When you are choosing your call centre, here are seven ways to get a good idea of whether they are equipped to deliver the results you seek.

1. Meet the Team.

• Ask to meet not just your account director but also the implementation team who will be delivering your solution.
• Understand their respective roles and ensure that you are happy with the staff assigned to your account.

2. Clarify your Expectations

• Avoid a large number of problems and misunderstandings by making sure you have absolute clarity around your expectations of your call centre regarding:
  • service levels
  • relationship management
  • delivery
  • reporting.

3. Check their approach to change management.

• A good call centre will have in place a process for managing change without compromising the quality or the responsivity of their service.

4. Confirm your schedule up-front

• Ensure your timetable ~ including operation and commercial reviews ~ is established and understood before your project goes live.

5. Ask for client references

• Ask your call centre if they can provide references not just from existing clients but also from lapsed clients.

6. How good a fit?

• To what extent does your call centre have experience of your industry, and of your specific project needs?

Note: While most call centres will be able to deliver a wide range of services, each is likely to have leaning towards certain types of work. So find out the ratio of inbound to outbound activity, sales to customer service work… and also the amount of work they have experience of in your sector.

7. What is their approach to quality management?

• Ask what their responses are to the regulatory and quality management aspects of outbound sales, such as drop rates, ghost calls. Please note: failure to adhere to these criteria may result in a fine for you, the client.

To help you choose the right call centre, we have created a series of simple click-through steps. If you haven't done so already, we invite you to start here.