A call center is a team of customer service agents who manage incoming and outgoing calls at a central location or remotely. Call center services provide companies with a dedicated communication infrastructure and staff to manage customer interactions over the phone and other channels. A call center service provider is usually a software tool that offers solutions ranging from basic call management to sophisticated omnichannel customer experience management. A call center is a centralized department of customer service professionals who deal with incoming and outgoing calls from current and potential customers.
Call centers are located within an organization or are outsourced to another company that specializes in call management. Call centers are used by online merchants, telemarketing companies, support services, mail-order organizations, voting services, charities, and any large organization that uses the telephone to sell products or provide services. Outsourced call center services may look similar, but the details of each company's offerings can vary considerably. Inbound call centers are answering services and call centers that receive calls, while outbound centers make strategic sales calls.
Virtual call center services are ideal for businesses looking to maintain excellent customer service with less overhead. Each outsourced call center service has plans or pricing models that are likely to depend on your company's specific characteristics. Inbound call center agents can handle calls from current or potential customers related to account management, programming, technical support, complaints, inquiries about products or services, or the intention to purchase products or services from the organization. While some call centers may only qualify as one of the above types, many call centers have evolved to encompass a combination of these capabilities.
Cloud-based call center services operate on remote servers, eliminating the need for extensive local hardware. From product inquiries to technical support, working with inbound call center services allows you to have a team of call center agents who are highly trained and equipped to manage your customers' problems. Outbound call center services make outbound calls for cold calling, cross-selling, marketing, or survey purposes. Key call center metrics include first-call resolution (FCR), average time to service (AHT), customer satisfaction score (CSAT), net promotion index (NPS), call abandonment rate, and level compliance of service.
Most call center service providers classify their offerings into inbound and outbound call services, and some may offer both. Call center services offer scalable solutions to improve the customer experience as the company grows. Organizations must have representatives available when customers request service or support, and those with call centers can more effectively help customers in need. When considering call center services, look for the following features that will simplify your business process and improve the customer experience.
