In-House Inbound Call Centers V/s Outsourced Call Centers

In today’s time, a call center plays a vital role in a business enterprise. It offers customer service, fosters loyalty, and can generate leads. It is also a data source that can be mined for consumer insights.

A call center reassures customers that their needs will be catered to at any time. It can support, send reminders, and promote other products and services.

Often, a call center is the first and continuing point of contact with the customer. With a professional set-up and workflows, call centers can enhance brand image and create a competitive advantage.

Types of Call Centers

Call centers nowadays can provide both inbound and outbound services. An inbound call center receives calls from existing customers. These could be related to product inquiries and after-sales support. An outbound call center makes outgoing calls to leads and sends reminders about payments and other related issues.

Modern call centers do a lot more than take calls. They can operate several digital channels through which customers can keep in touch with them. 

The activity of inbound call centers can be outsourced, or it can be conducted in-house. Which one is better? A lot depends on the nature of the business and the need for a call center in the first place. Let’s examine the pros and cons.

Outsourced Inbound Call Centers

In an outsourced inbound call center, the business hands over call center duties to a third party. The third party handles all the calls and inquiries on behalf of the business.

Outsourced inbound call center services offer a variety of solutions depending on your needs. These include:

• Chat support
• Email
• Helpdesk services
• Order processing

Businesses choose from a range of outsourced services in accordance with customer expectations. The services can also be offered across time zones in the case of businesses with operations across geographies. In such cases, call center agents will be expected to be familiar with different languages and differences across markets. 

Many businesses outsource their operations to cloud-based call centers. These have the advantage of being flexible, scalable, and cost-effective. Cloud-based call centers also have up-to-the-minute facilities to satisfy the growing demands of consumers.

In-house Call Centers

With an in-house call center, the business runs its operations on its own. Typically, these are handled on-site.

In such cases, call center operations are under the direct supervision of the enterprise. Agents can be directly hired and trained about the specific features of the product or service. Data can be gathered and analyzed in-house.

Changes in the product or service, or the introduction of new offerings, can be immediately conveyed. Any other relevant changes, too, can be instantly communicated.

Outsourcing Versus In-house

The need to scale operations can also be clear in an in-house call center without delay.

Both outsourced and in-house call centers have their pros and cons. Businesses should closely examine these before making a decision either way.

Here are the points of comparison to help you make up your mind.

• In an in-house call center, agents will be close to the business and will therefore have a greater knowledge of the product or service. In an outsourced center, agents will have to be accordingly trained.
• In an in-house call center, costs have to be incurred on technical training as well as for the space needed. In an outsourced center, agents will have the technical know-how.
• Outsourced centers are typically more flexible and scalable. The business’s changing, and growing needs can be conveniently taken care of. With an in-house center, such changes will take more time and effort.
• Businesses with a greater need for privacy typically go in for in-house call centers.
• For businesses with operations across countries, outsourcing makes more sense. This is because the third party can provide agents that speak local languages. The time zones, too, can be conveniently handled.
• Outsourced call centers are more likely to keep up with rapid technological changes and the multiplication of customer channels.

Businesses should factor in the above pointers before deciding on an in-house or outsourced call center. Which one will work better depends on their specific needs and requirements.

In general, it can be said that businesses that value flexibility, technological change, and scalability will find outsourcing a better option. Businesses that would like to keep their operations small and private could choose to go in for in-house call centers.  

In-house and Outsourced Call Centers Summed Up

• Call centers are becoming indispensable for businesses of all types and sizes. They offer customer service, build loyalty, and assist in conversions.
• The data gathered by a call center is often analyzed for consumer insights. These insights can lead to better performance.
• Inbound call centers receive calls from existing customers, whereas outbound call centers make outgoing calls to leads and send reminders and notifications.
• Businesses can choose to outsource call centers, or they can host them in-house.
• The benefits of outsourced call centers are flexibility, scalability, and the ability to keep pace with technological change. They are often more cost-effective.
• Inbound call centers typically work well for businesses that are small, without too many product changes, and would like to keep their operations private.