What Is the Difference Between a Call Center and Answering Service?

A call center is a service organization composed of a group of service personnel in a relatively centralized place. Computer communication technology is usually used to handle telephone inquiries from enterprises and customers. Especially, it has the ability to handle a large number of incoming calls at the same time. It also has a calling number display, which can automatically allocate incoming calls to personnel with corresponding skills for processing and can record and store All incoming messages. ^[1]

1956 United States

The importance of a call center is manifested in the following areas: ''

(1) Integrate communication channels between enterprises and customers. Establish a customer-centric service model; provide customers with a variety of services in a high quality, efficient and comprehensive manner.

(2) Enhance corporate brand and customer loyalty. Attract new customers and retain existing customers.

(3) Provide customers with personalized services and differentiated services to obtain competitive advantages.

(4) A variety of channels for customers to choose from, and provide 7 × 24 hours service. Improve customer satisfaction.

Customer service is a complete process of interacting with customers, including listening to customer questions and requirements, responding to customer needs, and inquiring about new customer needs. We really can't think of it as a simple process. Customer service can be represented by a complex cycle, which not only includes customers and customer service departments, but actually includes the entire company, that is, the company as a whole is driven by customer demand. ^[4]

To maintain efficiency while maintaining service levels. The call center must have the following characteristics:

(1) Unification of all channels between customers and the company;

(2) Any channel that allows customers to experience interaction with the company;

(3) Through available technologies. Shift customer interactions to lower cost channels;

(4) Continuously enhance the automation of interaction processes to respond more quickly and effectively;

(5) Process standardization. Address customer issues in a more timely and appropriate manner. ^[4]

The main tasks of a call center will affect many important decisions regarding call center functions, call handling measures, internal or external liaison measures, and call center structure, ie centralized or decentralized.

Call centers usually handle most customer inquiries or basic types of services first. This means that 80% or more of the calls can be answered without being assigned to other departments of the company. With adequate training and development of technical systems, more complex inquiries can also be handled.

The primary goal of a call center is to provide high-quality services to satisfy customers. The basis for providing high quality services is to increase contact with customers. ^[1]

1. No geographical restrictions

Traditional commerce adopts the method of opening a store for business, and customers must go to the business outlets to get the corresponding services. This aspect implies the high cost of commercial enterprises in scale expansion, and another. On the one hand, it means that customers are restricted by their place of residence when shopping. The use of a call center solves both problems. The company does not have to worry about setting up business outlets in remote areas, and customers do not have to leave the house. One phone can solve the problem, quickly and conveniently.

2. No time limit

With the help of automatic voice response equipment, the call center can provide users with 24-hour service even if the artificial agent is off work, without additional costs. In contrast, it is difficult for ordinary business outlets to achieve this, at least it will greatly increase operating costs.

3 Personalized service

Call centers can provide better services to customers, and often cannot be provided by ordinary business outlets.

For example, when a call arrives, the call center can extract relevant information according to the calling number or the called number and transmit it to the agent's terminal. In this way, the agent staff received a lot of information related to this customer when they received the call, simplifying the process of telephone processing.

This is especially effective when the call center is used in a customer service center. When the user enters the customer service center, he only needs to enter the customer number or even the customer number, the call center can extract it from the database according to its calling number Information related to it. This information includes both the user's basic information, such as company name, phone number, address, etc., as well as past phone records, and resolved and unresolved issues, so that both parties can quickly enter the core of the issue.

The call center can also intelligently process the call based on this information and transfer it to the relevant professional's agent seven, so that the customer can get the help of the professional immediately, so that the problem can be solved as soon as possible.

Collect and build a database through a call center, use data mining technology to find more customers for the enterprise, and provide them with personalized and complete services, which will bring the best competitive advantage. ^[5]

Call center by access technology

According to the access technology classification, it can be divided into switch-based call centers and computer-based board-type call centers.

The difference between the two solutions lies in the front-end access technology, that is, how the user's incoming call is specifically connected to the call center's service system. The switch-based approach is where the switch connects user calls to background agents. The computer-based voice board method is to control the user's incoming call by the computer through the voice processing board.

Because the switch technology matures earlier, the stability and reliability of the call center system using the switch is better, but the cost is also higher. While the call center using the card access type is relatively cheap, its reliability and stability are relatively poor. With the development of computer software and hardware technology, in the future, there may be board access call centers with the same strong reliability and stability. ^[5]

Call center by call type

(1) Incoming call center

This type of call center does not initiate calls actively. Its main function is to answer calls initiated by customers. The main aspects of its application are technical support, product consulting, and so on.

(2) Outgoing call center

This type of call center is the active initiator of the call, and its main applications are marketing, market research, customer satisfaction survey, etc.

(3) Inbound / Outbound Hybrid Call Center

There are relatively few call-only call centers and call-out call centers. A large number of call centers both handle calls from customers and initiate calls actively. ^[5]

Call center by size

(1) Large call center

It is generally considered that a call center with more than 100 human workers is called a large call center. It needs at least a large switch with sufficient capacity, automatic call distribution equipment, automatic voice response system, CTI server, manual agents and terminals, call management system or database.

(2) Medium call center

Call centers with artificial agents between 50 and 100 are called medium call centers. The medium-sized call center PBX is directly connected to the CTI server and the artificial agent, and the artificial agent is connected to the application server. The customer information is stored in the application server. The application server automatically pops up the customer information of the incoming call on the computer screen, so Agents can get relevant information in time. The CTI server is generally composed of a board and a PC from a CTI hardware developer.

(3) Small call center

The system structure of a small call center with less than 50 seats is similar to that of a medium-sized call center, but the main parts such as PBX, CTI server, artificial seat, and application server can be reduced in number. ^[5]

Call center by function

It can be divided into telephone call center, Web call center, Ipns call center, multimedia call center, video call center, unified message processing center, etc. by function.

Call centers are classified by nature of use

According to the nature of use, it can be divided into self-built call centers, outsourced service call centers, and application service provider call centers. The application service provider type call center refers to the call center's equipment and technology platform provided by the application service provider, and the company that rents the platform itself recruits agents and performs call management. ^[5]

Call centers by location

According to the distribution location, it can be divided into single-site call center and multiple-site call center.

Multi-site call center refers to the same call center where the workplaces are located in different locations, or even in different cities. Whether in the process of processing outgoing calls or incoming calls, the sub centers distributed in different locations give customers the same call center. The information interaction between the sub centers distributed in different locations can be through enterprise wide area network technology or the Internet. Technical realization. ^[5]