Telephone Call Centers

Official definition

This industry comprises (1) establishments primarily engaged in answering telephone calls and relaying messages and (2) establishments primarily engaged in providing telemarketing services, such as promoting products or services by telephone; taking orders by telephone, facsimile, email, or other communication modes; and soliciting contributions or providing information by telephone. Telephone call centers provide these services on behalf of clients and do not own the products or provide the services that they are representing, or they serve other establishments of the same enterprise.

Excluded or separately classified activities

Official Census cross-references identify activities that belong under another North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.

• Gathering, recording, tabulating, and presenting marketing and public opinion data, that may include telephone canvassing services--are classified in Industry 54191, Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling.

  Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling54191

• Organizing and conducting charitable fundraising campaigns on a contract or fee basis, that may include telephone solicitation services--are classified in Industry 56149, Other Business Support Services; and

  Other Business Support Services56149

• Providing automated data processing services and computing infrastructure for call centers--are classified in Industry 51821, Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services;

  Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services51821

• Providing paging and beeper transmission services--are classified in Industry 51711, Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite);

  Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)51711

• Providing restaurant meal and grocery order and delivery services (i.e., independent order and delivery services)--are classified in Industry 49221, Local Messengers and Local Delivery;

  Local Messengers and Local Delivery49221

• Wholesale or retail sales--are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade;

  Wholesale Trade42Retail Trade44-45