While some BPOs specialize only in handling incoming calls from customers or making only outbound calls for their clients, there are those who prefer to do both.
Blended call centers operate like an inbound and outbound call center combined. Their agents are trained to take incoming calls and make outgoing calls, depending on their clients’ needs. And while there are advantages to running a dedicated inbound call center or exclusively outbound call center, a blended call center brings the best of both worlds, for the agents, the customers and the BPO company itself.
The following are the benefits a blended call center offers to the BPO companies using this set-up:
Blended call center agents are given more opportunities for learning due to greater exposure to different clients and call scenarios. Compared to agents who handle strictly inbound calls or only make outbound calls, blended call center agents are given the opportunity to do both. This set-up contributes to their greater experiential knowledge about their customers, which can fuel their client’s business improvement and their BPO’s service delivery. It also paves the way for them to have more insightful interactions with a more diverse set of customers and challenges them to master both inbound and outbound call handling.
Blended call center agents experience more productivity, teamwork and less idle time. During call overflows, spikes or peak times, blended agents work together to ensure the deluge of incoming calls is attended promptly. The same teamwork can be seen when a client needs more telemarketers making outbound calls for the time being. This constant change in roles increases blended call center agents’ productivity levels and prevents agents from being idle during low-peak times.
Blended call center agents are more engaged resulting in lower employee turnover rates. A positive effect of agents changing their roles on a per-need basis is they become more excited about their work. Their job ceases to become routine because of its mild and positive unpredictability. This exciting environment can lead to happier employees who may be less likely to quit their jobs due to burnout or boredom from performing the same task over and over again.
A blended call center operates with more flexibility and efficiency. With the help of tools like an ACD, a blended call center can fully utilize all of its staff with ease. Your BPO will run more efficiently by automatically enlisting agents to fulfill the current, urgent demand for either inbound calls or outbound calls. Instead of having a limited number of inbound or outbound agents who are overwhelmed with calls to answer or make, blended call center services give your BPO greater flexibility and less stress by easily increasing the number of agents who can handle both tasks.
A blended call center can increase customer satisfaction scores. By having agents perform the needed services for your clients at any given time, you drastically reduce hold times and deliver better and faster customer service that is instrumental to your BPO’s success,
These five benefits make blended call center services an attractive and practical option for BPO companies everywhere.
