Difference Between BPO and Call Centers

A common misconception within the marketing world is the conflation of business process outsourcing (BPO) and call centers.

As it turns out, these two terms carry distinct differences, making them not particularly well-suited for interchangeable use. By understanding the defined roles of these two services, you’ll know how to better tackle your company’s needs without getting tripped up.

What Is the Role of Business Process Outsourcing?

A typical definition of business process outsourcing refers to the action of contracting with third-party providers to receive non-primary business activities.

You’ll see BPO deal with both front- and back-office operations, as they help to improve overall efficiency, stimulate organizational growth and reduce responsibilities throughout the central office while allowing employees to focus on more vital activities. Examples of BPO include payroll, accounting, data entry, customer care, client relations and more.

With that in mind, it’s easy to understand why people affiliate call centers with BPO — after all, they’re generally considered a subset.

What Separates Call Centers From BPO?

In the discussion of BPO vs. call centers, the latter offers specific services that lead to a unique classification when compared to the former, which usually performs under a broader spectrum.

The name is self-defining, as call centers will handle all the phone operations traditionally affiliated with the front office. If you want to keep existing customers satisfied and persuade new leads simultaneously, your relationship with a call center will revolve around inbound and outbound activities, which you can define as:

• Inbound: This service deals with receiving calls from customers and prospects and helping them as necessary. It could be to offer additional information on products, transfer callers to relevant departments, take orders or address concerns however possible.

• Outbound: The center’s employees will reach out to a supplied call list on your company’s behalf. These calls will hold marketing and advertising conversations most of the time, but they might also include follow-ups to a customer’s service and product acquisitions.

While not as involved as the bevy of BPO services from other providers, dedicated call centers are critical for nurturing direct interactions with the people who constitute both your current and prospective client bases.

LeadMaster Will Give You Reliable Call Center Solutions

Keeping pace with a seemingly endless call list can overwhelm even your best agents and leave opportunities on the table. Eliminate that inefficiency and take your calling capabilities to the next level with our dedicated call center CRM software, which introduces a variety of advantages.

Our all-in-one, cloud-based solution is easy to implement and comes equipped with several automation tools to simplify the process without sacrificing your high standard for customer service. We supply our software at affordable rates, sans long-term contracts that require additional expensive upgrades.

Newly equipped with the knowledge to spot the difference between BPO and call centers, please contact us today to ask questions about our CRM software!