In 2000, the emergence of the call center industry took the world over by storm.
Its success is proved by various businesses exploring the call center industry and making it their main source of income.
A call center is comprised of a group of people who handle customers' queries, complaints and technical concerns remotely, either through telephone conversation, e-mail or chat sessions.
So long as there is a transaction made between the agent and the client, an inquiry or much more serious matters, then business has been made.
There are two major kinds of call center agents depending on how they give service to individuals.
There are voice agents and there are also non-voice agents.
Voice agents are the ones who literally speak with clients and address their concerns.
They are trained to speak the language of the individuals they are servicing, if they're off shore.
With voice agents, there are two kinds: inbound and outbound.
Inbound call centers, as the name implies, receive calls or messages from clients.
If they have a question, then the inbound agent that answers the phone call should have all the details needed to address customer issues.
Occasionally, clients also call agents when they are in need of technical support.
This means that they have difficulty using the product that they bought from the business, so they need someone who can help fix it for them.
Outbound call centers are normally the ones responsible for letting individuals know about different promos and discounts that they would like clients to know about.
In a sales call center company, agents are normally heard with loud and enthusiastic voices as they try to convince people concerning the promos and how these can benefit them.
Apart from being sales representatives, they can also be customer service representatives who check on loyal clients to make sure that they are satisfied, thus helping build an image of firm as one that cares for its loyal customers.
Chat agents are considered call center agents though they do not use phones.
They can be contacted via the company's Web site, and they can give instructions or handle queries through live chat windows on how to do certain tasks that the customer may find confusing.
This helps since many people are able to follow written instructions better.
Another type of chat agent is one who answers inquiries through e-mails.
Many people think that replies are simply computer-generated e-mails, but such is not the case most of the time.
E-mail agents provide helpful information and guidance, which the customer can read at a convenient time.
Starting and managing a call center is tough business.
When one executes it to perfection, though, it can become a thriving business that not only assists the individuals who work in it, but also the individuals whom they serve.
It thus continues to become a strong industry that assists the economy.