How Much Does Call Center Software Cost?
When it comes to call center software, most customers are concerned about how much the call centers will cost them. However, the cost of the call centers themselves is often overlooked. Many people assume that the total price includes the purchase of the hardware and software that will be required to support the call centers. This is true in some cases but in many cases there will be additional costs that you may not initially realize.
Most call centers will be hosted on leased lines of equipment such as servers. With hosted call center software you will pay a per-agent per month rate of anywhere from fifty to hundreds of dollars per month. Again, the per agent rate will usually be lower for larger businesses.
You can negotiate a lower per agent per month rates by agreeing to a long term contract for a much longer period of time. Also, you will have the option of paying for an initial down payment and getting the equipment upfront at a much lower rate. For some reason, large businesses seem to think they need to pay more for the hardware when in reality the cost of those items is almost always going to be much lower than buying them outright. The biggest factor that will affect the overall cost of the hardware is the amount of time the equipment will take to set up and set up.
If you decide to purchase a leased server instead of hosting your own call center, you may also have to deal with an increased amount of maintenance and support on the part of the provider of the equipment that will be used in your call centers. This additional amount of work could easily add another thousand or two dollars to the total cost of the equipment itself. As with all business investments, the investment you will need to make is a decision you should make after reviewing the equipment cost and considering the amount of money you plan to spend on the equipment itself over the life of the lease period.
If you do decide to lease the equipment for your call centers, you need to look at what the leasing terms of the contract state and what the company’s terms of service are. If you find that your service provider provides excellent support after the lease has ended and there is no service fee for ongoing maintenance or support, you may want to opt for their support. If your provider does not provide support on an ongoing basis, you may want to consider a different provider for your call centers. You should also look at the equipment cost of the various equipment options and compare them with the cost of the leased equipment to get a sense of what you would be spending on the equipment if you were to go with an entirely separate provider.
Some call centers have additional features and benefits that come standard with their equipment such as email, conference calls, fax, and even Internet access, which can make them an even better choice than dedicated servers. You should research these items prior to making your final decision.
It is also important to remember that you may have to lease some of the equipment during the lease-option and you have to return the equipment after the lease is over and that this costs you more money. In addition, sometimes equipment is sold as a stand-alone piece and it is only used for one call center and the lease includes a maintenance cost for it, meaning that you would be required to lease the equipment again for another call center. The maintenance cost can add up quickly if you do not have a good understanding of the logistics of how the lease works.
When evaluating your call center’s cost, it may be necessary to consider the fact that not all hardware and software are going to be installed in every location. Therefore, you may find that the lease price is more than the equipment cost. This should not be a problem however, as most call centers lease more than one type of equipment to meet different needs.