One of the hottest trends in business today is the call center. Outsourcing calls can increase profits, improve the quality of customer service, streamline business operations and save money. With virtual accessibility, call centers have become an option for any business, large or small.
What are the advantages to a business owner of using a call center?
(1) Staying Knowledgeable. Call center agents are working for you 24/7 to handle calls and keep business owners apprised about what`s going on in their client 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 applicable agent, making the best possible use of an agent`s knowledge and skill sets. If one agent cannot resolve a problem, the call can be rerouted to a more knowledgeable agent. Calls are always answered despite the ebb and flow of business call volume.
(4) Accessibility. With 24/7 staffing, agents are always available to take orders, resolve problems or complaints, offer technical assistance, answer questions and set appointments, all at the customer`s convenience.
(5) Savings. outsourcing calls to a call center eliminates the need for rented space, furniture and equipment for customer service representatives. Also, it`s less expensive to outsource calls than to hire agents on all three shifts.
(6) Increased Freedom. Call centers handle the client base, freeing owners to expand their business.
Conversely, there are liabilities to using call centers.
(1) Inconsistent Service. The quality of customer support depends upon the skill and expertise of a given agent and skills can vary greatly between agents.
(2) Communication Issues. 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 badly trained, unable to solve problems, answer questions or take appropriate actions.
(3) Lack of Knowledgeable Personnel. Some call centers have insufficient supervisory personnel to solve problems an individual agent cannot deal with. This can leave a customer`s trouble indefinitely in limbo.
(4) Unhappy Agents. Some representatives report feeling dehumanized at call centers due to insufficient wages, lack of privacy, inability to leave their work stations and the stress of constant incoming calls. This can produce unconcerned agents who are rude to customers.
(5) Having to Call Repeatedly. Some customers complain that, due to the great variability of skill among agents, they must dial the call center numerous time to connect with an agent who has the expertise to solve a given problem or to answer a particular inquiry.
Call centers are the direction of the future and most businesses are at least considering outsourcing their calls. Nonetheless, the success of outsourcing will be a function of the quality of service delivered by the call centers themselves.
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