Call Center Pricing

Our Senior Advisors shared the following call center prices seen recently based on the major service types and locations:

A. Inbound: 

Inbound call center services tend to be priced in three different ways:

• Shared – “Shared Inbound” is defined as services in which a pool of agents generally answer calls for a couple dozen clients.  The client then pays only for the time used on a per-minute basis.   These rates range from $.35-$.55/minute at low cost international agencies to $.75-$1.25/minute in the US/Canada. Shared services are ideal for applications with wild volume swings or low overall activity.
• Dedicated – This type of service involves a dedicated group of agents that handle calls exclusively for one client.  Our call centers typically price this service on a per-hour basis.  These rates generally range from $8-$15 internationally to $27-$35 in the US/Canada for standard agents. Dedicated services are ideal for complicated applications or when the volume is significant and predictable.
• Monthly – This type of call center pricing is basically a subset of dedicated services.  It simply compiles the service into a monthly rate instead of an hourly rate.  Many low-cost international call centers offer this type of pricing.  However, it is rare to find it in North America or Europe.

B. Outbound: 

Outbound call center services are typically priced as follows:

• Hourly – Call center price quotes from our agencies will typically include hourly rates for outbound sales, lead generation, and appointment setting.  Rates generally vary based on the location of the agency.  Smaller agencies in India or The Philippines normally charge from $8-$11 per hour.  Furthermore, call centers in Eastern Europe or Latin America normally feature rates from $10-$15/hour.  Finally, call centers in mature western countries (like the US, UK, Germany & Canada) typically charge $28-$38.   Very specialized, high-level agencies in these countries can will typically provide call center pricing in the $40-$55 per hour range.
• Commission – On certain sales or lead generation applications, a full commission structure makes sense for both parties involved.  The amount of commission is completely dependent on the situation.   However, the amount earned per hour by the call center should provide at least a 10% to 20% premium over their normal hourly rates to account for the additional risk to the call center.
• Hourly + Commission – This might actually be our favorite call center pricing structure for sales programs. Just like you pay an internal salesperson in this manner, a combination structure provides that both parties have “skin in the game” and often works quite well to maximize performance. 

C. Location: 

The single largest call center cost variable is location.  Therefore, selecting a call center located in the US or Europe versus India or Latin America will have a huge impact on your call center prices.  Here is a general guideline to call center price quotes by geographic location:

• United States/Canada: $28-$38 per hour
• Eastern Europe: $12 – $15 per hour
• Western Europe: $35-$45 per hour
• South Africa: $12-$15 per hour
• Africa/Middle East: $15-$20 per hour
• Latin America: $10-$15 per hour
• Asia/Philippines: $8-$14 per hour
• India: $8-$11 per hour
• Pakistan: $8-$11 per hour