A call center is a centralized department used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of inquiries by telephone. It may be located within a company or outsourced to another company specialized in handling calls. Call centers are used by mail-order organizations, polling services, online merchants, computer product help desk, or telemarketing companies. It acts as a means of managing their customer interactions.

A call center is a central point from which all the customer contacts are effectively managed. Through call centers, valuable information about the company is routed to different people, contacts are tracked and data is gathered. It is a part of the company’s customer relationship management infrastructure. Agents in a call center handle calls from current or potential customers regarding scheduling, account management, technical support, complaints, queries about products, or intent to purchase from the company.

In an outbound call center, the agent makes calls on behalf of the company for different tasks such as lead generation, customer retention, telemarketing, fundraising, or scheduling appointments. To increase efficiency, calls are usually made with an automated dialer and then transferred to an available agent by the IVR system, once the connection with the person has been made.

Types of Call Centers

Some of the major call center types other than inbound, outbound and blended are given below:

1. In-House Call Center

In this type of call center, the company owns and runs its call center and hires its agents mostly.

2. Offshore Call Center

When a company outsources its call center operations to organizations in another country, it is called the offshore call center. It is done to save money on wages and provide services around the clock. Its drawback includes reduced customer satisfaction due to lack of knowledge about the company, language issues, or product or service due to distance.

3. Virtual Call Center

In virtual call centers, agents are dispersed geographically and answer calls using cloud call center technology. These call center agents can be located either in small groups in different offices or in their own homes.

How Call Center Operate

Most of the call centers have the same working principle but different approaches. You will realize this when you start talking to a vendor. You will come to know that different companies have their unique approaches to serving customers. If you are seeking a long-term call center outsourcing partner, search for vendors about outsourcing customer support. Then make yourself familiar about how call centers work. Your account starts when you signed with a service provider call center agreement. Your agents will be ready to receive calls and your line will be opened. When a call comes in on your line, you’ll hear, “Yes this is XYZ, how can we help you?” These calls are mostly routed automatically to “the floor”, a term which only means the staff.

Call Center Outsourcing

Call center outsourcing means the business practice of contracting out call center services. It is a method started by companies to save money. They found it was more expensive to locate their call centers in areas with a lower cost of living. The other way, they can pay their agents less. It is helpful if the area has a few natural disasters to interrupt service. A strong telecommunication network is also needed. For these reasons, Phoenix Arizona became a hub for many call centers. Now let’s discuss some of the major reasons why a company should outsource its call center:

1. Flexibility

Call center outsourcing enables a company to be flexible to changing needs. It’s difficult to estimate how many call center employees to add if a business moves into a new market. The same is the case when a firm launches a new product. Even if the expansion doesn’t earn enough, the company must pay the fixed cost of the call center. When it outsources the call center, it only has to pay for the time employees spend on the phone.

2. Responsiveness

Most of the companies have spikes in their business during the holiday season. In those few months, it’s difficult to hire, train, and then lay off workers when demand is higher. These risks are avoided when a company outsources its call center.

3. Expansion to International Market

If a company wants to expand to foreign markets, it must have local call centers. The staff must speak the language and understand the culture. An outsourced call center can handle this problem on an as-needed basis.

4. Customer Service

Telecommunication services sometimes become outdated or worn. Maintaining it is pretty costly, and replacing it is even more. An outdated system reduces competitiveness. An outsourced call center is equipped with the latest technology. The company can then focus on innovation in its goods and services.

Pricing

Call center services usually don’t post their pricing online, because what you pay is determined by the services you select and your monthly call volume. Budgeting for call center services is reasonably complex. The majority of the cost is per-minute or per-hour fees for each call. A complex script, the volume of your calls, and any special services you require will also come into play and hence, increases the cost. For call center services, you have to pay between $0.50 to $1 per minute. Call center prices are per-minute, per-agent, or per-hour and can range from $10 for the lowest-priced offshore companies to $25 for larger U.S based firms.

Beyond the basic charges, there are many other fees as well. Many sellers enforce monthly minimums, which you can drive up your costs if your volume fluctuates unpredictably. A set-up fee can also be charged which may be several thousand dollars. The best way to evaluate seller pricing is to get some bids and compare them to each other.

Cloud-Based Call Centers

A cloud-based call center is a network-based service in which the provider owns and operates call center technology. These call centers are offering an innovative way to approach the pitfalls of your business. They are becoming very common because of the benefits of the solution made available as a service. Businesses value cloud-based call centers as they offer features that improve customer satisfaction and customer interaction. They help in identifying areas within the organization that would best benefit from the implementation of this model. There is no requirement of hardware in cloud-based centers which ultimately eliminates the problem of maintaining the equipment.

Importance of Call Centers

Customers have high expectations for the customer service provided by companies. They not only want their issues addressed, but they also want them handled efficiently and quickly. Customers often turn first to the telephone when a time-sensitive matter arises. It’s important that when customers call for service or support, a representative or agent is available. Companies that utilize call centers can effectively assist their customers. Call centers make a brand available 24/7, or during a time frame that matches customer expectations. Phone calls handled by call centers are valuable touchpoints with customers.

Conclusion

Therefore, for a company to be successful and want better customer satisfaction, there’s no better choice than a call center!

So, if you are looking for some large services related to call centers, please fill the form above. Our team will contact you soon.