Call/contact centres are the backbone of excellent customer service. They allow businesses across the world to handle a large number of calls, both inbound and outbound. So understanding the differences between an inbound vs. outbound call/contact centre is vital before implementing any new customer support strategy for your business.

So you might be wondering- in a world where everyone is shifting towards emails, chatbots, SMS, social media, and other digital communication forms, who could possibly want to call a business? 

Well, we have news for you. A phone call is still the most common channel customers use to resolve their issues with brands.

But before you decide to revamp your customer support with this piece of information, it is crucial to know the differences between an inbound vs. outbound call or contact centre. 

What is an inbound call centre?

An inbound call centre is a customer support function with the primary responsibility of handling and managing incoming calls from customers or clients. 

Inbound call centres allow customers to reach out to businesses whenever they require support. Such support can be in the form of answering queries, resolving issues or glitches, or addressing any other customer-related matters. 

Many organisations use inbound call centres as their primary method of customer interaction. 

They understand that a great customer experience is vital to maintaining a good working relationship and retaining customers. One bad customer experience will not only cause them to take their business elsewhere but can also harm your company’s reputation. 

What is an outbound call centre?

An outbound call centre is a customer support function with the primary responsibility of handling and managing outgoing calls to customers or clients. 

In many cases, outbound call centres focus on reaching out to as many potential customers as possible, hoping to convert them into actual customers. In other words, such call centres are sales-focused. 

Agents work with the customer data stored in the call/contact centre software and use it to make sales and cold calls while helping existing customers upgrade their services. 

Now that you’ve grasped both definitions, let’s examine the differences between inbound vs. outbound call/contact centres in detail. 

Check out the best call centre solutions in the GCC.

Differences between inbound vs. outbound call/contact centres

You now know that inbound and outbound call centres are polar opposites. 

Even their main objectives are different.

We’ll explain significant differences and where they apply the most to help you make a more informed decision for your business. 

Inbound vs. outbound call/contact centre: The purpose

The primary goal for both inbound and outbound call centres is to ensure customer satisfaction. But, to achieve this, each adopts very different techniques and approaches. 

Inbound call centres exist to resolve questions, issues, or queries to a customer’s satisfaction. In contrast, outbound call centres reach out to existing or potential customers to promise them some satisfaction and, in doing so, increase sales. 

Inbound vs. outbound call/contact centre: The services provided

Both inbound and outbound call centres provide different types of services to or for their customers. Here’s a breakdown.

An inbound call centre

• relies on inbound calls made by customers looking for assistance or answers to specific queries. It can be related to a product or technical support. 
• counts on customers finding the product or service and reaching out for further assistance or inquiries. 
• allows potential customers to contact agents regarding new offers or enquire about existing products or services. 
• enables existing customers to contact the agents for any after-sales support or services they may require. 

An outbound call centre

• collects data by performing thorough customer or market research. This data is helpful in launching new products or services and upgrading existing ones. 
• reaches out to actual and potential customers, informing them about the products or services and any new upgrades the company offers. In addition, outbound call centres use predictive dialers to automate the calling process by using advanced algorithms to cut manual dialling time and increase agent efficiency.

Also read: Top Tips on How To Best Manage Virtual Call Centre Agents

Inbound vs. outbound call/contact centre: The types of technology in use

Inbound and outbound call centres operate on different sets of technologies. 

An inbound call centre makes use of the following:

• IVR: IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response System, the most common way for callers and businesses to interact via voice and keypad. Adopting this system eliminates the wastage of time. Callers receive an automated voice message with instructions useful for lead/call distribution and caller identification.
• Automatic call distribution: Automatic call distribution, popularly known as ACD, is a wireless system that receives and redirects incoming calls to the best available agents. It allows businesses to manage call traffic and distribute calls using a pre-defined strategy. 
• Call tracking: This service allows businesses to attain insights from inbound calls, which they can then attribute to the marketing campaign that led that particular caller to your business. 

An outbound call centre makes use of the following:

• Predictive dialer: A predictive dialer enables businesses to increase their efficiency and the number of calls they make daily. It uses a machine-learning algorithm that dials numbers ahead of time and screens out all unanswered calls. This increases agents’ efficiency since they don’t have to waste time on unanswered calls. 
• Automatic dialer: As mentioned above, outbound call centres perform product and market research beyond just sales. Autodialers automatically dial telephone numbers found from research and connect calls to agents or prerecorded messages. 

Inbound vs. outbound call/contact centre: The training necessary 

Agent training is vital for any call/contact centre since agents represent your business.

For inbound call centres, the customers who reach out expect a personalised experience, which will resolve their issues at the earliest possible and in the best possible way. Therefore, the agents need to be polite, empathetic, and patient.

However, in outbound call centres, the agents work towards making sales by converting potential customers into actual customers. So, the agents need sales-oriented training and excellent communication skills to keep their listeners engaged.

You should also read:

• Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS): A Complete Guide To What You Need to Know
• Multichannel vs. Omnichannel Customer Support: How to Choose What’s Best
• What IVR Is & How You Can Design An IVR Call Flow
• 7 Must-Have Features to Look For in Call/Contact Centre Software

Ready to get started with an all-in-one contact centre solution?

Now that you understand the critical inbound vs. outbound call/contact centre differences, it is up to you to decide which particular type is right for your business. 

Both call centres have their differentiated traits and benefits. But note that it does not have to be a one or none situation. 

You might need to set both up to enjoy a blended contact centre solution. That means you’ll need complete contact centre software that covers all bases and, at best, one that you can deploy on the cloud. 

If that’s the case, allow us to recommend TelebuHub.

Contact us to request a free demo as we discuss your contact centre needs to skyrocket your customer support offerings.