Sharpen vs Zendesk Talk

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Our analysts compared Sharpen vs Zendesk Talk based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Call Center Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Sharpen Software Tool
Zendesk Talk Software Tool

Product Basics

Sharpen is a cloud-based contact center platform allowing agents to interact with customers more efficiently and deliver better user experiences. The resources ensure agents are effectively trained and well-prepared to handle customer interactions. Other offerings include platform architecture, inbound routing, reporting and analytics, remote work support and more. .
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Zendesk Talk is a VoIP contact center calling system that integrates with Zendesk Support Suite. It operates within the same interface that connects customers with agents across multiple communication methods. Call centers can incorporate the technology into an existing platform or rely on it solely for voice calls. Workers can connect via smartphone, mobile app or softphone in a preferred web browser or business desk phone. All capabilities reduce the call abandonment rates and allow employees to answer more calls in less time.

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$0.05/Minute, Usage-Based
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$19/Agent, Monthly
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Windows
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Android
Chromebook
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Android
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
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On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
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FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Continuous Improvement: Get instant access to the product’s guide and learn how to analyze metrics for holistic customer experience, five KPI categories, how to improve EX and CX-based data analysis, methods to enhance service levels and more. 
  • Turn Data Into Meaningful Actions: Understand what’s happening with operations by seeking assistance from experts who review operational data with multiple customers regularly. 
  • Empower Agents: Coach agents inside their queue by offering tools and autonomy to work and perform best while tracking their empowerment, effectiveness and efficiency. 
  • Personalize Conversations: Equip the support team to solve any issues in time while personalizing every customer touchpoint. Offer client information to agents, so they take the most appropriate actions for better resolutions.  
  • High-Touch Partnership: Implement interactions and workflows with a partner who shares similar goals. Keep a hands-on partner as those goals change or grow to realize success, no matter what that means to the organization. 
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  • One Workspace for All Channels: Give agents the context to handle calls using familiar tools. Embed a call console into the product and deliver voice support from the workspace so agents can manage all other channels. 
  • More Choices: Get started with more than 90 pre-built telephony integrations such as Zoom Phone by Faye, ChannelReply, shortcuts, Scratchpad and more that plug directly into Zendesk. 
  • Personalization: Engage with customers through a 1:1 conversation and build a personal relationship with them. Take advantage of spontaneity and sincerity possible only during a live talk. 
  • Efficiency: Build long-term relations with clients through brief chats that are always more substantial than an email exchange. Conclude conversations in a shorter time and offer customers help during emergencies. Access to all the real-time statistics and data concerning conversations. Conclude the analytical data and boost effectiveness. 
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  • Simplified Interface: Access detailed customer profiles and analyze data related to past interactions. Personalize experiences, serve faster and spend less time searching for customer data. 
  • Omnichannel: Interact with customers across multiple channels, including social media, call, video call, messaging, SMS and community using robust tools to boost customer satisfaction and team productivity. 
  • Workforce Engagement: Improve customer experience with better adherence management, scheduling and forecasting. Train agents with coaching sessions and real-time feedback to enhance productivity and team workflows. 
  • Remote Work: Help agents stay productive and cater to customer queries from anywhere via mobile apps. Let agents interact with customers across many channels and boost the overall client satisfaction rate. 
  • Analytics: Analyze an agent's performance across multiple channels and bring in data to create real-time, intelligent customer insights. Coach employees to become more productive, performance tracking, team processes optimization and make decisions for the company's customer operations. 
  • Implementation and Support: Get an onboarding session from an experienced professional while installing the system to optimize results, drive maximum results and learn about the product and its installation techniques better. 
  • Inbound: Create inbound routes that allow customers to communicate more effectively with agents without channel barriers via workflow routing and conditional automation. 
  • Customer Feedback: Understand customers better, measure satisfaction rates, understand product expectations through client surveys and get insights into everything that might generate more leads. 
  • Security: Get creative in CX and optimize interaction flows and empower agents while preserving customer trust and safety. 
  • Integrations: Eliminate the chances of a data breach via world-class integrations with robust customer database tools and CRMs such as Zendesk and ServiceNow. 
  • REST APIs: Get the flexibility and freedom to build customer-centric solutions and streamline customer journeys by securing data and improving interactions. 
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  • Integrated Voice Software: Choose the most appropriate call center software and integrate it with Zendesk to deliver a world-class customer experience.  
  • Group Conversations: Access more than just 1:1 conversations to connect clients to experienced agents who can dispel even the most complex issues. 
  • Text Messages: Don’t miss a single chance to connect with customers on SMS. Access all incoming messages easily and react to them accordingly. 
  • Warm Transfer: Allow clients to connect with specific agents without describing the issue from the beginning. Take a few minutes to catch up with the case while the call gets redirected. 
  • Callback From Queue: Save time by booking a customer’s place in a queue during long waits and give them a call back when you’re ready for them.  
  • Interactive Voice Response: Conduct initial segmentation of clients with built-in IVR and direct them to specialized agents from relevant departments. Solve a variety of issues via phone, including complaints, information, tech support and more. 
  • Call Management Features: Forward calls from desk phones to home landlines, personal smartphones or other numbers for greater employee flexibility. Some additional features include call queues, round-robin call routing, caller ID, conferencing calling, set business hours, call barge/whisper and more. 
  • Voicemail: Allow customers to leave voicemails. Get directed to a representative’s voice mailbox instead of waiting in long call queues. Record personalized greetings to direct calls to other phone numbers or let customers know when an employee is out of the office. 
  • Business Text Messaging: Communicate via SMS using the same phone number or any other business messaging platform. Send automated texts when clients request support and create an account. Message to up to 250 customers per phone in one go. 
  • Call Recording: Take advantage of call recording capabilities along with other robust features, such as allowing clients to opt-in or out of being recorded or pause/resume recordings at any time during a call. 
  • Dashboards and Reporting: Get insights into some of the most critical real-time and historical call center metrics, including an average number of inbound and outbound calls and call abandonment rate over a set period. Measure omnichannel support engagement and determine when customers are most likely to contact through the customizable real-time dashboard and historical reports. 
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Product Ranking

#24

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#64

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Call Center Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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79
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79
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82
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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Sharpen
Zendesk Talk
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Calling Capabilities Call Routing System Collaboration Dialers Mobile Capabilities Phone System Voice Intelligence And Analytics Voicemail And Messaging Workforce Management 79 82 60 63 70 93 95 75 65 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 116 reviews
Great User Sentiment 2704 reviews
85%
of users recommend this product

Sharpen has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 116 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

88%
of users recommend this product

Zendesk Talk has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 88% when considering 2704 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

3.6 (21)
n/a
4.44 (48)
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4.4 (47)
4.4 (2687)
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4.1 (17)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Easy to Use: Sharpen's interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making it simple for agents to learn and navigate. The platform's drag-and-drop functionality allows for easy call flow creation and modification, empowering supervisors to make changes without relying on IT support.
Agent Empowerment: Sharpen provides agents with tools to manage their availability and schedules, promoting a sense of ownership and control over their work. The platform also offers performance dashboards and analytics, enabling agents to track their progress and identify areas for improvement.
Supervisor Visibility: Sharpen offers supervisors real-time and historical data on agent performance, call queues, and other key metrics. This comprehensive visibility allows supervisors to identify trends, address issues promptly, and make data-driven decisions to optimize call center operations.
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Seamless CRM Integration: Many users appreciate that Zendesk Talk is directly integrated with Zendesk's CRM platform, allowing agents to access customer information and interaction history without switching between applications.
Intuitive Call Handling: Users frequently praise the platform's straightforward interface for managing calls, including features like call transfers, holds, and voicemail, which streamline agent workflows.
Robust Reporting and Analytics: Zendesk Talk provides comprehensive call analytics, enabling businesses to track key metrics such as call volume, duration, and agent performance, which helps identify areas for improvement and optimize operations.
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Limited Reporting: Sharpen's reporting capabilities may not be sufficient for some Call Centers, especially those with complex needs or a large volume of calls. The platform may lack the ability to create custom reports or integrate with other business intelligence tools.
Integrations: Sharpen may not offer a wide range of integrations with other business tools, such as CRM or workforce management systems. This can limit a Call Center's ability to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.
User Interface: Some users find Sharpen's user interface to be clunky or outdated. The platform may not be as intuitive or user-friendly as some other Call Center software options.
Customer Support: Sharpen's customer support has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting long wait times or difficulty getting issues resolved.
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Limited Customization: Users express frustration over the inflexibility of Zendesk Talk's features, particularly when it comes to call routing and IVR systems. They desire more control over how calls are handled and directed.
Reporting Functionality: Many users find the reporting features in Zendesk Talk to be insufficient for their needs. They desire more comprehensive and detailed reports to gain deeper insights into call center performance.
Reliability Issues: Some users report experiencing dropped calls and other connectivity problems, which can be disruptive to call center operations and negatively impact customer satisfaction.
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Sharpen seems to be a bit of a mixed bag, with users highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. On the positive side, many appreciate its user-friendly interface and intuitive design, making it easy for agents to navigate and find the information they need quickly. The platform's robust reporting and analytics capabilities also receive praise, allowing managers to track key metrics and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, Sharpen's omnichannel functionality is a major plus, enabling seamless communication across various channels like voice, email, and chat. However, some users point out that Sharpen can be a bit pricey compared to other call center software options. There are also occasional complaints about technical glitches and a lack of certain advanced features found in competing products. Some users mention that customer support can be slow to respond at times. So, who is Sharpen best suited for? It appears to be a good fit for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a user-friendly and comprehensive call center solution. Larger enterprises with more complex needs and higher call volumes might want to explore alternatives with more advanced features and scalability.

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Is Zendesk Talk all that it's cracked up to be? User reviews from the past year suggest that it's a solid choice for businesses seeking a reliable call center solution, but it's not without its drawbacks. Many users praise Zendesk Talk for its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with other Zendesk products, making it a breeze to manage customer interactions across various channels. For instance, one user highlighted how the integration with Zendesk Support allowed their agents to quickly access customer information during calls, leading to faster resolution times. However, some users have expressed concerns about occasional call quality issues and limitations in advanced reporting features. While Zendesk Talk offers basic call analytics, some users find it lacking compared to competitors like Talkdesk or Five9, which provide more in-depth insights into call center performance. Ultimately, Zendesk Talk is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses that value ease of use and integration with other Zendesk products. Larger enterprises with more complex call center requirements might find other solutions more suitable.

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