Hiring an external contact centre is a major decision for any business. Cost will most likely be an important factor when choosing your provider, but it is also crucial to make sure that they offer some key services.

Here are a few features that you should look for in a contact centre.

Inbound and outbound services

Not every company will need both inbound and outbound services, so it is important to check that your potential contact centre provider is a good match for your specific needs. If your company is very technical, do they have the skills to handle those more specialised queries? If not, do they have a system to refer them back to you? If you expect your contact centre to process orders, do they have a secure environment to take payments?

If you need outbound services, find out how they record lead generation, cold calling, data compilation and their conversion rates.

Reporting

Reporting capabilities is a key feature so you need to check what your provider offers. Some contact centres will only generate basic reports such as how many calls are made or received during a given period which won’t yield much useful information.

Look for a company that will deliver detailed data such as call abandonment rate, waiting time, first-call resolution rate, call-handle times and service levels. The more detailed their data, the better you will be able to judge of the quality of their service.

Availability

Every business will have different requirements in terms of availability. Some will need a contact centre to be open only during business hours; others will expect it to take calls later in the evening or at the weekend. Whatever your situation is, make sure that your contact centre provider can offer you the hours you need and that they are reliable.

Recovery plans

Any business should have a recovery plan in case of disaster. New Zealand is no stranger to earthquakes, so what does your contact centre provider has in place to guarantee their continuity of service in such an event for example? Do they back up their data off site, how often, and how quickly would they be up-and-running again after a disaster?

If you are looking to outsource your contact centre, call Corporate Connect, New Zealand’s premier contact centre partner, on 0800 230 000.