March 8th, 2012
Having access to high quality, low cost answering service providers can help move any business forward. Our new app gives you a simple and cost-effective way to connect with the best business services for your needs.
The VendorFind app features all of InsideUp’s 20 business service provider categories, including VoIP, call center, payroll, human resources, business internet, web development, credit card processing, collection agencies, business cash advance and many more.
Are you looking for call center services? VendorFind will let you tap into InsideUp’s comprehensive knowledge base to learn about call center services before you make your decision and choose a vendor.
You’ll also have access to tools such as informative videos, wikis, vendor ratings and “Quick Guide” overviews of each category including call center. Easily link to our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn pages for additional information and special deals from select vendors.
Once you’ve found the service you need, simply submit a quick survey to be instantly matched with vendors that fit your criteria–and receive custom, competitive quotes from multiple providers. Have additional questions about business services? Simply click on our phone number displayed on the app to speak to a representative.
Finding qualified service providers has never been easier! Say you’re meeting your business partner to discuss your new call center campaign. Simply access the call center category on your mobile phone to start receiving quotes from pre-screened call center agencies. You could realistically save up to 60% on call center services for your next campaign. And that’s just one example; with VendorFind at your fingertips, you can be sure you never pay too much for the business services you need.
The VendorFind app is a real time-saver for businesses that don’t want to advertise for a service provider and then face the ordeal of researching each provider to find the one that best matches their needs and budget.
Download the free VendorFind app today and see how easy it is to connect with the business services that will help your company grow.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center service, call centers service, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, question answering service, service answering, US call centers
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January 30th, 2012
Assume a scenario where being a CEO of the company, you wish to hire a front-desk receptionist for your office. You will employ rigorous placement tests to ensure that the right person is hired for the job. Why? Because you know that the front-desk representative is your first impression to your customers or prospects and you want that impression to be a good one. Now add to this scenario the fact that the site is located outside your state, or maybe even in another country. How will this impact your decision?
Hiring an outsourced customer service is exactly the same. Since you are not available on the site, you must be very meticulous and strict in the selection process. However, there are many companies out there that provide, or at least claim to provide quality outsource customer service. You must be cautious enough to outsource customer service to best call center for your company.
Identify Your Needs
You must be clear about what services are required for your business. Companies offer different packages including different services such as 24/7 availability, project management etc. The best way is to consult with your team to identify the call center needs for your business before taking steps to outsource customer service. Every service has a price so you must choose wisely.
Go Through their Testimonials
The hard way of doing this is to try out different answering services, one after another. A much easier way is to read what others have to say about them. You can usually find the testimonials for an answering service on their website, or you can also browse through different review websites to get a complete idea about their service. In either case, you must have convincing reasons why you’d give such huge responsibilities to a specific answering service.
Client Management
Client management is an important factor to consider when you wish to outsource customer service. You must know for sure how the staff deals with customers. Rude behavior, frequent hang-ups and delayed call answering will frustrate your clients and you’ll lose important projects. Delayed feedback and lack of co-ordination can also result in losing potential customers.
Project Management
The answering service will not only be responsible for receiving calls, but also creating and managing projects which will be then forwarded to your development/service team. It is important that the client requirements are documented properly and reflected clearly. Again, testimonials about answering services can be of immense help in this regard.
Availability
It is also important to ensure that the outsource customer service center is reachable 24 hours a day. Some projects are critical and there are times when you need to urgently discuss matters with the answering service. Inability to do so could cause you to lose an important client. Always go for an answering service that is available 24/7, although you may ask for a shorter service time if you have a limited budget.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center service, call centers service, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, question answering service, service answering, US call centers
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January 11th, 2012
Inbound call center services are becoming widely used by businesses due to their excellent customer support functions. Quality services from a leading vendor will help you realize all the benefits from outsourcing solutions. InsideUp serves as a valuable resource, providing free online guidance for finding the best inbound call center services.
Our proprietary platform facilitates instant quotes from top vendors matched with your budget and business needs. You’ll be able to easily compare the associated costs, features and capabilities of different leading service providers to efficiently outsource customer service, thus simplifying an otherwise confusing and time consuming task.
Inbound call centers are staffed with professionals skilled in specific industry services. Getting help from such providers can lead to significantly reduced operating costs. For companies determined to fulfill their missions and objectives, an outsourced inbound call center service can be a necessity.
With InsideUp’s guidance and comparison of top-class vendors matched with your requirements, you can select the best one after doing a thorough competitive analysis, and be assured of satisfaction.
With round the clock response to customer enquiries regarding your business products and services, an answering service can bring in positive feedback from customers and expedient sales for your business. Call center service agents serve as business representatives for various industrial products and services and can help you achieve your desired goals faster.
Whether you’re looking for an onshore or offshore provider, US or Philippine call center, our services will help you find the best matched solution. InsideUp also provides relevant information about the services and the call center industry along with the latest trends and best practices by means of expert articles and blog posts. We provide all the necessary help you need to keep up-to-date with various aspects of the specific business service you need so you can receive the best outsourcing solution.
If you are interested in finding the best outsourcing solution for inbound call center services at affordable rates, simply visit http://www.insideup.com/compare/Call_Center to fulfill your business requirements.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center service, call centers service, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, question answering service, service answering, US call centers
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November 3rd, 2011
Customers are the lifeblood of any business – without customers, there can be no commerce. As the primary point of contact between your business and your existing or potential clients, it follows that an outsourced call center has the potential to make or break your business.
Whereas you cannot micro-manage an outsourced call center, it is important that you have a basic understanding of the key call center metrics. Without such metrics, the call center may inadvertently leave a bitter aftertaste with your customers, tarnish your brand’s reputation in the market and see business quickly troop to your competitors.
Call center companies are relatively complex operations where many things can go wrong. For instance, a call center that does not expend considerable effort to accurately forecast your call volumes may be overwhelmed by the number of incoming calls, thus increasing the dropped call rate. The forecast should include not just daily volume but also variations by hour, day, week or month so resources can be committed accordingly.
Another factor that has seen call centers find themselves on the wrong end of quality service provision is poor estimation of average call duration (Average Handling Time or AHT). Call center managers need to know how long each call should ordinarily take as this directly factors into staffing levels. The AHT is a metric that call center agents should be advised on beforehand so they can always be conscious of a call that is taking too long and what they should do about it.
Agent performance monitoring and appropriate corrective training also determine call center service quality. A world class call center is one that has a functional, internal process for regularly sampling random calls from each agent. Make sure that the service provider you choose evaluates the sampled calls for quality of information, etiquette and customer satisfaction.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center service, call centers service, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, question answering service, service answering, US call centers
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November 3rd, 2011
Intense competition for clients means few businesses today can afford to rest on their laurels as far as customer service goes. In other words, delivering exemplary customer service is no longer a good to have – it is a must-have. When setting up a call center, you want to ensure that customers receive the highest quality of service at a reasonable cost to your business. The need for a call center US though is often not in doubt – the question is whether to setup a call center in-house or to outsource. Timing and technology are just two of the key reasons you should consider outsourcing.
- Time diversity – A call center can ensure anyone who needs to reach you can do so at any time. If you run a business where some of your customers are outside your country, continent or time zone, you may be looking at customer discontent that could see them decamp to a competitor with 24-7 call support. You could also be losing out on potential customers in these time zones who may have ruled your engaging your business simply because your opening hours are inconsistent with their own working hours. Third, depending on what product or service you provide, even customers in your own time zone may need to reach you urgently after hours. An outsourced call center is a quick and cheap way to be available for your customers day or night.
- Technology – If you run or work in an accounting firm, you will likely be one of the first people to know when new accounting software hits the market. The same principle applies to call centers. If you choose to setup your own call center in-house, there will be a longer lead time before you are acquainted with significant technological developments affecting the call center industry. In the event that such new technologies will improve efficiency and thus customer satisfaction, you may lose out to competitors who become aware of and adopt such technology before your business does.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center service, call centers service, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, question answering service, service answering, US call centers
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July 14th, 2011
Once you have decided upon a particular call center service, you will want to establish the criteria that will be part of your SLA, or service level agreement, with that company. Factors that are important to most companies, and that can be measured for performance include:
- Percentage of calls answered—Requiring the center to respond to at least a certain percentage of incoming calls will reduce the likelihood of calls being abandoned.
- Average Speed of Answer—The average call should be picked up within a given amount of time, such as thirty seconds, to prevent customer dissatisfaction and frustration.
- Average Hold Time—This would include not only the amount of time a customer waits for their call to be picked up, but also how long they have to wait on hold after the initial contact with a representative.
- Handle Time—Measuring the amount of time it takes from the agent’s answering the call to their reaching a satisfactory resolution to the caller’s issue will assure efficient call handling and increase customer satisfaction.
Selecting a call center is a major decision for most companies, and one that should be made carefully. At InsideUp, we have selected top, national call centers with experienced agents who will provide high-quality live telemarketing and customer service support at significant cost savings.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center service, call center vendor, call centers service, call outsourcing, customer service call center, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, question answering service, service answering, US call centers
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July 14th, 2011
A call center can help your business grow faster, serve customers better and save costs. Your call center becomes a vital part of an organization, so it’s important to choose a good one. Call center companies can either enhance or detract from the image of your company when communicating with customers and potential customers.
How do you know if your company is ready for call center outsourcing? Here are five telltale signs:
- Your employees are stressed and running behind in their work due to frequent phone interruptions. With a proficient call center in place to answer calls and perform tasks such as trouble-shooting and handling customer issues, your employees can carry out their jobs more effectively.
- Your sales team is in dire need of leads. In this case, you need a call center that can funnel plenty of high quality leads to keep your sales people busy, and grow your company.
- You want to close shop at a decent hour, but are afraid you’ll miss out on business from late-night callers. With a call center to answer customer questions and take orders, you can sleep well and stay competitive, too.
- You want to test run your new sales campaign or customer services before investing in staff and infrastructure.
- Your IT personnel are overwhelmed with calls. A tech support call service could be the answer.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center service, call centers service, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, question answering service, service answering, US call centers
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November 18th, 2010
Some surprising studies are pointing to contact center outsourcing as a way for businesses to retain customers and generate revenue despite the recession. An annual benchmark study by Dimension Data, which conducts international studies of contact centers, has found that contact centers are actually evolving into profit centers for the organizations they serve.
“We were expecting to see a great deal of focus on cost management, cost control and cost optimization,” the managing director for customer interactive solutions at Dimension Data observed. “One of the things we were surprised to see was how much more focus there was on revenue generation, specifically as it relates to customer retention.”
An increasing number of contact centers—up 10 percent over the previous year—are implementing processes that will help identify sales opportunities. Contact centers are also increasing their focus on customer lifetime value, with more than 20 percent stating that customer retention was the most important factor affecting their success.
Contact centers are beginning to fill a more significant role in the creating customer value and increased revenue. This year, nearly 70 percent said they are focusing on processes that will help them better serve their customers.
Cost reduction still remains a core priority, with 66 percent of respondents stating they have a strategy in place to cut customer service costs. That number represents an increase of 10 percent over last year.
Overall, a US call center can provide better service in several key areas. Dimension Data measured seven essential performance indicators: customer satisfaction, service resolution, attrition, absenteeism, average handle time, average time to answer, and call abandonment. The manager of the study reported that for the first time in 12 years, each one of those metrics has seen positive improvement.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center service, call centers service, contact center, customer care, customer retention, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, question answering service, roi, service answering, US call centers
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May 13th, 2010
If you are looking for call center services, you might want to take a look at ones that are using VoIP, or have plans to transition to VoIP service. Many call centers have already switched over to VoIP telephony, or will be doing so soon, according to a new survey conducted by Ventana Research. Cost savings is the main reason for this trend. However, call and contact center owners who have already deployed VoIP systems report that using VoIP has other benefits as well.
VoIP provides new communication channels such as messaging and video, and offers other innovative services that help increase productivity within call centers. The introduction of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) devices holds promise of even more advanced services and further savings.
The study, which surveyed call centers ranging in size from small to very large (with over 2,000 seats), found that VoIP is “well on its way to becoming a standard platform for communication-based services.” Well over half (59 percent) of respondents said they have at least partially deployed VoIP service in their corporate networks, and 36 percent said they have a fully established VoIP-based contact center.
The researchers at Ventana say they expect VoIP to become the dominant standard for communication-based services within the next five years. Among the contact centers that have not yet switched to VoIP, many report that they simply have not had the time or resources to investigate the benefits.
The researchers noted that contact centers operate on four ascending levels: Tactical, Advanced, Strategic and Innovative. As a call center grows, its platform evolves from a basic call center into a multi-channel, multi-service contact center that is able to offer customer service and support on a variety of levels.
Deploying VoIP can help an answering service progress from the Tactical to the Advanced level. As more SIP-based products become available, call centers will be utilizing these to advance to the Strategic and Innovative levels, providing their customers with better, more efficient service, and enhancing the customer’s overall experience while improving the performance of the call enter.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, call center vendor, call outsourcing, contact center, customer service call center, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, inbound call center, outbound call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, service answering, US call centers, VoIP call center
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January 24th, 2010
Your call center service is often the first point of contact between your business and your customers. Therefore, it is vital to choose a call center whose agents will leave a good impression on your callers. There are other factors to consider as well, such as pricing and proximity. Here are a few things to think about when making your decision.
Offshore Pros and Cons
The lower cost is what motivates most business owners to choose an offshore call center, although there can be some drawbacks, including:
- You do not have the opportunity for personal contact with the telemarketers for training purposes. Many overseas call centers overcome this issue to some degree by providing teleconferencing so you can connect with agents and be involved with their training. Top level overseas centers also employ highly qualified managers to oversee the training and orientation process.
- English is the second language for most representatives in overseas call centers, which can result in some communication difficulties. Take some time to compare so you can find a company that only employs reps whose English is clear and understandable.
- You cannot oversee and manage call center employees in person to be sure your calls are handled properly. Here again, teleconferencing will make up for the distance to a certain degree. You can also perform periodic test calls to see how quickly and how well your calls are being answered.
Onshore Advantages and Drawbacks
The language barrier is obviously not a problem with an onshore call center. And if you choose a location within easy travel distance to your company, you will have the advantage of a more hands-on training period.
The main disadvantage of an onshore call center is the higher price tag. However, if you do some comparison shopping, you will find that some charge less because they are located in a part of the country where the cost of living is lower.
It would be a mistake, though, to base your decision on pricing alone, as a call center that does not handle your callers’ issues well could lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss of customers.
Whether you choose an onshore or offshore call center, your main criteria should be top quality customer service. Agents should be able to handle calls efficiently and quickly. They should listen carefully to a caller’s concerns or questions and resolve issues in a professional and friendly manner that upholds your company’s quality and customer service standards.
Tags: answering service, call center, call center costs, customer service call centre, customer service companies, customer support call center, outsource customer service, Philippine call center, service answering, US call centers
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