19 May 5 Things to Consider Before Outsourcing to a Call Center
Have you reached the point where call center outsourcing has become a real possibility or even an immediate necessity? Congratulations on your burgeoning business. Here are a few things to consider before pulling the trigger on outsourcing and choosing a call center.
How’s your space treating you? Having the perfect amount of space is paramount to business growth. Enough space is required to grow, however, no one wants to pay for more square footage than necessary. Planning on relocating when more space is needed isn’t the best option since moving is extremely disruptive to business as usual.
Square footage can be a catalyst for outsourcing operations to a call center. At a certain level of growth, you realize you must automate and enlist a call center. Call center outsourcing saves space as it reduces the number of employees required to manage calls. It accommodates expanding your business without increasing real estate and salary expenses.
Are you prepared to take on the added cost of hiring people?
In-house call centers make sense in regions with low costs of living like rural and suburban areas. If you’re located in expensive areas along the coasts, call center outsourcing is fiscally smart. Do your homework on the call center’s location and the local work ethic though. You won’t be making many loans if 90% of the call center’s staff doesn’t show up for work.
Do you know how your potential call center qualifies its staff?
Some call centers hire any ol’ warm body. Others are highly selective. Centrinex puts candidates through personality evaluations that rank the applicant’s propensity for work ethics and personal values and we have better employees for it. Our turnover rate plummeted after fine-tuning the tool. Without a quality call center staff, you’re putting profit and regulatory compliance at risk.
Do you know and understand the universal truths of the payday loan industry?
Loan applicant fraud is getting sophisticated. There are actions that can curb the perpetrators. There are best times and ways to make calls. There is a learning curve involved in gaining these insights. Outsource to call center that has already done the legwork and save yourself time and expensive mistakes.
How much time do you want to spend managing people?
Are buying leads, creating and fixing scorecards, and attracting investors a better use of your valuable time? Managing an in-house call center staff can take up a majority of your time. If you’re comfortable with delegating, outsourcing call center work makes sense. If you’re a hands-on type, it might not be a good fit.
It’s a rare occasion when one wakes up knowing today is the day to outsource call center services. More likely, the decision to outsource comes after many months or years of careful planning and evaluation. Giving these five things careful consideration will lead you in the right decision.