Is it Time to Outsource Your Contact Center?

Vendor Selection Process Begins

With a finalized RFP, your company is ready to start the selection process. The universe of vendors is quite large, and all have advantages and disadvantages. To name a few:

Niche firms that specialize in a specific industry silo.

Boutique vendors, small in headcount and spread across multiple industries.

U.S.-based vendors, nearshore and offshore.

In-office call centers, WFH call centers, and even AI call centers . Many are hybrid in terms of work geography.

Behemoth companies, that cater to every conceivable contact center configuration imaginable.

Narrow Down Your List and Weed Out Undesirables Be methodical and very careful as you weed out undesirables and narrow down to a short list of good fits. Additional research and capability models are a smart idea to vet contenders worthy of a long-term relationship and avoid any nasty surprises. Here's an example. A firm comes in with an appealing cost structure and claims a ready base of qualified agents from their local area. Can they pull this off and maintain the CSAT goals you need? Hopefully so. But suppose you research their market and find that a huge retail organization routinely fills hundreds of positions at an hourly rate $1.50 higher than your vendor pays. In that case, their guarantee probably doesn't hold water. And you might be right back in the same situation you experienced with your internal team. Additionally, there could be disruption concerns like weather, natural disaster, and government to be aware of. There are health issues to consider. Can the vendor flex staff levels up and down to match your demand? What percentage of their client base, and therefore your company's level of importance, would you represent to the vendor? What's their corporate culture like? What do their clients say? Careful research on potential vendors answers these questions. Once a potential list of candidates has been cut down to a very short list, current state evaluations of these firms should commence. These reports can be invaluable tools when optimizing and customizing the new vendor as you integrate them into your company. They also help enormously when a final choice has been made, and you're at the contracting stage.