AboutMatch
is the fastest and safest way to find quality call centre or contact centre
outsourcing companies: just answer a few quick questions and we’ll connect you
with vetted contact centres which meet all your needs, from budget and location
to industry specialisation.
It’s important to understand
that there’s no one-size fits all with contact centre services outsourcing. Each
supplier has a different niche and target market, so it’s unwise to rely on
random lists in supplier directories, and the hundreds of thousands of results
a search engine might return. In as
little as 60 seconds, you can narrow down your criteria to just the contact
centres that suit your business need through AboutMatch.
What type of work and channels can be outsourced
Thanks to the Internet and
social media revolution of the last decade, contact centres now manage a
variety of channels, not just telephone. Think email, SMS, video, Facebook,
Twitter and live chat sales and service. All these channels have made the
business of running a contact centre far more complex from a people, process
and technology perspective than the call centres of 20 years ago. This is where call centre outsourcing companies can add huge value, as this is their core business, and
they have the infrastructure and best practices to support multi-channel
operations.
Some firms are repositioning
their outsource operations as customer engagement hubs, merging the silos of
contact centres and marketing to deliver seamless end-to-end customer
experience.
The applications for contact
centre outsourcing services are endless, as any imaginable type of customer contact can
theoretically be outsourced. Alongside the common candidates for outsourcing –
sales, service and technical support – are collections, emergency response,
legal and health advice, to name a few.
Locations for contact centre outsourcing
Throughout the UK and Europe,
the march towards outsourcing continues to gather pace. There are hundreds of companies providing call centre outsourcing in the UK alone, ranging in size from a handful to
thousands of seats. That’s not to mention the smorgasbord of locations offshore
catering to UK businesses – such as South Africa, the Philippines, India and
Poland. The good news for UK businesses is that the choice has never been
better, and AboutMatch can guide you to reputable suppliers no matter what your
location preferences are. If you’re concerned about accent, we can also provide
you sample audio files of calls from a range of countries, to help you make a
more informed decision.
How much does it cost to outsource a call centre or contact centre?
The cost of an outsourced
solution varies wildly, depending on:
·
Location
·
Work
type
·
Skills
and expertise required
·
Hours
of operation
·
Channels
(phone, email, web chat, social media etc.)
·
Contact
volumes
·
Call
arrival patterns, and
·
Language
requirements
The most common models for outsourced call centre or contact centre pricing are:
·
Hourly
rates. This is where you pay a fixed hourly rate which bundles
all the cost components of running a contact centre, from the wages of dedicated
agents, team leaders, managers, shared trainers, quality and support staff to
the cost of the facility, technology and telecommunications. Then there is an allocation of corporate
overhead, covering accounting and legal, general management, sales and
marketing. Some people are surprised to learn that the direct wages component
may only account for 50-60% of the overall price you are charged. Beware of
different definitions of “hourly” rates, as there is a world of difference
between a “logged hour” rate (where you only pay for the time agents are logged
into the system ready to manage customer contacts) versus a timesheet or
attendance hour (where you pay a lower hourly rate, but for more hours).
·
Per
contact / per minute rates. Per contact / per minute rates are the default pricing model for
shared operations, that is, where the same contact centre agents are trained to
manage multiple companies’ customer service interactions. “Bureau” call centres,
which provide message-taking and answering services, often 24x7, are a prime
example. Telephone interpreter services
are another example. Per contact rates also used in dedicated contact centre
operations sometimes – this is usually the client’s preference rather than the
outsourcer’s, as the outsourcing company absorbs much of the risk around
unpredictable volumes and effective workforce management.
·
Per
customer fee. In niches such as concierge services, the
outsourcer may provide an annual per customer/per member price based on the
number of members the subscribing organisation has. This only works where
service usage can be modelled with a high degree of accuracy based on
historical data and experience.
·
Monthly
retainers. When volumes are low, or stable, a fixed
monthly retainer is sometimes negotiated. An additional per contact fee may be
charged if certain volume thresholds are exceeded.
·
Performance
based pricing. Businesses are more and more looking for
pricing based on outcomes, particularly where the objective is customer
acquisition or lead generation. Per lead, per sale and per appointment rates
are common in this environment, however some outsourcers will insist on a fixed
fee pilot first, before committing to a fully variable model.
If you’re unsure which
pricing model will work best for your business, contact us at info@aboutmatch.co.uk and we’ll be
happy to help.
