DETROIT – The recent evolution of the call center goes something like this: automation, more automation, chatbots, and more automation are thrown in for good measure. But it’s 2020, otherwise known as The Year Everything Changed. Why are call centers even more important today? What happened to human interaction?

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, many call centers are rethinking the heavy-handed implementation toward automated solutions. In particular, all kinds of enterprises (small, medium, large) are looking to gear their client interaction platform toward live agents and a more personal – and personable – means of communication.

What is driving this seemingly countermove against the grain, and why is having a call center, especially with friendly, knowledgeable agents, a bigger priority nowadays? We recently sat down with the folks at TeleDirect, a leader in business process outsourcing (BPO) call center platforms, for their take on these important questions and much more.

Remember the good old days of the successful business model? Offer great products and services – and back them up with attentive, on-point customer service.

Lockdown those two things, and chances are you’ll succeed.

Well, welcome to the brave new business world. COVID-19 has disrupted everything from supply chains to stock markets to international relations, as evidenced by the seemingly day-by-day tension with the U.S. and China.

With profit margins tighter than ever and “business competition” redefined from the traditional “your business vs their business” to “your business vs COVID-19 and other businesses,” assistance with customer service is needed now more than ever.

Despite today’s uncertainty and volatility, we’re certain one business principle will remain unchanged, through global health emergencies and anything else that threatens a predictable, stable business environment: exceptional customer service.

This is why the call center – specifically, a well-run, do-it-all call center – is imperative for 2020 and well beyond. Everything we thought as normal has completely changed, and there’s a good chance the new normal – even when the current Coronavirus crisis subsides – will look totally different than the pre-pandemic business landscape.

Here are a few reasons why the call center can help your business navigate the current crisis and also manage whatever the future holds (hopefully not on the level of 2020, but you never know!):

  • Enhance client confidence. Let’s face it: confidence (for buyers and sellers) has been at or near an all-time low in 2020. Anything you can do to increase client confidence in your products and services is well worth the effort. And a well-rounded call center platform is one of the best methods to solve the “confidence crisis.”
  • Optimize human interaction. 2020 is the year of the lockdown. With economic activity still sluggish, many people are looking for genuine interaction with another person, even if it’s on the phone. By employing highly trained, professional, friendly agents, you’ll immediately boost your call center’s capability – and also inject a much-needed conversational element into your customer service structure.
  • The advantage of having a head-start in the remote business model. Call centers – particularly reliable, outsourced call centers – have mastered remote efficiency for decades. Long before Zoom, Skype and Teams became the preferred means of communication, call centers were at the forefront of remote, outsourced business services. With COVID-19 and other potential disruptions ahead, it helps to have a rock-solid, reliable way to communicate with existing and potential customers.
  • Improve your bottom line. With revenue and ROI more important than ever, it helps to have a system in place to help your enterprise save money. And that’s what call centers are all about. Want to firm up your bottom line and improve customer satisfaction? Explore a call center solution today.

About the Author

TeleDirect provides a host of business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions for companies across the globe. Their turnkey business services, including popular call center platform systems, lead response management, reservation services, and much more, assist a wide range of industries and business sectors. TeleDirect spearheaded a flexible, robust remote BPO architecture long before COVID-19 upended traditional ways of working, and their popular & affordable business optimization solutions are now more popular than ever. With a focus on value & results and enhanced efficiency for any and all business systems, TeleDirect is ready to boost your productivity today.

For more information on TeleDirect, fill out a customer contact form or call their BPO experts at (800) 776-1081.