Inbound Call Centers: A Key Customer Service Channel

In the recent past, inbound call centers have evolved into a key customer service channel. Calling agents play a vital role because the industry is rapidly evolving. So executives need to develop into sophisticated support aids. 

Call center agents are also called customer service representatives (CSRs). They make or answer calls to prospective and existing customers. With the aid of the internet, such agents accommodate email. It is visible that the number of communication channels for customers have increased. No wonder that the pressure on agents has also doubled. 

Interestingly enough the social media is made use of by consumers to research products, influence brands, express opinions and contact companies within public (transparent) forums. As a result of this, outbound call center agents have to interact with customers via social media channels (Facebook and Twitter).

Here’s summarizing the innards of inbound call centers. But before moving on, one should know that CRM, call center agent management, workforce optimization (WFO), and software-based PBX, private branch exchange together comprise of this huge call center wing. Now let us learn some more on the features of inbound call centers as a key customer service channel:

·         Generally, a contact center software suite is multifaceted, large in size and complex. Knowledge management (KM) is a key attribute according to Forrester Research analysts for it is critical for effective answering. Agents go through a large pool of customer inquiries on a daily basis. With the aid of KM software, they can access a central repository of institutional knowledge, retort to customer questions, hunt for answers etc.

·         These days, mobile customer service applications have become predominant. These are a must-have for companies who are looking for competitive call center suites.

·         Social media technology is being rapidly adopted by businesses and youngsters. Such platforms are accessed via internet enabled devices like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. Another notable change is video calling.

Thus across the globe, customer service organizations will evaluate latest technologies and strategies to mature their services. Only then can they address emerging needs of customers via inbound and outbound call centers.