Call centres have evolved over time and are no longer a set of unorganised, low skilled workers making calls one after another in an unstructured manner. As businesses scale operations globally and try focus on their core business operations while expanding to reach larger audiences, the trend of Call Centre Outsourcing has picked up steam like never before. A dedicated call centre services company is what most organisations seek to engage in a structured process of using processed and optimised data with trained executives at hand and saving costs alongside. If you, as an organisation, engage in call centre services, there are multiple reasons to look out to outsource this process. The era of globalisation has led to a number of firms who offer Call Centre Services from different parts of the globe. Before you look to engage a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) unit for Call Centre Outsourcing, you would need to have a few considerations checked and looked into. A Call Centre company needs to offer the value you seek for it to be effective as an outsourced model. There are a number of factors to consider including staff, technology, processes, expertise in call centre operations and the range of industries served among some. So if you are seeking a Call Centre Services Company then consider the below factors to complete your search.
1. Does it result in cost savings?
Launching your own call centre obviously is a dent in your pocket. But, does outsourcing this actually save you costs? This would be an important consideration to ensure the worth of the outsourcing process. The right call centre services company uses the latest in software and machine technology and effective workforces but this cost is often scattered between clients they serve over a period of time, hence does not add heavy weight to your P&L sheet. The process involves you to only pay for used services and approved processes compared to paying in-house resources and spending time and money to ensure effectiveness. You do not need to worry about training, attrition and quality checks as the outsourced partner would invest into these elements of a call centre. Idle times are optimised for and hence the cost-per-call rates are way lower for you. Consider the costs of outsourcing before you engage a call centre company.
2. Is the BPO capable of scaling operations while keeping it elastic?
As call volumes fluctuate, it is a hard call for self-managed call centres to elasticise their resources and assets even at a long enough notice, leave alone a short-term engagement to optimise this. When you look to up the ante and go full charge when at a crucial stage, an outsourced call centre should be able to comply. When you want to scale it down to a minimum for a certain duration of time, then the outsourced partner needs to reciprocate accordingly. This elasticity would help you in your opportunity costs and possible revenue growth when you really need it. Check if the call centre you are conversing with can act accordingly. It might be wise to look at the resources and structure they own to make the right call of hiring or continuing your search for the ideal partner.
3. The levels of domain knowledge with the outsourced partner
Trained staff at hand with the levels of domain expertise should score a plus for a call centre you are looking to work with. Test the domain knowledge or ask for testimonials and case studies to verify this and run a few trials runs if necessary.
4. Expertise and experience at hand
A mature call centre can offer greater value than starting or running your own. Carefully look at the hiring, training, attrition and audit processes to gauge the levels of expertise. Call centre employees have to be able to quickly adapt to situations at hand and running trials and mock or handpicking certain calls during a trial would help you gauge this important factor to consider. An enhanced customer experience helps you gain the crucial consumer confidence and thus provides greater chances of an upsurge in revenue.
5. Dedicated management, hierarchy and multi-channel technologies in use
An established running call centre should be able to provide a dedicated team, with an established hierarchy and procedures in place along with tech support, training and quality assurances, and workforce plans along with the latest in technology to be able to provide you quality solutions at an affordable cost. Cloud computing has made life easy for communication. It is prudent for you to look at these elements when hiring a BPO.
6. The levels of data collection, cleansing and analysis
Data is key. Cleansed data is a vital bonus and an established call centre services firm working with a range of clients, would be analysing closely what works for different industries over a period of time. Quality checks on data and calls using the right technology and optimising for better conversion ratios are key to successful operations. The reach among the targeted audience and then aiming for higher conversions actually depends on the data and the way it is processed and analysed. Have a look if the company you are negotiating with provides this.
7. Controlling and Monitoring call quality
Audits and quality checks on calls are a crucial factor to consider too. The process to record calls; monitor them for quality alongside and then optimising them for an increased consumer satisfaction is key to the process. This defines the positioning of the brand among your audience. The outsourced partner needs to take ownership of this and should be able to prove time and again this is being monitored as a service excellence process.
Although the advantages of outsourcing the call centre provide a range of advantages, it is prudent to carefully analyse and choose whom to outsource the process to.
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