- Look for an outsourced service provider who can offer flexible service and contract terms so, as your business expands, you can change your requirements without penalty.
- Start with a pay-per-usage model as you track demand for your business’s product and services. Using an outsourcer who can offer a scalable, on-demand agent resource means you will not be paying for idle, wasted resource and your customers will not be frustrated having to wait for an answer.
- Look for an outsourcer that offers bureau agents and not just dedicated teams. A bureau service, especially at the beginning of your project, allows for higher volumes of simple enquiries to be managed effectively and more cost effectively. As you pass more complex tasks to your outsourcer, you will have a base of experienced agents ready to form your dedicated team.
- Find an outsource partner who has experience of your sector as well as a variety of other industry and service types. The broader the experience of the agents, the more flexible they will be in handling a range of tasks, from simple transactional to customer service enquiries, up-sells, complaints and technical support. As your business grows, draw on this experience to outsource more types of calls and to take advice on how to manage your in-house call handling capabilities.
- Manage your own expectations by starting with the simple stuff; an outsourcer can help you get off the ground quickly if they start with the high volume, run-of-the-mill enquiries, passing more complex queries back to your in-house experts. As you begin to understand the make-up of your customers’ enquiries, gradually expand the scope of your outsourcer’s remit to so they can take even more of the load.
Each business is different. What works for one, might not work for another. There's so many horror stories about call centres; excessive hold times, agents not understanding customers needs or not answering calls at all! How do you decide that a call centre is the right option for your business?
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