One of the most popular trends in business these days is the call center. Outsourcing calls can boost 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 Informed. Call center agents are on the job 24/7 to handle calls and keep business owners informed about what`s going on in their client base. Some call centers even compile statistics about customer calls.
(2) Fewer Personnel Issues. Agents are hired and trained by the call center, which also conducts payroll and other personnel responsibilities.
(3) Efficiency. Incoming calls are automatically transferred to the applicable agent, making the best possible use of an agent`s knowledge and training. If one agent cannot solve a problem, the call can be transferred to a more knowledgeable agent. Calls are always covered despite the ebb and flow of business call volume.
(4) Accessibility. With 24/7 coverage, agents are always available to fill orders, resolve problems or complaints, offer technical expertise, answer inquiries and schedule appointments, all at the customer`s leisure.
(5) Savings. outsourcing calls to a call center reduces the need for office space, furnishings and equipment for customer service representatives. Also, it`s less expensive to outsource calls than to retain agents on all three shifts.
(6) Greater Freedom. Call centers handle the client base, allowing owners to expand their business.
Conversely, there are a down side to using call centers.
(1) Irregular Service. The quality of customer support depends upon the skill and knowledge of a given agent and skills can vary greatly 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 maintain that these agents are inadequately trained, unable to solve problems, answer questions or take appropriate actions.
(3) Lack of Supervisory Personnel. Some call centers have insufficient supervisory personnel to rectify problems an individual agent cannot deal with. This can leave a customer`s trouble indefinitely unsolved.
(4) Discontented Agents. Some agents report feeling dehumanized at call centers due to insufficient salaries, lack of privacy, inability to leave their work areas and the stress of constant incoming calls. This can produce unconcerned agents who are impolite to customers.
(5) Having to Call Repeatedly. Some customers complain that, due to the great variability of skill among agents, they must phone the call center repeatedly to connect with an agent who has the skill to solve a particular problem or to answer a particular query.
Call centers are the wave of the future and many businesses are at least considering outsourcing their calls. Nonetheless, the success of outsourcing will be a function of the caliber of service provided by the call centers themselves.
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