Call Centers and Its Major Types

Call centers are outfits where trained telephone agents handle incoming calls or make outgoing telephone calls. The call centers majorly deal with the customers and prospects. There are various types of call centers. Each type of call center uses a call center software solution for their operations. In this article, I have explained the three types of call centers.

Outbound call centers

This is also known as a phone bank, telephone bank, telemarketing center, customer service center, or a telephony sales center. In this type of call center, the agents are only concerned with outgoing telephone calls. Here, the agents call the customers. Agents use call center dialers that automatically dial some batch set of numbers to the clients. An outbound call center agent mainly deals with selling products and services and can be either virtual or traditional.

Inbound call centers

In this kind of call center, the agents only handle incoming telephone calls. The agents provide customer service or some kind of technical support and assistance. They might also sell a company's products and services for incoming inquiries. Inbound call centers can be virtual or traditional. In inbound call centers, clients make telephone inquiries and agents are available on standby to answer their telephone calls. Automated call distribution and other call routing rules available in the call center solutions are used to distribute incoming call traffic to idle or most suitable agents. Inbound call centers are basically customer service centers, and mainly dealing with telephone calls. Major industries that set up inbound call centers are related to banking & finance, credit card operations, back-office operations.

Virtual call centers

These can be described as home-based call centers. They are operated by a single person, and in most cases, inside a person's home. A home-based agent is contracted by an organization to perform a non-core task that traditionally required the agent to commute to the physical office. Virtual call centers require substantial investment in technologies such as Internet bandwidth, powerful computer systems, antivirus solutions, and reliable headset gear. The virtual call centers need a virtual call center solution to run operations. Some of the common virtual call center jobs include reservations, quality assurance, online surveys, technical support, verification, customer service, and telemarketing.

Web-enabled call centers

Over the last decade, these web-based call centers have increased in popularity. This type of call center is mainly used to fetch answers to questions or resolve client issues without necessarily disconnecting from the Internet. Such call centers enhance e-commerce initiatives by providing superior customer service. The omnichannel call center solutions are used to run operations of this type of call center.

Telephone call centers

This type of call center offers flexible telephone routing techniques. It utilizes sophisticated telephone and Internet technologies and the call center agent within the telephone call center provides accurate and timely information. These call centers offer personalized call management via a team that is comprised of call center operators, or agents who have information pertaining to clients.

Various types of call centers require employees to have different skill sets, but all call centers should have agents that are properly-versed in handling customers. For instance, in a web-based chatting system, an employee is not required to sharpen his/her accent. However, in inbound and outbound operations, call center agents should have clear and neutral agents because they communicate using their voices.

Author works in a company that offers VoIP development services such as FreeSwitch development, Asterisk development, OpenSips development, Kamailio development, etc.