Business is Booming? Time to Outsource!
When business is booming and call volume is increasing, you may find that dedicating more call center agents to handling customer contact has an adverse effect on your fulfillment or production operations. Although the phone ringing is often a positive sign, high call volume that is mishandled can often bring growth to a screeching halt. When that happens and you begin looking for ways to manage the volume, outsourcing to a proven call center agency may be a viable solution. Here are some basic items to consider when outsourcing in boom times:
Call Center Outsourcing 101
The basic idea behind call center outsourcing is that your company contracts with another company to take calls on your behalf. Instead of all those calls reaching your office, the call center answers instead.
There are a few different terms used for companies that provide communication outsourcing services, including call centers, contact centers, and answering services.
Call centers are typically bigger, more advanced operations that focus on Inbound Customer Support and Outbound Sales. Contact centers are similar to call centers, only they handle multiple channels of communication such as phone, email, live chat, and social media. Answering services are often smaller and provide more simplistic services such as message taking and dispatching. Thanks to advances in technology, many call center companies offer both basic answering services and complex custom solutions.
Offshore versus Domestic Call Center Agents
Many managers/owners will immediately scoff at the idea of outsourcing a portion of their call volume. This is generally due to outsourcing being depicted as a solution that sends jobs overseas.
While offshore outsourcing is certainly an option, a lot of outsourcing happens right here in the United States. When I started in this business, “outsourcing” actually meant hiring call center agents in Omaha or Sarasota! There are many domestic and international call centers available today and we can help you analyze the options.
Not Very Difficult…
Handing off your calls to a call center is far easier than you think. Our Call center partners will work with you to design a custom call center plan that mirrors your internal operation, supports a specific process, or supplements a portion of your business.
The way our call center agents answer the phone is a good example of this customization. If you greet callers with “Thank you for calling Top Notch Manufacturing Company, how may I help you?”, then we would have our agents answer in the same fashion.
Similarly, if there’s already an established process for handling appointment scheduling, order taking or customer support, we would evaluate the software being utilized and try to integrate it into the workflow. Then, the agents could answer calls and provide information just like you do in the office.
Sometimes the call center is a distinct operation, taking calls for something the office doesn’t handle. Perhaps we function as the after-hours emergency center, or the e-commerce order support hotline.
Overflow Call Handling Capabilities
The above examples illustrate the core objective of any call center outsourcing relationship. This is to implement a solution that functions as an extension of your business.
After our agencies create your account and call handling workflow, all you have to do to launch the application is forward your phone lines. Call center agents will be available when needed so calls can be forwarded on-demand, 24 hours a day. Overflow call handling will allow us to start taking calls automatically whenever you’re busy.
Just like that, you have freed up time to refocus your resources without sacrificing customer service or losing potential business. You can finally relax and reap the benefits of having an overflow call center.
If you are ready to start your outsourcing journey, contact us today or call at 719.368.8393.
