The Difference Between a Call Center and a Contact Center

01 Aug The Difference Between a Call Center and a Contact Center

Have you ever wondered about the difference between a “call center” and “contact center”? If you have, we’re willing to bet you assumed they’re nothing but synonyms; two different ways to say the same thing. As it turns out, though, the functions of these entities make them quite different from one another. Let’s dig into some of these distinctions.

Approach to Communication 

Methods of communication vary widely between call centers and contact centers. While call centers typically focus on in-bound and out-bound phone calls, a contact center connects through additional channels including instant messaging, email and live chat. In other words, contact centers can communicate in a larger variety of ways to meet the customer’s needs, making them more suitable for today’s style of communication. 

In a similar vein, your traditional call center is housed in a large office space that pairs basic telecommunication infrastructure with on-premise hardware to send and receive a high volume of calls. Simply put, a call center uses technology that can only be accessed from within the building. A contact center, on the other hand, operates through the cloud and employs secure communication applications to engage with their customers.

Technological Difference 

The second key difference is the technology used to engage with their customers. Typically, contact centers are equipped with features designed to optimize call time, distribute calls efficiently and maintain a high customer satisfaction rating.

By leveraging technology like omnichannel channel communication and Interactive Voice Response, contact centers can meet customers where they want to be engaged with the most competent agent. Unlike a call center, a contact center handles inbound and outbound calls using cloud services and Voice over Internet Protocol.

With 20 years of experience in the world of customer service, Superior Contact is not only a premier contact center but the Superior option! Contact us today if you’re interested in learning more about contact center solutions.