Outbound vs Inbound Call Center Solutions, Know the Difference.

It is simple to assume that customers rarely prefer calling a business in the age of chatbots and emails. But the reverse is actually true. Customers attempting to contact or interact with businesses still prefer to use phone calls as their primary method of doing so. More than 76% of consumers prefer to contact customer support agents over other channels, such as phone calls, according to a CFI Group study. It makes perfect sense for call centre companies to invest in both inbound and outbound call center solutions given these figures.

What is Outbound and Inbound Call Center 

The purpose of an inbound call centre solution is to manage incoming calls from clients or customers, usually about support or customer service. Interactive voice response systems (IVRs) are sometimes used by inbound contact centres, which handle large volumes of calls and assign calls to the right agent. Here are a few fascinating statistics regarding incoming calls:

• Statistics show that sixty percent of small business clients would rather speak with brands over the phone.
• Businesses that prioritise inbound calls have a 10-15% higher customer retention rate than those who don’t, according to a Forrester Research report.
• According to a different survey, 73% of consumers would rather contact customer support by phone than by email (14%) or social media (4%).

Report on Customers behavior

According to a CallRail poll, over 80% of customers anticipate being able to call a business within the first five minutes of doing an internet search for them.
On the other hand, an outbound call centre solution is made to handle outgoing calls, frequently for marketing or sales objectives. In order to rapidly reach a big number of contacts, outbound call centres may use automated dialling technologies in addition to making a high volume of calls. Here are a few fascinating statistics regarding outgoing calls:

• With an average conversion rate of 8.9%, outbound calls remain the most efficient way to connect with leads and prospects, per an InsideSales survey.
• According to a Harvard Business Review study, outbound calls generate leads four to eight times more effectively than inbound calls.
• Another poll indicates that for 38% of organisations, making outbound calls is the most efficient way to get leads.

Call recording, call routing, and customer relationship management (CRM) software are just a few of the technologies that both inbound and outbound contact centres may employ to increase productivity and enhance the customer experience. contact centres can also be run on-premises or in the cloud.

Inbound and Outbound Call Centre Differences

Objective

While outbound contact centres are concentrated on placing outgoing calls to clients, inbound call centres handle receiving calls from customers.

Dial Flow

Call centres that are inbound usually receive a lot of incoming calls, and call centres that are outbound usually receive a lot of outgoing calls.

Call Categories

Calls for sales or marketing are handled by outbound call centres, whereas calls for customer support or service are handled by inbound call centres.

Agent Position

While agents at outgoing call centres primarily initiate and lead discussions, those in inbound call centres primarily listen to customers and respond to them.

Related: call center for small business, Why SMEs needs one 

Call Forwarding

While outgoing call centres utilise automated dialling systems to swiftly reach a large number of contacts, inbound call centres use interactive voice response (IVR) systems to route calls to the proper agent.

Screenplays

While agents in inbound contact centres might not utilise scripts as frequently, those in outgoing call centres usually use them to steer their discussions.

Time Spent Handling Calls

Call handling times for inbound call centres are often longer than those for outgoing call centres.

Information Analysis

While inbound contact centres generally employ data analysis to improve customer care and support, outbound call centres frequently use it to boost sales and marketing efforts.

Related: 11 Essential Features of Inbound Call Center Software

Guaranteed Excellence

While outbound contact centres prioritise achieving sales and marketing targets, inbound call centres typically have more extensive quality assurance systems to guarantee customer happiness.

Call Centre Settings

While outbound contact centres are typically more results-driven and high-pressure, inbound call centres typically feature more laid-back, customer-focused settings.

Related: Top 5 Challenges Face by Contact Center Managers

Calling both in and out has advantages.

Better customer care and support, as well as the opportunity to obtain insightful data and feedback from clients, are just a few advantages of receiving inbound calls. Marketing, client follow-up, and sales are just a few of the uses for outbound calls. In addition to generating leads and income, outbound calls can also strengthen client relationships and raise brand recognition.

Call centre hybrid solution for both outgoing and incoming calls.

Given the current state of the market, it makes sense to conclude that hybrid call centre software will be the best option for companies to customers via outbound and inbound calls. Please get in touch with us if you require any additional information or help choosing the best cloud phone system for your company.