Call center services in India are half a world away but offer American businesses significant savings. Some see such large scale outsourcing as a threat to the national economy, but a savings of up to 50% in payroll and benefits means call center services in India are becoming more and more popular.

Frustration and miscommunication run high when fluency is an issue, but much of India's population speaks fluent English. And since India's citizens are willing to work around the clock, and for much less pay than U.S. citizens, American business owners are significantly reducing overhead.

India call center services such as telemarketing, lead generation, and customer service are important issues, but consider the following before you sign up:

1. What do you have to gain or lose by outsourcing to call centers in India?

2. How fluent are the India call center employees?

3. How do Indian call centers compare in price to those in the U.S.?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider the implications and alternatives of outsourcing to India call centers

You may have clients who are more interested in employing American citizens rather than saving a buck. Factor in how much business you may lose for overseas outsourcing before you factor in savings in payroll. U.S. call centers regularly employ work-from-home customer service representatives. Other options include call centers that provide customer service solutions at discounted rates.

I recommend: Check out alternatives to outsourcing to India call centers with Arise or US Discount Call Center.

Communicate with India call centers to avoid getting lost in translation

Be clear when contracting with a call center in India about what kind of interaction you need with clients or potential clients. If you need outbound call centers in India for bill collection, the bill collector might have to relay critical and accurate information which can often get lost in translation, making it harder to get business done.

I recommend: Call Centers India, a company dedicated to identifying potential problems, makes monthly physical visits to some call center services in India. Register as a user and gain access to companies who provide training and software to both inbound and outbound call centers in India.

Go online to look for quotes as well as a directory of call centers in India

The web contains a wealth of information for customer support in India. Often, the India call center itself provides the information, so go directly to sites that compare prices for call center services. If you want speak with someone about a call center, there are several online directories of India call centers with phone and email contact information.

I recommend: QuoteCatcher.com provides price comparisons for up to five different India call centers. Look to TelePlaza and Call Centers India for brief descriptions and a comprehensive directory of call centers in India.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To get a better idea of what kind of communication your customers will have with an India call center, speak to the manager and do the legwork yourself when trying to find the right company. If you have a bad experience with the call center service in India, chances are your customers will, too.