With the cost of doing business in the US constantly rising, many businesses seek to cut costs by moving their customer service operations overseas. Setting up a call center overseas can drastically cut the cost of doing business without diminishing the quality of the company’s customer service experience.
When making the decision to open an international call center, take into account any backlash the company will receive for outsourcing jobs that can be done in the states, as well as the initial costs involved in setting up the call center.
Some things to keep in mind regarding international call centers, outsourcing, and hiring and managing foreign employees:
1. Make sure your international call center services your business well. A call center, international or otherwise, is the customer service face of your business. They will be the first contact a customer has when trying to resolve a problem.
2. Recognize outsourcing is a hot button issue. Make sure your company won’t lose business for opening a global call center.
3. Hire top-notch managers. At an international call center, management will be key since your offshore call center will be located so far from your main offices.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Ensure the international call center represents your company effectively
Offshore inbound call centers handle 100 calls per day on average. You want to make sure that the international call center you use is representing your company at its best at all times. They are the first ones your company will deal with if a problem arises, and in many ways, they represent the face of your company.
I recommend: Get international call center information from the
International Customer Management Institute. They can give you the information needed to help set up your international call center.
Make sure there's proper training for those working at the call center
Make sure a call center, international or otherwise, knows and understands your product, business practices and policies. Make sure training includes handling of any technology the call center uses as well as customer service skills and basic understanding of cultural differences between the two countries. Accent reduction is also something you want to address if your call center is a country where English isn't the primary language.
I recommend: Ulysses Learning offers international call center services such as training programs for any type of call center located anywhere in the world.
Decide how to manage your offshore call center
International call center outsourcing poses great challenges when it comes to management. Obviously, since your call center is based overseas, the day to day managing of the center won't happen from your stateside office. For international call centers to be successful, they must have solid management teams in place to ensure quality assurance.
I recommend: ICMI offers training solutions specifically for managers that range from in person seminars to e-training.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Take a good look at the cost benefit ratio involved in setting up international call centers. Make sure all the pros outweigh the cons.
- Keep customer satisfaction in mind above all else. It's great if you're saving money, but if international call center outsourcing lessens your customer's customer service experience, it may not be worth it.
The official source of International Call Centers is
the International Call Centers page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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