Companies have been using call centers for years for many reasons. Call centers help companies improve customer support, customer loyalty, increase sales, improve lead conversion, and overall save money. But choosing the right call center for your business is very important. Read more for the best tips to consider when choosing a call center.

1. Size

The first thing to consider as a company seeking out a call center is size. Depending on the size of your business, you will want to pick a call center close to what you need. If your business only requires 300 seats/people, you will not want to choose a call center that accommodates 1000 seats. Instead, look for smaller centers that sustain about 500 people. Certain call centers have a minimum volume of calls you should be expecting, and you should be prepared to provide that estimated number in order to find the call center that best fits your needs in the quickest and easiest way possible.

2. Security

With modern technology and the increasing amount of data breaches, it is very important to research and choose a call center that has a tight security system. Because of the massive spike in data breaches, protecting your customer’s personal information has never been more vital. One must decide what sort of system is best for your business. When choosing a system, security can play a large part in it. There are typically two types of systems, one using a cloud-based system, and the other would be an on-site system. Cloud systems tend to be easier and cheaper to work with than on-site systems, but your company is more susceptible to security breaches when working within a cloud. Because of this, it is important to investigate your potential call centers security measures, especially if you chose to take the cloud-based route. In addition to tips when choosing a call center, key questions to ask potential calls centers would be:

  • How will they protect customer data and information?
  • Where will customer data be stored?
  • How is it accessed and who has access to it?
  • How is your system updated and maintained?
  • What certifications do you possess and are you in compliance with regulatory security standards?
  • What is your hiring, training, and monitoring procedures like?
  • Has the company ever experiences security breaches? And how have they handled/solved it?

3. Cost

Considering the cost is a very important factor regarding budget and quality. The ideal situation for any company seeking a call center is to find the cheapest price at the highest quality. But this is sometimes hard to compare. Although choosing the cheapest option may seem ideal, but you could be compromising performance in order to save money. With that said, you may see a decrease in customer loyalty if your company does not have high performing people representing your company.

Furthermore, after performing research and narrowing in on your preferred call center that best fits your needs, you may want to consider negotiating the costs. A good way to negotiate the price down to your level of comfort is by providing other quotes from various other call centers. Additionally, before you begin to negotiate you should research what the average price is for call centers. You must consider the size and location range you need to accommodate your business. These will help you find the right call center to fit your needs at the right price.

4. Experience

When searching for a call center, you want to make sure the staff they are providing is a staff you are confident in representing your company. Additionally, there are a few things to consider here. First, if the call center you are looking into only has experience with healthcare management, and your company is a software company, you might want to reconsider that specific call center to represent your company.

It is also effective to ask about their training process. Asking about their efficiency and willingness to adapt and learn about new types of companies is always important. You do not necessarily need to find a call center that is completely experienced in your field of work. But if the call center has efficient and effective training methods, they should help you feel confident in choosing them to represent your company.

5. Location

Choosing the location you will host your call center is probably one of the most important factors. The two main locations to consider is choosing a call center in your home country or overseas. A lot of companies are attracted to the idea of offshoring because it offers a cheaper option. But with outsourcing your call center overseas, there are many potential negative side-affects you must consider. Some risk factors to consider would include:

  • Government and Politics- Is the country you are looking into outsourcing a country with political instability with rules and regulations? Do they have a strict or unpredictable government?
  • Safety- Is the country you are pursuing a safe and prosperous country?
  • Language Barriers- are the call center representatives able to speak your companies host countries native language clearly and fluently? This is an important factor regarding your customer loyalty. Customers may become frustrated with this.

Location is vital in considering who you want to represent your company. Obviously, it would be easiest to choose a call center that is in your own country, but it may cost more. But this may be in your company’s best interest considering you will increase and maintain your customer loyalty.

6. Reach

Where is your business located? Do you do business outside your host country? Which countries? Do you require your staff to speak certain languages and/or need to accommodate certain languages? These are all important factors to consider when choosing a call center. If your business does business with clients outside your host country, you will need to choose a call center that can provide services with international lines. Reach is important to consider when shopping for a call center because knowing who your target audience is will help you narrow down which call centers best fit your needs.

Due to the COVID-19 self-quarantine, you will want to find a call center that works remotely. For tips choosing a call center that has gone remote, click here.