
A Call Center is an organization or a work environment employing Customer Service Agents for the handling of customer support, sales, or complaints via inbound calls, outbound calls, or both. A Call Center can either be a department within an organization or an outsourcing company.
If you are a business owner, or manager looking to finally put up an in-house Call Center to ace your business, but are new to the concept of Call Centers and outsourcing. This article is for you.
A Call Center can be a specific type or can be multi-functional. The Types of Call Centers are:
Purpose Of Call Centers
The primary function of a call center is to improve your business’s customer support by making the process more efficient. It streamlines the process of providing excellent customer service with a focused target of delivering 100% customer satisfaction.
Most business owners don’t realize that Call Centers, especially Call Center Outsourcing Companies, can be utilized for advancing business growth. Some Call Centers are more than just sales order takers. Make your way to customized customer communication, surveys, and other interactions to up your game in customer service.
Types Of Call Centers
Not all Call Centers offer the same function and forte. For that perfect alignment of your business goals and investment in a Call Center, it is important that you understand these Call Center types and their limitations.
#1 Inbound Call Centers
As the name suggests, these call centers handle the calls coming to the company. An Inbound Call Center mostly serves the existing customers of your business to resolve their issues with your products or services.
It can also be modeled to serve new customers that are interested in buying your product or service. The representatives at a call center interact with new customers to convert them into a sale.
The multitude of services provided by Inbound Call Centers
Order Processing
When the call rings in the inbound call center, the skilled agent communicates all the information that the customer is looking to make the final purchase. The agent might perform several levels of tasks explaining the best buying options. Payment options and other related information.
Dispatch Services
The agents deal with all the calls, transfer them to the designated department, and monitor the dispatch information of shipments and deliveries. A dispatch center may receive calls, transfer them as needed, monitor the shipments and deliveries in real-time, and provide the information to the customers.
Help desk support
Customer Support is the first place for all customers to get help in any wrong situation. A call center agent provides the required support, identifies the possible reasons for the issue, and provides a solution. In case the problem requires expert attention, the agent can raise a request for the same and assure a callback in the shortest time.
Answering/ Transferring Calls
Like an answering service, call center agents can pick up calls, ask about the issue, and redirect the call to the designated person.
#2 Outbound Call Centers
The outbound call centers are the total opposite of the inbound call centers. An outbound call center agent is trained to reach out to the customer on behalf of your business. The service of the outbound call center can be translated as a marketing tool where skilled professionals communicate with potential customers to portray your business in front of them.
It is a highly cost-effective way to maximize the reach of your business. The common responsibilities of an outbound caller include –
Increasing Sales
The sales professionals are usually provided with qualified leads by your business’s marketing team. The agents then target the filtered list of potential customers and convert them into a sale by pitching your products or services.
Expanding your Market
Tele callers can reach out to the customers, establish a direct relationship with the customers, and conduct a survey to identify customers’ interests and collect more information.
The outbound call centers are the total opposite of the inbound call centers. An outbound call center agent is trained to reach out to the customer on behalf of your business. The service of the outbound call center can be translated as a marketing tool where skilled professionals communicate with potential customers to portray your business in front of them.
It is a highly cost-effective way to maximize the reach of your business. The common responsibilities of an outbound caller include –
Increasing Sales
The sales professionals are usually provided with qualified leads by your business’s marketing team. The agents then target the filtered list of potential customers and convert them into a sale by pitching your products or services.
Expanding your Market
Tele callers can reach out to the customers, establish a direct relationship with the customers, and conduct a survey to identify customers’ interests and collect more information.
#3 Automated Call Centers
These call centers reduce the expenses of call management by putting to use advanced computer-based systems to handle customer care responsibilities.
Automated systems often require a smaller staff than common live-operator call centers. Agents are required to handle only select responsibilities that the automation fails to fulfil. Automated Call Centers can be used for the following purposes –
Voicemail Management
The most common use of automated voicemail systems is Voicemail Management. It reduces the hassle of taking down messages from callers manually.
Directing Customers for Locations – Companies with multiple locations can use automated call centers to guide customers to nearby locations.
IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
It allows customers to interact with a smart, automated system and speak normally, and use the technology to interpret the conversation and guide the caller through a menu. In some cases where the customer is not satisfied, it can also reroute the call to an employee at customer care.
#4 Omnichannel Call Centers
Customers are exploring different modes to get instant support from businesses.
Although phone calls are still the most used method to connect with customer support, new channels are being used by customers to interact with the company in case of any issue. High-tech call centers provide their clients with multiple modes to let the customers interact with your business in the way that suits them.
The omnichannel call center offers better coordination and communication with customers across the various platforms available to seek customer support. It generates better results as the customers experience improved helpdesk and other support services.
#5 Virtual Call Centers
Customers are exploring different modes to get instant support from businesses.
Although phone calls are still the most used method to connect with customer support, new channels are being used by customers to interact with the company in case of any issue. High-tech call centers provide their clients with multiple modes to let the customers interact with your business in the way that suits them.
The omnichannel call center offers better coordination and communication with customers across the various platforms available to seek customer support. It generates better results as the customers experience improved helpdesk and other support services.