As is often the case, there is also some confusion with regard to terminology in the field of call handling. The many technical terms, although precise to some extent, don't exactly make life easy. What are the names of the solutions I am looking for? What do I have to Google to find them? What features do they include? What do I actually need? In this article I will highlight the differences between attendant console, call center and contact center.

First, you have to differentiate between the operations themselves and the software which is tailored for them. Operator services require attendant solutions, call centers require call center software and contact centers need contact center software. In the last two cases, the term "software" is often omitted. The software is then simply referred to as "call center" or "contact center", which entails the risk of confusion with the operation itself.

I also have to admit that the term "call center" sounds much better than "attendant console", maybe because it is simply more modern. Possibly for this very reason some of our customers have renamed their operator services: they are now called "call centers". However, only a few of them also adapted their operations when updating the term; operators (formerly know as telephonists) still do exactly the same job.

But there ARE differences between attendant consoles and call centers.

Attendant software

The task of an attendant console is to handle calls. Calls come in, are automatically distributed to the operators, who then forward the calls to the required persons. For this purpose, an attendant console solution requires of course a distribution mechanism for incoming calls and trivial functions such as Answer, Call, Hold, Mute and Call Transfer with and without pre-announcement. A queue is also required so that calls which cannot be put through due to overload can be held until dealt with. And management is required so that the main numbers and the users who work with the system can be configured. Every other function is in principle optional, but is also repeatedly called for. Together with the look and feel, it distinguishes the quality of the attendant solution. This includes of course recalls, music and announcements in the queue, music on hold, attendant groups, telephone directories, various statuses of subscribers, display of favorites, sophisticated call routing methods, operating times, overflow destinations and much more.

And this is exactly where the boundary with call center solutions begins.

Call center software

In contrast to operator services, call centers are organizations whose operators in principle handle the calls themselves, i.e. do not necessarily forward them. Strictly speaking, this involves so-called "inbound call centers" in contrast to "outbound call centers", which carry out surveys, promotional calls, sales etc. Inbound call centers are often used in customer support where a large number of different tasks have to be dealt with, e.g. inquiries regarding billing, technical support, contract amendments etc. In this case the incoming calls are distributed in such a way that they best match the skills of the operators. This type of call distribution is therefore referred to as "skill-based routing", and is one of the central elements of a call center. So-called "auto attendants" are usually used for this. They enable callers to choose from a selection of required services at the touch of a button, for example "For German press 1, for English press 2 ". Skills are also determined, however, by the main numbers dialed and/or the telephone numbers of the callers. Further central features of call centers also include the options to directly locate dossiers in CRM tools based on the telephone numbers of the callers or to create new dossiers, view the call history of callers and to define workflows. With regard to telephony, call centers require most conventional attendant functions, but also feature additional options such as call recording, listening in on calls, conferences etc.

In principle, outbound call centers would not need some of the inbound functions, but rather some features which improve the efficiency of outgoing business. These are usually functions such as least cost routing, preview dialing and disposition codes.

Call center solutions usually include all inbound and outbound functions, as these two areas have a large common basis.

But then what is a contact center?

Contact center software

In principle, a contact center is a call center which also uses other services such as chat, e-mail, fax, SMS etc. The associated software must be able to also cover these services, i.e. for example receiving and sending chats (this also includes allocation of incoming chats to agents) and e-mails, and much more. A key component in this case is the underlying call center functionality, as described above. Thus it can be said that a contact center is simply an extension of the call center as it extends equivalent functionality to other services.

The boundaries between attendant solutions, call and contact center software are, however, relatively fluid. Some attendant solutions, such as talkbase, also cover some functionality which can actually be assigned to call centers. On the other hand, some products which are referred to as call center software should actually be considered attendant console solutions. It is quite possible that also in this case the more modern term "call center" has become more commonly used than "attendant console".

Talkbase is a Web-based attendant console solution which significantly facilitates the work of your receptionists and offers them many options for supporting your telephone operations. Thanks to features such as call control, quick search functions, status information, directories, statistics and reports, a small investment can have a huge impact.