As call center outsourcing becomes more an accepted business model for US companies, it’s valuable to bear in mind that there’s a right way and a ‘less-than-right’ way to approach such a move. US companies who invest in call center outsourcing without doing their own due diligence of the process and the process providers stand a less chance of success than companies who ‘do their homework’ first.
US companies need to remember that they’re working with foreigners. Nothing can be taken for granted. Don’t assume that the call center outsourcing agency you’re talking to understands your businesses as well as you do. If the process you want to use them for requires specialized language training or product knowledge, you’ve got to provide it.
If you’re dealing with a large, established call center outsourcing service provider, they’ll know what they need and they’ll ask you for it. But be careful that you don’t get into a relationship with a company that looks good ‘on paper’ but blindly says they can do anything you want. They’re only working with the value proposition and tools you give them.
For example, in the case of outbound telemarketing, don’t expect them to develop your script for you. Even if they can, it’s going to cost you more to have them do it than for you than to develop one yourself and just give it to them.
Also don’t be surprised if they want you to pay weekly for a month or so at first until they develop a closer business relationship with you. Because of the international nature of call center and client relationships, it’s not unheard of for clients to ‘skip’ on their bills for a month or so and only the largest international call center outsourcing providers have the legal resources to pursue collection of such relatively small amounts.
Before you sign any contracts, the most valuable thing you can do is to make a trip to their point of origin, meet their management and tour their facility. You can learn a lot just by walking around a ‘healthy’ call center outsourcing facility. If you see a lot of busy, focused, intent agents servicing clients, you can be reasonably assured you’ll get the same service. On the other hand, if their facility seems old, underutilized and their staff isn’t professional and/or doesn’t speak good English themselves, it’s not reasonable to think their processes are going to go any better.
Luckily there are plenty of medium sized call center outsourcing providers who do give good service, at good rates and have good management and reporting procedures.