Call centers are the kind of business that tend to get placed into very narrow categories. However, these versatile service providers actually offer a wide gamut of options including those of an answering service, appointment setting, virtual assistant, call forwarding and inbound/outbound calling options. Telemarketing is no longer the sole focus of call centers. Instead, the answering service model has moved away from its origins enough to make them a more comprehensive and multipurpose provider. Businesses that need call center support can now find all of the options they may require under one very convenient banner. Let us take a look at some of the services that today’s call centers commonly offer.

Answering service

The answering service is one of the most convenient offerings with which modern call centers have come up. Businesses tend to hire call centers to take over the answering of their phones after hours or during heavy traffic periods. The overflow calls will be redirected to the call center, where the agents will respond using the company’s name and will be able to either direct calls to the proper department or person. In some cases the agents are trained to provide customer support services.

Virtual Assistant

The virtual assistant is a practical service that can help small businesses or executives who travel a lot to stay organised. The virtual assistant will take appointments, field calls and even do light administrative work – depending on the kind of contract that is signed with the call center. Virtual assistants will also send faxes and take care of sending out mail and packages by courier when executives are on the road and need help in a pinch. Generally, the company must have an account with the call center in another city in order to be able to use the virtual assistant service while travelling.

Inbound calls

Answering in-bound sales calls means that a call center agent will take calls directed to a business. The agent will be trained to answer client queries and give them more information on the product or service that they desire. In some instances agents will be able to set meetings with sales people and the client so that the sales team can close the deal. Generally, inbound calls are the result of a customer’s interest in the business, product or service being offered.

Outbound calling

Outbound calling is the most reminiscent of the telemarketing model of yesteryear. However, there is a significant difference – today’s outbound calls are placed to customers who have expressed an interest in the product or service. Through some action taken on their part – whether it was filling out a flyer for more information, entering a contest, signing up online or purchasing a product or service from the company in question during the last 18 months.

Lead generation

Possibly the most important service offered by call centers is that lead generation. What this means is that agents talk to the customer they call to assess their interest in the product or service being sold and find out what they want. Using the information gathered during this process, companies can better tailor their products to please their customers.

Call centers have come a long way over the last few years and they are far more useful and productive today than they have ever been.