The definition of Call center, in general, is aimed at the technological field, that is, structure, design of hardware and software as well as the functionality provided through the systems. Specifying what a Call Center is goes beyond a computer system or cutting-edge technology; Although it is true it is important to facilitate human work, it is not predominant. The human being is the important element in the definition that we propose.
Despite our objective is to sensitize the definition of Call Center from the technological to the humanistic point of view, we will point out some definitions raised by the companies that offer this service.
For Sakata Ingenieros1 "a Call Center is one that provides the company with the necessary elements so that, with a centralized service via telephone, it can establish mutually beneficial relationships with its customers, suppliers, etc."
They also point out that “it is a functional unit within the company (or a company in itself) designed to handle large volumes of incoming and outgoing telephone calls to and from its customers, in order to support the day-to-day operations of the entity."
For Cia. Serintel de Chile2 “the Call Center is a tool that is designed and built,« made to measure », attending to the needs of commercial areas. To the requirements and needs of these areas, it is necessary to incorporate quality criteria, which translate into equipment and human resource requirements, which define or model the Call Center. ”
For Cia. Andicel de Colombia 3 “a Call Center is a telephone service center that has the capacity to handle high volumes of calls, with different objectives. Its main focus is the generation of Outbound calls (Outbound Calls) and the reception of calls (Inbound Calls), covering the expectations of each of the campaigns implemented ”
For the Call Center consulting firm, One to One4 defines the term as a “Call Center, which is an integrated system of telephony and computing aimed at promoting the 3 most important tasks of a company, through telephone communication: Customer acquisition, Customer maintenance, Collections ”.
An important element, as we pointed out at the beginning, is being human. People who answer calls in a Call Center are called the operator or agent of Telemarketing, since they are responsible not only for answering calls, they also have the ability to advise and address any user concerns. Operator (a) is the term used for the service offered by the company and we want to avoid confusing it with the person who provides said service.
The basic profile of a Service Manager (Telephone Advisors, Telephone Representatives) must have the following characteristics: show a great predisposition to keep the job in the company, have ease of communication, capacity for teamwork, have a voice pleasant and demonstrate emotional stability.
For Cia Sistecol5 “the Call center acts as an intermediary between the client and the company. The first instance between the company and the customer is the Call center. It is a strategic tool to retain and develop more profitable and loyal relationships with customers ”
For the company Rasgocorp 6 a Call Center “is the solution where economic and quality results converge, serving as a direct interface to its clients. Of course the interface has to be fast, independent of the locality and with great ease when it comes to obtaining information. "It allows you to efficiently manage your business, maximizing resources, reducing costs, increasing your benefits and having more contact with your customers."
For the Soluziona 7 Company, the Call Center “is designed as partial or integral support for the customer relationship. The call center arises in order to satisfy certain aspects of the customer relationship in isolation: promotions, information and consultation, claims, collection, receipt of incidents, among others. The objective is the ability to provide customer service over the phone with optimum quality levels "
Luís Gallardo 8 mentions that “the concept of the Call Center currently goes far beyond the mere traditional telephone exchange. It is a resource management tool in which not only is a highly professional customer service provided through specific worker training but also includes aspects of new technologies, such as service via the Internet, automatic voice reception, etc. "
In accordance with the proposals presented and adapting to reality, we will indicate that a Call Center is a unit or department in a company (or in a specialized company) that is dedicated to fulfilling communication functions in a company. The relationships that can be established as an external means of communication in companies are: between departments in the company, relationship with user and customer and marketing functions.
Other functions that we can establish are those where the Call Center is a core unit of information between the company and its environment. The information obtained will be vital for the dynamics and strategy that companies adopt.
A Call Center is made up of human beings, with feelings, thoughts and proposals that must be heard and evaluated. Our clients should not be considered a cold statistic, their call goes beyond a query, complaint or claim, it is a vital input for business development and strengthening.
- Sakata Engineers “Equipment for a Call Center” Page 03 \ quality of service.htmwww.soluziona.com Professional Services of Unión Fenosahttp: //www.el-mundo.es/nuevaeconomia/index.html EL MUNDO / Sunday 10 October 1999 / Number 2 The 'call centers', a job facing the public
