Even though digital channels like live chat, chatbots, and social media support have exploded in the last few years, the good old phone is still king. People still trust it more than any other support option. A study showed that 59% of consumers prefer picking up the phone and talking to a real customer support rep.
And it’s not just support where phone wins—phone-based sales are doing well too. For businesses, it’s still one of the best and cheapest ways to sell, promote products, and actually build long-term relationships with customers.
So, if you’re thinking of starting a call center in 2025 or after, you’re not late at all. The industry is still alive and relevant, just evolving with time. Setting up a call center—whether it’s inbound, outbound, or both—can feel overwhelming at first, but once you get the basics clear, it’s not that scary. Modern call center software has made this process much easier by automating workflows, reducing waiting times, and improving both agent and customer experience.
Before moving to the next sections, check out the best call center software in 2025.
Types of call centers
Like how corporate command centers guide big decisions, call centers today sit right at the heart of customer service and sales. There are mainly two kinds:
1. Inbound call centers
These are the centers where customers call you. Their main focus is helping people, solving problems, and answering queries. Some of the main things they handle are:
- Customer service: Answering questions, transferring calls, and helping with requests.
- Technical support: Guiding people through product or service issues, offering troubleshooting steps.
- Sales & bookings: Taking new orders, modifying existing ones, handling upgrades, booking appointments, or deliveries.
Inbound call centers are basically the company’s frontline—they make sure the customer feels listened to, supported, and valued.
2. Outbound call centers
Outbound centers are the opposite—they call the customer first. Their job is more on the sales and engagement side. They usually handle:
- Sales lead generation: Cold calling or telemarketing to find and qualify potential customers.
- Follow-up sales: Reaching back to warm leads and closing deals.
- Market research: Running surveys, gathering insights, spotting trends.
- Collections: Calling people about pending payments or subscriptions.
- Customer service follow-up: Checking if the customer was satisfied after a support interaction.
Outbound call centers take a proactive approach, and for many businesses, they become the real growth engine.
Advantages of setting up a call center
Call centers are no longer just “nice to have,” they’re critical. Whether you keep it in-house or outsource, they come with a bunch of benefits:
- Enhances customer experience – Customers love quick, reliable, professional service. It builds trust and loyalty.
- Boosts productivity – Your main team can focus on growth while trained agents handle calls.
- Increases sales – Inbound centers help in smooth buying, outbound centers help close deals—both increase revenue.
- Simplifies lead generation – Real-time interaction makes it easier to qualify leads faster.
- Provides 24/7 availability – Thanks to tech, call centers can stay open all the time, which customers appreciate.
How to start a call center business in 2025
Starting one isn’t as hard as it looks if you take it step by step. Even small businesses can build a strong, scalable setup. Here’s how:
- Improve customer service – Centralized communication ensures faster replies and consistent support.
- Handle call volumes easily – Tools like ACD (automated call distribution) and IVR (interactive voice response) cut wait times.
- Enhance productivity – Agents handle queries while CRM tools keep everything organized.
- Scalability & flexibility – Start small, expand when demand increases.
- Cost efficiency – Centralizing saves money. Outsourcing or virtual centers reduces upfront costs even more.
- Better data & reporting – Track KPIs like average call duration, conversion rates, customer satisfaction, and agent performance to improve strategy. With customer experience analytics, you can dive deeper into what drives customer happiness and business growth.
Final thoughts
Yeah, digital channels like chatbots and social media are growing super fast, but honestly, nothing beats the human touch of a phone call in 2025. When people are confused, need some reassurance, or just want personal help, they still prefer talking to a real person.
For businesses, call centers ain’t just about picking up calls anymore. They’re more like building trust, adding value, boosting sales, and making customers stick around with you for long.
So if you’re thinking of starting a call center, this is kinda the perfect time. With all the modern tools, scalable tech, and a customer-first mindset, you can build a call center that doesn’t just survive—but thrives in this competitive market of 2025 and beyond.