Contact Center vs Call Center: What’s the Difference?

Think a contact center and a call center are the same thing? They’re not, and understanding the difference can directly impact your customer experience strategy.

At first glance, the terms may seem interchangeable. But as technology and customer expectations have evolved, the gap between the two has grown wider. 

One is reactive, focused almost exclusively on voice calls. The other is omnichannel, proactive, and increasingly powered by AI.

At Balto, we help both contact centers and call centers deliver better conversations in real time — and we know that clarity on these two options is key to choosing the right technology, hiring the right agents, and creating the right customer experience strategy.

In this blog, we’ll break down the difference between contact centers vs call centers, explain how the industry is shifting, and help you decide which model makes sense for your team.

At a glance:

The rest of this blog will explore these differences in greater depth — and help you determine which model best fits your business needs.

What is a Call Center?

A call center is a centralized team or department that handles voice-based communication with customers — primarily through inbound and outbound phone calls. 

It’s the traditional model for customer service, sales, collections, and technical support, and it’s still widely used in industries like insurance, banking, and telecom.

In a call center, the phone is the only channel. Agents are trained specifically in call handling skills and how to use legacy phone systems, voice-over IP (VoIP), and interactive voice response (IVR) to route calls efficiently. 

While some call centers are modernizing, many still rely on scripted workflows and manual QA processes to monitor performance.

📞 Bottom line: A call center is about handling high volumes of voice interactions as efficiently and consistently as possible.

What is a Contact Center?

A contact center is a centralized hub that manages customer interactions across multiple channels, not just phone calls. 

In addition to voice, contact centers handle communication through email, live chat, SMS, social media, messaging apps, and sometimes even video.

Unlike call centers, which are primarily reactive and phone-based, contact centers aim to create a seamless, personalized experience across every channel — often using omnichannel technology, AI, and CRM integration to maintain context and continuity.

Agents in contact centers are trained to manage multiple types of communication and switch between channels with ease. They may go from responding to a chat conversation to answering a phone call, then following up via email — all while tracking the customer journey in a unified system.

💬 Bottom line: A contact center goes beyond just answering the phone — it delivers a consistent customer experience across every touchpoint.

Case study: Hear how Balto enabled Integris Health’s contact center transformation.

Integris Health, Oklahoma’s largest healthcare system, utilizes Balto’s AI-powered real-time guidance platform to significantly improve patient interactions and streamline operations within its contact center. 

Through Balto, Integris Health has transformed its contact center operations by equipping agents with real-time AI tools that foster empathy, accuracy, and efficient problem-solving. 

This partnership has allowed Integris to optimize the patient experience, improve operational efficiency, and use data-driven insights to prioritize meaningful improvements across its healthcare system.

The Evolution from Call Centers to Contact Centers

Let’s Compare: Contact Center vs Call Center

Now that we’ve defined both models, let’s break down how call centers and contact centers differ across key dimensions — from channels and technology to agent skill sets and customer experience.

Key Differences Between Contact Centers and Call Centers

Advantages of Contact Centers over Call Centers

While call centers still serve a purpose, especially in voice-heavy industries, contact centers offer significant advantages when it comes to delivering modern, flexible, and scalable customer experiences.

Here’s why many organizations are making the shift:

• Multichannel Flexibility: Contact centers meet customers where they are — whether that’s a phone call, text, chat, or DM. This makes it easier to connect with more people in the ways they prefer.
• Better Customer Experience: With a contact center, every interaction is part of a unified journey. Agents can see past conversations, switch channels mid-interaction, and personalize service without making customers repeat themselves.
• Higher Agent Productivity: Contact center agents are equipped with software that reduce manual work, automate routine tasks, and support more efficient multitasking — all of which improve speed and quality.
• Smarter Use of Technology: From CRM integrations to real-time agent assist, contact centers are better positioned to use automation and AI to improve both customer outcomes and internal operations.
• More Actionable Insights: Omnichannel platforms track and analyze performance across every channel. This helps CX leaders optimize workflows, identify friction points, and make data-driven decisions.

Contact centers don’t just answer questions — they build relationships, drive loyalty, and scale support with less friction.

Choosing the Right Solution For Your Business

So, should you operate a call center or a contact center?

The answer depends on your customers, your team, and your long-term goals.

If your business primarily handles high volumes of phone calls and your customers prefer voice support, a call center may be the right fit — especially for straightforward service or sales workflows.

But if your customers expect to reach you on multiple channels, or you want to future-proof your customer experience strategy, a contact center gives you the flexibility and tools to deliver faster, more connected service.

Ask yourself:

• Are we losing customers who prefer chat or messaging?
• Are our agents switching between tools or software to handle customer issues?
• Are we able to follow the full customer journey — or just one conversation at a time?
• Do we want to scale without just hiring more agents?

If you answered yes to any of these, it might be time to evolve toward a contact center model.

If you’re still unsure, take a look at the decision tree in the next section. 

But keep in mind: many businesses operate hybrid models — combining phone-first support with selective digital channels. You don’t have to go all-in on omnichannel overnight.

Contact Center or Call Center – Which Do You Need?

Not sure which model fits your team? Use this decision tree below to evaluate your current setup and future needs.

Here are the key takeaways:

• If your team only handles phone calls and isn’t planning to expand, a Call Center model is likely sufficient.
• If you support multiple digital channels (like chat, SMS, and social), a Contact Center is the better fit.
• If you’re somewhere in between — with limited channels or partially connected tools — a Hybrid Model may offer the right balance for now.

Contact Center or Call Center: Choose with Confidence

Call centers and contact centers may sound similar, but the differences between them can have a major impact on your customer experience strategy.

Call centers focus on voice, efficiency, and reactive support, while contact centers deliver personalized, seamless service across multiple channels, often powered by AI, automation, and smart integrations.

Understanding where your organization sits on that spectrum — and where you want to go — is the first step to creating more connected, more effective customer conversations.

Whether you’re modernizing your voice support or building a full omnichannel experience, Balto can help you guide agents in real time, reduce friction, and drive better outcomes across the board.

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