Want to set up a call centre from scratch? It is easier and more affordable than you think. Here is what a call centre needs, how to design, market, fund and run one, and how AI helps.
Key takeaways:
- AI makes it simpler: IVR and AI routing answer simple questions and send calls to the right team.
- Clear benefits: Call centres lift satisfaction, conversion and revenue, especially for online stores.
- Know the types: Inbound, outbound and automated centres serve customer support and product support.
- Plan the anatomy: Get the right agents, technology, location, headcount, security and budget.
- Run it well: Prioritise, categorise, add self-service, analyse data and look after your agents.
Some people think setting up a call centre is hard, but it is not. You do need deep knowledge of your systems, products and services, plus the number of calls you expect each day. However, once you know how to automate your systems with AI, it becomes simple.
With AI, callers can get answers through IVR (interactive voice response). This reduces the number of calls your agents handle each day, because IVR answers simpler questions. AI can also route different types of calls to the right departments.
Let’s look at what a call centre is and how to set one up so it runs like a well-oiled machine. First, you need to understand a few key concepts.
What is a support call centre, and why does it matter?
A call centre handles inbound and outbound calls through customer service or sales representatives. It is called a “call centre” because traditional models contact customers by phone. Many businesses see it as the heart of their customer service.
Often, a call centre is the first point of contact for existing and potential customers. Of course, most businesses now have an online store where customers can order products or services. Much of the key product information is already on the website.
Sometimes, though, customers need to talk to a person to understand an answer or solve a problem with a purchase. This is where a call centre helps, and most businesses offer one.
As noted, call centres can be the first contact between customers and your staff. They drive innovation and help redefine the customer experience. They also personalise conversations with customers across many channels.
With a call centre, both your support team and your sales team can deliver quality service and premium support, whether inbound or outbound.
The benefits: happier customers, higher conversion and more revenue
A call centre brings many benefits, especially if you run an online store. Some people hesitate to buy online because they fear poor after-sales service. A call centre solves that.
With a call centre, you can give customers proper support after purchase. A phone number to call when something goes wrong greatly lifts satisfaction and builds loyalty. It also makes customers more confident in dealing with you, and it attracts new customers.
Sales support call centres also raise your conversion rate. A visitor unsure about a purchase can simply call and discuss the product with a sales representative.
The right technology also means callers do not wait long, thanks to smart call queuing. This keeps sales leads under control and stops them getting lost. So it directly increases your sales volume and revenue.
Types of support centres: from customer service to product support
There are three main types of call centre, covering both customer and product support: inbound, outbound and automated. Automated centres rely heavily on AI. Most of us have contacted customer support and product support call centres at some point.
A customer support call centre deals with consumers who have trouble with your products or services. This might be a product issue, an overpayment complaint or a delivery problem.
Customer support call centres
Customer support call centres usually serve B2C customers who want to speak to a real person. These consumers believe, sometimes rightly, that a person will deal with their query or complaint faster than an email.
Product support call centres
Product support usually covers what we call tech support. If your company is product-centric, set up a call centre focused on product support. That way, you give consumers the best performance and gain the most benefit yourself.
In product support centres, callers can be other companies (B2B) or consumers (B2C). Customers who need product support accept help in many formats. These include AI-powered self-service knowledge bases and direct contact with representatives by email, phone or live chat.
The anatomy of a call centre
Understanding the components, or anatomy, of a call centre helps you make informed decisions. Every organisation has different needs, so check that the key elements are in place. This is especially important if you partner with a third party.
Many companies outsource call centre setup and operation. However, it is usually best to build your own. When you own the call centre, you have more control and the final say on how to prioritise customers, team members and technology.
Key components and how they work together
The main components of a support centre are infrastructure and technology, skilled representatives, monitoring and reporting, and the customer experience you provide.
- Agents: Your agents are one of the most critical elements, because they are often the face of your organisation. So you need a streamlined hiring process and the ability to retain and reward your team. That is why good call centres aim to hire good people and keep them. Also provide the best possible work environment. Call centre work can be tedious and stressful, especially when customers take their frustration out on agents. So give agents comfortable infrastructure, and they will give their best in return.
- Technology: Modern call centres invest in state-of-the-art AI. This makes dealing with callers easy and gives them a positive experience. To see the wider options, read our complete guide to customer service automation.
Designing the structure from the ground up
- Number of agents: First, calculate how many people to hire, based on your call centre’s core purpose. Work out the number of agents, team leaders and managers you need.
- Location and infrastructure: Choose a place with affordable property near the city. Since you will talk to customers by phone, you do not need to be close to your customer base.
- Equipment: Workstations, phones and headsets should be top quality. They should cut out background noise to give callers a good experience.
- Future growth: Plan beyond your current needs, and work out what growth will require.
- Security: Guard against physical risks like fire and theft. Data theft is also a threat, so put security measures in place.
- Budget: Last but most important is budget. Work with call centre experts who can design a complete centre within a realistic, affordable budget.
Marketing your support centre
The best way to market your contact centre is to publish its number on your website and in printed materials like brochures and letterheads. If customers are happy to receive emails, you can also email them details of the centre and its numbers.
Financing and sustaining a call centre
To fund a call centre, measure the revenue it generates, directly and indirectly. Count the new sales and upselling it creates, plus the customers it helps you keep. As discussed above, these financial benefits make a support call centre sustainable.
In the past, many companies hired very young, sometimes immature agents for their energy and lower cost. However, look for agents with good mental and emotional maturity, so they can offer callers real empathy and support.
Diversifying your revenue
The best way to fund your call centre is to make it earn more. You can also draw on sales department profits to sustain it.
You can invest part of your promotion and marketing budget in the call centre, too. Train agents to excel at promoting your products and services. Through upselling, call centres can earn enough to support themselves.
It also helps to transfer calls to a sales representative when a customer wants to make a new purchase or find something to go with an earlier buy. For more ideas, see how to boost customer conversion using chatbots.
Running your call centre for peak performance
A call centre’s operational efficiency is the ratio of output (revenue, cash, profit) to input (operating costs, time, effort and staff). The more efficient your call centre, the more revenue you earn at the lowest cost.
One key measure is the time agents spend on calls compared with the customer satisfaction they create. This matters a lot. It shapes how your agents treat customers, and happy customers spread positive word of mouth.
To optimise your call centre’s workflow, follow these tips:
- Create an organisation chart. This shows who is responsible for what, which tools are available and how enquiries go to each department.
- Prioritise support. Decide how to answer tickets: first come, first served, or by channel, task or customer.
- Categorise enquiries. Sort customer requests by category and type, such as marketing, development, IT and sales.
- Add AI self-service. Sometimes callers do not need a person at all. IVR systems or website chatbots can easily handle their queries.
- Analyse data. Set key performance areas to track your agents’ performance and effectiveness.
- Test different approaches. Track feedback from employees, customers and management regularly to make your centre more efficient.
In fact, it is a good idea to build a dedicated team to manage the call centre, so it runs smoothly.
The challenges: limited resources and tight deadlines
As we have seen, a support call centre needs many resources, including cutting-edge technology, good infrastructure and enough agents. Yet these resources may be hard to get, because budgets are always tight. Management usually tries to spend as little as possible on setup and infrastructure.
Whether you build a call centre from scratch or relocate staff, timelines are usually short. Deadlines are tight, so the centre can start serving customers as soon as possible.
In addition, call centre work is often repetitive, and agents bear the brunt of customer frustration that is not their fault. This leads to staff turnover, so call centres spend a lot of money and effort retaining employees. AI can ease that load; see top ways online businesses can provide a better customer experience with chatbots.
Conclusion: proper planning is essential
A call centre is an excellent way to lift customer satisfaction and revenue, but proper planning and execution are essential. Call centres must answer customers’ questions. They must also handle complaints with empathy, so customers stay loyal.
So plan from the very start, and always treat your call centre staff with empathy for the tough nature of their work. Then your call centre will give your business the right support and grow revenue by improving customer satisfaction.