Call Centers

Apropos Technology, Inc.

TRAFFICMASTER PLC

Guide to Finding and Using a Call Center

Save time and manage growth by hiring a call center to handle communications
By Matt Alderton

	Call Center 411 Weigh costs of call center training for your employees and filling call center jobs vs. outsourcing. Choose a call center that understands your industry. Look for a call center where you are a major customer so call center operators stay familiar with your call center needs.

If you find your phone ringing off the hook, chances are you've thought long and hard about hiring someone to answer it for you. For some businesses, a receptionist is all that's needed. Others, however, require serious call management. If your business is one of them, you might want to consider hiring an outside call center to answer your incoming — and maybe even make your outgoing — calls.
Call centers can handle, among other things:

1. Customer service.
2. Tech support.
3. After-hours inquiries.
4. Order collection.

Action Steps to Find a Call Center that Fits Your Needs

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider: Outsource to a call center or do inhouse call center training It may be time to outsource call handling if you expect a new product launch or expansion to dramatically increase your volume of customer calls, or if handling your growing number of calls will require you to invest in a new phone system or in new employees.

I recommend:  BuyerZone's Call Center Buyer's Guide can help you determine if your business would benefit from hiring a call center. You'll find step-by-step help, including factors to consider, offshore call centers, buying tips and pricing. If you go the route of keeping your customer service inhouse, find call center training firms listed at Business.com.

Start your call center search online Before you begin looking for vendors, decide what types of calls your vendor will need to handle and develop an estimate of call volume and costs.

I recommend:  Browse the Call Center Directory or Call Center Guide to locate a call center near you — or one across the globe.

Compare call center costs with free online quotes Get quotes from a variety of call centers to determine a reasonable price for the services you need. Some companies charge per minute, while others charge per dedicated customer service rep. Consider call center training and set-up costs, too.

I recommend:  Solicit free quotes from a variety of vendors online at either VendorSeek.com or BuyerZone.com.

Evaluate call center services Choose a call center that understands your industry and offers the services you need, which might include more than call management, such as responding to service-oriented e-mails or participating in Web chats with customers.

I recommend:  Compare vendors, such as Talk 2 Rep, MAP Communications and 24-7 INtouch, to find out what call center services are available for companies of your size and in your industry. For some expert help, find a call center consultant at Business.com.

Select a call center and seal the deal Once you've decided on a vendor, make a site visit to seal the deal if possible. Learn how the call center training will be customized to your needs. Observe employees, read sample call scripts and conduct interviews with existing agents. Request references and be sure to sign an appropriate service contract.

I recommend:  Find a sample call center services contract online courtesy of FindLaw.

Track performance with call center software After your call center operation has begun, be sure to collect frequent reports from your vendor to evaluate its performance. Important metrics include call duration, conflict resolution, cost per call and average speed of answer. Buy call center software to track help tickets and other customer contact.

I recommend:  BenchmarkPortal is home to the world's largest database of call center metrics, which it uses to develop best practices for call center management and reporting. Find out what call center software can do for you at Business.com.

Tips & Tactics for Getting the Most from Call Center Services

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Should you choose a call center that's located in the U.S., or one that's located offshore? Remember that the former may help your company image, but the latter might save you money.
• Choose a call center where your calls will make up between 5 and 50 percent of the center's total volume; less will translate into a lack of familiarity with your company, while more may overwhelm your vendor.
• Decline a call center's offer to purchase a phone number for you; retain ownership of your own 1-800 number and assign it to your provider.
• If your call center will be handling sensitive or private information — about your products, company or customers — make sure its employees sign a confidentiality agreement.