Difference Between BPO and Call Center: How are they different?
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) And Call Centers
If you work in customer service, it is easy to feel that you are constantly trying to streamline your processes so you can better serve your customers. It might be difficult for managers to find innovative solutions to provide exceptional customer service.
They might come across “business process outsourcing,” also known by BPO. They may mistakenly believe that BPO and call centers are one in the same. They are similar but they have different characteristics so you can’t apply the same strategy for both.
Is Call Center and BPO the same? To improve your organization’s output, it is important to know the difference and which center is currently operating. This article will explain BPO and detail the characteristics of BPO and call centers, as well as the key differences.
Table of Contents
Is Call Center and BPO the same?
Is Call Center and BPO the same? BPO is not the same as a call centre. BPO can be used to outsource your call center services. BPO providers can manage many other functions, such as back-end administration and loan underwriting.
What Is the Difference Between BPO and Call Centers?
The primary difference between a BPO company and a call center is the operation. While a call center specializes in telecommunications-related operations hired by another company or agency, BPO companies undertake a wide range of services not limited to communications.
A BPO can also be called a call center. BPOs on the other hand cannot be considered a call center because they can do much more than simply making and receiving calls, and also processing communications for their clients.
A key difference between BPO companies and call centers is where they do their primary operations. A business processing outsourcing company operates behind the scenes, while a contact center is focused on customer support and interactions with callers.
Below is the table that shows the main difference between BPO and call centers.
| Call Center | BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) | |
|
A call center’s primary function is to keep existing clients satisfied while convincing future consumers through phone calls. | A BPO service’s major function is finance and accounting, sourcing and procurement, human resource outsourcing, etc. |
|
Only the front office processes | Back-end processes and front-office processes. |
|
Lower services than BPO | Higher Service than a call center |
|
Basic computer knowledge and fluency in the required language | Advanced computer skills and high-skilled in the required language |
|
Customer calls or makes sales calls | Different factors include finance, web development, software development, product development, email support, chat support, and many more. |
These industries can be served by a BPO:
- Finance & Accounting – Bookkeepers and accountants. Collections and debt recovery.
- Marketing Support – Digital Marketing, Social Media Copywriters, Video Editors Website Developer / Graphic artist
- Call Center – Customer Support, Telemarketers. Email support/Chat. Lead Generators. Collections.
- Back office support – Encoders, Virtual Assistants, Data Entry, Account Management. .
- IT Professionals – Software Engineers & Development, Network Engineer.
- A Call Center is a subset in a BPO. It primarily focuses on phone-based processes and, in most cases, uses autodialing. A call center is defined as a centralized office that receives and sends large amounts of calls using a handset (telephone). BPO can be used for almost all businesses with processes and back office tasks. Call Centers, however, focus primarily on customer support through outbound phone calls and resolution of queries.
The following services are available from a Call Center:
- Billing and Collections – collections, billing specialist, and so on.
- Lead Generation – Survey generation, appointment setting and order taking.
- Customer Service – Email Support, Customer Care
- Technical Support – system engineers, network engineers
What is BPO?
A BPO Call Center is an outsourcing company that processes outgoing and inbound calls for other companies. Even though they don’t work for the company they are serving, outsourced agents still offer excellent customer support. BPO agents are trained to understand the catalog of their clients so they can answer customer questions with the same depth of knowledge.
BPO call centers are a great option for those who don’t have enough time to support their entire team.
BPO can provide services such as manufacturing products or back office workers, as well as customer service support. BPO companies can handle any task, no matter how large or small, according to the requirements of their clients. This means that there is no limit on the work that can be outsourced.
What is a Call Center?
Call centers are the heart of customer support for many businesses. Customers call to get help, and sales reps call to sell. Because traditional customer service models are based on phone contact as the main means of contact between customers, companies and their representatives, it is called a “call-center”. The modern call center is also known as a contact center.
What are the 3 Main Types of BPO
- Onshore outsourcing – BPO agents located in the country in which your business is located are called “Onshore”.
- Offshore outsourcing – “Offshore” refers to BPO agents who are located in a country other than your company.
- Nearshore outsourcing– Nearshore is very similar in nature to offshore outsourcing. This involves working with a vendor located in a neighboring nation. One example is a Mexican BPO vendor that works with US-based companies.
What are the 3 Types of Call Centers
- Inbound Call Center – This is where customers call inbound to get help. Customers needing assistance, guidance, or help from an inbound call center agent can reach them.
- Outbound Call Center – Outbound phone agents answer calls on your behalf. Outbound call center – These agents make phone calls on behalf of your company. Outbound call centers have representatives who sell to new customers, or upsell existing customers.
- Virtual call center – Employees do not have to be at one particular workstation in a virtual phone center. Representatives working in virtual call centers can work remotely from any location and take or make calls from anywhere.
How can you relate call centers to BPO?
Call Center is mostly focused on solving customer queries. It is a subset within a BPO company. It usually involves only telephone work. BPO however, also includes Call Center and other outsourced back-office tasks.
Conclusion
A BPO company’s call center subsection focuses on customer service. It is usually limited to phone work. BPO however, includes call centers and other outsourced back office functions.
BPO providers are recommended for businesses that require technical or professional expertise. If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to provide customer service, call centers may be the best option.
There are two main differences between BPO companies and call centers: a BPO company will require that you have a set of skills to match the client’s task, whereas a BPO company only requires exceptional communication and negotiation skills to effectively address the customer’s needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a difference between a call center and a business process outsourcing firm?
Yes, there are differences between a call center or a business-process outsourcing firm. BPO services can be used to save money and increase productivity. A call center service, on the other hand, is intended to manage business processes for another company that primarily deals in telephone calls.
Is BPO just for call centers?
A BPO organization’s call center focuses on customer service. It is usually limited to phone labor. BPO on the other hand covers Call Centers and other outsourced back office functions.
What is BPO in the context of a call center agent?
BPO stands for Business Process Outsourcing. A third-party service provider can perform any operation or task that a corporation cannot or won’t do internally. BPOs are used frequently to provide call center services with agents representing various organizations and industries.
What is a call center in simpler words?
First, we recognize that a phone call center is a place where people answer calls and provide outstanding customer service. Call center workers should be adaptable and able to work with a wide range of cultures, people, schedules, and clients.
What is an example of BPO?
One type of BPO are call centers. One example is a manufacturer outsourcing customer service to a phone center. However, outsourcing business processes isn’t limited to call centers or customer service. It could be used by the same manufacturer BPO for outsourcing payroll, accounting, or other administrative tasks.
What is another name for BPO?
BPO is often referred to as information technology-enabled services (ITES) because it relies on technology/infrastructure that enables external companies to efficiently perform their roles.
