The call center industry is a rewarding one, but it’s also highly competitive.
While there are a lot of resources available online to help you start and manage your call center, handpicking information that you really need can take ages.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend hours rummaging through the internet for call center information! We’ve compiled a list of the best call center articles to save you time.
In these articles, you’ll discover call center basics, like setting up a call center, types of call centers, information about outsourcing, agent management, and QA (quality assurance).
You can also read about call center policies and compliance, as well as call center software that can help you out.
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28 leading call center articles
We’ve compiled this comprehensive list of call center articles to help you get ahead of the competition.
1. Call center basics
To succeed in the call center industry, you’ve got to set the right foundations. To help you do that, we’ve included a list of articles explaining the basics of setting up and running a call center.
A. How to start a call center (processes, tips, tools)
Read all you need to know before setting up a call center, including planning, recruiting the right people, and tools for the best customer experience (CX).
B. Top 11 call centers best practices you should implement today
Running a call center isn’t just about answering customer calls. A thriving call center values its callers and puts customer needs first.
Thankfully, there are tried and tested strategies to ensure your call centers success. Discover the best call center practices you can implement today.
C. What goes into a call center SOP: 9 points to include
To help your call center operate like a well-oiled machine, you’ll need a good SOP (standard operating procedure).
Learn to establish an inbound, outbound, omnichannel or multi-channel call center SOP with this comprehensive article.
D. Little known ways to handle common call center challenges
In any industry, challenges are inevitable. Find out some of the most common challenges in the call center industry and advice on how to overcome them.
E. Contact center vs. call center: 5 key differences to know
Can’t understand the differences between contact center operations and call center operations? Discover their key differences in this detailed comparison article.
2. Types of call centers
Read about the types of call centers and discover which one is best for your business.
A. Inbound vs. outbound call centers: How they differ
Inbound call centers receive inbound calls, whereas customer service representatives make outgoing calls in outbound call centers.
Both types of call centers focus on resolving customer problems, improving customer engagement and customer loyalty. But, outbound call centers also conduct telemarketing activities, surveys, etc.
Discover all their key differences and similarities in this article.
B. What you need to know before hiring a virtual call center
Discover everything about a virtual call center — what it is, its advantages, and simple tips to help you manage your remote agents efficiently.
3. Call center outsourcing and offshoring
Find out what call center outsourcing and offshoring is and whether it’s a good fit for your business.
A. BPO call center: How to outsource (steps, pros, cons)
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) involves delegating some or all of your business activities to an outside service provider. It can help you improve the efficiency and profitability of your call center business.
Read about how you can outsource your call center, the pros, and the cons.
B. 18 best call center outsourcing companies in the world
There are tons of options when it comes to call center outsourcing companies. Some function as an answering service, handling your incoming calls only.
Others offer holistic call center services using various communication channels, including live chat, instant messaging, helpdesk customer support, lead generation, etc.
To help you make an informed choice, here are 15 of the best call center outsourcing companies.
C. The ultimate offshore call center guide
If you’re interested in call center offshoring, you’ll want to read this insightful guide.
It includes key things you should consider before hiring offshore customer service providers and highlights three of the best offshore call center consultants.
4. Call center agent management
Call center agents are on the frontline of your business.
So you must recruit, train, manage and motivate them effectively.
Read our list of call center management articles to learn how to keep your customer service agents and other call center employees happy and productive.
A. Call center attendance management (challenges and solutions)
Attendance management is one of the most critical issues in the call center industry.
Learn what it is, the related challenges and practical solutions, and the benefits of proper call center attendance management.
B. Call center coaching: 5 types, focus areas, best practices
Training your agents to properly handle incoming or outbound calls and every customer interaction is critical to your call center’s success.
Discover the best ways to train agents to provide a better customer experience.
C. Call center dress code: Benefits, options, best practices
Wondering if your call center really needs a dress code?
Read about the benefits of a dress code, different dress code options, how to implement one, and other valuable information.
D. 10 simple tips to reduce call center attrition
Unfortunately, the call center industry has one of the highest attrition rates.
Discover what it takes to keep your call center employees happy and reduce your attrition rate.
E. What is call center stress and how to manage it
High call volumes, targets, and other customer care demands make most call centers highly pressurized environments, leading to high employee turnover rates.
To help you avoid the cost and inconvenience of continuously losing employees, find out what causes stress and how to help call center employees cope.
F. Top 14 call center motivation tips to boost agent engagement
We’ve got some useful tips to help you boost agent morale and employee engagement within your call center.
5. Call center quality assurance
Call center quality assurance (QA) ensures your call center keeps up with industry standards and meets every customer expectation, which is crucial to customer retention.
Read our list of QA articles to learn all you need to know about call center QA.
A. 10 easy ways to improve your call center quality assurance
Discover the easiest ways to improve your call center’s service levels and the frameworks you can use to analyze agents’ performance data.
B. 15 important inbound call center metrics you should track today
These are the most important metrics and analytics to track if you want to reduce customer churn and improve the productivity of your inbound call center. Examples include average wait time, call abandonment rate, first call resolution, and so on.
We also highlight the global standards for seven popular inbound call center metrics and best practices.
C. How to perform call center benchmarking (step-by-step guide)
Our step-by-step guide to call center benchmarking is a must-read if you want to know how your call center measures up against its competitors.
D. 16 essential call center KPIs for improving your team’s success
Discover what call center KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are and 16 of the best KPIs to use to improve agent performance and help your business achieve its goals.
E. Call center service level: Formulas, standards, sample agreement
The call center service level is an important KPI to measure if you want to gauge how well your call center is doing. Learn what it is, how to calculate it, get practical tips, and a free service level agreement template.
6. Call center policies and compliance issues
Don’t want to start from scratch when creating the necessary policies for your call center?
Use our policy templates and get helpful compliance tips below.
A. How to create an effective call center attendance policy (plus free template)
Learn what goes into an effective call center attendance policy and get a free template to help you take control of attendance issues in your business.
B. Free call center break policy template
An effective break policy will help ensure that no client phone call goes unanswered in your call center. Get a free call center break policy template here.
C. How to create a call center phone policy (free template)
Concerned about agents using their cell phones on the call center floor?
Discover how to create a call center phone policy that addresses personal phone calls, social media usage, etc.
Also, get a free template to help boost productivity while also protecting sensitive customer data.
D. How to create a call center security policy (free template)
To keep your company network secure, read how to create a call center security policy or use our free sample template.
E. Top 10 call center compliance issues (with useful tips)
There are numerous regulations and standards that call centers must follow to ensure fair practice and data security.
Get valuable advice on these compliance issues, including consent for call monitoring and recording, outbound dialing restrictions, etc.
7. Call center software
Read about the best call center technology and software to help your call center run smoothly and efficiently in these articles.
A. Automatic call distribution: Key features, benefits, tools
An automatic call distribution system (ACD) connects incoming calls to dedicated agents that it deems most suitable to resolve the particular customer issue in the least possible time.
Find out more about this software, its key features, benefits, and the leading tools on the market.
B. Top 5 call center monitoring software
Monitoring software can help ensure every agent on your team provides the best possible service to potential and existing customers. Most call center management tools allow you to monitor voice calls and digital channels (like email, chat, SMS, etc.) in real-time.
This article highlights the best call center monitoring software, key features, and benefits to take your business’s productivity to new heights.
C. How much does call center software cost? (factors, tools)
If you’re interested in call center software but aren’t familiar with the costs, read this informative article. It also highlights the top features to look for, like IVR (Interactive Voice Response) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) integration.
D. 11 awesome call center software for small business needs
Discover the best small business call center software, including the key features, pricing, and customer reviews for each.
E. 10 best call center workforce management software
Looking for the best call center workforce management software?
We’ve got 10 of the best on the market to help make your decision a little easier.
5 additional call center articles
Here are a few more call center articles from other leading sources that you may find helpful.
A. Top three trends driving customer-first call centres
Explore the leading trends in call centers today that you’ll want to focus on to improve your customer service.
B. The 5 customer satisfaction metrics you can track for a boost to ROI
Find out why it’s essential to prioritize customer satisfaction in your call center and the metrics you should track to boost your ROI (Rate of Investment).
C. 8 ways to avoid call center agent burnout intensified during a crisis
Call center agent burnout is a major concern and the cause of a high employee turnover, especially during a crisis. Learn practical ways to address this issue now and in the future.
D. How COVID-19 is accelerating remote working and automation in the call center industry
Discover how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way call centers operate. In addition to remote work becoming common, automation and AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools are also shaping the industry.
E. New study finds 36% of call centre agents have been threatened with violence
Read an insightful article about the verbal abuse call center agents have to endure and the importance of proper training to avoid poor performance, burnout, etc.
Wrapping up
Succeeding in the competitive call center industry is no easy feat.
You’ll need to do thorough research, implement the best strategies, and continuously monitor performance and productivity.
The articles we’ve included here can help tremendously. But you can also check out the Time Doctor blog to get the latest information and explore new developments in the call center industry.
