10 Tips When Choosing an Inbound Call Center
Key Terms and Definitions
Questions to Ask Before You Choose

Inbound call centers offer companies a great way to keep top level customer service, embrace phone sales and marketing opportunities all without investing limited personnel resources.

Choosing the right call center service to best suit your company’s needs can be tough. Here are ten tidbits of information that can help you choose:

1. Fewer Reps Means a Better Experience

Now this of course means within reason. One rep for a high volume of calls isn’t going to help anyone, but you want the fewest amount possible without sacrificing service. Fewer reps means they will learn your business better and develop a better relationship with frequent callers.

2. Know What Questions to Ask Them

Make sure you have a precise list of the questions you want answered before you decide on with call center service to go with. Finding good sample questions and comparing them to what you need from your call center can help you comprise your own list.

3. Reps’ Compensation Methods Vary

In some services, depending on what you have asked your call center to do, representatives work on commission, while in others they are salaried. Find out how they are compensated in the call centers you are looking it. If they are working for commission or some other incentive based program, it is possible they will work harder than those who get paid the same no matter what.

4. Know What You Want from Your Reps

What is it you are asking them to do? Just provide information? Generate a lead? Set an Appointment? Make a Sale? Remember that not every call center is the same and they may have different areas they specialize or excel in, and those may or may not coincide with your goals.

5. Many Factors Contribute to Success

No one particular aspect of a call center is going to be responsible for a successful campaign. The individual reps, the script they operate from and the preparation they have received all play major roles in achieving success.

6. Be Specific

You don’t want your representatives to have to figure things out on their own if possible. Make sure you give clear and concise instructions for every possible scenario that may rise and how to handle any that come up that were not addressed.

7. Ask if Their Representatives Partake in Ongoing Training

Don’t worry, all of your representatives will, or at least should, be trained on your business and products when they are hired, but does it stop there? Business is an ever evolving environment, and your representatives need to be not only up to date on what your company offers, but what the rest of the industry is doing as well.

8. Use Your Own 800 Number

Any call center can provide you with an 800 number, and you will need one in case your reps ever need to get a hold of you. However, if for some reason you ever decide you want to switch to a different vendor, it will be easier if you own your own 800 number.

9. Involve Your Staff

Nobody, other than you, knows your business and your products better than the staff you already have working for you. Pick their brains to help you to create a script or sample questions to ask prospective call centers.

10. Outline the Costs

Because there are so many things a call center can do for you, it’s important to make sure the pricing is specifically addressed when talking contracts. Have the vendors outline the cost based on what you plan on instructing your reps to do, and have them also detail anything else that could cause the price to change, such as unexpected fluctuations in call volume.

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