Inbound Call Centers Versus Outbound Call Centers: Are They Different?
By: Seomul Evans
Submitted: 2009-09-16 22:52:11 | Word Count: 603
When your business was small, running it was a piece of cake. You had minimum staff and you handled al the business dealings yourself. However, if your business has grown beyond the capabilities of your customer service staff then it is time for you to consider using a professional call center.
There are two types of call centers in outbound call centers and outdoor call centers. Before you choose a call center to run your service, you must decide exactly what services you desire. The services you wish to use will determine if you want to use an inbound call center or an outbound call center. If you are not sure about the difference between the two types of call centers, then this article is for you.
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Inbound call centers focus on answering phone calls that are made by your current and potential customers. The questions they deal with can be product and service orders, billing issues, and technical assistance. Most of the call centers that offer inbound call center services also offer special assistance for the businesses employing them. This often includes but is not limited to customer feedback reports.
Some inbound call centers also offer extend their services by online assistance to customers. This is a great convenient service that allows customers to receive technical assistance without tying up their phone line. Another service that may be offered is voice mail and/or messaging. With this service your customers can contact your company 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
If you are less concerned with the idea of your customers contacting you and more concerned with contacting them you may wish to use an outbound call center. Outbound call centers specialize in lead generating and appointment making. Typically this is done through telemarketing. It is your choice whether the call center uses hot or cold calling techniques. Once an interested party is contacted the outbound call center will either set up an appointment for one of your sales men or take the order for the product.
If recruiting new clients is secondary to ensuring client satisfaction you may still want to use an outbound call center. Arrangements can be made for outbound call centers to contact your clients and survey their satisfaction. This is often done specifically for new clients or clients who have made recent complaints. The phone call from the company shows that they truly appreciate the client. It can be helpful in preventing customer loss by clearing up confusion also.
Like inbound call centers, outbound call centers also have the capability to report back to you regarding customer satisfaction. This can be very important in any business for pinpointing areas of your company that do not perform well. For example if there is a noticeable trend of new customers avoiding a certain product this will be reported. You now know that the product is not performing well and can make any necessary changes.
The fees for inbound call centers and outbound call centers are relatively the same. What has a greater impact on the fees are the services you choose to use from each individual call center. This choice has more bearing than the type of call center you use. Location of the center can affect the price also. Call centers in Dallas seem to be the most cost effective when services are compared. It is possible to find cheaper call centers but none will offer the wonderful services that can be found in the Dallas area. You should be careful as you shop however. Not all call centers are the same. Shop around before making your decision.
