Call monitoring is a great way to ensure your agents and your call center business are operating at a high level. But with so many call center software options out there, which one should you choose for call monitoring specifically?
If you’re looking for straightforward call monitoring software that you can connect to the business phone system you already have, Zoho CRM is the best choice.
On the other hand, if you want a more comprehensive solution with everything you need to run a successful call center, top-rated call monitoring software included, choose Nextiva’s Contact Center solution.
Zoho CRM: The Best Call Monitoring Software, If That’s All You Want
Already have existing phone systems that you’re looking to enhance by adding high-quality call monitoring? Zoho CRM is your optimal solution.
It’s designed for seamless integration, allowing you to connect your existing PBX system directly to Zoho CRM. In fact, Zoho integrates with over 50 PBX phone systems. So you can make calls, log calls, get call analytics, set up call reminders, and automatically schedule calls, no matter your PBX provider.
In other words, you get top-tier call monitoring capabilities without having to worry about learning a new phone system.
Zoho also offers many in-depth features specifically for call management:
- Automatic call recording: Every customer interaction is recorded and stored. This gives you a reliable reference for resolving disputes, training agents, and reviewing customer feedback.
- Real-time call monitoring: Real-time call monitoring enables on-the-spot assessment of agent performance and customer satisfaction for supervisors.
- Live call coaching: Supervisors can also offer real-time guidance to agents during live calls, which is great for instant course correction during complex customer service scenarios.
- Comprehensive call analytics: Get insights at the individual and team levels, on everything from call durations, to outcomes, agent productivity, and more. You’ll have access to built-in call analytics and reports for your call center and individual agents, complete with your most important metrics and insights on how to improve the customer experience.
- AI-powered call analysis with Zia: Zoho’s AI assistant, Zia, offers advanced AI-enabled call analysis features, including transcription, sentiment analysis, intent detection, emotion recognition, and call summaries.
In order to get all these call monitoring features, you’ll want to subscribe to the Enterprise plan for Zoho CRM. The plan is priced at $40 per user per month when billed annually, or $50 per user per month for monthly billing. It’s a pretty competitive price for such a comprehensive suite of tools.
If you want an all-encompassing solution, or if you don’t already have your own cloud PBX, Zoho also offers their own PBX, Zoho Voice, with the Call Monitoring Add-on.
Zoho Voice comes with many features, including:
- Local and toll-free numbers
- Personal numbers
- Contacts module
- Import contacts in bulk
- Inbound service
- Outbound service
- Two-way SMS
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Zoho Voice offers three plans:
- Basic: $34 per user per month when billed annually
- Standard: $49 per admin and 10 telephony agents per month when billed annually
- Contact Center: $74 per admin and 10 telephony agents per month when billed annually
There are also optional add-ons like call monitoring, a power dialer tool, and queue performance metrics. And each plan comes with a 15-day free trial if you want to test it out before purchasing.
PBX is already a very cost-effective solution. But combining it with Zoho’s robust CRM and call monitoring capabilities will give you a one-stop solution for all your telephony needs at a competitive price.
Pick Nextiva’s Intelligent Cloud Contact Center Solution If You Need More
Zoho’s a great, quick solution if you want to add call monitoring capabilities to your current tech set-up ASAP. But what if you’re playing the long game and looking to cultivate a world-class call center?
In that case, it makes more sense to invest in an integrated ecosystem of software tools designed for that level of excellence. Why? Well, if you want to run a world-class call center, you’ll need more than the best call monitoring software in your technology suite.
At this level, you need a comprehensive contact center solution that has everything you need to run a successful call center, including top-rated call monitoring software.
In this case, Nextiva’s Contact Center solution is the best choice. You can integrate their business phone system with their intelligent cloud contact center to handle a high call volume with ease, all while boosting operations.
The Optimum contact center plan gives you the features you really need to set your call center apart from the rest, including advanced features like:
- Versatile call handling: Nextiva’s platform is engineered for adaptability, offering comprehensive support for inbound, outbound, and blended call operations. This flexibility means that regardless of the call volume or type, your call center is equipped to handle customer interactions smoothly and efficiently.
- Advanced call recording: Beyond standard call recording, Nextiva includes the ability to record IVR interactions. This way, every facet of the customer’s journey is documented, giving you a full view of the customer experience and opportunities for in-depth analysis and training.
- Intelligent routing: Intelligent routing is a cornerstone feature because it connects customers to the most suitable agent or department based on predefined criteria. This minimizes wait times, maximizes customer satisfaction, and connects your callers with the best-fit expert or agent.
- Enterprise quality management: Nextiva’s quality management tools include sophisticated coaching capabilities and advanced evaluations. These tools help managers identify areas for agent development and skill enhancement.
- Proactive customer outreach: Nextiva understands the value of keeping customers informed and engaged. The platform’s real-time notification system allows your business to reach out to customers proactively, offering updates, reminders, and promotional messages.
The one catch with the Optimum plan? You’ll have to reach out to Nextiva for pricing.
The other great thing about the Cloud Contact Solution is that it seamlessly integrates with Nextiva’s business phone system. With their Enterprise business phone system plan, you’ll get features like call recording, video conference recording, call history, call log reports, threaded conversations, and the ability to create notes on contacts and calls.
The Enterprise plan is priced as low as $31.95 per month per user when billed annually.
To learn more about Nextiva, read our in-depth review.
Final Thoughts
Zoho CRM and Nextiva’s Contact Center are both great call center software options. Determining which one is right for you is all about getting clear on your specific business needs.
- If you’re looking for dedicated call monitoring software that integrates with your current phone system, Zoho CRM provides a seamless solution with advanced features.
- If you’re aiming for a comprehensive suite that includes top-rated call monitoring capabilities alongside other essential call center tools, Nextiva’s Contact Center solution is the optimal choice.
These are both great solutions depending on where you’re at in your call center journey.
