Are you considering outsourcing your contact center operations? While all call centers may seem similar, it’s crucial to be cautious when it comes to your brand. Basic request for proposal (RFP) questions can help filter out poor choices, but it’s important to dig deeper before hiring. After all, the contact center will represent your business and interact directly with your customers.
Ask more challenging and thought-provoking questions to truly understand how a call center vendor will behave. Reliable contact center outsourcing vendors will appreciate your thorough approach. The following questions will help uncover the core values and practices of a call center vendor:
How do you handle disasters?
When outsourcing to a contact center, you must be prepared for potential downturns and implementation issues. Ask about their past experiences with economic downturns and how they handled them. Economic downturns threaten call centers as budgets are slashed, yet customer expectations remain high. Has the contact center gone through a downturn before, and how did they handle it?
Similarly, issues arise during implementation; systems can malfunction, staffing can be unreliable, and goals can be missed while servicing a new client. Inquire about their processes for managing implementation challenges and avoiding common issues.
How do you respond to cyber threats?
Cybersecurity is a major concern when outsourcing to a contact center with customer data access. Ask them if they’ve ever suffered from a cybersecurity issue. Review their data security protocols, including how they store data in their network. Make sure the company can keep your customer’s data secure. Ensuring the safety of your customer’s data is essential.
Can you contribute to growth opportunities?
Business landscapes change quickly, and agile contact center vendors can help your company adapt and grow. Inquire about their ability to deploy additional services, upsell without upsetting customers, and align with your company strategy. Are they able to deploy additional lines of service quickly? Can they upsell without upsetting your customers? Do they have the core staff and experience? Look for clear, specific answers demonstrating flexibility and alignment with your goals.
What types of services do you offer?
In addition to customer support services, consider vendors who can provide telemarketing and live chat services. Knowing all the services offered will help you determine which vendor can offer the most potential for growth and customer focus.
Do you offer employee training and coaching?
The quality of a contact center’s employees is crucial for delivering excellent customer service. Ask about their training and coaching programs to ensure they attract and retain top talent. Consider their investment in employee education and coaching to gauge their commitment to employee development.
What sets you apart from other vendors?
Don’t assume you know what sets each vendor apart. Push them to answer this question and provide evidence to support their claims. Ask for data and hard numbers that demonstrate their unique value proposition. Do they believe they have the best talent? Ask them for data showing that. Do they believe their technology gives them an edge? Push them to show you their technology.
How big is your team?
The size of a contact center’s customer service team can impact the level of customer care they can provide. A smaller team may offer a more personalized approach, with easier communication and more effective coaching.
Finding the right contact center outsourcing vendor can be a time-consuming process. Put your trust in Call Center Power and their team of experienced outsourcing advisors to help you find the right outsourcing fit. We have fully vetted partners, and we know the right questions to ask to ensure you have the perfect call center for your business.
When making the decision to outsource, Call Center Power will be with you every step of the way. Working with companies of all sizes, we always bring multiple call center partners to the table for you to review, each of which is scored and ranked based on a strong set of criteria. The best part is, we do not charge our client’s for our call center partner referral services. Contact us today or get matched with your call center partner now by using our Call Center Matchmaker tool.
