Inbound vs Outbound Call Centers: What's the Difference?

Inbound and outbound call centers are two different types of customer service setups. Inbound call centers are where customers contact the company, while outbound call centers are where the company contacts the customer. 

Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, which this post will explore. By understanding the differences between them, you'll be able to make a more informed decision about which type of call center is right for your business.

Inbound call centers vs. outbound call centers

An inbound call center is a contact center that handles a large volume of incoming calls. Inbound call center agents typically handle customer service, billing issues, or technical support inquiries. 

A customer might call into an inbound contact center to place or cancel an order, voice a complaint, or ask a question about a product or experience, for example. Inbound call center agents are trained to respond reactively and empathically, as customers make first contact in these calls. 

In contrast, an outbound call center (or outbound contact center) is used to host a large number of outgoing calls about subjects like sales, fundraising, and campaigns. In outbound call centers, representatives are proactively contacting clients and potential customers first.

Inbound call centers are typically managed by support teams whereas outbound call centers are managed by sales teams. 

Inbound call center services

Inbound contact centers cover a breadth of services, including:

• Tech and Product Support: This includes customer assistance like updating account information, password changes, product support, or other services.

• Payment Processing: While many customers make online payments when purchasing a product or experience,  there are still customers more comfortable or capable of placing orders over the phone. Inbound call center representatives help these customers place orders. They also resolve issues with payments and answer billing questions. 
• Customer Feedback: Inbound call centers handle customer feedback calls about a product or experience as well as calls from customers filing complaints. 
• Subscription Management: Inbound agents also handle calls regarding upgrades and subscription renewals for products and services.

Outbound call center services

Calls that leave a contact center differ from calls coming into one in significant ways. The most common outbound call center services include: 

• Sales pitches aimed at attracting new customers
• Market research to collect feedback and other data on target customers
• Setting up appointments
• Telemarketing to raise brand awareness and engagement 
• Telesales to close deals over the phone
• Lead generation

How inbound and outbound call centers are structured 

Inbound calls are processed and sorted through systems like IVR (interactive voice response) before being transferred to or handled directly by the appropriate agent. From that point, assisting or improving the customer’s experience is the top priority. 

Outbound calls are more about context. The priority and shape of the call is dependent upon the reasons for making it. 

Is an Inbound or Outbound call center right for your business?

Both inbound and outbound call centers work together to help businesses generate revenue, but one call center may be a better fit for your business than another. 

If you have a small business, an inbound call center makes the most sense, as it can empower smaller teams and make customer service more efficient. An outbound call center may be appealing for bigger companies interested in data collection and business expansion via lead generation and telemarketing. 

With inbound call centers, agents can build stronger relationships with your customers and offer better service. Inbound centers improve efficiency by streamlining and automating small tasks and query resolution, and they help your agents manage higher call volume with ease. 

Outbound call centers allow brands to expand their customer base into new territory. They can also improve your customer service by allowing agents to proactively collect valuable feedback from shoppers about how the experience can be improved.

The blended approach

Inbound and outbound call centers are often siloed, but many brands find the hybrid approach to their call center is the most effective. In a hybrid or blended contact center, agents are responsible for both receiving calls and making calls to reach out to customers. This centralizes all of your communication and improves the customer experience by making it more cohesive and consistent. 

How to choose the right type of contact center for your business

Brands looking to up their contact center game should look for platforms that offer features like context-rich CRM integrations, virtual and remote support, reporting capabilities, automation, predictive and progressive dialers, and call monitoring.

To learn how UJET meets those needs, request a demo today.