What’s the Difference Between an Inbound and Outbound Call Center?
One might think that between SMS, live chat, and social media that customers speaking on the phone to an agent is a thing of the past. But the truth is, phone calls are the preferred method of communicating with a business.
Having voice reliability and call capacity to handle prospective and active customer phone communication is critical to your organization– and that’s where investing in an inbound call center or outbound call center becomes a great option.
Wondering how inbound and outbound call centers differ from one another? Below, we’ll cover the key differences that set them apart.
Inbound vs. Outbound Call Centers
Call centers are essential for handling an influx of phone calls. Whether those calls are coming in from customers, or going out from your reps and agents, understanding the distinctions between an inbound vs. outbound call center is crucial for selecting the most efficient type for your enterprise. Let’s start with defining each:
- Inbound call centers primarily handle incoming calls from customers or prospects who reach out to your company directly. These calls can be related to inquiries, support requests, order placements, or general information.
- Outbound call centers initiate outgoing calls to customers or prospects for various purposes such as sales, lead generation, market research, customer surveys, or appointment scheduling.
Maybe you require both? Hybrid call centers integrate the best of both inbound calling and outbound calling. In a hybrid call center, agents are trained to handle incoming customer inquiries and also make outbound calls.
What Makes Inbound and Outbound Call Centers Different?
Both inbound and outbound call centers have distinct call strategies tailored to their specific functions. Because of this, each has its own set of unique requirements for inbound calling and outbound calling.
Let’s break down the differences between inbound and outbound call centers:
1. Objectives
The primary objective of an inbound call center is to address customer inquiries by providing assistance and resolving issues.
Outbound call centers deploy call strategies to engage customers to achieve a desired business opportunity.
2. Department Layout
Inbound call centers typically have a customer service department made up of customer service representatives. Other departments may include technical support, order processing, and escalations.
In outbound call centers, a sales department made up of sales representatives is the majority. Other departments may include quality assurance, market research, and collections.
3. Call Types
Inbound call centers require call origination numbers, such as non-geographic, ITFS, and DID, to receive calls from customers. Agents handling these inbound calls may occasionally need to transfer or escalate calls to ensure their customer finds a resolution quickly.
To do this, inbound call centers generally use two transfer call types. They are…
- Warm transfer: In a warm transfer, the agent communicates with the team member who will be taking over the call before actually connecting them. This allows the receiving team member to be prepared and aware of the impending transfer.
- Cold transfer: A cold transfer occurs when another rep or automatic call distribution service directly transfers a call to another agent without any prior interaction or communication between an agent and the customer.
Managing outbound call centers require call termination numbers, with leading call centers opting for numbers with local caller ID (also known as PSTN replacement and full PSTN replacement), to make calls to prospects and customers. These reps work from predetermined call lists or target specific customer segments.
To do this, outbound call centers classify these call types in two ways. They are…
- Warm calls: These are calls made to existing customers or individuals who have shown prior interest in the company's products or services.
- Cold calls: These are calls made to potential prospects or individuals who have not shown prior interest or engagement with the company.
Inbound Call Center Services
Customers call your organization for a variety of reasons– and it's important that when your global voice solution directs them to a department, the agent on the other line is equipped to address their inquiry. Here are some of the top services provided within inbound contact centers:
1. Customer Service
Customer service calls can come in many forms including inquiries, issues, product information requests, and order requests. The goal of your agents is to deliver excellent service, build customer satisfaction, and maintain strong relationships with active clients.
See how your customer service agents are performing with your free scorecard →
2. Tech Support
It’s common for customers to reach out for help navigating your technology. Agents taking these calls should have the technical expertise to provide guidance, diagnose problems, offer solutions, and help customers resolve technical challenges related to products or services. The goal is to ensure customers can use your products or services efficiently.
3. Inbound Sales
As a result of effective marketing, inbound sales calls are taking place. Inbound sales agents are prepared to receive incoming calls, provide information about offerings, address customer questions, and facilitate sales transactions. The goal is to convert inbound inquiries into sales and maximize revenue generation opportunities.
4. Whistleblowing
Whistleblowing calls are complaints related to misconduct, unethical behavior, or violations within an organization. The goal of agents handling these calls is to ensure confidentiality, follow appropriate protocols, and provide the necessary support to those who call in.
5. Press
Press calls come from media representatives seeking information, interviews, or statements from the company. Agents handle these calls professionally, gather details about media inquiries, and direct them to the appropriate spokesperson or department within the organization.
Outbound Call Center Services
There are several reasons your organization may want to connect with customers. From raising interest in your products and services to gathering valuable business insights, outbound call services are a great way to fuel your sales and marketing efforts. A few of these services include:
1. Quality Assurance
These calls are typically made to verify if agents adhere to predefined scripts, follow proper procedures, maintain professionalism, and provide satisfactory service. Quality assurance calls help ensure consistency and improve the overall performance of agents.
See how your QA teams are performing with your free scorecard →
2. Lead Generation
Agents make calls to gather information, qualify prospects, and determine their interest or suitability. The objective is to generate leads that can be further pursued for sales purposes.
3. Appointment Scheduling
This is when agents reach out to potential customers, clients, or prospects to coordinate dates, times, and locations for appointments with sales representatives, service providers, or other relevant parties.
4. Telesales
Outbound agents engage with potential customers, present product or service offerings, address objections, and attempt to secure sales. Telesales calls require persuasive communication skills to effectively engage prospects and generate revenue.
5. Market Research
Agents conducting market research make calls to targeted respondents and ask survey questions, record responses, and collect valuable information that can inform business strategies, product development, or marketing campaigns.
6. Political Campaigns
Outbound call centers are often involved in political campaigns, as well as surveys and polling activities. These calls aim to gather data for political analysis, campaign strategies, or public opinion research.
Inbound and Outbound Call Centers Require Reliable Voice Software
While omnichannel means of customer communication continue to grow, the power of voice isn’t evaporating. Customers expect quality service, regardless of which channel they choose to communicate with you through.
To ensure you can effectively manage and provide superior service to those who prefer phone communications, a cloud-based call center voice provider is a great solution for your inbound call center or outbound call center (or hybrid!).
As you look to grow and improve your global contact centers, check out how the AVOXI Platform’s cloud communications tools can modernize your legacy system, reduce costs and seamlessly integrate your team’s efforts in one user-friendly place.
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