Premise-based call centre

A premise-based call centre typically consists of a room full of agents. Each agent has a desk, a chair, a computer terminal, and a phone. Down the hall or in the back room – or at least somewhere on the premises, there is a room full of equipment. Prominent in that room is the automatic call distributor (ACD) – essentially a telephone switch that queues and distributes incoming calls. Also in the room is an interactive voice response (IVR) system that allows callers to key in and retrieve basic information via their phones’ DTMF keypads in lieu of speaking to, or while waiting to speak to, an agent. Nearby would be a customer relationship management (CRM) system enabling the agents to pull up records on the callers and/or create new ones about them. Some newer centres also have systems that support Web chat, e-mail distribution, and maybe even voice and video over IP (to enable live voice and video communications through your computer). Down the hall from that room sits the MIS and telecom department – the wizards who keep it all together and running. Unseen are the teams of highly paid consultants and systems integrators who managed to get all of these systems talking to each other using computer-telephony integration (CTI) – a complex technology required to integrate the disparate worlds of computers with telephone systems. Unfortunately, the complexity and cost of CTI has often meant incomplete integration between call centres. We’ve all had some experience with the frustration it causes: We’re often asked to key in our account number while waiting for an agent, presumably to “ensure speedier service.” When we are finally connected, the agent asks again for the same information. More often than not, this frequent occurrence is caused by a poorly implemented CTIO project, resulting in blank screen pops at the agent’s desktop.

Outsourced call centre

An outsourced call centre is very similar to a premise-based call centre. In fact, it essentially is a premise-based call centre, complete with agents, ACDs, IVRs, CRM, and the rest, only at someone else’s premises. Call centre outsourcers effectively run entire call centres on behalf of their clients, terminating their clients’ toll-free and other call traffic on their own premises. The centres are typically staffed with agents trained to represent the client’s product or service as if they were employed directly by the client (which usually they are not).

The rise of the network-based call centre

At the heart of the network-based call centre is an ACD, only this ACD lives in a service provider’s network rather than on a company’s premises. The trick behind the NCC is that it’s not based on legacy circuit-switched technology – instead, it’s based on all-IP open computing systems. By removing the circuits from the equation, the only thing between the service provider and the agents is a managed IP network. This makes hosting an all-IP NCC about as straightforward as hosting a company’s Web site. It also means that the agents can essentially sit anywhere. Thanks to the inherent switching of the all-IP environment, agents no longer need to all sit at a central location – they can be distributed at multiple regional locations or even work from home with DSL or cable modem connections.

Best of all, an all-IP call centre becomes a unified contact centre, handling not only telephone calls and IVR, but also Web chat, browser collaboration, VoIP, video, voice mail, e-mail, and more. The motivation for enterprises to go the route of the NCC instead of deploying premise-based call centre equipment is considerable. The benefits include:

Capital expenditure avoidance. Instead of large upfront purchases of capital equipment, enterprises are able to sign up on a month-by-month basis, paying either by the agent or by usage (more on this later) for the services they need.

Focus on core business, not complex telecom systems. Deployment and maintenance of call centre equipment is complex and labor intensive, and large telecom and IT departments are required for the task. With today’s trend toward an ever-sharper focus on core competencies, businesses should focus on what they do best and not have to be in the business of building and running their own “phone company.”

Call centres becoming multi-channel “contact centres.” There is dramatic change underfoot in the way customers want to contact the companies they do business with. Telephone communications are being augmented by Web-based chat, e-mail, and even voice and video over IP. This means that call centres in enterprises all over the world are rethinking the way they handle customer contacts, and they’re all thinking about how they’re going to enhance existing equipment and when they should replace legacy systems. In short, they need to make major changes anyway, so why not consider NCC?

Capacity management. One of the strongest benefits of NCC is in the area of capacity management, especially as it applies to these new contact methods. Enterprises simply don’t know what the new mix of contact methods will be – to a certain extent no one knows what it will be. Phone calls vs. Web chat vs. E-mail vs. VoIP vs. video vs. voice mail – who can figure out the right amount of capital equipment for enterprises to buy in each of these areas? That’s where the NCC comes in. With NCC, customers pay for the capacity they need as they go.

Multi-site call centres. NCCs can provide a single queue for an entire enterprise independent of the number of sites or the locations of agents. This capability maximizes agent efficiency while significantly reducing the technological complexity of multiple sites with layered, independent queues.

Call centres for small businesses. Call centres are becoming more essential to every business, and for small businesses this is no exception. While operating a call centre is complex for large businesses, it especially strains the resources of smaller enterprises. This is an area where the benefits of NCC are truly compelling.

IP delivery of phone calls. One of the highest costs in a typical call centre is the cost of the calls themselves. A domestic toll-free circuit-switched 800 call in the U.S., typically delivered over T1 or E1 lines, can cost anywhere from $0.07 to $0.30 per minutes. Outside of the U.S., the costs can be higher. The same toll-free 800 calls, routed via VoIP gateways, can be delivered to NCC agents in the IP domain for much less – in some cases even as little as $0.02 to $0.04 per minute. But even if it’s only a penny or two less per minute, the total cost savings can be very substantial.

Conclusion

Back to top

FaceBook Twitter Reddit Delicious Digg StumbleUpon