Whether the organization is attempting to establish contact center operations for the first time or is looking for options to handle a predicted influx of customer interactions due to promotional campaigns or new product lines, outsourcing contact center operations can be a viable choice. The key to a successful outsourcing experience, however, is in the selection of the provider.

 

While the provider that proposes a solution that meets the organizations initial needs at a low price sounds like the perfect fit, the reality is not so simple. The organization must be willing to do its homework-- to look deep inside the potential vendor, to understand their mission, goals and culture.

 

Before even investigating contact center outsourcing vendors, an organization must first establish its criteria and goals. Clear expectations in terms of hours of operation, service deliverables, agent skill sets and performance, efficiency levels must be in place from the start.

 

Once criteria have been established, the organization can then begin to talk to potential vendors. Talking, however, should be only the beginning of the process, as the organization should gain first-hand knowledge of the vendor’s capabilities.

 

A visit to an outsourced site is essential. The organization can determine the culture, how calls are routed to the proper agents, the amount and quality of agent training and coaching, motivational tactics used for agent performance, internal measurements, scheduling, incentives, agent attitudes on and off the phone and the overall atmosphere of the center.

 

Great resources to explore are the various other organizations utilizing the vendor’s contact center outsourcing services.  Finding out if they are happy with the level of service provided, if they have seen measurable results from the services and if the vendor has delivered upon promises made “before the sale” are all important to narrowing down the final selection.

 

Even better, become a “customer” of the contact center operated by the outsourcing vendor. The organization should call, e-mail, fax and IM agents within the contact center to evaluate the service in this “blind” test. Important elements to look for include response time, agent attitude and aptitude.

 

Contact center outsourcing can provide significant benefits to an organization, especially when trying to establish such operations for the first time. Outsourcing vendors are generally well experienced and informed on the market. The expertise they bring to the table, not to mention the infrastructure that is already in place, makes these vendors great potential partners, as long as the correct steps are followed, before final selection.