such as tech support, product assistance, or help placing an order. Because of this, inbound call center agents need to quickly and efficiently offer solutions to customer problems and requests.

What's an outbound call center?

In this case, agents have a list of contacts to get in touch with, and they usually use customer relationship management (CRM) software to track and manage their interactions.

A call center system like Zoho Desk supports both kinds of call centers. It helps customers get in touch with the right agents, and gives call center agents access to the right information about a customer's history to improve the overall customer experience.

How can you transform customer experience with a call center system?

Let's start at the beginning.

Relevance, consistency, and first call resolution with Call Routing

Deciding who takes the incoming customer call can make all the difference in the world. Assigning the call to the right agent gets the customer's issues resolved sooner, so the agent can help more customers through the day and keep the customers happy. This is possible on a cloud-based call center, without the need for additional hardware.

Is this easier said than done? Not really.

With Zoho Desk, you can assign and route calls to your agents based on department, team, or account, just like any other ticket. This also automatically routes calls to agents that the customer is familiar with, helping you maintain consistency of service and build meaningful customer relationships.

Agents can also queue and record calls, convert them into new tickets, or associate them with existing tickets.

Multilevel IVR menu set up

Despite automating and assigning more agents, it may still be difficult to personally answer every call you receive. Zoho Desk makes it easier with its Interactive Voice Response (IVR). IVR lets you create an interactive menu with up to five levels of responses, along with sequential and simultaneous incoming call setup. It simplifies the navigation of your customer service hotline and enables customers to find answers with simple commands. Customers can find answers faster, and agents only need to attend to calls that really need their attention.

Transform your contact center into a context center with Zoho Desk.

You now have a setup for making and receiving customer calls easily.

But it doesn't end there.

Get real-time context about the caller

"On average, agents spend 11% of their time looking for information needed to manage customer interactions."(Source: 2012 Aberdeen Group report)

Talking to a customer on call leaves very little time to prepare. Typically, agents would have no way of knowing if the caller is a high priority customer or a potential who is evaluating their product.

Contact center software like Zoho Desk gives agents access to customers' CRM status and data through its two-way integration with Zoho CRM. Agents can see a customer's CRM information, such as their purchase history, upcoming calls with the sales team, and size of the current deal, all from within their ticket. The support team can also add information that they collect during the call and include it in the ticket for the Sales team's benefit. Both teams can use this coordinated data to save time and create a better customer experience.

Build meaningful customer relationships

"According to a 2013 Forrester report, 42% of service agents are unable to resolve customer issues due to disconnected systems, archaic user interfaces, and multiple applications."

Customers hate having to repeat information every time they call, and agents spend a lot of time trying to understand their problems from scratch. This happens because the customer data is scattered over different channels. Agents don't have the customer's previous emails or tweets open when they call. However, with Zoho Desk, agents know the customers' previous conversations with the company and which agent they talked with. They can see all their tickets, raised from multiple channels like social media, live chat, email, web forms and even their previous phone calls, all on a single tab. With all this context, agents can spend more time helping customers and building meaningful relationships with them.

Leave it to the experts

Some customer issues call for experience or specialization that an agent may not have. In such cases, Zoho Desk enables agents to transfer the calls to those that have more expertise. This redirection helps customers get faster and more accurate solutions to their issues. The call transfer option can be used to redirect customers to another department, such as in cases concerning logistics or refunds.

Collaborating with multiple departments

Customer issues are never limited to one department. So, more often than not, customer service agents have to collaborate with teams and departments across the company. To make sure that these conversations stay organized and productive, they need a streamlined channel of communication. With Zoho Desk's Team Collaboration capabilities, support agents can tag their colleagues and other teams within tickets and leave private comments. They can also use Team Chat and Team Feed to discuss issues and post company announcements.

It's going great at your call center.

How do you keep it that way?

Never miss a call, even when you miss one

On some days, there are just too many calls to handle. Your agents might miss a few calls, but with Zoho Desk, missed calls can be automatically converted into tickets so that agents can make sure they get back to those customers and sort out their problems.

Telephony in Zoho Desk also comes equipped with voicemail, so customers can leave their questions as voice messages and they all get logged as new tickets. Agents can then respond to them like they respond to regular calls.

Learn from your mistakes

The conversations between customers and agents can be recorded and added to the ticket upon completion. This helps managers revisit calls and understand areas for improvement. Recordings of agents dealing with angry customers can be used to train agents on how to handle similar situations. An old call could also hold the answer to a new problem, so you can keep those recordings on hand to help.

Track your progress

Managers can also evaluate agent performance with the happiness ratings feature on Zoho Desk, which allows customers to provide feedback on the quality of service they've received. You can view built-in reports that show response and resolution times for each agent, or make customized dashboards and reports, to focus on the metrics that matter to them to see the length of average customer phone conversations and their corresponding happiness rating.

Collaborative features

Any software that you have to go out of your way to adapt to is bound to leave you unsatisfied. Zoho Desk is flexible software that adapts to your business requirements. You can integrate with all your favorite apps via the Marketplace or with APIs and Custom Functions. With our telephony partners, you can choose the one that's most compatible with your business.

Telephony partners

With multiple options to choose from, running a call center on the cloud is easier than ever.

View more

What if you don't like the call center software after you buy it?

There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to cloud-based call center software. If you run a small business, you might find an open source or free software that suits your needs. You can evaluate and compare Zoho Desk with its contemporaries, take a look at pricing plans, and arrive at a decision yourself without spending anything. It definitely is worth the effort.