Written by Fernanda Alvarez Piñeiro Reviewed by James Macey Updated on May 23, 2023 On this page RingCentral Vonage Ooma 8x8 Nuacom GoToConnect Nextiva Dialpad Net2Phone US What is an IVR Phone System? What Are The Benefits Of A Call Center Phone System? Verdict How We Test Business Phone Systems FAQs Expand Hybrid and remote working mean that call centers need to choose a phone system for call centers that on’t affect call quality and overall customer service.Our carefully curated research reveals that RingCentral provides the best IVR call center phone system. Its agile, customizable features will equip your call center with the necessary savviness to keep your customers happy, and as far away as possible from the scathing frustration that has made traditional call centers infamous.Even if customers love a brand, a third of them will leave after a single bad experience. In the event of two or more episodes of dissatisfaction, the abandonment rate jumps to 92%. How do you avoid the danger of a customer service catastrophe? By investing in a high quality cloud IVR phone system.Although we believe that RingCentral is a solid choice, whether it’s the right IVR phone system for your call center is a completely different question. If you’d like to compare providers and quotes, fill in our quick and free quote comparison tool that will help you find the supplier that works for you.The Best Call Center IVR Phone System Providers Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward RingCentral Vonage Ooma 8×8 Nuacom GoToConnect Nextiva Dialpad Net2Phone Best For All-Round System For Call Centers Best For Small Call Center Teams Best For Value for Money Best For Scalability Best For Customer Satisfaction Best For Inbound Communication Features Best For Flexible Set Up Best For Conversational AI Best For International Calling Price $20 per user, per month – $35 per user, per month Price $19.99 – $39.99 per user, per month Price $19.95 – $29.95 per user, per month Price Custom Price $9.99 – $39.99 Price $27 – $32 per user, per month Price $18.95 – $40.95 per user, per month Price $15 per user, per month – Bespoke Price $18.99 – $29.99 per user, per month Domestic Calls 1000 inclusive inbound minutes 2000 outbound minutes per user Domestic Calls Unlimited to domestic landlines Domestic Calls Unlimited Domestic Calls Unlimited Domestic Calls Unlimited Domestic Calls Unlimited Domestic Calls Unlimited Domestic Calls Unlimited Domestic Calls Unlimited International Calls N/A International Calls N/A International Calls N/A International Calls Unlimited to 14 countries International Calls N/A International Calls Free international calling to 50+ countries International Calls N/A International Calls N/A International Calls Free international calling to 40+ countries Management Features Call routingCall transcriptsSetting up teamsCall barge*Call whisper*Call monitoring*Analytics* Management Features AnalyticsReportingCall whisper*Call barge* Management Features Call whisper*Call barge*Call recording* Management Features Call monitoring*Call recording*Call barge*Call whisper*Analytics* Management Features Call recordingCall whisper*Call barge*Call monitoring* Management Features Call barge*Call whisper*Call recording*Analytics* Management Features Call recording*Call barge* Management Features Call transcriptsCall recording Management Features Call recording* Integrations 90+ CRM platforms*Helpdesk*Analytics*External live chat* Integrations CRM*Helpdesk*Internal live chatEmailWorkspace Integrations CRM*Helpdesk*Web Conferencing*Analytics* Integrations CRM*Helpdesk*Web conferencing*External and internal live chat*Email* Integrations CRMHelpdeskInternal live chatWorkspace Integrations CRMHelpdeskWeb conferencingInternal live chatAPIEmailSSO Integrations CRM*Helpdesk*Web conferencing*EmailWorkspace Integrations Internal live chatWorkspaceCRM*Helpdesk*API* Integrations CRM*Helpdesk* Try RingCentral Try Vonage Try Ooma Try 8x8 Get free quotes Get free quotes Get free quotes Get free quotes Compare Quotes RingCentral – Best All-Round System for Call Centers RingCentral 4.7 Pricing $20 - $35 Get tailored quotes Read our review Quick overview Trusted by industry giants like Costa Express, and Mobica, RingCentral has carved itself a reputable spot as a leading IVR phone system provider. With nearly 20 years in the cloud telephone services sector, RingCentral is a robust choice for call centers thanks to its rich menu of management features, integrability, and onboarding support.With personalized, data-backed routing you’ll be able to deepen relationships with your customers. What’s more, with RingCentral’s reports and intuitive dashboards, you’ll gain valuable insights that will guide business-critical decisions. Read more + Read less - Strengths Tightly integrated IVR and automatic call distribution (ACD), allowing you to leverage customer data Offers skills-based routing Rich menu of management features Weaknesses Integrability with most software needs (Premium or Ultimate subscriptions) Onboarding support only available at Standard subscription and above Pricing See more See less PlanStarting price (per user, per month) Core $20 Advanced $25 Ultra $35 RingCentral for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: call barge, call whisper, call monitoring, and analytics are only available to Premium and Ultimate subscribers. These features offer crucial guidance and data to help train your agents, so it’s worth the investment. Other helpful features, like call routing, call transcripts, and setting up teams, are available at all subscription levels.Onboarding: only offered starting at the standard subscription.Integrations: at the Premium and Ultimate subscriptions, you can sync your IVR phone system with over 90 CRM platforms, with key Helpdesk integrations like Salesforce and Zendesk, analytics, and other platforms such as Slack, WhatsApp, and Facebook. This makes the customer service arm of your business stronger, and allows you to instantly draw on customer-specific data to provide a frustration-free experience.How Does RingCentral Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?Factoring in price, integrability, features, and customer support, our in-depth research has awarded RingCentral an excellent 4.7/5 for its value as a system for customer service teams. While it’s worth considering that some of the most valuable features are only available at the more luxurious subscription plans, RingCentral’s skill-based call routing and intuitive dashboards can ensure your customer service provision is memorable for all the right reasons.What’s even more impressive is that, when compared to competitors like Vonage and 8×8, RingCentral races ahead for customer support features in our research, scoring a 5/5 in this category. So, you can be confident you’ll have a whole dashboard of nifty features to power your call center. Vonage – Best For Small Call Center Teams Vonage 4.2 Pricing $19.99-39.99 Try Vonage Get free quotes Quick overview Offering dynamic call routing and post-call analysis, Vonage is known for its innovative adoption of AI in its IVR phone systems. Its provision of tools, metrics, and data gives you a 360-degree view of the interactions between your customers and agents, enabling you to turn insights into actions that heighten your ROI.As a small business, Vonage can become your reliable right hand man as its generous offering of customer support features and low monthly costs embody a recipe to scale up your operation. Although these come at an additional cost, Vonage also lets you tap into its wide set of ready-made integrations as it’s compatible with systems like Hubspot, Salesforce, Zendesk, Slack, and Office 365. This allows you to unify all your business communications in one spot.Click here for our in-depth Vonage review. Read more + Read less - Strengths Customizable dashboards and wallboards give you real-time visibility of KPI progress Displays a local number when reaching out to customers, improving response rate Solid customer support service Weaknesses Security is not as robust compared to other IVR phone systems Most useful features for training and management only available at Premium and Advanced subscriptions Pricing See more See less PlanStarting price (per user, per month) Mobile $19.99 Premium $29.99 Advanced $39.99 Vonage for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: although analytics and reporting are widely available – which are key to identifying how you can help your call agents improve – call whisper and call barge are only available on the Premium and Advanced subscriptions.Onboarding: only available at an additional cost.Integrations: although it comes at an additional cost, you can integrate Vonage’s IVR phone system with a wide range of software platforms, including Hubspot, Slack, Office 365, Salesforce, and Zendesk.How Does Vonage Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?Backed by our thorough research, which considers training, onboarding, and the integrability of IVR phone systems for call centers, we gave Vonage a 4.2/5. Even though you’ll need to make more of an investment to access all the features that make Vonage a top-notch phone system, it’s still cheaper than RingCentral. For that reason, we gave Vonage 4/5 for price – the highest pricing score of all the providers on this page! Ooma- Best For Value For Money Ooma 4.1 Pricing $19.95 - $29.95 Read our review Get free quotes Quick overview Offering one of the cheapest price points of all the providers we look at here, it’s pretty obvious why we think Ooma Office Pro is the best VoIP provider for call centers. Although it’s quite limited in terms of external connections –we gave it a 2.8/5, it’s a good option if you’re simply not in a position to invest a bunch of cash in a VoIP system. What we like about Ooma is its broad offering of communication features, which you definitely want if you’re running a call center. With features like virtual receptionist, ring groups, and voicemail, Ooma is a good choice if you want great value for your money.Learn more with our Ooma review. Read more + Read less - Strengths Roster of features specifically tailored toward call centers that work remotely or from the office Not tied to a contract – can use the system for as long as needed and can easily be canceled on demand Competitive pricing that won’t break the bank Weaknesses Only comes with 35+ features, less than others on this list Scores 1/5 on security in our research Very limited offer of external connections Pricing See more See less Plan Enterprise Standard $19.95 Enterprise Enhanced $24.95 Enterprise Call Center $29.95 Ooma for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: when it comes to equipping your agents with all the right skills, Ooma is somewhat limited in training features, unless you choose to invest in the pricier subscription plans. Call whisper and barge are only offered to Enterprise and Enterprise Call Center subscribers, while call recording is available to all except Office subscribers. Also keep in mind that call transcripts aren’t available for those who choose Ooma.Onboarding: This is only offered to Enterprise and Enterprise Call Center plans. You will have access to Customer Success Managers, who both help with onboarding and any other questions you may have.Integrations: compared to other providers, like RingCentral, Ooma’s key integrations such as CRM, Helpdesk, Web Conferencing, and analytics are only available to Enterprise and Enterprise Call Center subscribers. Even then, you are limited in terms of compatible platforms as only Salesforce, MS Dynamics, and Zendesk are used for CRM and Helpdesk integrations. If you go for Ooma Office you won’t have access to any integrations.How Does Ooma Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?As the provider with one of the cheapest subscription plans for small businesses, Ooma comfortably scores a 5/5 for pricing in our research, placing it on the same league as 8×8, Nextiva, Nuacom, and Google Voice. However, keep in mind that the low upfront cost does come with some setbacks. Our research has given Ooma a 2/5 for external connections because it simply doesn’t offer a great range of software to sync with. So, if this is a make or break for you, you’d be better off choosing RingCentral Premium, which scored 4.3/5 in the same category. Ooma also isn’t great for security, scoring 1/5. Want a safety guarantee? 8×8 and Google Voice are better alternatives, both of which score a stellar 5/5 in this category. ▶ Read more: 10 Best Office Phones: Make the Right Call 8×8 – Best For Scalability 8x8 4.5 Pricing $24-140 Read our review Get free quotes Quick overview Chosen by over 2.5 million users, 8x8 has a proven track record of success – according to Forrester Consulting, clients that opted for 8x8 reported a 158% growth in ROI! Known for its customizable drag-and-drop dashboards and intelligent coaching and collaboration tools, 8x8 offers a wide menu of subscription options that will allow you to gradually – or rapidly – scale up your customer service building blocks.With features like ring groups and call queue offered at almost all subscription levels, your business will be able to deal with large volumes of callers. What’s more, with Web Conferencing and internal live chat integrations of a wide range of platforms including Telegram and Slack, your agents will be able to work remotely, giving you more flexibility and slash office costs. Read more + Read less - Strengths Boasts some of the most generous customer service in the IVR-verse Unlimited inbound and outbound minutes to 48 countries Offers real-time dashboards and wide range of seamless integrations Weaknesses Niftiest features only available at the most exclusive subscriptions Free trial is limited to features offered at Express subscription Unclear if their Customer Success Managers (onboarding support) come at an additional charge Pricing See more See less PlanStarting price (per user, per month) X2 $24 X4 $44 X6 $85 X7 $110 X8 $140 8×8 for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: call monitoring, call recording, call barge, call whisper, and analytics are available, but they’re not offered on the cheaper subscriptions. If you’d like to access call transcripts, these come at an additional cost.Onboarding: provided through 8×8’s Customer Success Managers, although it’s unclear if this comes at an additional cost.Integrations: starting at the X2 subscription, it is integrable with CRM, Helpdesk, Web Conferencing, external and internal live chats, email, and more.. This makes 8×8 a powerful tool that your team can leverage to personalize customer experience and avoid hopping back and forth between different communication channels.How Does 8×8 Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?Awarded a 3.9/5 by our independent researchers, who’ve put 8×8’s call center features, pricing, and customer support to the test, we believe it stands out because of its flexibility. Whether your call center needs a comprehensive, savvy system or you just want the essentials, 8×8 can tick off the boxes on your IVR phone system checklist.Although we’ve given 8×8 a 0/5 for pricing, placing it far behind Vonage’s ⅘ in this category, you can consider the extra couple of bucks you’re putting down on the table as a worthy investment. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have awarded 8×8 a stellar 5/5 for its generous customer support, which is only rivaled by RingCentral’s identical score in the same category. Did You Know? 68% of employees prefer a hybrid working environment Nuacom – Best For Customer Satisfaction Nuacom 3.7 Pricing $9.99 - $39.99 Get free quotes Read our review Quick overview Based on our in-depth research, which aggregates scores from customer reviews, Nuacom has the highest customer satisfaction in the VoIP sector, earning an average of 4.6/ 5 from its users from sites like Capterra, Trustpilot, G2, and TrustRadius. Although it is limited in its features for call centers when compared to providers like RingCentral, Nuacom has been trusted by key clients like Credit Union and Volkswagen. If you’re looking for a provider that has a track record of pleasing its users, you should look no further than Nuacom. Read more + Read less - Strengths Impressive collection of positive customer reviews Unlimited user limit Generous inbound communication features Weaknesses Does not offer analytics or email integration Not transparent about its compliance certification, and does not provide multi-factor authentication or password rules Pricing See more See less PlanStarting price (per user, per month) Essentials $9.99 Unlimited $24.99 Call Center $39.99 Nuacom for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: when it comes to training, Nuacom leaves you better off than other providers like Ooma. Call recording is available at all subscription plans, and if you opt for either a Call Center or Enterprise subscription, you’ll also have access to call whisper, barge, and monitoring. Be warned that call transcripts are not available to any Nuacom subscriber but, overall, we do think this is a pretty sound option if you’re looking for a VoIP system that is training-friendly.Onboarding: offered as a 15-minute onboarding support sessionIntegrations: overall, we think Nuacom is a bit limited for software integrations which is why we’ve given it a 2.9/5 in our research. Although any Nuacom subscriber can sync their IVR system with CRM, Helpdesk, Internal live chat, and workspace integrations, the menu of eligible platforms is quite thin. You only get to pick from Zendesk, Hubspot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Slack, or Google Workspace – this means those with a preference for Microsoft are left out in the cold with Nuacom. If a good range of external connections is a must for you, we’d recommend looking at RingCentral or Vonage instead.How Does Nuacom Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?Our research has given Nuacom a 3.7/5, which places it in the fifth spot of our best telephone systems for call centers, right before GoToConnect. Nuacom’s average customer review score of 4.6/5 places it in the pole position of customer satisfaction, with Ooma and Dialpad racing close behind at 4.4. That said, Nuacom scored just 2.9/5 for external connections and 3.5/5 for security, so if you want lots of integrations and more stringently protected data, 8×8 or RingCentral would be a better phone system for your small business. GoToConnect – Best For Inbound Communication Features GoToConnect 3.7 Pricing $27-$32 Get free quotes Read our review Quick overview Promising a seamless onboarding process where you can get your IVR phone system working within a day, GoToConnect is a safe option if you’re looking to get very generous access to inbound communication features. What we think makes GoToConnect so great in this arena is that no matter which subscription you go for, you’ll have access to every single inbound communication feature you might need. From voicemail to text, to customizable greetings, call queue, ring groups, GoToConnect definitely puts up a strong performance.Our research shows that it also has one of the richest offerings of international calls of the providers we looked at GoToConnect gives you access to free international calling to over 50 countries and this makes it a fantastic option for call centers that are looking to cater to –or maintain– an international clientele. Read more + Read less - Strengths Onboarding support is available across all subscription models Free international calling to 50+ countries and unlimited domestic inbound and outbound minutes Weaknesses Analytics and workspace integrations unavailable Limited number of compatible platforms for external connections compared to other providers Not the most comprehensive customer support Pricing See more See less PlanStarting price (per user, per month) Basic $27 Standard $32 GoToConnect for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: key features like call barge, call whisper, call recording, and analytics are available, but not on the Basic subscription plan, so you’ll need to invest a bit more to train your agents with GoToConnect. Call transcripts aren’t available.Onboarding: available at all subscription levels.Integrations: compatible with CRM, Helpdesk, web conferencing, internal live chat, API, email, and SSO. The menu of the platforms you can sync GoToConnect with is not as generous as other providers because it is missing Office 365, Hubspot, and Bullhorn.How Does GoToConnect Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?After combing through all the information available on GoToConnect, our researchers have given it a 3.7/5. Although its customer support lags a bit behind other providers like RingCentral and Vonage, the features you can access for what you pay at each subscription level give you greater value for your money. Nextiva – Best For Flexible Set Up Nextiva 3.6 Pricing $23.95-37.95 Get free quotes Read our review Quick overview Nextiva is pretty flexible when it comes to set up as it boasts its own first-party hardware and is compatible with third-party desktop phones that include Cisco, Yealink, and Polycom. This is handy if you have a preference for having a desktop phone as part of your IVR system. Although Ooma also offers first-party desktop phones, Nextiva drives ahead because it has a wider range of third-party desktop compatible phones.Scoring a solid 4.5/5 for customer support, another reason why we like Nextiva is because it offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee, 24/7 Live Support, live chat, and onboarding support. So you can be confident in knowing that if you crash into trouble when using your VoIP system, Nextiva’s customer service will be there to help. Read more + Read less - Strengths Competitive price point Fantastic customer support Weaknesses Very limited offering of external connections Not many management features on offer, which doesn’t help scalability Missing multi-factor authentication and password rules, limiting its security Pricing See more See less Price Essential $23.95 Professional $27.95 Enterprise $37.95 Nextiva for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: although we like Nextiva for its flexible set up, it’s not necessarily the best option for training. It doesn’t offer call whisper or transcripts, and although call recording is available, you’ll need to be an Enterprise subscriber for this. Call barge also is offered, but only if you have the Call Center add-on, which costs extra.Onboarding: available to all Nextiva subscribersIntegrations: scoring a 3.4/5 for external connections, Nextiva won’t be winning many awards in this category but it can sync with other software. If you go for the Professional or Enterprise subscriptions, you’ll be able to integrate with CRM, Helpdesk, and Web Conferencing systems, and have a wide offering of platforms including Salesforce, Hubspot, Zendesk, and MS Dynamics. Email and workspace are thankfully offered to all subscribers.How Does Nextiva Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?Compared to other IVR phone system providers, Nextiva comfortably sits at a 4.5/5 for customer support, placing it above others like Dialpad, Vonage and Net2Phone. We also think Nextiva is great for what it offers at its price, which is why we gave it a 4/5 in this category. If you choose to go with Nextiva, keep in mind that it scores a low 2.9/5 in our research because it has a limited offering of management features, which means you could outgrow the system as your call center grows. Dialpad – Best For Conversational AI Dialpad 3.6 Pricing $15-Tailored Get free quotes Read our review Quick overview With one foot in the present and another in the future, Dialpad is known for its innovative use of conversational AI. Known as Dialpad AI, this function accurately transcribes your phone calls in real-time, flags whether or not the conversation features happy or frustrated customers, automates post-call summaries, and enables you to create notes with tips and advice that appear on screen when certain keywords or phrases are spoken during a call. You can also choose to turn off this feature for confidential conversations. Overall, having this sort of technology is an added plus for call centers as it offers agility and a flare of tech savinness to your business communications. Read more + Read less - Strengths Great customer support, including a user forum, knowledge base, and live chat Fantastic customer reputation, with an aggregated review score of 4.4/5 Offers the best range of features, right after 8x8 Weaknesses Not very easy to scale, scoring 3.3/5 in our scalability analysis Doesn’t have an uptime guarantee at the Pro subscription level Pricing See more See less Plan Standard $15 Pro $25 Enterprise Tailored Dialpad for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: compared to other providers like Nextiva or Ooma, Dialpad offers some good features to help train your call center agents, including call transcripts and recordings that are available to all subscribers. However, call barge and whisper are not offered at all so, if this is a must-have for you, we’d suggest going for an alternative provider like 8×8.Onboarding: offered but only at an additional costIntegrations: scoring a low 2.3/5 for external connections, software integrations are not exactly Dialpad’s strong point. Standard subscribers are limited to just internal live chat and workspace integrations. Even if you were to invest in Pro or Enterprise, the menu of platform choices is very limited, offering syncing with Salesforce, Zendesk, Hubspot, Slack, G-Suite, and Office 365 only. We’d suggest looking at RingCentral or 8×8 if you want an IVR system that acts more like a master key for software integrations.How Does Dialpad Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?Our thorough research has looked closely at how suitable Dialpad is for call centers, and has awarded it a 3.6/5. This is because it’s pricier than other options and because it could have a more generous offering of external connections. Despite this, we do know that Dialpad is nifty and futuristic thanks to its conversational AI, which allows you to do a lot of things hands free and focus your attention on other tasks as you work. Despite its faults, we awarded it a great 4.5/5 for its customer support, ranking it above other providers like Nuacom. Net2Phone US – Best For International Calling Net2Phone US 3.3 Pricing $24.99 - $29.99 Get free quotes Quick overview All the systems we’ve discussed here provide unlimited US calls at no extra cost – but what about calls to other countries? Most systems will charge extra fees for them, but Net2Phone stands out because it comes with unlimited calling to more than 40 countries. This means speaking to clients and teams across the globe is completely free, allowing you to maintain and expand your international clientele.Net2Phone can also give you virtual phone numbers and dial tones in over 50 countries and 300 cities, so if you’d like to establish a presence in places like Europe or Asia, your contact options are easily taken care of. We’re also quite impressed that Net2Phone has international offices and data centers, and hosts more than 33 billion international minutes every year. We’d say it’s a pretty safe bet if you’ve got plans to expand internationally in the coming years! Read more + Read less - Strengths Net2Phone will supply you with free upgraded desk phones when you switch to the system The company provides free, 24/7, US-based customer support via phone or email The system is very user friendly, and includes a simple management console that makes it easy to make changes to your system Weaknesses Doesn’t come with audio conferencing or team messaging Very limited software integrations compared to competitors Doesn’t offer call flip, barge, or whisper and is limited in management features Pricing See more See less PlanStarting price (per user, per month) Office $24.99 Pro $26.99 Power $29.99 Net2Phone US for Call Center: The Key FeaturesTraining: when it comes to training, Net2Phone really falls behind other providers. With no offering of call whisper, barge, monitoring, or transcripts, you really don’t have a lot of tools at your fingertips to train your call center agents. You can have access to call recording, but this is only if you decide to become a Net2Phone Ultimate subscriber.Onboarding: offered to all Net2Phone subscribersIntegrations: ranking at 2.3/5 for external connections, Net2Phone lacks a bunch of integrations that are extremely handy to call centers. You can access CRM and Helpdesk, but if you’re a Virtual or Essentials subscriber, you can only sync with SF. If you choose to put down an extra $2 per user, per month, you can pair it with Zoho. As a Net2Phone subscriber, you also miss out on external live chat, analytics, email and workspace, and workspace integrations – essentially limiting your agility and flexibility as a call center.How Does Net2Phone US Compare To Other Call Center Phone System Providers?Scoring a 4/5 for price in our research, one of the reasons we like Net2Phone is because of its competitive price. However, other providers are comparably just as competitive, as Vonage and Nextiva achieve the same score. Net2Phone is a really safe bet if you want something that won’t stretch out your wallet. Having said that, Net2Phone is far from perfect. Our research gave it a measly 2.3/5 for external connections because of the limited menu of systems you can sync it with. It also scores a 3.1/5 for features, placing it behind others like Dialpad, RingCentral, and 8×8, who stride ahead in both categories. What is an IVR Phone System?Short for interactive voice response, IVR phone systems gather information from callers by giving them choices in a pre-recorded menu. You’ve probably encountered them when calling a restaurant to make a reservation, or any other sort of customer support that involved making a cal.. Depending on the number you press on the keypad, your call is then routed to the correct agent to help you out with your query. In other words, it’s a way to connect your callers to the agent that will be able to best answer their questions. What Are The Benefits Of A Call Center Phone System?Keeps Your Customers Happy: When customers give your business a call, they expect their query to be handled quickly and seamlessly. A powerful IVR phone system can assign the right calls to the right agents and will ensure your customers are left feeling satisfied with your service.Boosts efficiency: Whether you’re running a small or big business, your call center is likely to experience a large number of inbound calls. Therefore, streamlining your service is key. IVR systems allow you to track all call activity in a single place, making it simple to understand where you may be faltering in customer service. Did you know that IVR phone systems can help reduce telephony-related costs by 30%?Scale up your business: The perfect fertilizer for growing your business is to slash costs and plant infrastructure that’ll make your agents grow in their productivity. Call center phone systems can do just that. The system can also help you collect data to understand how your product is performing, and where it needs improvement. In fact, call center phone systems can reduce your IT costs by up to 14%. Verdict We recommend RingCentral as the best all-round IVR phone system for call centers. Why? We think its rich set of customisable features help train first-class agents, it integrates with a wide set of software, and it’s capable of dealing with a large number of calls. This combination makes it a great option for call centers.However, we know that RingCentral might not fit the needs and priorities of all call centers. If you’re looking for more flexibility and you’re planning to scale up your operation, 8×8 can be a sound alternative. With a menu of six subscription models, you can adapt this IVR solution to cover all the specific needs of your call center.Whether you’re feeling ready to make a choice or want to explore your options, you can safely and quickly fill out our free comparison tool, and we’ll match you up with the IVR phone system providers you should know about. They’ll be in touch with free, tailored, no-obligation quotes and answers to your questions. How We Test VoIP Phone Systems and Services for BusinessesWe tested 10 market-leading VoIP products and services to evaluate them in terms of functionality, usability, cost, security options, and more so we can make the most useful recommendations to US businesses.Our rigorous testing process means these products have been scored and rated in seven main categories of investigation and 16 subcategories – in fact, we covered 78 areas of investigation in total. We then gave each category score a ‘relevance weighting' to ensure the product's final score perfectly reflects the needs and requirements of Expert Market readers – and that's our product testing algorithm in a nutshell!Our main testing categories for VoIP products and services are:Customer Score: external customer opinion; the feedback and ratings given by customers who have used a particular VoIP product – the market position and reputation a VoIP software holds.Cost: the pricing structure associated with the VoIP service, such as monthly subscription fees, call rates, setup fees, hardware costs, and any additional charges for add-on features or services.Features: the functionalities and capabilities offered by the VoIP service, including basic features such as call forwarding and voicemail, as well as advanced features like auto-attendant and conference calling.External Connections: the VoIP service's ability to connect and integrate with external systems or devices, such as compatibility with existing phone systems or integration with mobile devices.Customer Support: the assistance and resources provided by the VoIP service provider to customers, including technical support, online resources, and access to customer support representatives.Security Options: the measures and features implemented by the VoIP service to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and protection of voice communications and data.Scalability: the ability of the VoIP service to accommodate the growth and changing needs of an organization, e.g. capacity to handle a growing number of users or support multiple locations. FAQs What are the features of a virtual call center? The features you can access depend on your provider and your subscription plan, but you can generally expect to see the following features:Interactive Voice Response (IVR) – allows you to set up menus to direct calls to specific agents or departmentsVirtual queuing – gives callers the option to leave their number and receive a call backCRM integration – easily connect your call software with your CRM system to automatically gather data from every callManagement tools – supervisors have a clear view of agent activity, making it easy to manage remote workersCall recording – you can record calls for training and monitoring purposesHistorical reporting – collect call data that will improve your future processes What are the benefits of a virtual call center? Compared to the traditional PBX system – the one where you need landlines for everything – virtual call centers have a number of nifty benefits:Lower initial cost – all your agents can work remotely, meaning you don’t have to worry about paying expensive rent for a place to house your call center.More flexible – setting up your virtual call center is quick and easy, meaning you can seamlessly adapt to spikes in call volumes.Remote access – you can spread your network of agents far wider, and catch the best talent as all workers can work remotely.Reduced operating cost – ongoing costs are also far cheaper. Virtual call center solutions usually charge a monthly per-user fee that’s significantly cheaper than traditional per-line charges. Do call centers use VoIP? Increasingly, yes! As the cost of landlines continues to prove too hefty compared to cloud-based systems, more businesses continue to hop onto the VoIP bandwagon because of all the benefits it offers. What systems do most call centers use? Some of the most popular phone systems for call centers include 8×8, RingCentral, and Dialpad. What phones do call centers use? Call centers are moving away from outdate landline phones and are more likely to use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). What is the best cloud-based telephone system for call centers? The best cloud-based telephone system is RingCentral as its comprehensive and provides enterprise-level features at an affordable price. Which phone system for call centers offers a CRM integration? The following phone systems for call centers offer CRM integration:RingCentralVonageOoma8×8NuacomGoToConnectNextivaDialpadNet2Phone US Written by: Fernanda Alvarez Piñeiro Fernanda is a Mexican-born Expert Market writer, specialising in providing in-depth insights about business software to help businesses of all shapes and sizes thrive. From VoIP systems to project management software, she’s passionate about helping businesses find the tools and methods that will help give them an edge over their competitors. Fernanda has ample journalistic experience, having written for a multitude of online magazines about topics ranging from Latin American politics to cryptocurrency. Reviewed by: James Macey Senior Business Software Researcher James thinks all businesses can improve if they use the right technology. At Expert Market, he utilises his 4+ years experience as a researcher to offer specialised advice on a wide range of categories from CRM to Fleet Management.