Call Center Outsourcing Services

Many firms rush through the important organizational stages of call center technology selection projects and chaotically leap into analyzing products based only on the functionality that's needed -- or worse, they start the selection process with a specific vendor already in mind, Brian Hinton warned a roomful of ACCE attendees.

Selecting effective call center technology is a matter of following a highly defined process and identifying the risks associated with each product being considered.


"How are you going to sort through all of the options?" said Hinton, a senior consultant with Strategic Contact, who boasts 10 years of call center consulting experience. "The way to find the right [software] is to apply a structured process to analyze your options."

First you need to decide the call center and organizations goals. Hinton suggest a series of tips for approaching the vendor selection process with an open mind.



• Call center technology selection: Things to avoid
• Be open-minded for selection of call center vendor.
• DON'T consider products before thoroughly defining your requirements.
• DON'T think solely about functionality.
• Do not let the vendors control the process.
• Do not make cost a top priority.
• Never ignore the RFP.



Other factors to consider during the initial stages of a call center technology selection project include whether to go with a hosted or on-premise provider, a niche offering, or a software suite to handle call center processes.
Involve a cross-functional team in the decision-making process
Including on the selection team someone from IT and from the telephony group, in addition to call center representatives, will help ensure that the needs of all departments are considered during the call center technology selection process.

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