The Difference Between a Call Center and a Contact Center

Many people tend to confuse a call center and a contact center for the same thing. While some of the expected duties and functions overlap, these two settings are not the same and operate differently from each other. There are inherent differences in the methods of customer interaction, and therefore, a difference in the communication experience. Keep reading to understand the difference between a call center and a contact center.

Call Center

A call center traditionally relies on its vigorous telecommunications infrastructure to support the high volume of inbound or outbound calls. This setting mostly handles receiving orders or managing customer service for their company. Call representatives try to service each caller efficiently and quickly so they can get to as many callers as they can. Representatives can be routed issue specific calls so they can best resolve the customer’s concerns. Call centers can also be employed for high volumes of outbound calls if the company uses telemarketing and sales.

Contact Center

In comparison, contact centers handle high volumes of inbound and outbound communication, but with the addition of digital channels. That is, while contact centers can also manage calls like call centers, the contact center is likely to use cloud and web services to communicate with customers through text, web chat, video chat, and more. Because these channels of communication are integrated, the caller can easily switch between different methods of communication to best suit their needs, all without interruption to their service. As more services and customer interactions occurred online, companies saw the need to be able to reach customers there.

The Customer Experience

Overall, one can say the contact center emerged to refine and tailor company-to-customer communications to the digital experience. Customers preferred to seek answers online rather than calling customer service, but companies needed a way to fill the gaps in service seamlessly. Contact centers can offer more personalized and predictive service, yielding better overall customer satisfaction. Customers can choose to get in touch through whatever method they like. Further, contact center software can keep track of all the data on their interactions with the contact representative. In the future, when the customer interacts with the company website or a representative again, the data can suggest products or services that would be most helpful to the customer.

Phone System Solutions from Delta Intellicom

Want to learn more about the ways we can help improve your business? Delta Intellicom can satisfy all of your telecommunication needs, whether you need help with your new VoIP system or just want to streamline your existing office phone network. We have served the Maryland, Washington, D.C, Northern Virginia, and Pennsylvania areas for over 20 years and offer an unparalleled customer experience. We have the expertise and products to fulfill all of your phone service and data needs. For more information, contact us online or give us a call at 1-800-946-3358. For more tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.