A call center is a group in charge of handling all inbound calls from clients. A large enterprise who receives a large volume of inbound calls generally uses a call center. Customer service is another term for a call center. Call centers might be called contact centers too. In a contact center, emails and letters might be handled in addition to telephone calls. Many times, a call center will utilize net chat to interact with customers as well.

An individual who works in a call center is generally called an agent. A call center agent will wear a headset to keep their hands free to perform other jobs. A headset also protects the neck from injury due to cradling a phone all day. Call center agents will usually be placed in a cubicle with their own computer to use in addition to the telephone. Good computer talent is a must as details of each call are sometimes required to be entered into the system. A call center agent reports to a supervisor who will give periodic performance reviews to help assess performance opportunities.

In a call center, ringing phones are a thing of the past. If all agents are busy aiding callers, the call will be put on hold, usually with hold music. The first available agent will receive the call that has been holding for the longest time period. There will often be a screen in the call center that displays the amount of calls holding, and the length of time of the longest hold. Goals are usually set to pinpoint the maximum period of time a customer should be on hold, the length each call should be, and the quantity of calls a day each agent should realistically be ready to handle. Because a call center utilizes telephones and computers, a call center agent might be found anywhere geographically. Some call center agents have the choice to home work. In some cases, a call center will be found in a foreign country.