What to Evaluate in a Call Center On-Site Visit & Its Importance

An on-site visit should help you understand more than what is included in a sales presentation. Take the opportunity to observe the operation, meet people, see the facility and infrastructure, and determine whether what you were told during the evaluation process is consistent with what you see firsthand.

Consider questions such as:

• Are you able to meet appropriate members of the operational team?
• Are managers and administrative staff available to answer questions?
• Does the provider explain how the operation is organized?
• Are questions answered clearly and directly?
• Does what you see correspond with what was presented during the sales process?

Transparency does not mean a provider should give visitors unrestricted access to every system, workspace, or client operation. Appropriate security and confidentiality restrictions are also a positive sign. A provider should be able to explain why certain areas or information are restricted and how those controls help protect client operations.

When appropriate, speaking with Contact Center agents can provide useful insight into the employee experience. Agent engagement, management support, training, career development, and workplace culture can all influence workforce stability and customer service performance.

Depending on what the provider permits during the visit, consider asking employees questions such as:

• Why did you choose to work for this company?
• What do you enjoy most about your position?
• What are some of the challenges you experience?
• How long have you worked here?
• What training and support do you receive?
• Are there opportunities for professional development or internal growth?

Also observe how agents, Team Leads, Supervisors, and Managers interact with one another. A short visit cannot reveal everything about an organization's culture, but it can provide another perspective to complement employee interviews, management discussions, references, and other information gathered during the selection process.

Reviewing the provider's company culture before your visit can also help you identify specific questions to ask when you arrive.

The physical work environment can also provide insight into how much a provider invests in its facilities and employees. Pay attention to the condition of the building, operational areas, training rooms, meeting spaces, break areas, lighting, temperature, cleanliness, furniture, and equipment.

Ask yourself:

• Is the facility clean and well maintained?
• Are operational areas comfortable and appropriately equipped?
• Are there adequate training and meeting spaces?
• Are employee break areas available?
• Does the environment appear appropriate for the type of operation you plan to establish?

The outsourced Contact Center will effectively become an extension of your organization. The environment where employees work should therefore be considered alongside pricing, recruiting capabilities, technology, and performance.

Set aside time during your visit to meet the people who may be responsible for managing and supporting your Contact Center operation.

Resumes, professional profiles, and presentations can provide useful background information, but meeting managers directly gives you an opportunity to learn more about their communication style, industry experience, leadership approach, operational knowledge, and understanding of your business requirements.

Depending on the program, consider meeting representatives from Operations, Human Resources, Training, Quality Assurance, IT, Compliance, and other departments that may support your account.

You can also review the provider's management team before the visit and prepare questions about experience relevant to your industry or type of Contact Center operation.

A site visit is an important opportunity to evaluate whether the provider has the physical infrastructure, technology, security controls, and operational environment required for your program.

Start evaluating security from the moment you enter the facility. Observe how visitor access is handled and ask appropriate questions about areas such as:

• Physical access controls
• Visitor identification and authorization
• Video surveillance
• Restricted operational areas
• Workstation and user access controls
• Internet connectivity and redundancy
• Backup power and business continuity
• Information security procedures
• Incident response
• Applicable security certifications and compliance requirements

If your operation handles sensitive or regulated information, consider meeting representatives from IT, Information Security, or Compliance so they can explain the controls relevant to your requirements.

Certifications and audits should complement what you observe during the visit. Review the provider's documented cybersecurity certifications and compliance standards and determine whether the applicable controls match the requirements of your operation.