Freshcaller review

Although Freshcaller is listed as a business VoIP solution, it is better suited to call center services than everyday business use. However, the software is easy to use, reliable, and reasonably priced, so businesses of all sizes may want to give it a try. 

For companies in particular fields, Freshcaller’s offering certainly makes a lot of sense. It is ideal for organizations with a large number of employees or those operating a customer-facing service desk. The VoIP solution boasts several key capabilities, including number management, which allows you to port your current number, custom reporting, an advanced inbound routing engine, and best-in-class supervisor controls. 

For businesses that are exploring the use of softphones, Freshcaller also represents an attractive proposition. Freshcaller is available to users via a mobile app, their chosen web browser, or a SIP-compliant handset. Softphones have become particularly popular of late as the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many businesses into adopting remote working policies. With a softphone, employees can access their usual Freshcaller number and features, wherever they are, 

Freshcaller also has global scope, offering phone numbers in more than 90 countries and is currently used by over 7000 customers around the world. The service has received praise for its range of features, its customizable reporting, and its affordability. Criticisms have largely centered on its lack of support for physical devices. 

The Freshcaller solution is actually owned and operated by Freshworks, a business software provider, that was founded in Chennai, India, back in 2011. The company’s initial product was Freshdesk, which delivers an omnichannel customer service. Today, in addition to Freshdesk and Freshcaller, the company also offers Freshchat, a digital-first customer service using either bots or human agents, and Freshsuccess, a tool used to strengthen customer relationships. 

These additional products are likely to be of interest to larger companies that might be looking to invest in a more extensive suite of digital tools. However, even if businesses are simply looking for a VoIP solution, then Freshcaller is more than worthy of their consideration. 

Service overview

Promising “No hardware. No downloads. No maintenance cost,” Freschaller sets out to prove itself as a modern, cloud-based phone system and largely succeeds. Its VoIP solution allows companies to add flexibility to their communication tools and say goodbye to the cost and complexity associated with legacy software. 

Freshcaller comes with a number of different pricing plans to choose from and integration with other Freshworks solutions is straightforward. On its website, the company offers several case studies from satisfied customers situated across a broad spectrum of industries. 

For example, Duocircle is an email protection service that aims to prevent firms from being infected by ransomware, phishing, spoofing, and fraud attempts. The company came to Freshcaller in search of a phone system that could integrate with its existing helpdesk and create support tickets from phone conversations. Duocircle now uses Freshcaller for inbound customer service calls via Freshdesk, with outbound sales calls routed through Freshsales.

Another satisfied customer is US-based healthcare provider Doctible. Again, the problem centered on the fact that Doctible’s phone system was not integrated with its helpdesk and so employees had to use their desk phones to make and receive calls. This means that if they were away from their desks, calls were either missed or they had to scramble back to ensure customers weren’t left neglected. Thankfully, by adopting Freshcaller, Doctible’s agents and reps could take calls using either their laptops or mobile phones - all they required was a working internet connection.

Evidently, giving employees greater flexibility is one of the main benefits of the Freshcaller product. As with most VoIP platforms, Freshcaller works by transmitting audio data over the Internet, which can deliver huge cost savings when compared with traditional phone lines - particularly if businesses have to make international calls.

Top features

Like all VoIP platforms, Freshcaller leans heavily on its plethora of features. First of all, Freshcaller allows customers to buy local phone numbers across more than 90 countries, which makes it easier for customers to reach them as they enter new markets. This offers two main benefits for businesses. By using Freshcaller’s local phone numbers, they can establish a call center anywhere in the world while still maintaining a local presence for their customers. In addition, by purchasing a local phone number, firms are signaling to their user base that they care enough to establish a local identity.

Another feature that comes with Freshcaller is the option of buying toll-free phone numbers. These provide flexibility for callers so they can reach your business at any time, which will help increase sales and also ensures that customers don’t hesitate to call if they have a question or concern that needs addressing. 

Call masking is also available to businesses that have signed up to Freshcaller. Call masking allows firms to mask an existing phone number with an alternate number when making or receiving a call. This can be particularly useful for growing businesses with a virtual workforce, as they can contact customers from their call center but with the number disguised as a personal one.

Freshcaller also comes with a number of features designed to make the call handling process smoother. These include the option of personalizing voicemail greetings, automatically routing after-hours calls, and setting specific business hours for your call center. 

In addition, Freshcaller’s VoIP platform is scalable, allowing businesses to share one phone number across multiple lines, which means calls can be answered from any phone. Similarly, Freshcaller’s mobile app, which is available on either iOS or Android devices, adds an extra layer of flexibility. Waiting queues, spam blocking, voicebots, and call routing are also all available to Freshcaller users. 

Setup

The speed of Freshcaller’s setup is arguably one of its main advantages. The VoIP solution comes with no hardware, no downloads, and no maintenance costs, and has been designed for its simplicity. Of course, as with all VoIP solutions, Freshcaller does rely on users having an adequate internet connection. It is easy for Freshcaller users to complete an internet connection test to see if they have the necessary bandwidth to operate the platform. 

The calling interface used by the platform may not look the best but is straightforward to use, with call logs showing the customer’s name and other identifying characteristics to the left side of the screen. Additional details can also be found on the right-hand side of the interface. 

Freshcaller's web client also shows any recordings that have taken place during a call, as well as total talk time, and it’s easy to add supplementary details like extra contact numbers or company information. Freshcaller also provides info on business hours in different markets to ensure that employees don’t accidentally phone international customers at inappropriate times. It’s also worth noting that the mobile versions of the Freshcaller app do not have feature parity with the web client.

Should any issues arise, Freshcaller has an extensive knowledge database that users can access and more personalized support can be provided if users submit a support ticket. A customer support telephone number and email address are also available for extra assistance. 

Pricing Plans

Freshcaller comes with several payment tiers - like most VoIP solutions - but has decided to give each one an unconventional name. The bottom tier is known as “Sprout” and actually comes with no subscription fee. However, although it provides customers with an unlimited number of agents, they will still be responsible for individual call charges.

The next tier up, “Blossom” is the first pricing plan to come with a subscription fee. Blossom costs $19 a month and comes with several features that aren’t included in the Sprout iteration, including the ability for administrators to set a maximum time for callers to be left in a queue and the option of directing callers to the company voicemail when call volumes are high. Blossom is also the first plan to include call masking and real-time call metrics. 

The “Garden” plan is catered towards mid-sized businesses and is the first tier to offer call conferencing. Given the importance that conferencing has taken on for businesses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this could be the tier most likely to appeal to organizations. 

There are also the Estate and Forest tiers for larger firms, which come in at $45 and $69 a month respectively. Both come with advanced call center management features, like an AI-backed IVR system, as well as different amounts of incoming minutes. Of course, with all tiers requiring users to pay by the minute for outbound calls, Freshcaller can work out to be quite expensive if businesses do not keep tabs on their call volume. 

Integrations

For many VoIP platforms, the real test of their effectiveness is how they integrate with other the digital tools that have become increasingly important to modern businesses. Fortunately, Freshcaller excels here and boasts a long list of integrations with other apps, including agent productivity, CRM, and e-commerce tools. 

For example, one of the most popular CRM apps, Salesforce, is easily integrated within the Freshcaller platform, with individuals able to make and receive calls using the Freshcaller app within their Salesforce account. With automatic data-sync between Freshcaller and Salesforce, users no longer have to navigate the hassle of switching back and forth between tabs. For sales teams, in particular, this integration could deliver significant benefits, providing them with contextual information, including previous conversations, deal details, and customer information, that will help them complete a sale. 

Another integration that is sure to be welcomed by many businesses concerns the e-commece platform Shopify. This allows Freshcaller users to easily gain an overview of a customer’s order history on their screen that lets employees experience a seamless workflow. Sellers can see order information, track current orders, and initiate refunds all with the click of a button. Freshcaller users also have the option of purchasing or porting phone numbers to use with their online Shopify store. 

Other integrations include Magento, Hubspot, Zendesk Sell, and Nimble. Of course, in addition to these third-party tools, Freshcaller also allows integration with Freshdesk. This means that conversations will be captured as notes and desktop notifications will automatically inform users of an incoming call. Whichever tool users ultimately decide to integrate with Freshcaller, the number of options available to them is certainly impressive. 

Our overall verdict

While it’s true that many of Freshcaller’s features are geared towards businesses that offer call center services, there is still plenty to appeal to smaller firms. Its reliability and unusual pricing structures also mean that it is certainly worth investigating - even if businesses should be mindful of racking up a large bill if they make a lot of outgoing calls.  

• Want to compare Frashcaller to its rivals? Check out our guide to the best VoIP services available