Understand the difference between call center and contact center software to decide which one aligns with your business's customer service goals.
Both call center software and contact center software facilitate customer service and outreach, but as a customer service manager, which one should you choose for your operations?
With the contact center solution, you can use multiple communication channels, including email and social media, and the call center tool allows you to connect with your customers over phone calls. Understanding how this difference can impact your business will help you pick the right tool.
This article discusses the similarities and differences between call center and contact center software so you can select the right one for your business. For each software category, we’ve included the top five products based on verified software reviews. Read more.
What is call center software?
Call center software helps business owners to manage customer inbound and outbound communications with prospects and customers exclusively via phone. It offers features such as call monitoring, call queuing, and skill-based routing that help optimize agent scheduling and productivity.
Call center supervisors can also use the tool to track important call center metrics, including first-call resolutions, average handling time, and wait time to enhance the customer support team’s performance. The tool integrates with customer relationship management systems to give users easy access to customer information and history.
Core features of call center software
The core features of call center software are:
Automatic call distribution: Automatically route incoming calls to the most suitable agent or department based on predefined criteria, such as agent availability, skillset, or customer preferences.
Computer telephony integration: Integrate telephone systems with computer systems, allowing agents to make and receive calls directly from computers, access caller information, and provide personalized service through screen pops, call logging, and call controls.
Call recording: Capture and store audio recordings of customer calls, allowing supervisors to review and analyze calls for quality assurance, training, compliance, or dispute resolution.
5 top-rated call center software
These products are listed in alphabetical order. (Check how we selected them.)
In order to present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report’s analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
What is contact center software?
Contact center software automates and standardizes receiving and responding to customer requests across different communication channels, such as voice calls, emails, live chat, text messaging, and social media. The system is primarily used by professionals in the customer service department.
A contact center solution offers functionalities such as quality management, queue management, and workforce management to help contact center agents work efficiently and provide enhanced customer experience. The platform also offers features such as call scripting, monitoring, routing, automatic call distribution, and reporting, contributing to improved agent retention, productivity, customer satisfaction, and compliance adherence.
Core features of contact center software
The core features of contact center software are:
Multi-channel communication: Enable customer interactions across various communication channels, such as voice, email, live chat, social media, and SMS in a unified platform.
Automated routing: Automatically route customer interactions to the most appropriate agent based on various factors, such as the caller's location, the type of call, and the agent's availability.
Agent interface: Provide agents with a unified and intuitive interface that consolidates information from multiple communication channels, allowing them to manage and respond to customer inquiries from a single interface.
5 top-rated contact center software
These products are listed in alphabetical order. (Check how we selected them.)
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Device compatibility
Call center vs contact center software: How are they similar?
Call center software and contact center software have similar functionality and objectives. They both aim to enhance customer service and improve the overall customer experience.
The tools allow agents to ensure efficient customer interaction management via a centralized platform. They also include features like automated routing, self-service options, and call recording for quality assurance. They also offer real-time analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing supervisors to monitor key metrics such as incoming emails, chat, call volume, handling time, and agent performance.
Call center vs. contact center software: Which one is right for your business?
The answer to this question depends on your business’s use case and communication model. For instance, a contact center solution should be ideal if you wish to provide your customers with more communication options than just phone support. The solution is best for businesses aiming to meet customer expectations and enhance relationship management via multiple customer communication channels. Businesses working in varied industries, including healthcare, travel, and hospitality, benefit from this software.
On the contrary, if you are looking for a tool to provide technical support to customers or manage telemarketing and sales over phone calls, you may consider investing in traditional call center software. The system is majorly used by businesses, such as banking and manufacturing organizations, with a phone-based communication model.
Once you’ve decided which software to use, head to our call center software and contact center software category pages, where you can find a sortable list of products and software reviews from verified users.
How to choose call center vs. contact center software
Check reporting and analytics needs. Reporting and analytics in a call center solution are limited to incoming call-related data such as average handle time, call volume, and quality. However, in a contact center solution, you can access more extensive reports that include customer demographics, contact history, customer satisfaction, and other relevant metrics. Your choice of software may vary depending on the type of metrics you need to track.
Assess scripting capabilities. Scripts are predefined set of instructions or prompts that agents can use to address common questions, greetings, or closing statements. In call center software, these scripts are limited to verbal information, whereas contact center software offers scripts for email responses, chat messages, and comments for social media posts. Depending on the communication channels you use, assess whether the tool you are considering allows you to create scripts.
Look for a queue management feature. Whether you are choosing a call center tool or contact center tool, look for a solution that comes with a queue management feature. This feature systematically lets you organize and handle incoming customer interactions, such as phone calls, emails, chats, or tickets, by allowing you to route, prioritize, or distribute those interactions. This helps reduce customer wait times, maximizes agent productivity, and improves customer satisfaction.
Common questions when selecting center vs. contact center software
Can the tool generate customer feedback forms?
You can use customer feedback forms to gather customer feedback and assess their satisfaction rates. To do so, you need a tool that can not only generate customer feedback forms but also distribute them to customers via multiple channels, such as emails and SMS.
Does the tool support agent performance management?
Agent performance management is crucial to identify any skill gap or productivity issue. Your agents may need additional coaching to handle customer queries. With agent performance management, you’ll be able to track performance metrics, such as call resolution rates and call quality. You can also use the tool to analyze agents’ performance by hearing call recordings.
Can the tool integrate with a CRM solution?
Integration of call center or contact center software with a customer relationship management (CRM) solution empowers agents to access customer information directly from the CRM tool. Agents can use this data to completely understand each customer's history, preferences, and previous interactions, allowing them to provide personalized and relevant customer experiences.