What Are Call Center Services?
Call center services, also known with contact center and call center outsourcing, refer to a type of support function which handles interactions with customers or the like. This can come in multiple forms, such as through calls, emails, live chats, and other communication channels. These may also revolve around fielding incoming communications (inbound) or conducting outreach campaigns (outbound). The goal of call center services is to improve customer satisfaction.
As a service, its benefit for clients is its ability to streamline certain business processes like customer service, tech support, admin support, or sales. The goal is to enhance the overall operational efficiency of an organization.
What Are The Different Types of Call Center Services?
When it comes to call center services, they may come in the form of calls, emails, live chat, or any other form of communication. And when classifying them into different types, there are two overarching categories and several services under each.
Inbound Call Center Services
From the word “inbound,” this type of call center service refers to all incoming communications. Below are the most common types of inbound communications that call center specialists handle.
Customer Support
The most common call center service is customer support. With a large number of B2C or direct to consumer businesses, many are looking for services that will help them answer customer queries, assisting with their complains and issues.
Technical Support
As companies becoming increasingly digitized, it’s become more common for people to encounter technical issues or difficulties, requiring technical support. This service aims to provide assistance with technical issues, such as through troubleshooting or guiding customers through problem-solving processes.
Order Processing
With many deliveries and shipments happening all over the world, there are bound to be hitches. And that’s what order processing services are for – handling calls related to product orders such as by taking orders, processing payments, and confirming deliveries.
Help Desk Services
There’s a rise in digital products, and with it comes the need for help desk services which provide support and assistance to users or customers with technical issues, inquiries, and service related requests.
Reservation Services
This service provides assistance on booking and managing services for various services such as hotels, flights, restaurants, and events. The primary task involves securing and modifying bookings according to the customer’s needs.
Concierge Services
Similar from reservation services, but a bit more broad are concierge services, which offer recommendations, arrange transportation, plan itineraries, and even handle special requests to help customers, usually in the context of travel.
Outbound Call Center Services
The opposite of inbound, outbound call center services refer to all outgoing calls conducted. Below are the most common types of outbound call center services that call center specialists handle.
Telemarketing
The most common outbound call center service is telemarketing, where an agent conducts sales outreach, calling people to promote products and services.
Market Research
Another reason to do outbound calls is to gather data. Market research services involve calling people to survey or gather feedback to understand customer preferences and market trends.
Customer Follow-up
This type of service focuses on after-sales care, and involves reaching out to people to follow-up on their satisfaction with products or services
Why Do Companies Outsource Call Center Services To The Philippines?
The Philippines is the world’s call center capital! Why?
Besides being known for its significant cost savings because of its lower cost of labor, the Philippines has excellent English, making Filipino call center agents amazing at communicating over calls.
The Philippines also has a very high literacy rate, ensuring there’s no shortage of talent when it comes to their call center companies.
Together, these contribute to the Philippines’ excellent track record as a reliable call center outsourcing destination. This also paved the way for the steady growth of its call center and BPO industry through the years!
How Do You Outsource Call Center Services To The Philippines?
Once you’re convinced you want to outsource to the Philippines, the next step is getting started. Outsourcing can sound intimidating, but it’s actually pretty simple. To break things down for you, we listed the process into 5 steps so you have a clear idea of how things will go.
Step1: Know Your Requirements
Before starting anything, know what you want to outsource. With the different types of call center services listed above, it should be easier for you to identify which particular service you need.
But aside from that, you should identify how much work needs to be done. How many calls need to be handled or conducted every day, week, month? For how long will you be needing the service? Will there be surges in call volume or will it be relatively consistent?
Make sure you have the answers to these questions before you even meet with any outsourcing company to discuss work arrangements.
Step 2: Look For An Outsourcing Partner
Once you have a clear picture of what you need, it’s time to shop around. The best method to find a reliable outsourcing partner is by referral. Do other businesses in your network have an outsourcing partner they can recommend? If not, there’s always Google.
Do a quick search and you’ll find numerous Philippine call centers. To make things even easier for you, here are the best call centers in the Philippines to help you get started. All of these companies have multiple ways you can connect with them to learn more about their services.
Pay attention to the details when communicating with them. While all outsourcing companies offer the same benefits – cost savings, access to talent, specialized skills, etc. Each company would have an edge. Some are more cost-effective, some are more technologically advanced, some provide more flexibility in terms of contract, and some offer multiple engagement models to accommodate different needs.
At the end of the day, the right outsourcing partner will depend on your priorities.
Step 3: Set Expectations and Sign Contract
Once you’ve selected the outsourcing partner, you’ll start planning on how to get your offshore call center operations started. This process involves setting expectations – what are the key performance indicators (KPIs) they have to meet? What hours will they be working? How many agents will you have dedicated to you? What are the payment terms? Are there any hidden charges, and how do you avoid them?
These are important questions to answer during your discussion with your outsourcing partner because it will prevent any surprises or disappointment later. It also helps you finalize the details that will go into your contract!
Step 4: Onboard Offshore Call Center Team
After contract signing, the next step is for your outsourcing partner to source, train, and vet your offshore call center team in preparation for their work for you. They’ll undergo training for your brand, products and services, and will be equipped with the necessary tools to support your customers. This involves getting accounts and credentials to communication channels where they’d connect with your customers.
These efforts go toward preparing them to provide your customers with the best service, ensuring positive customer experiences, reflecting well on your brand. Another objective is to ensure they have what it takes to integrate with your system and culture, being able to use your tools and represent your brand to customers.
Step 5: Enjoy Your Call Center Services
And once your offshore call center team is ready to go, you will be given a quick demonstration to prove their readiness. With your go signal, they’ll begin servicing your customers under the guidance and supervision of your outsourcing partner.
You’ll receive regular reports on how your call center is doing, with feedback for improvement. With your call center taken care of, you can focus on other areas of your business, streamlining your processes and optimizing the use of resources.
Outsource Your Customer Service To The Philippines
Now that you know everything you should about call center services, it’s time to work with the best call center Philippines has available. Reach out to a reliable call center company in the Philippines!
At KDCI Outsourcing, we specialize in providing tailored call center services, with focus on customer service & sales, retail & eCommerce support, administrative support, and more! Our goal is to streamline your call center operations using AI and automation for maximum cost savings and efficiency.
Learn more about our call center services. Contact us today!
