Inbound And Outbound Contacts

Now that we know what Contacts and Interactions are, and what channels are normally used for, it's time to understand how contacts originate.

There are mainly two ways in which a contact or interaction can occur: Inbound or Outbound.

Inbound (IB): These incoming contacts are initiated by customers. Common examples include technical support help desks, appointment scheduling, and customer service hotlines.

Outbound (OB): These contacts are initiated by the agents. This includes telemarketing, debt collection, market research surveys, and fundraising.

In the context of Inbound contacts, if a call is disconnected by a system or user error, the term outbound call or callback can be used when referring to reconnecting with a disconnected customer. The Callback term can also be used whenever a customer requests a call to be made to them, as part of an option offered by the client's system.