NEWS - Call Center Insights
The latest industry insights & news from CCSI, Specialists in Establishing Contact Centers in Mexico for Debt Collection, Customer Service, Sales, BPO and more.
The latest industry insights & news from CCSI, Specialists in Establishing Contact Centers in Mexico for Debt Collection, Customer Service, Sales, BPO and more.
There are several steps that decision-makers need to follow when selecting a cost-effective call center outsourcing provider for their business.
You need to do some research on the type of solutions available such as onshore, offshore, or nearshore call centers, find outsourcing vendors, call or contact the providers to get the required information, review their brochures and marketing collateral, and ask for an RFP (Request For Proposal) questionnaire to evaluate the call center providers.
All those things can give you an idea of the type of contact center outsourcing you will partner up with and the service they will offer. But none of this can give you an actual and real impression as an on-site visit to their contact center facilities.
Site visits can be costly and time-consuming, even more when considering an offshore call center. Still, it is worth the value since you will select a partner to trust your clients, processes, information, and significant investment.
You need to be able to answer some questions like: are they going to offer a great customer experience? Who are the people that will be talking to your customers? Are they feeling happy and willing to help? Is there something the salesperson is not showing you?
You can only discover those things first-hand. But it would be best if you are prepared for that visit to get more out of it. Consider what aspects you need to review, what questions you will ask, and whom to.
If you do an on-site visit, it has to be with the purpose of knowing the complete shop, listen to the agents, see the building and infrastructure, and not just believing everything you have been told in a sales pitch. You can see if they were honest about what they offer and how much they allow you to see.
Do they let you speak to the agents? Do they introduce you to the management team and the admin staff? Or are they only showing you just a part of the contact center? How open and responsive are they to your questions? Remember, you need to trust the company; if they are not transparent, how would you trust them?
Keep in mind that they might also have some security restrictions, so they probably won’t be able to show you everything, but that is also a good sign; that will mean they will respect your call center privacy and secure your processes.
If they let you talk with some call center agents, take advantage of this opportunity and ask them questions that will help you make an idea of their work environment. As we have mentioned in several articles, agent motivation is essential for customer satisfaction.
Ask questions about how they feel working with the company and what it offers them. For example: Why did they choose that contact center? What are their day-to-day challenges at work? What is it they like the most about their job? How long have they worked there? Do they have a clear career path within the company?
Also, take the time to observe the interaction between agents, team leads, supervisors, and managers. Do you perceive happiness, friendliness, fun, any tension, stress, or disagreement?
The work atmosphere also plays a vital role in the agent performance; it can tell you all about the outsourcing provider's quality and how much they invest in improving their centers. Take a look the building, the lighting, the colors, and the break areas.
By entering to every room at the center, you might get an instant sensation about its look and atmosphere, but you can also ask yourself questions like: How old is the building? Is it in good conditions? Is the contact center clean? Do they have AC in the operations areas and offices?
Your team needs to feel comfortable to do a great job and offer an excellent customer service. It can be easy to ignore by thinking about the price but remember that this outsourced call center will be an extension of your company.
Set aside a time of your call center visit to speak with the managers of the call center and different departments. You could see their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, but to really get to know them better, you can also have a short interview to learn about their experience, vision, and leadership approach.
They will be the people that are going to manage and support your call center team. How they express themselves can give you a much better idea of the value they can offer to your business.
A site visit is an excellent opportunity to see if they have the required infrastructure and the security measures for your operation. You will share your customer information with your outsourcing partner. Also, be prepared to observe and ask the right questions to know if they meet your expectations.
Pay attention to the protocol they follow to let you enter the operation; see if they have video surveillance, physical security like access control, etc. If possible, talk with the compliance and technical support departments if you have further questions about their systems and procedures.
Now you are more prepared to evaluate the call center solutions you are considering for your company during a site visit. Try to take note of the important aspects you noticed during your visit and the pros and cons you observed so you can share these insights with your team and select the outsourcing customer service provider that best matches your needs and priorities.
At Call Center Services International, we invite you to come to visit our facilities. We know it’s very important for you to listen to the agents live in action and see the work environment first-hand. We make it very convenient for you: we pick you up at the airport or hotel, give you a tour and presentation, and drive you back. Contact us to make an appointment for a tour & presentation today!