The Indian Call Center Journey

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TABLE I
BENEFITS OF A CALL-CENTER

Enhances the customer base and business prospects

Offers an economical means of reaching diverse and widely distributed customer group

Fine-tunes offerings to specific customer groups by specialized and focussed assistance

Allows customers easy access to experts

Facilitates business round the clock and in any geographical region

Allows a company to reduce the overheads of brick and mortar branches

Source: Compiled from various sources.

TABLE II
CALL CENTER CLASSIFICATION

Voice call center with phones and computers.

E-mail call center with leased lines and computers.

Web-based call centers using internet chat facilities with customers.

Regional call centers handling calls from local clients.

Global call centers handling calls from across the world.

Source: Compiled from various sources.

Call centers could either be �captive/in-house'or in form of an �outsourced bureau.'Captive call centers were typically used by various segments like insurance, investments and securities, retail banking, other financial services, telecommunications, technology, utilities, manufacturing, travel and tourism, transport, entertainment, healthcare and education etc.

Outsourcing bureaus were outfits with prior experience in running call centers. These helped the new players in dealing with complex labor issues, assisted in using latest technologies, helped in lowering the operating expenses and financial risks. Outsourced bureau operators were utilized by companies at various stages viz. setting up of the center, internal infrastructure revamps, excess traffic situations etc.

INDIAN CALL CENTERS � MYTHS AND REALITIES

FUTURE PROSPECTS

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION