Traditional vs Modern: The Evolution of Call Centers

Call centers and BPOs have changed so much over the years. 

With new trends in business and communications popping up every now and then, call centers need to keep up or they will lose the interest of the market entirely.

Call centers have been operating in many parts of the world for many years now. From the heyday of traditional telephones to internet-dependent processing of phone calls, they have been fulfilling their duty of serving as the front line for many businesses in many different industries. 

But with the rise of the digital age and social media, traditional phones became outdated and were eventually replaced by software more efficient in handling the volume of calls call centers receive everyday. While the channel may have changed, the story is the same; it exists solely for quality and accessible customer service. 

Traditional Call Centers 

Traditional call centers are still very much active, despite many of its modern counterparts are slowly rising in the industry. Many businesses still prefer this due to it being more beneficial to their tastes or to their style of operations, taking into consideration that many customers still prefer to discuss concerns in a phone call. 

While starting off with manual phone answering services, traditional call centers are not as old as you think. Many traditional type call centers have also kept up with the times, providing agents with better equipment coupled with the latest software that can help traffic calls and retrieve information. 

When choosing to outsource, it’s very important to check your business and see which type of call center/outsourcing fits you best. 

Perks of a Traditional Call Centers

Customers are evolving just as much as business trends, and over time, newer channels may be preferred by some, while others would rather stick to what they know. 

Now that call centers have shifted into many different functions in many different channels, it’s easy to get confused. For those who would rather stick to the classics, here are the perks of getting a traditional call center for your business. 

Many customers still prefer phone calls. 

Despite the many new channels from social media and the internet, many customers still prefer a phone call when it comes to discussing issues and concerns. A lot of customers feel limited by channels such as automated calls and chats, and would still prefer to talk to a live agent so they can voice out concerns in their own time, and in detail. 

Traditional call centers provide this comfort and convenience for customers who need more time, or more detailed instructions. This, however, varies of course depending on the business type and services offered. IT and other technology-based businesses could benefit well from a traditional call center setting in order to guide their customers with troubleshooting and other complex issues. 

Smoother operations and collaborations.

Traditional call centers work onsite, with complete equipment and software ready to take on calls. Agents are often under the guidance of a supervisor, who are more experienced in call center operations, and even in specialties such as customer service, tech support and the like. 

Being onsite and within reach helps teams collaborate more, with managers and supervisors at hand in any case a call needs to be escalated. This also boosts morale among agents, as a healthy office culture plays a big role in boosting a team’s performance. 

Phone calls are more personal.

Phone calls provide a personal touch when communicating. As mentioned, many customers still prefer traditional phone calls over more modern channels. This is due to the sense of comfort it gives them. Through phone calls, customers can easily relay their concerns to agents in real time. 

Also, many business owners are still unfamiliar with newer channels, and often still prefer a traditional call center setup.

Modern Call Centers

Modern call centers make use of many different channels such as social media and messaging apps. In this day and age where almost everything is accessible in smartphones and laptops, customer service and other call center functions are embracing the new technology and adapting to the new channels available. 

It has live agents manning social media accounts and messaging apps and software that communicate with customers. These engagements are often with pre-written scripts that guide customers into addressing the concern, or seeking further assistance through a more interactive channel such as websites and phone calls. 

Examples of modern call centers are live chats and cloud based call centers. These types make use of cloud-based technology in processing inbound and outbound calls, as well as managing other call data. Live chats, on the other hand, engage with the customer through scripted chats or live agents. 

Given that we live in the online age, a modern call center makes more sense. There are many ways a modern call center helps boost your operations. 

Modern call centers keep everything organized.

Modern call centers, or omnichannel call centers run on cloud-based operations. All call data and processing run online, which makes them easy to organize and access by both agents and senior members of the team. 

While traditional call centers might make use of software to process calls and save data, cloud-based call centers take things up a notch by making everything cloud-based, making it easier to store and organize, and filter, if need be. 

Modern call centers are more accessible. 

Now that the internet and smartphones make almost everything accessible, the call center industry is finding ways to keep up. 

Modern call centers use social media and online culture to reach more customers and keep the lines open. 24/7 mobile apps and live chats give customers immediate response to concerns, and customers get real-time responses from scripts or pre-written answers.

Modern call centers make customer service easier. 

Omnichannel call centers – cloud-based call centers – make communication easier, as one channel is able to reach out to many different channels all at once. This call center type is able to reach calls, SMS, messaging apps and other channels, making it a great way to not only cater to customer concerns, but reach out for leads as well.

The more accessible you are, the better the customer experience. Now that almost everything is right at our fingertips, it helps to adapt to new technology. So we will be able to provide the best to your customers, old and new. 

Magellan Solutions Provides Prime Call Center Services For Every Business

Here at Magellan Solutions, we pride ourselves with top of the line cell center services catering especially to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). We are an ISO-certified HIPAA-compliant provider with more than 13 years of industry experience. We offer a wide range of expert outsourcing services fit for every business and every industry. 

Make the choice that will make your business. We offer both high quality traditional and modern call center services designed to take your business to new heights. 

Let’s talk about it today! Contact us here for more info.

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