Answering the Call: Is it Time for a Call Center Partner?

Is your call volume getting too hot to handle??

When your business revolves around answering phone calls from your customers, it’s imperative to the success of your business to ensure you have the appropriate number of people to answer those calls. If you are in the home services industry, call volume?fluctuates dramatically throughout the year, especially during the summer months when temperatures are on the rise.?

How do you determine if and when to outsource your call answering to a call center service?

Over time, the more your call volume increases, you may look to a call center company to handle your overflow. To make sure you choose the right call center partner for you, ask yourself these three questions :?

• Do they know your business? First and foremost, you want to find a call center that knows your business. The less time you have to spend bringing them up to speed about your industry, the better. This will allow them to hit the ground running as soon as you begin your partnership.
• Are they staffed appropriately? Secondly, make sure they are staffed appropriately to handle your call volume, both at the highest time periods and the lowest ones. When times are slow, you don’t want to pay for extra bodies sitting around waiting for the phones to ring. Same is true when call volume is high, you don’t want your calls to go unanswered. Choosing a call center service that ramps up and down as needed, and bases their pricing on turning calls into true revenue opportunities for your business, is key.??
• Do they train their staff? Lastly, when you are interviewing a call center, ask them about the processes they have in place to train their employees. This includes training about your business, your processes and procedures and your capacity. This will ensure that when your customers' calls are answered, the one answering the phone is polite, professional and knowledgeable about your business - as if they are sitting in your building.

Set yourself up for success!

Identifying the best option for you and your business when you are considering outsourcing your calls to a call center service will set you up for success. Of the three above, which one do you feel is the most important when choosing a call center partner??