You outsourced your call center so you won’t have to manage a call center. But then you found yourself managing your outsource call center. Though it’s a lot less work, it’s still more than you bargained for when you opted to outsource in the first place. Though taking the work back in house is not an option, you still want to eliminate the hassle of managing your outsource call center. Surely, there has to be a better way. Right?
Yes, you need a middleman, someone or some company, to stand in the gap between you and your outsourced call center. You need a call center broker. Then all you need to do is interface with your broker, and they do all the heavy lifting for you. They manage your outsource call center so you don’t have to.
Here are some things a call center broker can do for you:
Find a Call Center: First and most important, a call center broker can find an outsourcing call center that matches your needs, priorities, and budget. They have ongoing relationships with industry-leading call centers and can quickly find the right one for you. These are already vetted, proven operations. Your broker’s industry connections, save you time, hassle, and consternation over your outsource call center selection.
Negotiate Pricing: While some call centers have standard rates and others offer special pricing on a project-by-project basis, there is always some element of negotiation. A broker, having worked with scores of call centers and seen hundreds of contracts, knows what belongs and what doesn’t, what fees are reasonable, and what is open to discussion. Let them do this work for you.
Plan the Transition: Outsourcing call center success is often made or lost at the commencement of service. Poor planning leads to poor implementation, while good planning produces good outcomes that result from a smooth transition. A call center broker has handled hundreds of outsourcing transitions and knows just what to look for and what needs attention.
Oversee Campaigns: Similar to the initial transition, each new campaign warrants careful oversight to make sure it kicks off right and produces the expected results from day one. So much is at stake; don’t leave this to chance. Your call center broker can ensure your outsource call center is fully ready to handle your first call with excellence.
Verify Invoicing: While reputable call centers generate honest invoices for their services, errors can occur. Some call center invoices are hard to understand and others contain little supporting documentation. A call center broker speaks “call center” and can ensure you pay only for the services provided and no more.
Work to Resolve Performance Issues: When service issues arise, and they will at some point, your call center broker can work to resolve the problem and take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again. And in the event the call center isn’t up to the challenge, your broker will go back to step one and find a new provider.
Of course if you want to handle some of these services yourself, that’s fine. A professional call center broker can do as much or as little for you as you wish. Tell your broker what you want, and they will handle it. Things don’t get much easier than that.
Janet Livingston is the president of Call Center Sales Pro, a premier sales and marketing service provider for the call center and telephone answering service industry – and who provides a call center matchmaking service, covering both onshore and offshore call centers and answering services. Contact Janet at contactus@callcenter-salespro.com or call 800-901-7706. Peter Lyle DeHaan is a freelance writer from Southwest Michigan.