To deliver outstanding customer experiences (CX), growing small and midsize businesses (SMBs) require more than basic phone systems. Call center communication solutions for small businesses must be flexible, intelligent, and scalable to meet evolving customer expectations.
Our comprehensive guide explores the features, advantages, and emerging trends of call center communication solutions for small businesses to support your decision-making process. Compare the leading call center communication platforms to select the optimal solution for your customers and support teams.
Call center communication solutions for small businesses are comprehensive customer service platforms that help companies with fewer than 100 employees manage high volumes of inbound and outbound communications effectively.
There are three primary deployment models for call center solutions:
Cloud-based: You subscribe to the solution as a service (SaaS), with a provider hosting and managing the system and data on their servers. You access the platform through a cloud environment.
On-premise: You own the software, servers, and infrastructure, storing everything in your own data center. Your IT teams handle management and updates.
Hosted: You own the software but lease the hardware and infrastructure from a provider. They host the call center platforms in the cloud while providing you with private access.
Small businesses typically prefer cloud-based call center solutions due to lower costs, the convenience of off-site servers, and the flexibility to adjust plans as the business grows.
Pricing and functionality are essential considerations for startups and small businesses when investing in call center communication solutions. Take advantage of free trials to determine which call center solution works best for your small business. Our comparison chart provides a quick overview of these important factors.
| Solution | Starting Price | Free Trial | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| NUACOM | $24.99 per user/month | 14 days | AI insights, Keyword trackers, intelligent IVRs,wallboard, transcriptions, auto dialer, call recording, call coaching, voicemail to email, CRM integrations, call analytics |
| RingCentral | $30 per user/month | 14 days | Unified communications, 300+ integrations |
| Nextiva | $36 per user/month | Unavailable | VoIP, CRM, automation features |
| Freshdesk Contact Center | $18 per agent/month | 21 days | Global numbers, wait queues, call monitoring |
| Five9 | $119 per month | Unavailable | Predictive dialer, workflow automation |
| Aircall | $40 per user/month | 7 days | 100+ integrations, coaching features |
| LiveAgent | $19 per agent/month | 14 days | Universal inbox, automation rules |
| 8x8 | No advertised price | 30 days | Secure encryption, collaboration tools |
| Channels | $29 per month | 7 days | Browser-based calling, Chrome extension |
| Talkdesk | $85 per user/month | Unavailable | Intelligent routing, agent workspace |
| CloudTalk | $34 user/month | 14 days | 360-degree customer view, free inbound calls |
| Bitrix24 | $0 per month (highly Limited features) | 15 days | Social integration, auto dialer |
| Dialpad | $27 per user/month | 14 days | AI transcriptions, unlimited video meetings |
| Genesys Cloud CX | $75 per named user/month | 30 days | Business automation, multilingual support |
| Avaya Experience Platform | No advertised price | Unavailable | Conversational AI, workflow orchestration |
The market for call center communication solutions for small businesses offers numerous options. Our list provides a detailed overview of the top platforms, pricing structures, and features to help you make an informed decision.
Modern customer communication continues to evolve, but speaking with a knowledgeable agent can resolve complex issues most efficiently. NUACOM delivers an advanced communication solution that integrates AI with seamless workflow automation to create exceptional customer experiences. Agents can instantly access comprehensive context and analytics to provide personalized, effective support.
NUACOM’s call center communication solution for small businesses sets up rapidly and becomes operational within minutes. The intuitive interface ensures easy onboarding for new team members, and existing agents can immediately begin handling calls without extensive training. This translates to quick return on investment (ROI) and accelerated time to value.
Beyond core features like intelligent call routing and automated callback services, NUACOM provides advanced AI-powered analytics and extensive integration capabilities. Through NUACOM’s integration ecosystem, you can enhance communication capabilities with powerful tools and applications to customize the platform according to your specific business requirements. For example, AI-powered keyword tracking automatically identifies upsell opportunities, compliance issues, and customer sentiment in real-time.
NUACOM offers flexible pricing plans designed for small businesses, helping growing companies scale efficiently with an adaptable system that evolves with their needs. As businesses expand, they can seamlessly upgrade to plans that match their current operational requirements.
AI-powered call analytics and insights like keyword tracking and transcriptions
Advanced reporting and performance tracking
Intelligent call routing and transfers
Automated voicemail and callback functionality
Low total cost
Rapid time to value
Simple setup and deployment
Business Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
40+ business application integrations
Interactive voice response (IVR) system
Comprehensive APIs and integrations
Automatic call recording and transcription
Smart call forwarding
One-click calling functionality
Sentiment analysis
Unlimited: $24.99 per user/month
Enterprise: $34.99 per user/month
Custom: Contact NUACOM for tailored solutions
*Plans are billed annually or monthly.
14 days for all business sizes
RingCentral provides a contact center solution designed to create streamlined communication systems. The company developed a remote-friendly, cloud-based phone platform for small businesses to handle inbound and outbound calls while managing messages, faxes, and SMS from a centralized location.
RingCentral’s platform enables agents to manage calls on any desktop or mobile device. The solution allows you to add agents and additional lines as your organization grows. It also connects with third-party applications, including Microsoft 365 and various CRM systems, to enhance overall system functionality.
Unlimited domestic calling capabilities
SMS and MMS messaging
Interactive voice response (IVR)
Google and Microsoft apps integration with API access
Single sign-on functionality
Analytics dashboards for IT administrators
Automatic call recording
Advanced call monitoring and management
Multi-site management capabilities
Access to various business applications and 300+ integrations
Internet fax services
Essential business analytics
Core: $30 per user/month
Advanced: $35 per user/month
Ultra: $45 per user/month
14 days
Nextiva’s cloud-based communication service helps teams and customers communicate efficiently. The essential plan provides SMBs with fundamental features, including unlimited voice calling and internet fax, complimentary local and toll-free numbers, and round-the-clock support. As your business expands, you can upgrade to access advanced functionality.
With Nextiva’s enhanced communication features, you gain access to voice, SMS, and video conferencing capabilities. VoIP phones enable your teams to work from any location with internet connectivity and a reliable network, delivering clear, HD call quality.
Auto attendant functionality
Call recording capabilities
Unlimited calling plans
Video conferencing integration
Voicemail transcription services
Intelligent call routing
Unlimited voice calling
Unlimited internet fax
Complimentary local and toll-free numbers
24/7 customer support
Core: $36 per user/month
Engage: $50 per user/month
Power Suite: $75 per user/month
Not available
Freshdesk Contact Center is a remote call center solution for small businesses that enables you to purchase phone numbers immediately upon setup or synchronize your existing numbers. The cloud-based phone system doesn’t restrict the number of lines you can acquire, allowing you to establish local and global numbers to meet your expanding business needs.
Since the platform is cloud-based, this enables your business to establish remote teams and work from anywhere. The call center tools help you collaborate with internal teams and share context about customer interactions. Freshdesk allows you to modify your plan from your dashboard, enabling you to expand your brand across 90+ countries.
International, toll-free, and vanity numbers
Call recording functionality
Custom greeting messages
Shared phone lines
Wait queue management
Automated call distribution
Call monitoring capabilities
Call barging features
Reporting and analytics tools
Free: $0 per agent/month (no included minutes)
Growth: $18 per agent/month
Pro: $59 per agent/month
Pro + AI Copilot: $94 per agent/month
21 days
Five9’s outbound and inbound call center for small businesses includes various plan options. Choose from digital-only, voice-only, digital and voice combined, or a combination with add-ons.
The Five9 virtual contact center platform includes softphones, phone service with toll-free numbers, reporting and analytics, agent and manager interfaces, and CRM integration. A mobile application allows agents to connect and take calls from anywhere. It also enables supervisors to monitor and coach agents within the application.
Voice communication capabilities
Blended inbound and outbound calling
Agent desktop interface
Geographic redundancy
Call recording functionality
Predictive dialer technology
Workflow automation tools
24/7 technical support
Digital (Digital-only): $119 per month
Core (Voice-only): $119 per month
Premium (Digital + Voice): Price not advertised
Optimum (Digital + Voice + WEM): Price not advertised
Ultimate (Digital + Voice + WEM + Analytics): Price not advertised
Not available
Aircall’s call center communication solution for small businesses is a flexible platform for SMBs. You can set up the solution quickly to begin taking calls on your device with a headset and internet connection. Aircall’s telephony integrates with over 100 business tools, including various CRM systems, project management platforms, and Microsoft Teams, to create enhanced customer experiences.
The Aircall platform features coaching and whispering capabilities so management can assist employees during calls without customers hearing. Aircall also provides reporting and analytics capabilities that deliver team performance metrics on missed calls and response times. You can also customize reporting to fit your specific needs.
Insight cards functionality
Live activity feeds
Call monitoring and recording
Interactive voice response (IVR)
Warm transfer capabilities
Call routing and queuing
Business hours management
Essentials: $40 per user/month
Professional: $70 per user/month
Custom: Contact for pricing details
7 days
LiveAgent is call center communication software for small businesses and startups with multiple communication options. In addition to voice, LiveAgent offers email and live chat that agents can access from a universal inbox. The automation features allow you to set rules and automated call distribution to route calls to desired destinations.
LiveAgent provides 24/7 support and enables you to create self-service hubs and FAQs for common questions. The small business plan allows you to start with limited features, including one incoming email account for 10 departments, chat satisfaction surveys, a customer portal, and one API key. You can upgrade to access more features as you grow.
Chat satisfaction surveys
Slack notification integration
Customer forum capabilities
Inbound and outbound email accounts
Live chat functionality
Unlimited ticket history
Call transfers and routing
Custom call widgets
Small: $19 per agent/month
Medium: $35 per agent/month
Large: $59 per agent/month
Enterprise: $85 per agent/month
14 days
8×8 aims to simplify collaboration with their call center communication solution for small businesses. The secure cloud contact center offers standard features and capabilities including an automated attendant, mobile support, and conference calls. With the essential phone system, you receive features that benefit SMBs, such as unlimited calling, ring groups to prevent missed customer calls, voicemail, and call recording.
As your business scales, you can upgrade your system to include AI-powered workflows, video meetings, team chat, communication APIs, and additional features. With all plans, 8×8 provides secure, end-to-end encryption that meets compliance standards.
Instant messaging capabilities
Online meeting functionality
Call forwarding options
Extension dialing
Call queue management
Integration capabilities
Automated attendant
Softphone applications
Mobile device support
Intercom and paging systems
Conferencing tools
No advertised price
30 days
Channels is lightweight small business call center communication software that allows your team to make calls with a single click from your web browser. The simple interface keeps everything centralized, eliminating the need to navigate through multiple tabs or applications. The Google Chrome extension provides access to Customer Card, a scannable form containing relevant customer information during customer calls.
Channels integrates with many software platforms, including various CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and business applications. The Channels web application can simplify managing contacts, call details, and call recordings. You can also generate reports and monitor calls from within the application.
Web call personalization
Working hours configuration
Welcome message customization
30 days of call recording storage
30 days of call history
Outbound calling capabilities
Complimentary phone number
Free incoming calls (toll-free excluded)
Customer recognition features
Interactive voice response (IVR)
SMS messaging
Plus: $29 per month (3 users included)
Advanced: $75 per month (5 users included)
7 days
Talkdesk offers a cloud call center solution for small and midsize businesses. The platform provides agents with on-screen suggested actions to guide them through conversations. Automation options assist with repetitive tasks so agents can continue servicing customers effectively.
Talkdesk integrates with modern business tools including various CRM systems, collaboration platforms, and business applications to make information and context more easily accessible during customer interactions. Once your business outgrows its current plan, Talkdesk allows you to upgrade and unlock additional features to enhance your customer experience.
Agent workspace interface
Automated workflow capabilities
Self-service resource creation
Real-time reporting and analytics
Global call quality optimization
Intelligent call routing
CX Cloud Digital Essentials: $85 per user/month
CX Cloud Voice Essentials: $105 per user/month
CX Cloud Elite: $165 per user/month
Not available
CloudTalk offers a simple cloud-based call center solution for small businesses. It provides a 360-degree customer view with relevant call information in one location. It features an IVR with smart call routing capabilities, automatically routing calls to the optimal destination. You can customize language preferences, locations, and products while designing your routing tree with drag-and-drop functionality.
All inbound calls are complimentary through CloudTalk—a significant advantage for startups or SMBs. You can set up voicemails and callbacks for better service during peak times. CloudTalk also offers call recording and reporting capabilities to help gather insights for proactive service.
Real-time customer information cards
Call recording functionality
Call queuing capabilities
Voicemail and callback options
Business hours management
Interactive voice response (IVR)
Starter: $34 per user/month
Essential: $39 per user/month
Expert: $69 per user/month
Custom: Contact CloudTalk for pricing
*Plans are billed annually.
14 days
Bitrix24 is call center communication software with features that support inbound and outbound calling. The free option allows small businesses to test the software, though this version has limited features. You can customize the interface to fit your needs, and it includes numerous tools and collaboration features.
Bitrix24’s telephony is available for paid plans and allows you to create internal extensions and connect your existing business phone numbers. It has basic call forwarding and phone queue functions while allowing call recording. It also features an auto dialer for outbound calling and provides clear, reliable call quality and connections.
Call center capabilities
Social networks integration
Automatic dialer and IVR
Call logs and reporting
Customer relationship management (CRM)
Global accessibility
Remote access capabilities
Free: $0 per month
Basic: $61 per month (5 users)
Standard: $124 per month (50 users)
Professional: $249 per month (100 users)
15 days
With Dialpad for small businesses, you can obtain a call center solution that sets up quickly and allows you to support customers from a single workspace. When you first begin, you can port your existing business phone numbers or create new ones. The Dialpad application works from desktop or mobile devices, enabling you to work from anywhere.
The platform is designed so you can easily move into upgraded plans once you’ve outgrown your current one. You can also add AI capabilities such as AI video meetings, AI-powered customer support, and AI-enabled sales outreach.
Unlimited calling capabilities
SMS and MMS messaging
AI-powered call and voicemail transcriptions
Integration capabilities
Unlimited video meetings
Web and chat support
Standard: $27 per user/month
Pro: $35 per user/month
Enterprise: Contact Dialpad for pricing
14 days
Genesys offers a virtual call center for small businesses that features automation, collaboration tools, visibility into team performance, real-time insights, and reporting features. Genesys Cloud CX enables you to create self-service resources for faster customer service and multi-channel support options.
The telephony comes equipped with inbound and outbound calling features, and the call center IVR provides 24/7 support options while allowing you to customize call routing. Pre-built applications allow for multilingual support, making it easier to communicate with customers around the globe.
Business automation capabilities
Self-service option creation
Digital service tools
Reporting and analytics
Integration capabilities
Voice technology features
Genesys Cloud CX 1: $75 per named user/month
Genesys Cloud CX 2: $115 per named user/month
Genesys Cloud CX 3: $155 per named user/month
Genesys Cloud CX 4: $240 per named user/month
*All prices are billed annually.
30 days
Avaya Experience Platform offers communication tools, including inbound and outbound calling, web meetings, and messaging, within its application. Avaya is cloud-based, meaning it can be used by any device, anywhere—as long as there’s a wifi connection.
Avaya’s contact center features advanced routing, omnichannel support, self-service resources, and analytics and reporting tools that can enhance the customer experience. Avaya also offers desktop phone hardware that can create streamlined collaboration across your internal teams.
Unlimited email, web chat, text messaging
Bring your own digital channel
AI-powered self-service automation
Intelligent routing capabilities
Conversational AI features
Customer journey intelligence
Customizable employee and supervisor desktop
CRM-embedded desktop functionality
Back office integrations
Visual workflow orchestration
Bring your own chatbot capability
Reporting and analytics tools
No advertised price
Not available
The optimal call center communication solution for your small business is one that has the right features to meet your business needs. As your business evolves, you may need to adapt your solution. Here are some key features that can be most beneficial to SMBs.
An omnichannel agent workspace allows you to meet customers where they are and provides a single view of the customer journey. This unified interface is especially helpful in a call center setting when agents answering the phone can get immediate context that might otherwise be scattered across channels.
Access to this information is crucial, as it allows agents to help customers faster and eliminates the need for agents to ask customers repetitive questions.
Interactive voice response can help small businesses handle support for their growing customer base. When customers call in, an IVR can interact with customers through a series of automated prompts and react based on their responses. These customizable prompts and menu options can seamlessly route customers to the right department or agent, if needed, for faster resolution.
Prerecorded responses can provide 24/7 support with answers to frequently asked questions to help deflect issues without creating a ticket or involving a human agent. It can also allow callers to switch the interaction from a live call to a text message, creating an SMS ticket while continuing the conversation over text.
Because IVR software has access to contact information, it can recognize high-value customers, which is extremely beneficial to scaling SMBs. It can prioritize the call and route it to the best-suited agent for immediate assistance.
Gathering insights and analyzing metrics allow you to keep your call center running smoothly. Advanced reporting and analytics help you identify trends and behaviors so you can make improvements to products and services and track internal performance. Key customer service metrics help you track the types of customer requests, ticket spikes related to certain issues, and customer satisfaction.
Small businesses can take advantage of native analytics tools that provide comprehensive insights. These reporting features come with pre-built dashboards that display metrics in real time. For businesses needing personalized metrics, they can easily customize reports with intuitive configuration tools.
Call center communication software for small businesses can utilize automatic call distribution or skills-based routing to route calls effectively.
Automatic call distribution (ACD) routes a caller to the first available agent. This is beneficial during peak business hours with high call volumes.
Skills-based routing identifies the agent best suited to handle a specific request and routes the ticket accordingly.
Additionally, call center software can seamlessly transfer a customer from the automated system to a live agent—complete with the information and context the agent needs to handle the call.
No one likes to sit on hold. To keep customers from giving up and disconnecting—and creating a negative customer experience—call center software with an IVR allows customers to select a callback option. The customer doesn’t lose their place in line—but they can disconnect and receive a call when it’s their turn—without staying on the line listening to elevator music.
Additionally, customers have the option to leave a voicemail. The voicemails get converted into tickets and documented in the customer account. An agent can handle the request and connect with the customer on their preferred messaging channel regarding the status of their issue.
Many SMBs require specific tools and features to scale. Here are several advantages of selecting the right customer service call center communication solution for your small business.
Small business call centers can be fast-paced, with agents handling high volumes of phone calls and customer interactions across channels. The right call center communication software has the tools to make an agent’s job easier to be more efficient and focus on the customer.
Providing a consolidated workspace saves time and boosts efficiency by eliminating the need to switch between tabs, apps, and systems. Automations reduce repetitive tasks and simplify workflows, enabling employees to work smarter and faster.
Features like IVR software deflect calls and intelligently route calls to the right place. This streamlines workflows and reduces stress on support teams. Less stress for the agent means less call center burnout—and lower employee turnover.
Understand the performance of your business and your teams by measuring metrics and KPIs that matter for your specific business and industry. More visibility into your metrics increases their value with operational intelligence. This means managers can drill into the customer data and trends contributing to the metrics they see.
Call centers for small businesses equipped to store user profile attributes allow managers to customize the experience for different types of customers. You can see how your small business compares to your peers and identify areas to improve your business operations. Additionally, you can find common customer pain points and identify the root cause, to proactively address their needs in the future.
Many SMBs are on a tight budget, meaning their call centers aren’t often available for 24/7 support. Call center communication software for small businesses provides agents with effective tools and customer data at their fingertips to provide a fast, personalized customer experience. Delivering great experiences consistently increases customer retention—and they can even become loyal brand advocates for your business.
Call center software can facilitate a great customer experience in the following ways:
More personalized support interactions
Less unnecessary transfers between different departments
Reduced wait times with customer callback options
More context to keep everyone in the loop with easy-to-use collaboration tools
Better answers by capturing and surfacing the right information in a single place
Customers want fast, consistent customer support. Call center communication software for small businesses can help you meet these expectations by meeting the customer where they are and offering support across channels through live and asynchronous conversations.
That means serving customers through real-time conversations via live chat or conversations they can pause and resume seamlessly across any channel. This allows agents to help more customers at once by managing several conversations at a time.
The best call center communication software for businesses should protect sensitive customer data with the right security features. The security features depend on the type of software—cloud-based, on-premise, or hosted—but generally should include the applicable features from the list below.
On-site security protects data at the physical data center locations. Application security protects the cloud-based application data. Data security has encryption options to protect data across communications, like email or chat. Network security protects and monitors the network for threats and vulnerabilities. Product security protects data through two-factor authentication and single sign-on (SSO) options.
Your software should also stay current on compliance certifications.
Small businesses must stay on top of current trends and adapt to changes to facilitate growth. Here are several call center communication software trends to keep an eye on.
According to recent customer experience research, 62 percent of consumers think businesses could be doing more to personalize their experience. Technology brings customers more choices than ever when choosing a brand, and creating personalized interactions is a key driver to building customer loyalty.
Using insights gained from reporting and analytics tools, data collected from AI and chatbot interactions, and customer context all in a single workspace, agents can effectively deliver a personalized experience.
When agents are unhappy they can lack motivation and drive to be successful in their role. When this happens, the quality of customer service they deliver often suffers. The solution is to create a nurturing environment that promotes your agents’ well-being.
Recent employee experience research found that 52 percent of employees believe that software related to their employee experience is dated and difficult to use. Give them tools and resources that help make their jobs easier—like a platform that allows them to automate repetitive tasks and self-service options that deflect tickets. Invest in agent training and develop their skills to help them grow and advance their career within your organization.
Customer experience research found that 40 percent of business leaders see customer support as a revenue driver. Call center communication software offers tools that boost efficiency and productivity.
Some tools include IVR software that routes callers to the right place quickly and AI chatbots that provide answers to FAQs, resolving issues without involving human agents. Additionally, call centers with asynchronous channels like messaging create a convenient experience for the customer while allowing agents to serve multiple customers at once.
The right call center communication solution for a small business can be the difference between ordinary and extraordinary customer service. Software options come in all shapes and sizes with different features, benefits, and use cases. Here are several considerations when selecting the right call center communication solution for your small business.
Budget: Small businesses typically have tight budgets, so finding software within your price range that accomplishes your business goals is important. While comparing software prices, it’s good practice to try the software for free. Test its capabilities to see if it’s a good fit before making the investment.
Total cost of ownership: Cost means more than just the monthly subscription cost. Consider any hidden costs of different software brands, like maintenance fees, add-ons, implementation costs, training time, or consultants. Also, think about the costs that may come with switching to a new system if the one you pick doesn’t live up to the hype.
Integrations: A system that integrates easily with various apps and tools can help scaling SMBs adapt to changes on the fly. Many small businesses use other software tools and applications and may need to integrate them with a customer support solution with a minimal technical background.
Short time to value and fast ROI: Every business wants to see its investment pay off—and the sooner that happens, the better. With modern solutions, you get quick deployment with an easy-to-use interface that keeps businesses running efficiently during the seamless transition. That formula translates to a faster ROI for SMBs that you’ll notice on your bottom line.
Find a partner, not a vendor: Look for a software brand that wants to partner with you and build a customer relationship instead of just making a sale. Find a partner that understands your business and wants to grow alongside you.
4.8/5 stars
4.8/5 stars
4.9/5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
25 September, 2024
Best customer support
We needed to implement a VolP system within a very short timeframe, and NUACOM
proved to be the perfect choice. A special thanks to David and Vaibhav for their
exceptional support. Despite their busy schedules, they made time to ensure a
smooth onboarding process, understanding the urgency of our business needs.
Date of experience: September 25, 2024
NUACOM can help your customer service teams be more productive, offer fast, convenient customer experiences, tap into key reporting and metrics, and improve phone support operations across the board. Try NUACOM’s call center communication solution today and experience the difference AI-powered insights can make.
By choosing NUACOM, you’re not just selecting a VoIP provider; you’re partnering with a company committed to helping you achieve seamless and effective communication. Experience the difference with NUACOM, the best VoIP
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