When choosing an outsourcing company to communicate with customers, process applications, and inform them about goods, services, or promotions, customers find offers from call centers and contact centers. And in the vast majority of cases, many mistakenly believe that both terms mean the same phenomenon that applies to the field of customer service.
When choosing between a call center and a contact center, it is necessary to take into account not only the needs of the business, but also how the behavior of consumers is changing, and therefore the possible options for interaction that will arise shortly.
What is the difference between a call center and a contact center?
The difference between a call center and a contact center is that a call center allows you to provide information only in the form of a phone call.
Call center capabilities
Although the voice communication channel is the main and, as a rule, the only tool of interaction with the customer’s customers, this does not mean that the call center is too limited in terms of providing its services.
The call center can offer the following service to the company:
1) “Hotline”.
Communication with subscribers during incoming calls, counseling, help in solving problems, and answers to general questions 24/7.
2) “Cold calls”.
Outbound calls to the customer base to draw attention to goods or services, and sales.
3) Telemarketing.
Active sales via phone with high conversion. Interaction with potential customers is carried out both on outgoing and incoming calls.
Read also: Who needs telemarketing and why?
4) Questionnaire.
Conducting market research to obtain information that will help increase sales and formulate offers that will interest potential customers.
5) Customer returns.
Outgoing calls to those customers who, for one reason or another, stopped contacting the company.
Learn more: Return of lost customers: why do they leave and how to return?
6) Information.
Notification of upcoming sales, promotions, providing information about events, etc.
7) Acceptance and processing of applications.
Call center operators to accept applications (requests, orders) and transfer customer data directly to the customer.
8) Virtual secretary.
Telephone operators perform all the functions traditionally assigned to a secretary in an office.
9) Working with databases.
Forming a client base, calling to clarify contact details and other information.
10) Backup call center.
If during promotions or advertising campaigns, the customer’s staff cannot cope with a large flow of calls. Also, a backup call center will come in handy when handling calls on holidays and non-working hours.
Modern call centers can provide all these services together or some specific one that the company needs. In addition, call centers can use automatic services in the form of automatic dialing and automatic informing.
Contact center capabilities
In the contact center, all available communication channels are used and integrated into a single solution.
1) Email and SMS mailings.
Sending commercial offers, information about goods or services, future promotions, etc. by e-mail or via SMS. The client does not have to respond immediately or at all. First of all, he must receive and familiarizes himself with the information.
2) Online chats.
This is a continuous dialogue in messengers or on the website between the agent and the client. A person receives answers to questions in online chats almost instantly. Unlike phone calls, an agent can talk to multiple people at the same time.
3) Social networks.
An analysis of the customer’s company page on the social network, communication in chats, as well as in comments is carried out.
4) Voice menu.
Development and implementation of voice assistant (IVR) to solve several tasks:
– independent provider of services, for example, when by clicking on a certain number, the subscriber can find out about the debt owed to the bank;
– informing, for example, providing information about the cost of services, work schedule, etc.;
– forwarding – a routing system for transferring a call to a specific company department without communicating with an operator.
5) Chatbots.
A robotic communication channel through which a potential client can get answers to questions on the site without directly contacting an agent.
Among the advantages of the contact center, the following can also be distinguished:
- Uninterrupted communication with those people for whom voice communication is not always suitable. It can be people who have hearing problems or those who do not have time, etc.
- When contact center agents work with several communication channels, the load on the telephone line decreases, and the number of processed requests increases.
- If the subscriber misses important information during a phone call, he needs to call again to get it again. When communicating via messengers or email, the history of correspondence is saved, and the necessary information is not lost.
Importantly! To decide what is better to choose – the services of a call center or a contact center, first the company needs to understand what business challenges need to be solved. For example, if you only need to resolve issues regarding the processing of incoming and outgoing calls, then the services of a call center are quite sufficient. And if you need all means and communication capabilities to attract and retain customers, then it is better to pay attention to contact center services.
If you want to receive recommendations on communicating with clients, have questions, or want to receive advice, contact us. Our manager will reply to discuss the details and help you. After all, with 15 years of experience in the contact center A.R.C.E. and 600+ implemented projects, we can help you establish and improve relationships with your customers and solve certain problems.
