Recognizing the differences between a contact center and a call center can be challenging. The main difference between a call center and contact center is based on the method of communication handled by the operation.
Historically, a call center is an operation that focuses on handling inbound and outbound calls, oftentimes with agents blended to handle both. The calls are frequently geared towards order taking, customer service, or on the outbound side, sales and appointment setting.
A contact center also typically handles inbound and outbound calls, but additionally services other channels of communication, such as website chat, text messaging, and email.
Let’s look at the differences in a bit more detail.
CALL CENTERS
Call centers, like the name suggests, are focused on call handling. Call centers are designed to handle massive daily call volumes with a blend of real-life support staff and automated call receiving and messaging systems. Generally, call centers are used to handle customer service, technical support or sales. Call centers commonly handle a wide variety of call types, including:
- Sales and shipping questions
- Appointment setting for sales teams
- Survey calls to customers
- Sales and marketing campaigns
- Financial collections and payments
- Fraud prevention and reporting
- Membership renewals
- Customer service inquiries
CONTACT CENTERS
The main thing that separates the two is a contact center provides additional services, such as:
- VoIP servicesEmail based messaging
- SMS and website chat customer service
- Fax sending and receiving services
- Social media monitoring
A contact center acknowledges and supports the new trends in business, marketing and customer service and provides omnichannel customer support to the customer. Most customers today expect the companies they do business with to have several channel options for communication. True contact centers can support all of these channels, and will have the technology in place to do so both efficiently and effectively.
To learn more, see what options are available and further understand how outsourcing can help your business scale, contact us today.
