Who Should You Listen To When Choosing an Outsourced Contact Center
Monday, September 20, 2010
We've heard it all. The claims a lot of outsourced contact centers are making, albeit dubious, on why their services is better than the rest. Who do you trust nowadays? What should you be looking for in an outsourcing company? Cost is by far, the greatest feature you might be tempted to consider, nothing wrong with it actually, but it really shouldn't mean you sacrifice everything else for an easy-to-reach cost. Deciding to outsource is already an act of faith, but you need not be completely blind in choosing. There are reputable organizations out there to assist you in making sure you do it for the right reasons.
The Association of Support Professionals (ASP) has clear standards in which they categorize top outsourcing companies:
Size matters
If a contact center given a short time was able to expand its services and become stable in its functions, then it is a clear sign that that company is heading in the right direction. Growth in this case is particularly crucial in an outsourcing company as growth always points to development and production. A good outsourcing company should be able to show its growth and accomplishments. They should show a steady increase in revenue, jobs, branches and countries served.
Customer References
Customer satisfaction, just like in any normal business, lies the strength of an outsourcing company. A good outsourcing company should have an excellent reputation with the customers. Customer trust can be destroyed at once by a major service problem, or it can be undermined one day at a time with a thousand small demonstrations of incompetence. A good contact center has a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customers' expectation.
The Accolades
Awards, certifications and recognitions for excellence, are the best proof an outsourcing company could possess as they need not rely on their spin doctors for additional hype. Published articles regarding an outsourced contact centers' accomplishments means that this company can be trusted and that its actions are magnified and publicized, something not-so-legitimate companies usually don't have. You know that there must be something fundamentally wrong if a company doesn't receive any form of public recognition.
Management: Reaping what you sow
A company that has good management capabilities ensures stability, not only promises but delivers results as well. An outsourced contact center investing in an excellent management system shows that they value time and effort. They don't waste money and costs with unnecessary things. Business leaders and their experience in the industry can also reflect their management capabilities or the lack of one.
Without giving it thought, anyone can say migrating your answering service for your hotel reservation and bookings or outsourcing your flower shop's order taking is good for your business. What should really matters now is who should you be listening to.
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The Association of Support Professionals (ASP) has clear standards in which they categorize top outsourcing companies:
Size matters
If a contact center given a short time was able to expand its services and become stable in its functions, then it is a clear sign that that company is heading in the right direction. Growth in this case is particularly crucial in an outsourcing company as growth always points to development and production. A good outsourcing company should be able to show its growth and accomplishments. They should show a steady increase in revenue, jobs, branches and countries served.
Customer References
Customer satisfaction, just like in any normal business, lies the strength of an outsourcing company. A good outsourcing company should have an excellent reputation with the customers. Customer trust can be destroyed at once by a major service problem, or it can be undermined one day at a time with a thousand small demonstrations of incompetence. A good contact center has a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customers' expectation.
The Accolades
Awards, certifications and recognitions for excellence, are the best proof an outsourcing company could possess as they need not rely on their spin doctors for additional hype. Published articles regarding an outsourced contact centers' accomplishments means that this company can be trusted and that its actions are magnified and publicized, something not-so-legitimate companies usually don't have. You know that there must be something fundamentally wrong if a company doesn't receive any form of public recognition.
Management: Reaping what you sow
A company that has good management capabilities ensures stability, not only promises but delivers results as well. An outsourced contact center investing in an excellent management system shows that they value time and effort. They don't waste money and costs with unnecessary things. Business leaders and their experience in the industry can also reflect their management capabilities or the lack of one.
Without giving it thought, anyone can say migrating your answering service for your hotel reservation and bookings or outsourcing your flower shop's order taking is good for your business. What should really matters now is who should you be listening to.
