Top 10 Tips for Choosing the Best Call Center

Top 10 Tips for Choosing the Best Call Center

So your business is expanding, demand is growing, and you’re in desperate need of outsourcing tasks to make the most of your time, team, and resources. Or maybe you’re a well-established company, but you’re discovering gaps in your process that are costing you dearly with every passing day. 

A call center seems like the perfect solution for generating new leads, accelerating the growth of your brand, and increasing profitability. 

While not quite as life-altering as choosing a life partner, the choice of a business partnership still carries a lot of weight and directly impacts the future of your company, whether positively or negatively. 

According to Salesforce’s “State of the Connected Customer” 2020 report, which surveyed 12,000 consumers and 3,600 business buyers worldwide, a whopping 79% of consumers stated that the experience provided by a company is just as important as the services or products they are offering.

In other words, regardless of how amazing your products or services are, if you fail in the customer experience, you’re losing business.

We want to see you and your potential call center partner ride into the glowing sunset of business success. So we put together 10 tips to help you get off on the right foot and make a solid match that will bring you many years of happiness and prosperity.

• 1. Know What You Want

Before you can even begin to search effectively, you have to know what you want, what you need, and what problems you’re looking to solve. Creating and setting business goals will help narrow your search and properly align your company with a potential partner. 

Get specific. Ask yourself and your team questions such as:

• What are the pain points we need to address?
• What are our priorities for our overall customer experience?
• What services do we need the most?
• What areas of our process need the most support?
• What tasks are we looking to outsource?

The answers to these questions (and others like them) will serve as your company matchmaker, guiding you on the path to your ideal call center partner. Plus, you’ll have all your questions thought out and ready to go when you begin interviewing call center candidates.

• 2. Look to the Future

While your mind may be focused on your current needs, don’t overlook your plans for the future. You may be wanting to scale and expand your company, and it’s important that the partner you choose has the capacity to grow with you. 

Can your prospective partner meet your needs and the needs of your clients in the present, and the foreseeable future? The last thing you want is to have to start from scratch later down the road because your choice can’t handle the workload. 

• 3. Swipe Left, Swipe Right

We’ve all seen those dating profiles—”Must love dogs, slow-dancing to Ed Sheeran, and long walks on the beach at sunset.” Maybe that gets you going. Maybe not. 

Our point? What works for others might not work for you. While your company may share similar traits as others in your field, you are unique. And the same can be said for call centers. 

Some compatibility assessments will be more obvious than others. For example, if your company is in the tech space, you’ll want to swipe right on a team well-trained and skilled in the industry so you can rest at night knowing the representatives aren’t going to be stumbling over the language or getting stuck while presenting your product. 

Other aspects of evaluating and creating a business partnership may be more difficult to discern right off the bat, so it’s smart to go on a “first date” before committing to a long-term relationship. Ask for a tour of their office, interview the client success manager or another individual who would be servicing your business, and get a feel for the company culture.

• 4. Can I Trust You?

Marlon Brando is quoted as stating, “Privacy is not something that I’m merely entitled to, it’s an absolute prerequisite.” 

Your customers might as well be saying the same thing when it comes to data or private information, such as health or financial records. The protection of your client’s information is top priority, and it’s imperative you choose a call center partner that is just as committed to security as you are.

Actions speak louder than words here. Inquire into data storage, processing, and recovery in case of outages or other emergencies. Depending on your industry and clients, ask about security measures and requirements such as:

• HIPAA Compliance
• Call Recording Storage
• Controlled Access to Information
• SOC 2 Certified
• PCI Compliance
• IVR Security

Trust in business is more important now than ever. Make sure your call center partner takes security seriously.

• 5. Discussing Finances

Money talk can be awkward, but it couldn’t be more necessary when considering a call center partner. Your budget and a potential service plan must align. Plus, companies offer different pricing options or contract agreements, and you’ll need to know this before committing. 

If you choose to enter into a contract, read every line with care. Is the contract written in the favor of one party only? You want an agreement that is mutually beneficial, not slanted one way or the other. Ask if you are able to edit the contract to add clauses and protect your company’s interests if necessary. Look for an “out clause” and make sure there is the opportunity for a graceful exit if things aren’t working.

Another option? Here at Squeeze, we offer performance-based pricing. It’s low risk, you’re not locked into a contract, and we’re highly motivated to perform as our paycheck depends on your success and satisfaction with our services. It’s a win-win scenario and sets the stage for a true partnership.

• 6. Not Just Another Pretty Face

A call center is only as good as the representatives they employ. And representatives won’t succeed without proper training and skill development. It doesn’t matter how good the company looks from the outside—the reps are the heart of the operations, and you want a partner with substance.

Does the call center you’re considering take the time to invest in their employees through industry-specific training, refresher courses, and regular constructive feedback? How much training gets poured into a new hire before they’re put on the floor? How do those in leadership prepare their team and reps for handling a dedicated client?

A high-quality, in-depth training program will significantly affect the quality of service your customers and clients will receive, so don’t settle for anything less than the best.

• 7. Reputation Matters

It’s not taboo to ask for references, and if your prospective partner balks at handing them out, run, Forrest, run! Current clients should be the biggest supporters of a company, and if they’re not, that’s a huge red flag.

When contacting references, take note of how long the call center has been in business with this particular company. Ideally you’d like to see partners that have been working together for a long time. This speaks well of the company itself and their ability to maintain a successful business partnership. You’ll also get a good picture from the client of the ins and outs of their partnership in particular, and gain a clearer vision of what a business relationship might look like for you together.

• 8. The Girl Next Door 

Almost every life choice carries pros and cons, even when it comes to deciding between a local, US-based call center and an overseas option.

While offshore call centers may offer more customer service availability and save you money, they could very well cost you customer satisfaction. International call centers don’t have as many service options, and while we all love a good strong accent, it can cause confusion and misinformation over the phone with some clients. Plus, the lack of control over operations and security can be problematic, to say the least. 

A local, US-based call center may cost more, but for good reason. They provide a wider range of service options, higher security measures, and no language barriers. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes, and consider the experience you want to provide for them. They are the highest priority and that will show in your choice of a service provider.

• 9. Let’s Talk

For a partnership to thrive, there must be open communication and consistent transfer of information. Since you aren’t directly managing your partner’s team, you’ll want a clear picture of what is happening on the other end of the line, and how your clients are responding.

Ask if you’ll have access to real-time data analytics or daily reports of transactions made. Can you personally review the audio of calls? Will you receive a basic summary of services provided or an in-depth report? Are you able to continually optimize and customize your strategy with your partner to achieve the best results

Communication can make or break any relationship, and communication in business, whether in-house or with a partner, is paramount to success.

• 10. I’m Feeling the Chemistry

A lot can be said for natural chemistry and “good vibes.” Sometimes you just get a great gut feeling, and if that aligns with positive information you’ve gathered, those butterflies in your stomach might be on to something. 

Think back on your interview process so far. How did you jive with the people you interacted with? If you toured the office, what was the feeling among the representatives? Was there an air of tension, stress, and confusion? Or were the workers relaxed, confident, and productive? If the workplace culture and environment is one the representatives are comfortable and happy in, chances are your clients are going to be happy with the service they receive. 

It’s a Match!

Once you’ve asked all your questions and completed every interview and site tour, sit back and review your options. If you’ve followed these tips and done your due diligence, chances are you’ll have some matches that stand out above the rest.

So step out and make a move. Seal the deal and enjoy the benefits of a successful long-term relationship with your perfect call center partner!