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July 26, 2023

Contact Center vs Call Center: What's the difference

Recently, customer service is becoming increasingly important. To succeed, businesses must implement the channels that their customers actively use to create exceptional customer experiences.Communicating with your customers through either calls or contact centers has thus become a must. But when it comes to managing customer interactions, what's the difference between a contact center and a call center? These two terms are often used interchangeably, but are there definitive factors that separate the two? In this blog, we will explore the distinctions in the debate of contact center vs call center. We'll delve into the definitions of call centers and contact centers, highlighting their unique features and functionalities. From variations in communication channels to differences in workforce management, we'll cover it all. By the end of this blog, you'll have a clear understanding of the contrasting traits and overlapping characteristics of call centers and contact centers. So if you're looking to optimize your customer service strategy, stay tuned to find out which option is the best fit for your business.

Call Center vs. Contact Center: What's the Difference?

Though both terms are used interchangeably, technically speaking, there are some differences to keep in mind. A call center primarily handles phone calls, while a contact center manages various communication channels like emails, live chat, and social media. Contact centers offer a more comprehensive customer service experience, whereas call centers are typically used for sales or customer support purposes.

What is Call Center?

A call center is a centralized facility where agents handle customer calls. It is commonly used for customer service, sales, telemarketing, and technical support. Agents use telephone systems and computer software to manage incoming and outgoing calls. Call centers may also offer other communication channels like email, live chat, or social media support.

What is Contact Center?

A contact center serves as a centralized hub for managing customer interactions across multiple channels like phone, email, chat, and social media. It focuses on providing exceptional customer service and support, utilizing advanced technology to efficiently handle high volumes of inquiries. This is why more and more contact centers are opting for an omnichannel strategy. In fact, 80% of customer-oriented organizations are investing in omnichannel solutions. Contact centers may also offer additional services such as sales, technical support, and order processing.

Read more: Omnichannel Contact Center: How it Works?

Distinguishing Factors Between a Contact Center and a Call Center

When comparing a contact center to a call center, several key differences arise. Let's take a look at some of them:

1. Differences in Communication Channels

A call center primarily focuses on handling inbound and outbound phone calls, while a contact center handles various communication channels such as phone calls, emails, live chat, social media, and more. Contact centers provide a comprehensive customer service experience by offering multiple channels for customers to reach out and receive support. They often employ advanced technology and software solutions to efficiently manage and track customer interactions across these different channels. In contrast, call centers typically handle a higher volume of phone calls compared to contact centers.

2. Variation in Usage & Queue Management

In terms of usage, call centers primarily focus on handling incoming and outgoing phone calls. On the other hand, contact centers handle various modes of communication such as phone calls, emails, live chat, social media interactions, and more. When it comes to queue management, call centers typically have a system in place that prioritizes and routes calls based on factors like wait time or caller preferences. Contact centers, with their more advanced queue management systems, consider multiple channels of communication and prioritize them accordingly. This allows for better tracking and management of customer interactions across different platforms.

3. Differences in Workforce and Self-service Management

Contact centers and call centers differ in terms of their workforce and self-service management. While call centers primarily handle phone calls, contact centers manage various communication channels like emails, live chat, social media, and more. Due to the additional channels, contact centers generally have a larger workforce compared to call centers. Moreover, contact centers aim to provide a seamless customer experience across multiple channels, often incorporating self-service options like interactive voice response (IVR) systems or knowledge bases. As technology advances, the line between contact centers and call centers is becoming less clear, with more companies adopting multi-channel customer service strategies.

The Overlapping Traits of Call and Contact Centers

Both call centers and contact centers handle customer inquiries and provide support, with a focus on excellent customer service and issue resolution. Call centers primarily deal with phone interactions, while contact centers offer multiple channels like email, chat, and social media. Contact centers leverage advanced technology and software to manage interactions across different platforms. The choice between a call center and a contact center depends on the specific needs and goals of the business. By understanding the overlapping traits of call and contact centers, companies can make informed decisions about the type of customer support they want to offer.

1. Similar Support for Voice Calls

Both call centers and contact centers provide support for voice calls from customers. They handle both incoming and outgoing calls for customer service, sales, or technical support. While call centers typically focus solely on voice calls, contact centers encompass a broader range of communication channels including voice calls, email, live chat, social media, and more. Contact centers aim to provide a seamless and integrated customer experience across multiple channels, while call centers primarily focus on phone-based interactions. This ensures that customers have various options for reaching out and receiving assistance through different communication channels.

2. Reporting and Analytics: A Common Link

Reporting and analytics play a crucial role in both call centers and contact centers. These centers rely on data analysis to track important metrics such as call volume, response times, and customer satisfaction scores. By analyzing this data, management can make informed decisions about staffing levels, training needs, process improvements, and overall customer service strategies. Whether it's a call center handling incoming and outgoing phone calls or a contact center managing a variety of communication channels like email, live chat, and social media, reporting, and analytics provide valuable insights that drive operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

How does a Unified Customer View differ in both?

In a contact center, a unified customer view allows agents to access and manage interactions across various channels in one system. On the other hand, in a call center, it mainly focuses on integrating and managing customer interactions through voice calls.

Contact Center's Approach to Unified Customer View

A contact center serves as a centralized hub where customer interactions occur through various channels such as phone calls, emails, live chat, and social media. The approach to a unified customer view in a contact center involves integrating data from these channels into a single platform. This integration empowers agents with a comprehensive view of each customer's interactions and history across multiple channels. With this holistic understanding, agents can provide personalized and efficient service by catering to customer preferences and previous interactions. Ultimately, the unified customer view in a contact center enhances the overall customer experience, enabling agents to resolve issues effectively.

Call Center's Approach to Unified Customer View

In a call center, the focus is primarily on handling incoming and outgoing phone calls from customers. The unified customer view in a call center typically involves integrating customer data from various channels, such as email, chat interactions, and social media. The goal of a call center's unified customer view is to provide agents with a comprehensive understanding of each customer's history and preferences, enabling them to deliver personalized service. Call centers often utilize CRM systems to centralize customer information and track interactions across channels. This unified customer view helps improve efficiency, reduce response times, and enhance the overall customer experience.

Making the Right Choice: Contact Center vs. Call Center?

When deciding between a contact center and a call center, it's important to consider your business needs. A contact center offers multiple communication channels like phone, email, chat, etc., making it more customer-centric. On the other hand, a call center primarily focuses on handling calls. Consider your business size, customer interactions, and budget are what you should consider when making the decision.

Factors Influencing the Decision

Factors that determine the decision between a contact center and a call center include the range of customer interactions handled. Contact centers handle calls, emails, chats, and social media messages, while call centers primarily focus on phone-based support. The size and complexity of business operations also play a role, with contact centers being a better fit for larger and more complex operations. The goals and objectives of the customer service strategy should be considered as well. Evaluating technology and software solutions is important to ensure they align with business requirements.

In what scenarios would a contact center be a better solution than a call center?

Contact centers excel in handling multiple communication channels like phone calls, emails, live chats, and social media messages. They are ideal for businesses that require 24/7 customer support or have a global customer base. With advanced features like call routing, IVR systems, and CRM integration, contact centers streamline customer interactions for a more personalized and efficient service experience.

Contact Center vs. Call center- Final Thoughts

In conclusion, while both call centers and contact centers serve the purpose of customer support and communication, there are key differences that set them apart. Call centers primarily focus on voice calls and have a traditional approach to customer service. On the other hand, contact centers encompass various communication channels, including voice calls, email, chat, social media, and more. They prioritize a unified customer view and offer advanced features like reporting and analytics.

When deciding between a contact center or a call center for your business, it's important to consider factors such as the communication channels you want to support, queue management capabilities, workforce management needs, and self-service options. Assessing these factors will help you make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals.

If you're looking for a comprehensive understanding of the differences between contact centers and call centers and need guidance in choosing the right solution for your business, contact us!

Learn more about how the Live product family can help you support and improve your customer experience strategy.

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