What is a call center?

In every business and industry, customers will have questions or need support before, during, and after a sale.

Call centers have historically been a popular way to offer that support by employing customer service representatives to assist both inbound and outbound queries from existing and potential customers over the phone.

How do call centers work?

There are a few types of call centers, and depending on the business need can be small or large.

Most call centers field inbound calls from customers, while many also place outbound calls to make sales or follow up on customer requests. There are even automated call centers that automate processes for business like appointment reminders, online scheduling, and check-in reminders.

“Some companies may even choose to outsource their customer support to a company that specializes in handling calls”

Call centers can be centralized in one place under one roof, or call center employees might be spread across a vast geographical area and multiple time zones with staff working from home and not physically together in one location. That’s what’s known as a virtual call center.

Some companies may even choose to outsource their customer support to a company that specializes in handling calls as cost and resources may be a deciding factor.

The representatives who work in call centers are usually trained to handle a wide array of customer questions and issues, with levels of specialization when needed.

The best call center employees are helpful, attentive, empathetic, and knowledgeable about many aspects of the company for which they work. They also care deeply about customer service.

What technologies are required for a call center?

There are several solutions available to keep call centers running smoothly. Examples of call center technology include:

• Voice-recognition software that routes customers to specific representatives based on voice prompts.
• Distribution software that routes customers to specific call centers based on the region from which they’re calling.
• Call recording tools.
• Customer relationship management dashboards that provide reporting functions.

You’ll likely need a combination of call center software to best meet your customers’ needs.

What is the difference between a call center and a contact center?

Call centers are telephone based, whereas contact centers give customers a variety of omnichannel options for interacting with a business.

Contact centers might offer telephone-based support just like a call center does, but they may also provide other methods of communication, such as live chat messaging, email, text messaging, social media messaging, or video chat.

“Instead of strictly phoning in during business hours, a customer can get the answers they need via the channel of their choice at a time that works for them”

A contact center allows the customer to select their preferred method of communication. These additional channels enable customers to get answers faster and sometimes more efficiently than a traditional call center.

Instead of strictly phoning in during business hours, a customer can get the answers they need via the channel of their choice at a time that works for them. Operating in this way can positively impact customer satisfaction and improve the overall customer experience.

The contact center model also benefits the organizations that use it, particularly those without the employee resources for a round-the-clock telephone service.

In many cases, contact center solutions such as live chat messaging can answer customer queries automatically, without any behind-the-scenes employee involvement.