CALL CENTER

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CALL CENTER

A call center is a term used to reference a customer service team that interacts with clientele via the telephone, email, or live chat. Call centers often occupy large offices where dozens or hundreds of phone agents make or receive phone calls throughout the day.

Depending on the purpose of the call center, the phone representatives may be specialized into inbound (taking calls), or outbound (making calls) teams. Normally inbound representatives provide information, address customer issues, or take orders for products or services. Outbound representatives are used to carry out marketing campaigns, conduct surveys, or collect money.

Call centers have evolved to the point that their location is not longer limited to a specific geographical location. When call volume rises, modern call center operations are able to expand their staff by engaging remoter agents, hire temporary representatives or even use a completely virtual model.

Remote Agents are individuals who work from a location outside the physical call center and perform their duties using sophisticated call distribution systems and various web interfaces. Many remote agents work form home offices modified to provide a quiet and professional work environment. Temporary Agents are also a good source of help when call spikes mandate staff increases; however, temporary agents do not work away form the office, and must be trained to handle the specific needs of the firm. Virtual Call centers are a newer development where several locations, smaller than a typical centralized call center, are connected to each other through a call distribution system and several software packages to balance staffing with the workload.

While the technology used by call centers can vary greatly between operations, all call centers must have a way to: 1)make or receive calls, 2) route calls to available agents, 3) track and forecast call volume, 3) schedule agents, 4) track agent performance, 5) ensure good call quality.