An inbound call center is a business that receives phone calls from customers with questions, complaints, or other issues. The call center representative handles these customer inquiries and responds appropriately. The goal of an inbound call center is to resolve customer problems over the telephone.

An inbound call center can be an internal department of a larger company, or it can be an independent operation. The internal departments are typically referred to as call centers, customer service centers, or help desks. These are found within retail stores, banks, medical offices, and other types of businesses. An independent operation refers to an outside company that employs workers who take incoming calls from customers regarding the products or services offered by the business.