Abstract
With the global acceptance of Internet, intensive consumerism, and keen competition, increasing numbers of companies are investing in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) implementation strategies and practices. These companies hope to improve the total performance of their enterprise by boosting customer satisfaction and by winning and maintaining customer loyalty. The Internet provides a new means by which companies interact with customers and deliver services 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (24/7). By extensively collecting customer information and feedback from the web and other media, a CRM system can analyze and forecast customer demand accurately and immediately using real time data. The information collected provides a means to improve customize services, keep track of demand, and build marketing strategies that target real needs. This type of approach is tailored to the specific needs of targeted customers and builds long lasting customer relationships. Therefore, the call center, which is at the heart of enterprise efforts to collect customer information and build relations, is not only a strategic tool but also a necessary investment for all companies.There has been a radical change to the business models of CRM because of the Internet. E-business companies handle the increased flow of digital information by investing in new call center technology. CRM technology covers databases, Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), new types of Public Branch Exchanges (PBXs), and a growing variety of integrated software solutions. Regardless of the size of a company, the trend is to provide call center services in-house or outsource the task to contract services companies that maintain customer loyalty for a fee. Establishing a call center requires finding the space (or renting space), hiring and training staff, and investing in the technology infrastructure. However, the investment in prior planning, time, personnel and management have an uncertain pay-off in the long run that can impact the profits of a company. Mismanagement of a call center can not only waste the initial investment but also distance existing customers. Given the required initial investment in hardware, software, facilities and specialized manpower; outsourcing call center services has become a popular option for many companies, particularly for small and mid-size companies. Even when companies reach an economy of scale and size to justify the investment in running their own call centers, some larger companies still choose to outsource the call center services to companies that are specialized in the business and can keep up with the information technology and management techniques underlying CRM.This research considers the necessity and technologies of a call center based on the CRM needs of enterprises. The research question is whether or not small and medium enterprises will elect to outsource CRM services to a call center or attempt to develop services in-house. The research analyzes of the development of the call center industry in Taiwan and describes the key functions, the operational flows and conditions of services offered by the call center services providers. The outcome of the research provides a detailed description of business processes employed by call center service operators. The description of the business processes provides the basics of operating call center services in Taiwan, particularly services targeting the special needs of small and medium enterprises. From the analysis of the needs of business, the model for a call center service provider is derived.