BPO Process Types Explained: Customer Service, Sales, Retention, Collections, Chat, Email & Back Office

In BPO there are many processes. A few well-known process names are Retention, 3rd Party Collection, Blended, Back Office, Chat Process, Email Process and Customer Service.

If you are a fresher, these names can sound confusing. This guide explains each process in simple words, with a real-life example, a typical day, a sample conversation, the skills you need and who it suits. Read it from top to bottom once, and you will understand what every BPO job ad means. Career Guideline hires for most of these processes in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and other cities.

First, what is a BPO and what is a "process"?

BPO stands for Business Process Outsourcing. A company (called the client) gives a part of its work to a BPO company, because it is cheaper and easier than doing everything itself. A bank, for example, may give its customer calls to a BPO.

Inside the BPO, each type of work is called a process. All the people working on one type of work form one team. So "the credit card customer service process" is one team, and "the data entry process" is another team, even in the same building. When a job ad says "hiring for retention process", it tells you which team you will join and what work you will do every day.

Words you will see in every BPO job ad

Learn these first. They appear in every explanation below.

• Inbound: the customer calls you. You answer.
• Outbound: you call the customer.
• Voice process: your work is on phone calls.
• Non-voice process: your work is in writing (chat or email) or on documents, with no calls.
• Script: the guide the company gives you on what to say. Most processes use a script, but you still need to sound natural.
• Escalation: passing a customer's problem to a senior person or another team when you cannot solve it yourself.
• Target: the number you are expected to reach, such as calls handled, sales made or payments collected.
• AHT (Average Handling Time): the average time you take to finish one call or chat. Companies track it so customers do not wait long.
• CSAT (Customer Satisfaction): a score based on how happy customers are after talking to you.
• Quality score: your calls, chats or emails are checked by a quality team and marked against a checklist.
• Incentive: extra pay on top of the fixed salary when you cross a target. It is common in sales and collections.
• TAT (Turnaround Time): the time limit to finish a task, such as replying to an email within a few hours.

The 9 process types at a glance

• Customer service: answering customer questions and fixing problems
• Sales: selling products or services to customers
• Retention: convincing customers who want to leave to stay
• 1st party collection: collecting overdue payments for your own employer
• 3rd party collection: collecting overdue payments on behalf of another company
• Blended: a mix of different tasks, such as calls plus chat or email
• Back office and data entry: processing documents and records with no customer contact
• Chat process: helping customers through a chat window
• Email process: helping customers through written emails

1. What is a customer service job?

In simple words: a customer service job means helping customers who contact the company with a question, a complaint or a request.

Real-life example: you lose your debit card and call your bank. The person who answers, checks your details and blocks the card is a customer service executive.

Most calls are inbound. The customer calls you, so you do not have to chase anyone.

What a typical day looks like

1. You log in to the phone and computer systems at the start of your shift.
2. Calls come to you one after another. You greet the customer and ask how you can help.
3. You verify who the customer is, using questions the company has set, to protect their account.
4. You look up their account on your screen, solve the problem or answer the question, and note what you did.
5. If you cannot solve it, you escalate it to a senior and tell the customer what will happen next.
6. You repeat this through the shift, with scheduled breaks. Your quality score and AHT are checked regularly.

A sample conversation

Customer: "Hello, my card is not working at the shop."
You: "I am sorry about that. I can help. For security, may I have the last four digits of your card and your date of birth?"
Customer: (gives details)
You: "Thank you. I can see the card was blocked after a wrong PIN was entered three times. I have unblocked it now. Please try again in a few minutes. Is there anything else I can help with?"

Skills you need

• Clear spoken English and a polite tone
• Patience and listening, especially when the customer is upset
• Typing and quick use of computer screens while talking

Suits you if: you like helping people and can stay calm when someone is angry. Growth path: executive, senior executive, subject matter expert or quality analyst, team leader, then operations manager. For pay and shifts, read our customer service executive jobs guide.

2. What is a sales job in BPO?

In simple words: in a sales process you convince customers to buy or upgrade a product or service.

Real-life example: you get a call offering a credit card, an insurance plan or a better mobile plan. The caller is working in a BPO sales process.

Outbound or inbound: in outbound sales you call the customer (often from a list of possible buyers). In inbound sales the customer calls with a question, and you offer something extra. Offering a bigger or additional product during a call is called upselling or cross-selling.

What a typical day looks like

1. You get a list of customers to call, or calls start coming in.
2. You introduce yourself and the product in the first few seconds, because customers decide quickly whether to listen.
3. You find out what the customer needs, explain how the product helps, and answer questions.
4. You handle "no" politely. Many calls will not end in a sale, and that is normal.
5. When the customer agrees, you complete the details and confirm everything clearly.

A sample conversation

You: "Good afternoon, I am calling from a bank. Do you have two minutes to hear about a card with no yearly fee?"
Customer: "I already have a card."
You: "That is great. This one gives cashback on groceries, which many customers use alongside their main card. May I explain in one minute?"

Skills you need

• Confident speaking and a friendly voice
• Persuasion without pressure, and the ability to handle rejection
• Self-motivation to reach daily or monthly targets

Pay: sales roles often add incentives on top of the fixed pay, so earnings depend on your results. Suits you if: you enjoy targets and talking to many people. Be careful: never mislead a customer to make a sale, because quality teams check this strictly.

3. What is a retention job?

In simple words: in a retention process, customers call to cancel a service. Your job is to understand why and, if possible, solve the problem or offer a better option so they stay.

Real-life example: a customer calls to cancel a mobile connection because the bill seems too high. You check the bill, explain the charges, and offer a cheaper plan. If the customer is happy with it, the customer stays. That is a "save".

Why companies need it: getting a new customer costs more than keeping an existing one, so companies pay well for people who can keep customers.

What a typical day looks like

1. Calls come to you from customers who want to cancel or close an account.
2. You listen first, and ask politely why they want to leave.
3. You fix the real problem if you can, or offer a suitable option from the list the company allows.
4. If the customer still wants to leave, you complete the cancellation properly and politely. You never force anyone.
5. Your performance is measured on the number of customers saved and on quality.

A sample conversation

Customer: "I want to close my subscription."
You: "I am sorry to hear that. May I ask what made you decide to cancel?"
Customer: "It is too expensive."
You: "I understand. There is a plan with fewer channels at a lower price. Would you like me to tell you more about it before you decide?"

Skills you need

• Listening and understanding the real reason behind a request
• Problem solving and calm, polite negotiation
• Knowledge of the company's offers

Suits you if: you are good at calm persuasion and can turn a difficult call around. Retention usually needs some customer service experience, so many freshers start in customer service first.

4. What is a 1st party collection job?

In simple words: in 1st party collection you call customers who have not paid money they owe to your own employer, and remind them to pay.

Real-life example: a bank gives you a list of customers who missed this month's credit card or loan payment. You call them politely, find out why they missed it, and agree on a date when they will pay. This date is called a promise to pay.

Why "1st party": the company that lent the money and the company that calls are the same (or the BPO is working directly as part of that company). The delay is usually recent, so customers are usually still willing to pay.

What a typical day looks like

1. You receive a list of customers whose payments are overdue.
2. You call, confirm you are speaking to the right person, and politely explain the pending amount.
3. You listen to the reason: forgotten payment, salary delay, a problem with the bill.
4. You help the customer pay, for example by explaining how to pay online, or you agree on a promise to pay date.
5. You record the call details accurately. The record is used later if the payment is still not received.

A sample conversation

You: "Good morning. I am calling about your credit card payment, which was due on the 5th. Is this a good time to talk?"
Customer: "I forgot, sorry."
You: "No problem. The pending amount is shown in your app. Would you like to pay today, or on a date that suits you this week?"

Skills you need

• Polite but firm communication, without arguing or threatening
• Honest money conversations and good record keeping
• Following the rules on when and how customers may be contacted

Suits you if: you can speak openly about money without being pushy. Collection roles often include incentives for payments collected.

5. What is a 3rd party collection job?

In simple words: in 3rd party collection you work for a collection agency that collects overdue payments on behalf of another company.

Real-life example: a company has tried for months to collect an unpaid amount and then gives the account to a collection agency. The agency's callers contact the customer to arrange payment. The customer has never spoken to the agency before.

Why it is harder: the payment is usually much later, so customers may be stressed, may avoid calls, or may dispute the amount. The caller needs more patience and skill than in 1st party collection.

What a typical day looks like

1. You receive accounts from the client with details of the amount and history.
2. You call the customer, introduce the agency and explain who you represent and why you are calling.
3. You listen to the customer's situation and look for a solution that works, such as a payment plan if the client allows it.
4. You follow the rules strictly: no threats, no misleading statements, and calls only at permitted times.
5. You note every call carefully, because your notes and calls can be reviewed.

A sample conversation

You: "Hello, I am calling from a collection agency on behalf of a finance company regarding an outstanding balance. Am I speaking with Mr Rao?"
Customer: "I did not know about this."
You: "I understand. I can share the details and the amount shown in our records. If something looks wrong, you can raise it with us or with the company directly. May I explain?"

Skills you need

• Strong negotiation and resilience when conversations are tough
• Careful documentation and strict compliance with contact rules
• The ability to stay calm and respectful at all times

Suits you if: you stay calm in tough conversations and like clear targets. Pay in collection roles often includes incentives.

6. What is a blended process job?

In simple words: a blended process combines different kinds of work in one role, so you switch between tasks during the day.

Real-life example: in the morning you answer customer calls, and when calls are fewer you reply to customer emails or chats. Or you take inbound calls and also make outbound follow-up calls. This is similar to the "semi-voice" idea in our voice vs non-voice guide.

Why companies use it: when calls are fewer, the agent is not idle, because there is always other work to do.

What a typical day looks like

1. You log in to several tools: phone, email, chat and the main customer system.
2. The system or your team leader tells you what to work on, based on what is waiting.
3. You switch between tasks without losing track of each customer.
4. You are measured on each type of task you handle.

Skills you need

• Good spoken and written English
• Flexibility and the ability to switch tasks quickly
• Organisation, so nothing is forgotten

Suits you if: you get bored with one type of work and like variety. It is also a good way to learn both voice and non-voice skills, which helps your career later.

7. What is a back office and data entry job?

In simple words: in back office and data entry roles you work on documents and records instead of talking to customers.

Real-life example: a bank receives thousands of loan application forms. A back office team checks each form, enters the details into the computer system, and confirms nothing is missing. The customer never talks to them.

What a typical day looks like

1. You receive a batch of forms, scans or requests in a work queue.
2. You open each item, read it carefully, and enter or check the details in the system.
3. You compare the data against the document, correct mistakes and mark exceptions for a senior.
4. You close the item and take the next. Both speed and accuracy are checked every day.

Skills you need

• Typing speed and, more importantly, accuracy
• Attention to detail and patience for repeated work
• Basic computer skills such as Excel

Suits you if: you prefer to work quietly and independently, and do not want phone calls. Typing tests are common in the interview.

8. What is a chat process job?

In simple words: in a chat process you help customers through a chat window on a website or app.

Real-life example: you visit a shopping site and ask, "Where is my order?" in a chat box. A person on the other side reads your message and replies. That person works in a chat process.

Multitasking: chat agents often handle more than one customer at the same time. They use ready-made replies for common questions and write their own answers for others.

What a typical day looks like

1. You log in to the chat tool, and chats start arriving.
2. You greet each customer quickly, because customers on chat expect fast replies.
3. You find the answer in the system, type a clear reply, and keep the conversation friendly and short.
4. You manage two or three chats at once, without mixing them up.
5. You close each chat politely and add a note.

A sample chat

Customer: "My order has not arrived."
You: "I am sorry for the delay. May I have your order number so I can check?"
Customer: "12345"
You: "Thank you. Your order is out for delivery today and should arrive by 6 pm. I will stay on the chat while you check. Is there anything else?"

Skills you need

• Fast typing and good written English
• Multitasking and calm under time pressure
• A friendly tone in writing, since the customer cannot hear your voice

Tests: some employers use a written-English test as part of the interview. Suits you if: you write well and prefer not to talk on the phone.

9. What is an email process job?

In simple words: in an email process you read customer emails, work out what the customer needs, and send a clear written reply within a set time.

Real-life example: a customer emails a travel company to change a booking. The email agent checks the booking, applies the rules, and replies with the new details or the next step.

Slower, but more careful: email is not real time like chat, so each reply is written carefully. Accuracy and a clear, polite tone matter most, but you still work to daily targets and TAT.

What a typical day looks like

1. You open your queue of customer emails, usually oldest first.
2. You read each email completely, because missing one detail causes a wrong reply.
3. You check the customer's account or booking in the system.
4. You write a clear reply, often starting from a template and changing it to fit the customer.
5. You send it within the time limit, and quality checks review a sample of your emails.

A sample reply

"Dear Mr Shah, thank you for contacting us. I have checked your booking and changed your travel date to 12 November, as you requested. The change fee is shown below. Please let us know if you need anything else. Kind regards, Priya"

Skills you need

• Clear writing, correct grammar and a polite tone
• Attention to detail
• Time management to meet TAT

Suits you if: you like thinking before you answer. Email and chat are the two most common non-voice customer service processes.

Voice vs non-voice: which group suits you?

• Voice (customer service, sales, retention, collections): you talk all day. It needs good spoken English and patience. Growth is often faster, and sales and collections add incentives.
• Non-voice (chat, email, back office, data entry): you write or process documents. It needs good written English, typing and accuracy. The work is quieter, with less real-time pressure.
• Blended: a mix of both, and a good way to learn both skills.

Read more in our voice vs non-voice guide.

Which process should you choose? A simple guide

• Like talking to people and helping them: customer service
• Like targets and earning incentives: sales or collections
• Good at calm persuasion: retention
• Prefer writing to talking: chat or email
• Prefer quiet, detailed work: back office or data entry
• Want variety: blended

Common mistakes freshers make

• Choosing only by salary: a process with higher pay may be harder or have targets you do not like. Choose the work you can do well for a long time.
• Not asking if the process is inbound or outbound: the day is very different.
• Ignoring shifts: many processes run 24/7 or on night shifts. Ask about shift timing and weekly offs before you accept.
• Not practising English: every process needs it. Spoken English matters for voice, written English for chat and email. See our communication skills tips.
• Lying about experience: verification can reveal it, and offers can be withdrawn.

How to prepare for the interview

1. Know the process: read the job ad carefully and say in the interview that you understand what the role involves.
2. Prepare your introduction: see how to answer "Tell me about yourself".
3. Practise the rounds: HR, a Versant or similar English test, a typing test for non-voice roles, and an operations round. Read our BPO interview process guide.
4. Be honest about shifts and notice period.

Questions to ask before you accept a BPO job

• Is it a voice, non-voice or blended process?
• Is it inbound or outbound?
• What are the shifts and weekly offs?
• Is there an incentive, and how is it calculated?
• What is the training period, and is there a notice or bond?
• Is the role work from office, work from home or hybrid?

Beware of offers that ask you to pay money. Read how to spot fake work-from-home BPO jobs. Career Guideline never charges candidates.

Related reading: Voice vs non-voice process · Customer service jobs · International voice process · BPO jobs in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai · BPO salary in Mumbai. See also: BPO recruitment services. Looking for a role? See current BPO openings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a BPO process?

A BPO process is one type of work done for a client company, such as customer service, collections or data entry. People who do the same type of work form one team, also called a process.

What is a retention job in BPO?

A retention job means talking to customers who want to cancel a service and trying to solve their problem or offer a better option so they stay.

What is the difference between 1st party and 3rd party collection?

In 1st party collection you collect overdue payments for the company you work for, usually soon after the due date. In 3rd party collection you collect for another company, usually much later and with harder calls.

What is a blended process in BPO?

A blended process mixes different kinds of work in one role, such as inbound and outbound calls, or calls plus chat and email.

What is the difference between chat and email process?

Chat is real time, and you may handle several customers at once. Email is slower, and each reply is written carefully and sent within a set time.

Which BPO process is best for freshers?

Customer service, chat, email and data entry processes commonly take freshers. Sales and collections often add incentives, and some need a little experience.

Do I need to know computers for a BPO job?

Yes, basic computer skills such as typing and using email are needed in every process. Non-voice and back office roles also test typing speed and accuracy.

Can I change from one process to another later?

Yes. Many people start in customer service or chat and move to sales, retention or collections, or into team leader and quality roles, as they gain experience.