The Benefits of Call Centers For Senior Living Leads
Editor’s note: This article was rewritten, reviewed, and approved in September 2025.
Most senior living communities are hyper-focused on digital marketing, which means they often overlook a critical channel for generating senior living leads: the phone.
Yes, plenty of prospects still call communities. In fact, Invoca reports that the majority of prospects (around 70%) will pick up the phone and call during their decision-making process, with more than 60% of tours originating from a phone call.
But here’s the thing: If no one answers the phone (or is unhelpful when they do), the prospect will likely move on. That’s bad news for your lead-gen efforts.
So, the question becomes, could a call center be the answer?
Below, we tackle this question by taking a closer look at:
- The problem with missed calls
- Why a call center might be the right solution
- What to look for in a call center if you decide to go that route
- A final caveat if you think a call center is the answer to all lead-gen issues
The Problem with Missed Calls
Your front desk employees are no doubt friendly and hardworking, but they’re rarely trained in sales. Their primary focus is managing visitors, deliveries, and day-to-day operations. When the phone rings, they might be juggling five other tasks or stepping away to assist a resident. Even when they do answer, they may not know how to guide the conversation or ask for the tour.
Sales counselors are more equipped to handle those calls, but they can’t always drop what they’re doing to answer. If they’re giving a tour, in a family meeting, or working a lead, that call often goes to voicemail.
Over the years, we’ve listened to hundreds of recorded calls in senior living communities, and the pattern is always the same: A motivated caller reaches out. The person who answers doesn’t know what to do. And just like that, the senior living lead disappears.
If someone calls wanting a tour (or if a tour is an obvious next step after a short conversation where a trained pro asks smart questions), it should be booked immediately. But too often, it isn’t.
This is exactly where a good call center can make a difference.
Why a Call Center Might Be the Right Solution
The right call center acts as an extension of your sales team. The call center agents are trained to respond quickly, follow scripts, and guide callers toward the next step, which is often booking a tour on the spot. Their only job is to answer inquiries and move the conversation forward.
Here are the benefits of call centers for senior living leads:
- Faster response times. Call centers are available when you need them most (holidays, evenings, weekends, etc.) and are set up to respond within minutes, not hours.
- Consistency. Reps follow community-approved scripts and workflows so your message stays clear and on brand.
- Less friction. Unlike front desk staff, they are focused solely on the caller’s needs.
- CRM Integration. Many centers can log calls, assign tasks, and enroll leads in automated campaigns so your team has full visibility.
Bottom line: A good call center can ensure that no opportunity slips through the cracks.
What to Look for in a Call Center
Not all call centers are created equal. The right one can increase booked tours and improve your response times. The wrong one can damage your reputation and frustrate families. So how do you tell the difference?
Ideal call center features:
- Industry experience or a willingness to learn. While not every call center will specialize in senior living, they should be open to learning your language, workflows, and sales process. That includes understanding the buyer journey and knowing how to handle sensitive conversations.
- The ability to follow your scripts. Every community has unique messaging. Your call center should be able to follow approved scripts, speak in a tone that reflects your brand, and pivot based on where the caller is in their journey.
- CRM integration. Ideally, your call center team should be comfortable logging interactions in your CRM or lead management system. This ensures full visibility and seamless handoffs between the call center and your on-site senior living sales team.
- Availability. Look for a call center that offers coverage during evenings, weekends, and holidays—times when your internal team is less likely to be available but when prospects are still calling.
- Reporting and transparency. Your call center should be able to provide regular reports with metrics like volume, answer rates, conversions, and trends. You need to know what’s working and where to improve.
BONUS TIP: Pay attention to reviews. A reputable call center should have testimonials, references, or case studies that demonstrate positive outcomes in similar industries.
Final Takeaway: A Good Call Center Can Make a Difference, But Don’t Treat it Like a Magical Solution to All Your Lead-Gen Woes
A call center is just one piece of the lead-gen puzzle. Taking a step back and working with a senior living marketing agency to review your entire lead management ecosystem is a smart first step (even before you contract a call center), and it’s something we can help with.
