Getting more from call centers

Call centers are an essential part of the marketing and customer care strategy of many companies, but too many executives consider these operations a necessary expense rather than a way to generate new business. Indiscriminately moving customer traffic to a company's Web site or outsourcing call centers haphazardly can make them less rather than more effective.

Using IT to boost call-center performance

• Technologies that can help call centers reduce costs and increase revenues have become less expensive and more powerful.
• Two such technologies—voice recognition and interactive voice response—can automate a higher percentage of phone calls because the new systems are more sophisticated and thus more acceptable to customers.