Undeniably, call centres play a crucial role in the lives of not just the sellers but also in the lives of consumers. They help consumers in resolving the issues they face while helping the companies in keeping their customer share intact and increasing. Moreover, whether it is an inbound call centre, outbound call centre or a blended call centre, there are a few basics that not everyone is acquainted with. Such oblivious nature isn’t good because the impact that call centres have on our lives is quite evident. So, take a look at this blog as we unravel the basics of the call centre.
What is a call centre?
A call centre is an organization that involves handling calls whether inbound or outbound. The same helps in fostering the relations of the company with the customers.
The aforementioned explanation to what is a call centre brings us to the next question– What are inbound calls and outbound calls?
Inbound calls are the calls that the call centre agents receive, they are from existing and potential customers. Outbound calls are the ones that the agents working in a call centre make. These calls are made mostly to potential customers.
Are there different types of call centres?
- Inbound call centre-
Such call centres are the ones that attend the calls they receive. The calls can be related to a certain query, issue or anything else related to the company and its products. The inbound call centres have two subdivisions-
Customer service- This service helps in nurturing the relationship of the customers with the company. The calls they receive are related to minor issues related to accounting, billing or some other grievance.
Technical support- Such support is essential for the customers of the companies who deal in electronic gadgets basically any hardware or software. The agents providing technical support are sounder technically. So, they help in troubleshooting the problems by guiding the customer on call.
- Outbound call centre-
These call centres are basically the ones that make calls to the potential customers /targeted public. A list of numbers is taken out and they are known as leads. They are called and educated about the product and the company using a script to pitch. They can also be regarded as outbound telemarketing calls.
- Blended call centre-
As the word suggests, blended call centres are a mix of both the above –mentioned call centres. A blended call centre deals with the functions of both the inbound call centre and outbound call centre. The agents working in such outsourcing companies are quite flexible.
Note: If you are a company that is planning to outsource its call centre functions, go ahead. Contrary to the belief of some that call centres are cost centres (expensive), they are rather the profit centres as they help you in saving a lot of revenue.
What are the Key performance indicators?
Key performance indicators (KPIs) include software & tools that help in analyzing the performance of the outbound and inbound call centre overall. The most widely used metrics are named below with an explanation of what they are.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
It tells if the service provided to the customer were able to surpass his expectation, meet them or fell way below that. This analysis helps in understanding the shortcomings of the call centre. It lets you know if the technology is outdated or the agents are not properly trained. This is analyzed by directly sending a message or online link to measure the satisfaction level.
First Call Resolution:
This software allows every inbound call centre to know how many callers got a solution to their problem in the first go. First call resolution allows you to understand how effective your services are. Clearly, if the call centre has better FCR rate, the number of satisfied customers will also be more.
Revenue Per Call:
The revenue per call is calculated simply by dividing the total number of calls with the total revenue. This metric is used for outbound calls mostly. However, inbound telemarketing is also rising in the usage.
Up-Sell/Cross-Sell Rate:
This rate not just helps in improving the customer satisfaction but also the revenue of the business. If the upsell/cross-sell rate is high, it is great. Cross-selling and upselling means persuading the consumer to buy more by telling them how the product the agent is suggesting can increase the benefit of the one they have already bought.
Apart from the mentioned ones, there are other call centre metrics too, like average Call Handling Time, Quality Scores, Call Abandonment, Staff Turnover/Retention etc. We shall discuss them in some other post later.
