Top 5 tips for choosing the right contact centre for your business

If your business needs contact centre help, outsourcing can be a wonderful way to go. But how do you choose the right contact centre? What should you consider before you decide? And will your customers be happy? It’s a big decision to make, so read on for our top 5 tips to help you choose the right contact centre for your business.

• Know what you need
  What support do you need? Is it just during your business hours, or 24/7? Do you need your customers’ calls answered, outbound calls made, or new customers acquired? Do you want appointments scheduled? And how about upselling, if that’s an option? Before you contact any outsourcing business, have a clear idea of what exactly do you require.
• Do your due diligence
  If you’re considering a specific contact centre, references are vital. Talk to clients. Ask about their experience with the contact centre. Find out if they’d recommend them. Check the internet for reviews. The company you choose must be above reproach because your business is at stake. Ask if they would send a manager and/or a team leader to your premises to undergo in-depth training. Find out about reports you’ll receive and get samples to make sure they fit your requirements.
• Are their people a good match for your business?
  Check that the contact centre staff have the right resources and knowledge for your business. This could mean how they sound to your customers. If they have an accent, is it slight or strong? How easily will they be understood? To listen to typical contact centre accents from a number of countries, you might find Matchboard useful. If you are in the finance or insurance industry, do staff specialise in your industry? The last thing you want is for your customers to struggle with communication.
• The bottom line on contact centre charges
  Charging can vary widely, but there are ways to ensure you get the best deal. Contact centres can charge by the hour, by the minute or even by the second of talk time. Make sure you’re aware of what you’re paying for as some round up to the next minute, which could cost you considerably for non-call time. If you use a contact centre to handle small numbers of calls that are outside your normal working hours, you could pay a monthly retainer that includes a specific number of calls. And make sure that you link your payment to the performance. You don’t want your customers waiting too long for their call to be answered, and you want your customers to be happy. Otherwise, outsourcing could shoot your business in the foot.
• Privacy and security
  The contact centre you choose must store your data securely – and separately from their other clients. All information collected must be subject to privacy and you’ll need the company to sign off on that. Get your legal eagles involved if necessary. And in the event of some disaster, do they have a recovery plan in place?

We hope these 5 tips help you to choose the right contact centre for your business. If you’re interested in how ASTIA can help your business achieve its goals, give us a call on 02 8379 7834

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