What is the Difference Between BPO and Call Center?

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The main difference between Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and call centers lies in the scope of services they provide. Here are the key differences between BPO and call centers:

  1. Scope of services: BPO encompasses a broader range of activities, including both customer-facing and behind-the-scenes tasks, such as accounting, HR, marketing, and sales. Call centers, on the other hand, primarily focus on customer communication and support, handling tasks like customer service, sales, telemarketing, and technical support.
  2. Ownership and integration: BPO services are generally outsourced to external service providers, who operate independently from the client organization. Call centers can be a part of a BPO organization, focusing on handling customer concerns, usually through phone work.

In summary, BPO offers a wide range of outsourcing options, including both customer-facing and back-office tasks, while call centers primarily focus on customer communication and support. Both BPO and call centers provide significant benefits to businesses, such as cost savings, scalability, and enhanced customer experience.

Comparative Table: BPO vs Call Center

Here is a table highlighting the differences between BPO and Call Center:

Key Difference BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) Call Center
Business Goals Holistic operational objectives for various BPO processes Specific operational purposes for particular phone-based functions
Level of Involvement Hiring a BPO service provider to handle a wide range of processes and scale business operations Establishing an in-house team or partnering with a BPO provider to handle call center operations
Nature of Services BPO covers various services such as call support, email support, web development, SEO presence, and marketing presence. Call centers usually handle customer service, sales or telemarketing, and technical support.
Types of BPO Call Centers Inbound Call Centers, Outbound Call Centers, and Automated Call Centers. Call centers can either be in-house or outsourced.
Support Availability BPO call centers can offer 24/7 support to customers. Support availability depends on the call center's operations and infrastructure.

In summary, BPO is a broader concept that involves outsourcing various business processes to a third-party provider, while a call center is a specific type of BPO service that focuses on phone-based customer interactions.