The benefits of inbound call center outsourcing are many, including more flexibility in staffing, services, hours, technologies, administrative policies and service quality metrics and reporting. Since there are so many elements to keep in mind when choosing an inbound call center partner, we’ve listed some of them here.
Services
Typical services offered by inbound call center outsourcing companies include customer support, order entry and processing, appointment-setting, customer intake, after-hours phone service, multilingual support, dedicated agents, HIPAA compliance, tech support and lead generation for outbound calling.
Customer Service
When it comes to the customer service the potential supplier delivers to your company, look for knowledgeable agents, speed to service, financial and operating transparency, invoicing and collection policies and customization of services, processes and technologies. It helps avoid companies that don’t answer questions fully, as well as those with pushy sales tactics and behaviors.
Technology
Make sure the supplier’s technologies are compatible with your company’s existing systems and applications, offering ease of navigation and internal reporting that help tie customer support in other key areas, such as operations, sales and marketing.
Reporting
Be sure to ask whether prospective suppliers offer on-demand and/or periodic reporting, customization of reports and customization of the reporting system. Also ask for sample reports to help assess report quality and quality of metrics,
Information Security
We noted HIPAA above, but there also need to be demonstrable safeguards in place to protect your company’s and its customers’ confidential data. Laws vary by country when it comes to protections so it’s critical to understand which laws are governing the potential vendors’ policies and practices in this arena.
Fees
Find out the company’s billing increments, rates and rollover policies, setup fees, billable time policies, service bundles, payment terms, subaccount options and available customization of rates, fees and service bundles. The more flexible these are, the better.
Hopefully, these elements make a good start to your list of requirements to consider in vetting potential inbound call center outsourcing partners. Keep in mind there are also outside factors to consider, such as location, political factors, exchange rates and physical security. For more information, contact or visit this website, a global consultancy offering full-service inbound and outbound call center solutions.