Call Center: Top 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions

Since the 1960s, call centres have rapidly evolved and are still widely used in many different industries. Below, we’ve listed the top 10 most frequently asked questions about call centres.

Call Centre FAQ’s:

As on-site departments convert into remote teams, agents will need to use call center software while working from home. If you are simply interested in becoming a call center agent or are just a curious reader, you’re still at the right place. We scanned the web and discovered everything you need to know! Now, let’s review the top 10 most frequently asked questions about call centers:

What Is a Call Center?

A call center (or call centre) is the central office in an organisation that handles all inbound and outbound communications with customers. But what is a call center’s primary function? Generally, a call center deals with a large volume of phone calls, forwarding calls to the appropriate agents, and logging calls into a designated system. Call centers are used for a variety of different services like lead generation, customer support, and emergency response. 

What Is the Difference between a Call Center and Contact Center?

Over time, call centers have gradually progressed into new branches of communication. The most popular being contact centers. Most people have a difficult time distinguishing the difference between a call center and a contact center. Both use phone channels to deliver customer service and handle inbound queries. But what are the differences?

A call center is a central part of an organisation that handles caller inquiries, technical support, product or service orders, and more, usually with the aid of computer automation.

A contact center is a coordinated system of technologies, people, processes and strategies that enable businesses to collect information, resources, and data through various communication channels. This establishes valuable interactions between the customer and the business.

What Are the Different Types of Call Centers?

There are three different types of call centers:

1. Inbound Call Centers handle all customer and prospect inquiries related to your product or service, user account management, technical support, complaints, or other issues.

2. Blended Call Centers manage both incoming and outgoing calls. This allows agents to focus on dealing with incoming caller requests or outbound calls to schedule follow-ups. 

3. Outbound Call Centers make outbound calls to current and potential customers on behalf of a client or business. Many of these calls are used for telemarketing, fundraising, scheduling, and sales purposes. 

What Does a Call Center Do?

We’ve touched on what a call center is, but what does a call center do? As we mentioned, call centers handle incoming and/or outgoing calls and are located either within an organisation or outsourced by a different company. Call center agents have numerous responsibilities and daily tasks, including:

• – Make and receive phone calls,
• – Handle and resolve customer inquiries,
• – Sell and provide information about products or services,
• – Complete orders, applications, and forms,
• – Log customer inquiries and information into a system,
• – Route calls to the appropriate people or departments,
• – Other assigned duties.

How Does Call Center Software Work?

Call center software routes calls to the right teams, provides staff with critical insights and helps businesses conduct an omnichannel strategy. Without call center systems, customers will be waiting on hold while your agents scramble to answer call queries.

Moreover, they won’t be able to effectively manage the chaos because they won’t have access to the call volume or trends. 

What Are the Best Call Center Features?

Call centers have a variety of useful features like call analytics, data monitoring, call logs, and tracking real-time stats on a wallboard. With NUACOM, you can enhance your call center with premium features, such as:

• Record: track all inbound and outbound calls with GDPR compliant recordings.

• IVR: All incoming calls answered via Interactive Voice Response.

• Full Call Reports: Measure the call center productivity with call reports.

• Click-to-Call: Make 8x more calls with our Click-to-Call feature and boost your sales.

What Is a Call Center Agent?

A call center agent, also known as customer support and service representative, receives phone calls from current and potential customers who need assistance. Typically, call center agents work to resolve customer issues and provide quick solutions.

While some inquiries can be solved during the first interaction, other issues can take weeks to solve.

How Can I Talk to a Call Center Customer?

Speaking with a call center customer or lead over the phone can be difficult. In some instances, even the most experienced agents have trouble communicating with customers. So what are the best tactics when talking to a call center customer via phone call? To start, here are a few handy tricks:

• Always be professional: no crude language, negative topics, and never bad mouth your competitor!

• Establish good rapport: create an emotional connection with the customer at the beginning of the conversation.

• Stay positive: studies have shown that by speaking over the phone with a smile on your face, you will be perceived as friendly and optimistic.

Interested in learning more useful tips and 16 psychological techniques to improve sales calls? Download the Sales Engagement Guide today!

Is Working for a Call Center Difficult?

Similar to many other jobs, experiencing stress while working at a call center is inevitable. Some difficulties occur when there is a large volume of incoming calls, not enough agents to handle the call queue and no call center software to support the agents.

Another difficulty working at a call center arises when there are inconsistencies between performance expectations and evaluation criteria. Agents can feel torn between meeting expectations and conforming to how they will later be evaluated. 

Can I Work for a Call Center from Home?

Some organisations allow their call center agents to work from home and even supply them with a headset, microphone, and even a laptop. To make and receive calls remotely, you can easily download a desktop app on your PC or mobile.

A softphone application allows you to set your availability, listen to recorded calls, quickly connect with team members, and engage with callers from any place, at any time.  

With NUACOM Cloud Phone System, you can access premium call center features directly on your desktop or mobile. Agents can call clients alongside relevant data collected in the CRM, so they are always informed on a contact’s current status in the sales engagement cycle.