A Call center facilitates the flow of information from customer database to the telecommunication network operated by call center agents. Some of the technologies used to enable these processes are discussed below.

¤ Automatic Call Distribution.Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system is the basic technology of a call center. ACD routes calls from customers to the most appropriate telephone operator according to to a pre-selected criteria. The ACD may be connected to the company's MIS allowing continous monitoring to the number of calls entering the system and the way they are handled by individual agents.

¤ Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)It is a process whereby a telephone switch passes certain call information to a computer to manage the call, based on commands from software application. In its simplest form, CTI allows 'screen popping' whereby the database records of the caller appear on the screen.

¤ Caller Line Identification (CLI) CLI identifies the number from which the caller is calling. This allows CC operators to monitor problems (e.g. one customer making repeated calls due to difficulty of connection etc. )The integration of CLI and CTI allows a computer to call up on screen the file of the customer calling, as soon as the call is made. This allows the operator to have specific customer information immediately available allowing for better service levels.

¤ Scripting. A script for the telephone conversation is automatically called up on the screen of the agent. When combined with CLI and CTI, there is also the facility to add the customer name at certain points in the conversation. Scripting tends to be used only for outgoing calls such as those for marketing campaigns.

¤ Call Blending.Using the MIS together with the ACD allows for peak period staffing by identifying those periods.

¤ Predictive Dialers. Predictive dialers are used in situations where the length of the conversation tends to be standardised e.g. marketing campaigns. The dialler predicts the time that the call will end and begins to dial the next number in order that the agent can go directly onto the next call eliminating time spent dialling, waiting and getting engaged numbers.

¤ Interactive Voice Response (IVR).IVR allows for interaction between a caller and a database. The two technologies are:

¤ Dialled Number Information Service (DNIS) .This technology can be used to route calls to particular workgroups or skillsets within a call centre such as those agents who can apeak a particular language or who can provide technical support for a particular product.

What does a Call centre do for an Organisation?

Type of Call Centres

As has been discussed earlier, Call Centres could either be ‘captive In-house’ or using an ‘Outsourced bureau’.

Captive Call Centres are typically used for various vertical segments like Insurance, Investments and Securities, Retail Banking, Other Financials, Telecommunications, Technology, Utilities, Manufacturing, Travel and Tourism, Transport, Entertainment, Healthcare, Government, Education etc.

Outsourcing Bureaus have experience in running call centres, allow corporations to ‘Hit the Ground running’, help in dealing with a complex labour market, better capability to handle volatility, tend to use the latest technology, lowers the company’s operating expenses, offers a way of coast control and limits the client’s financial risks, are responsive to their clients needs and allow the client to focus on their core competencies.

Many companies find that outsourced bureau operators offer them the flexibility required in the following manner

Set-up outsourcing. This involves use of a bureau in the early stages of the call centre life cycle. Having used a bureau for set-up, some companies later bring the process in-house, while others continue to outsource on a longer term basis.

¤ Transitional outsourcing. This involves use of a bureau during the period when internal infrastructure is being revamped or reengineered.

¤ Overflow outsourcing. A bureau is often an attractive option for a company when the demand on the company’s own call centre is too high for its current capacity. The use of a bureau operator in such circumstances ensures that the company does not have to ramp up during peak demand periods. Companies may also use bureaus for ‘out of hour’ demand. In this case, the ability of a call centre operator to mix time zones offer a competitive advantage.

¤ One-off. For applications such as direct response advertising which requires a call centre on a one-off, short-term basis, bureau offers the best option. Many companies prefer to outsourse the handling of direct marketing campaigns rather invest in new technologies, especially for limited period campaigns. Examples of such requirements would be marketing campaigns, special issues such as recalls, or anything which generates spikes and large call volumes. Other examples could be where a company was testing a new business initiative, new product or a new marketplace.

¤ Long term outsourcing. This may entail the entire outsourcing of the operations.

Outsourced call centre may further be classified based on:

The delivery channel or mode of customer call centre interaction e.g. Voice, E-Mail, Chat, Web Call Back, Web Call Through, Web Collaboration, WAP, Touch Screen etc.

Components / features constituting the call centre e.g. Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Workforce Management, Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), Integrated Call Management etc.

Location of its target customer.