BPO call centers handle incoming and outgoing calls from customers all over the world, providing help and resolving issues with patience and professionalism.

Read on to learn more about the ins and outs of BPO call centers, the different types of vendors, and more.

What Does BPO Mean?

BPO, or business process outsourcing, is when companies subcontract their non-core operations to specialized third-party vendors. The initial company will contract out specific processes that the BPO organization handles. These work processes can include payroll, marketing support, customer support, data recording, technical or nontechnical processes, and more.

Types of BPO

There are three main types of BPO:

Onshore Outsourcing

Onshore outsourcing means that BPO agents are located in the same country as your business. With onshore BPO companies, your agents understand your customers’ needs and preferences without any difficulties, resulting in improved customer satisfaction.

Offshore Outsourcing

Offshore outsourcing means that you’re working with a BPO vendor that’s not located in the same country as your company. By partnering with BPO agents in different countries, your company can tap into a pool of skilled professionals who can bring fresh perspectives and expertise to the table.

Nearshore Outsourcing

Instead of partnering with a vendor in a distant country, nearshore outsourcing offers the opportunity to collaborate with vendors in neighboring countries. Being in close proximity means you’re more likely to share similar language, time zones, and cultural understanding, leading to smoother collaboration and better results.

What’s a BPO Call Center?

BPO call centers handle incoming and outgoing calls on behalf of companies, providing excellent customer service without having to be on the company’s payroll. BPO agents go through rigorous training to ensure they have a comprehensive understanding of their client’s products and services. This means they can easily answer any queries with the depth of knowledge your customers expect.

Types of BPO Call Centers

There are three different types of BPO call centers:

Inbound Call Centers

Inbound call centers have teams of dedicated agents who are available 24/7 to answer customer support questions, process orders, and even dispatch calls for services or technical support. They can provide solutions to customer problems, answer queries, and make sure that no customer call or service request goes unanswered. By outsourcing these services, you can provide round-the-clock support without needing a full in-house customer care team. BPO agents can handle the entire process, including international orders and requests from different time zones, improving the customer experience.

Outbound Call Centers

Outbound call centers specialize in making phone calls to existing customers or potential prospects. They offer a range of services, such as:

• Telemarketing: Telemarketing is a cost-effective direct marketing strategy that allows companies to sell their products and services over the phone. By outsourcing, businesses can reach a wider audience and generate new leads, ultimately increasing the ROI of their marketing efforts.
• Telesales: Telesales involves closing deals over a phone call. By outsourcing to a BPO call center, companies can effectively reach potential customers or follow up with leads in their pipeline. BPO agents are skilled in cold calling, enabling them to generate more sales in less time while improving the overall customer experience.
• Market Research: Many businesses also utilize outbound call centers for market research. Through over-the-phone surveys, these call centers gather important customer data, aiding in customer relationship management. This cost-effective approach allows businesses to obtain valuable customer feedback and make data-driven decisions.

Virtual Call Centers

Unlike traditional call centers, virtual call centers allow agents to work remotely from anywhere, providing greater flexibility for employees and cost savings for businesses. Here are a few examples of what virtual call centers do:

• Handle both inbound and outbound calls
• Provide top-notch customer support services
• Drive telemarketing and sales efforts

Whether you need a customer care helpline to support your clients or want to increase sales through cold calling, virtual call centers have you covered. Not only do these remote teams offer convenience and cost-effectiveness, but they also deliver excellent customer interactions every time. With agents spread out around the globe, you can provide round-the-clock support to customers in different time zones.

Are All Call Centers Considered BPOs?

While a call center handles specific telecommunications and related tasks for a different business, BPO handles a wide variety of tasks for a company. Even though call centers have expanded their service menus in recent years, BPOs still cover more categories in terms of professional services. A call center can be classed as a type of BPO, but a BPO is not a call center because a call center’s role and capabilities fit within a BPO, but not the other way around.

Some front office and back end processes that BPO companies commonly handle, but call centers typically do not, include:

• Market research
• Technical support
• Sales and marketing
• Collections and recovery
• Data entry
• Surveys
• Payroll and finances

Benefits of BPO Call Centers

BPO Call Centers offer numerous benefits that can give your company a serious competitive edge:

• Cost Savings: Outsourcing your customer service needs to a BPO call center can save you money by providing affordable services that eliminate the need for investing in expensive infrastructure, hiring and training additional staff, and managing complex technology systems.
• Improved Customer Satisfaction: BPO Call Centers are experts in delivering top-notch customer service. With their highly skilled agents who are trained to handle all types of customer inquiries, you can rest assured that your customers will receive the best support possible.
• Round-the-Clock Support: With BPO call centers, you can offer 24/7 support to your customers. Whether it’s a late-night query or an urgent issue, professional agents will be there to help, increasing customer loyalty and ensuring that no opportunity is missed.

Key Takeaways

Call centers and BPOs each have their own unique advantages and nuances, so it’s important to understand what aligns best with your goals.

With our extensive experience and knowledge, ListenTrust can help you navigate through the complexities of this decision-making process. Contact our experts today so we can help you make the best choice for your business.