Call centers provide an example of the application of these concepts. Its design has been enabled by the use of telecommunications technology and its ongoing integration with information technology. Their concepts are becoming integral to the redesign of business processes (particularly informational processes as distinguished from those focused on physical objects), and where call center implementations are strategically driven and aligned, their value to the organization is the greater.
Objectives established for a call center must support and further the organization's strategic direction. For instance, a call center focused on routing telephone calls to the appropriate staff member or department has a relatively narrow task; it will be suited to an organization that needs to be able to give short, concise answers to a high call volume. call center (an inbound telemarketing) focused on sales will allow longer calls, focusing on minimizing waiting times and maximizing sales impact. But if the organization as a whole were strategically focused on the creation of customer loyalty, the call center would be a primary means to achieve that goal, and both of the examples above would fall short in contributing to this corporate strategy.
Call centers can very well be a strategic asset for organizations, as they can be used to strengthen customer relationships, and can enable the organization to learn more about customers, so as to serve them better. Chowdhury and Adria (2002) make a strong case for using call centers to improve an organization's ability to serve its customers. There they argue for empowerment of call center managers and employees to enhance customer service, and they note that the main responsibility for workers in a call center operation is to maintain and enhance the reputation of the organization. The organization's carefully developed customer service culture is at risk during each customer interaction.
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