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Customer Services Call Centre Series: |
Secrets To Successful Outsourced Customer Services 1
Define Objectives
We embark on our series proper by stating the obvious but all too easily missed point of defining objectives. Both the organisation outsourcing and the customer services call centre supplier must really work in partnership to agree objectives.
Beyond "Cheap"
True quality of service often costs a little more than the "cheapest price" that was selected in the early days of call centre outsourcing. But by working in partnership to clearly define expectations a radical difference in the quality of service can be obtained.
Our experience of operating call centres is that the best result is achieved when expectation setting is implemented both ways. What I mean by this is that the supplier understands what makes the organisation successful (or understanding it's "economic engine" in Jim Collins' speak - see "Good to Great") and the organisation understands the suppliers' strengths, culture, lead times and communication channels.
Critical Success Factors - Be Explicit
Your call centre supplier should be able to leverage a huge return on your time spent thinking through what you need them to achieve. Having critical success factors that are quantifiable allows both parties to measure performance. At GoResponse, we employ call centre dashboards for clients, so we can evaluate performance in real time, often allowing for changes to be made on the fly (sometimes on the client's side) to keep performance above expectation.
Sitting down and agreeing expectations certainly is obvious, but going through the process often uncovers a "Pandora's box" of complexity. Keep at it; be specific and reap the rewards.
Glen Blow
Business Development Director
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