A growing number of companies are outsourcing their customer support and telemarketing operations and will turn call centers into a $60 billion industry by 2007, a consulting firm predicted yesterday.
The study, released by Frost & Sullivan, San Jose, CA, estimated that call centers generated $25 billion in revenue in 2000.
Many companies are having trouble meeting heightened consumer expectations — namely for 24/7 customer service — with inhouse call centers, the firm said. Companies look for outside service providers to handle customer support, a trend that is driving growth in the call center industry.
Companies also are looking for outside help with integrating online customer service into their call center activities, according to the study. Traditional phone call inquiries are being replaced by Web-based communications.
