Choosing whether to outsource to a call centre business process outsourcing provider (BPO) or maintain call centre operations in-house is a decision that businesses face frequently. It’s crucial to thoroughly assess possible suppliers because not all call centre BPO companies are made equal. Based on Site Selection Group’s expertise in assessing BPO provider locations in onshore, nearshore, and offshore geographies, we will go over some of the most important things to take into account while evaluating call center outsourcing solutions in this blog article.
The customer support and ticket resolution functions are handled by the contact centre. A successful call centre depends on being able to rapidly and accurately understand the demands of its customers.
1. Experience and reputation
The experience and reputation of call center outsourcing companies should be taken into account initially. Seek out suppliers who have a track record of accomplishment in the field. Remember that in the world of BPO providers, larger doesn’t always equate to better, so don’t write out small and mid-sized BPO companies. Ask to speak with a few of their clients in interviews. Look for case studies, industry awards, and consumer feedback on their websites. You may also look for reviews of the BPOs you are considering online to find out what other companies and employees have to say about them. Since the personnel of the provider will be the ones interacting with your clients, check out online review sites and forums to gain a sense of the provider’s reputation among its staff. Last but not least, design a competitive interviewing procedure to gauge their performance under duress.
2. Geographic footprint
It’s critical to comprehend the BPO provider’s geographic reach. Are they able to assist you in offshore, nearshore, and onshore regions? Your chances of being overly concentrated in one region will be diversified if you have a bigger presence in many regions. This approach has several advantages, including redundancy in case one location fails, the flexibility to move call volume to regions that correspond with the complexity of your contact types, access to different staff skill sets and languages, and reduced geopolitical risks.
3. Services provided
The services that the company offers are the next thing to think about. Selecting a call center outsourcing company who can fulfil your unique requirements is crucial, as they provide varying degrees and kinds of services. While some suppliers may focus on outbound sales or collections, others could specialise in inbound technical assistance or customer care. In addition, some companies could give other services like email assistance or social media monitoring. Choose a service provider who can fulfil your demands and has a track record of success with your contact types after determining what services you want.
4. Knowledge of the industry sector
Selecting a domestic call center outsourcing vendor with specialised knowledge of your sector will help you begin your outsourcing project effectively and identify best practices that could enhance or improve your present operations. Numerous service providers possess expertise in conventional industries like financial services and telecoms. Locating BPO suppliers with experience in smaller business verticals like healthcare, hospitality, fintech, and other fields needing specialised product knowledge or licences might be more difficult.
5. Labor market conditions
Analysing the labour market in the region that the domestic call center outsourcing provider has suggested is essential. You may have a high staff turnover rate, which will affect agent quality and your customer satisfaction scores, even if you find the top BPO provider in the world. This is especially true if the location they choose for your firm is in a difficult labour market. Scalability of the labour market, educational attainment, colleges and universities, call centre market saturation, direct rivals, and market labour rates are a few important variables to consider. Make sure that the BPO provider is paying market salaries; otherwise, you may soon have to deal with price rises and the recruitment of lower-calibre personnel for your account.
6. Technology
The technology of call center outsourcing companies is another crucial aspect to take into account. A competent supplier should have a cloud-based omnichannel technology platform that can accommodate both remote and in-person agents. Seek for suppliers who make use of sophisticated data analytics tools, intelligent call routing, and chat capabilities. Additionally, check out what kind of data centre infrastructure the company has set up to guarantee reliable and secure call handling.
7. Infrastructure
It is crucial to assess the physical site’s infrastructure. The requirement to evaluate the stability of the electrical and fibre grids is a prime example. The electrical networks in many nearshore and offshore regions are extremely unstable. Make sure the location has a backup generator that can power the HVAC system and workstations across the whole building. Additionally, redundant fibre optics from several fibre suppliers should be present. Additionally, ascertain if the location is reasonably accessible by public transit for the benefit of the workforce.
8. Cost
When outsourcing, cost is always a factor, and call centre BPO is no different. Seek out suppliers who can give low prices without compromising on quality. To properly evaluate services, make sure you obtain a comprehensive price that covers all expenses and fees. Additionally, be cautious of service providers that promise incredibly low prices, since this might mean that they are skimping on quality, offering little oversight, or planning to introduce unstated extra fees.
9. Facility conditions
Conducting site inspections to assess the facility’s state is crucial as it may reveal a lot about the BPO provider’s calibre, personnel treatment policies, and managerial calibre. To assess the facility’s security, PCI compliance, backup generator, parking, lighting, HVAC system, and lease conditions, you should also conduct a technical audit.
10. Adaptability and expansion
Lastly, think about the scalability and adaptability of the service. You might need to modify your call centre operations as your company expands. Look for a supplier who is adaptable enough to tailor their services to your unique demands and who can readily scale up or down to meet your changing needs.
Call centre outsourcing services: inbound vs. outbound
Call centre outsourcing services, both inbound and outbound, address several facets of client engagement and communication channels. An inbound call centre’s main job is to answer incoming calls and client queries while offering them technical help, important information, and grievance resolution. Outbound contact centres, on the other hand, focus on making calls to current or potential customers to provide follow-up services such as debt collection, market research, and telemarketing. Although businesses need both kinds of call centre services, selecting the best one frequently comes down to the organization’s goals, target market, and essential needs.
Regarding its functional attributes, inbound call centres prioritise delivering prompt and effective solutions to client inquiries, guaranteeing client contentment and allegiance. Helpdesk solutions, order taking, event registration, subscription administration, and appointment scheduling are among the services provided by inbound centres. These centres’ agents go through extensive training and are equipped with the knowledge they need to address a variety of client queries. These centres frequently make use of cutting-edge technology like cloud-based communication systems and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to guarantee flawless client experiences. Outbound call centres, on the other hand, prioritise aggressive marketing and sales initiatives. Their areas of expertise include cold calling, product marketing, market research, lead creation, and client retention initiatives. The goal of this kind of centre is to increase a business’s marketability and reach to generate more income. To increase their outreach and productivity, agents at outbound call centres use tools like auto-dialers, CRM systems, and call analytics in addition to their persuasive communication skills.
The choice between inbound and outbound call centre outsourcing services is based on the strategic objectives and client needs of an organisation. While outbound contact centres concentrate on generating leads and producing income, inbound call centres help improve customer happiness and brand loyalty. To build a thorough and goal-oriented strategy for managing customer connections, businesses frequently choose to combine both of these services.
In conclusion, selecting the best outsource call center services might be difficult, but you can choose wisely if you take these things into account. Don’t forget to search for a supplier with a solid reputation, a broad range of services, a top-notch call centre location, regional diversity, cutting-edge infrastructure and technology, competitive pricing, flexibility, and scalability. You may save time and money by streamlining company processes and enhancing customer service with the correct supplier in place. Kindly get in touch with the Site Selection Group so they can assist you in finding and assessing call centre BPO companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How does BPO differ from a call centre?
The main functions of a call centre are to answer calls, emails, and chats from customers. However, call centre service providers, also known as business process outsourcing (BPO), offer a wider variety of services beyond only customer assistance, such as human resources, finance, and back-office operations.
2. Why is a call centre outsourced?
Call centre outsourcing may save expenses, give access to specialised knowledge, enable scalability, improve customer service, increase emphasis on core business operations, and lower operational risks.
3. What is the cost of an outsourced call centre?
The cost of an outsourced contact centre varies significantly based on variables such as service level agreements, geography, and service complexity. It may be determined by per-agent, per-call, or per-hour pricing.
The cost of a call or an hour might vary from a few dollars to tens of dollars. To obtain a precise price, it’s critical to go over pricing details with possible outsourcing partners.