Call center processes can vary from one desk to another, even if they look very similar on a superficial level. Nowhere is the difference more pronounced than in the difference between outbound call center calls and inbound call center calls. The agents who are at the answering services desk supposedly lead better lives than the one who make lead generation calls. This also means that the later are more susceptible to greater stress, fatigue and burnout. Let’s take a closer look at how the different desks of a BPO firm differ thematically and conceptually.

Call center agents make outbound calls to prospective customers. There is no surety that the receiver will welcome such calls. In fact, it’s easier to believe the contrary. No one wants to receive telemarketing calls that have nothing to do with their needs and requirements. Since the lead generation agents don’t always get the right data or make the right interpretation of the data, they end up calling people who are probably in the wrong income group altogether. Now that is something that really drives a customer up the wall. Who would want to purchase some trip on a luxury liner when the person is actually looking for a debt consolidation agent? That’s something that the BPO agents have to contend with.

The outbound call center agents are often subjected to verbal assaults because of the nosy telemarketing calls that they make. I say they are nosy from the perspective of the receiver. Probably they were immersed in an important meeting when they receive a lead generation call. It is unwanted and there are every chances of the receiver giving the BPO agent a piece of his mind. The receiver is also likely to hang up without allowing the agent any shot at sales lead generation. The agents are working under targets that are steep, to say the least. Sales lead generation calls that don’t yield results often put immense pressure on the agents to get it right the next time round and so on. This takes a toll on their performance.

The situation is different in the inbound call center floor. Make no mistake – the agents here have to deal with irate callers too. However, the callers on the answering service call because they need help or information. Their attitude is more tolerant because their aim is to get the work done. That reflects in the way they deal with the call center agents. They are more courteous, more patient and certainly more willing to listen to what the BPO agent has to say. This makes life easier for the phone answering desk. There is less of friction and if the situation tends to get out of hand, the agent can pass the call to a superior or another agent. This takes the heat off and allows the aggressive caller to calm down. Though not particularly easy, it’s easier to be on this floor than making telemarketing calls at the outbound section. That explains why the more experienced BPO service agents are on the inbound team.

We offer ample opportunities to our inbound call center agents as well as outbound call center agents. We believe in trusting our call center agents and let them perform.