One of the fastest-growing trends in business these days is the call center. Outsourcing calls can boost profits, enhance the quality of customer service, streamline business operations and save money. With virtual accessibility, call centers have become a possibility for any business, large or small.
What are the benefits to a business owner of using a call center?
(1) Staying Knowledgeable. Call center agents are available 24/7 to handle calls and keep business owners advised about what`s going on in their customer base. Some call centers even furnish statistics about customer calls.
(2) Fewer Personnel Issues. Agents are recruited and trained by the call center, which also conducts payroll and other personnel functions.
(3) Efficiency. Incoming calls are automatically transferred to the appropriate agent, making the best possible use of an agent`s knowledge and expertise. If one agent cannot resolve a problem, the call can be transferred to a more educated agent. Calls are always covered despite the ebb and flow of business call volume.
(4) Accessibility. With 24/7 staffing, agents are always available to take orders, settle problems or complaints, offer technical assistance, answer inquiries and set appointments, all at the customer`s convenience.
(5) Savings. Using a call center eliminates the need for office space, furnishings and equipment for customer service representatives. Also, it`s cheaper to outsource calls than to employ agents on all three shifts.
(6) More Freedom. Call centers handle the client base, allowing owners to develop their business.
On the other hand, there are disadvantages to using call centers.
(1) Erratic Service. The quality of customer support depends upon the skill and knowledge of a given agent and abilities can vary enormously between agents.
(2) Communication Problems. Customers complain about not being understood and not understanding agents from call centers in non-English speaking countries, with accents and/or little ability with the English language. Some customers report that these agents are poorly trained, unable to solve problems, answer questions or take appropriate actions.
(3) Lack of Knowledgeable Personnel. Some call centers have insufficient supervisory personnel to rectify problems an individual agent cannot deal with. This can leave a customer`s question indefinitely unresolved.
(4) Dissatisfied Agents. Some representatives report feeling dehumanized at call centers due to low salaries, lack of privacy, inability to leave their work areas and the stress of constant incoming calls. This can produce uncaring agents who are rude to customers.
(5) Having to Call Repeatedly. Some customers report that, due to the great variability of skill among agents, they must phone the call center numerous time to find an agent who has the ability to solve a given problem or to address a particular query.
Call centers are the trend of the future and most businesses are at least considering outsourcing their calls. Ultimately, the success of outsourcing will be a result of the quality of customer service provided by the call centers themselves.
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