In order to calculate the most accurate costs for outsourcing, you will have to determine which type of call center services your business will need. Why, you might ask? Well, each type of call center requires different tools and agents, which will impact the outsourcing costs. Call centers are categorized into two different types of categories, between inbound call centers and outbound call centers. 

 

Types of Call Centers That Can Be Used for Outsourcing

1. Inbound Call Centers- Inbound call centers deal mostly with incoming calls. Most of the services offered from these centers are customer support and care, inquiry services, IT support, and sometimes order taking services. Most inbound call center agents are much better trained and can provide the necessary support to anything customers wish for. These agents know that the customer is in charge and requires agents to respond to the best of their abilities.
2. Outbound Call Centers- On the other hand, outbound call centers will focus more on approaching the customers for various reasons. Some agents will reach out to customers for telemarketing, lead generation, mail follow-up, and appointment setting. These agents are better trained to be direct and persuasive in order to make sales and attract the customer’s attention.

Both of these types of call centers can cross over and make both kinds of calls, but it’s the call volume ratio that will determine whether or not a call center is inbound or outbound.

The Best Options for Call Center Outsourcing

When it comes to outsourcing call centers, your business will have plenty of options that will differ by price, services, and other factors. When your business chooses an inbound call center, you will need to choose between two different types of setups.

1. Shared- This type of inbound call center is best suited for smaller businesses. Agents will only deal with incoming calls from dozens of clients at a time. A shared call center is a great low-cost alternative compared to other options. With pricing being charged per minute, your business will only pay for the calls that are answered by agents. Additionally, this type of call center is ideal for unpredictable call volumes or excess workloads every so often. On the downside, when agents are dealing with multiple clients, the call center is only allowed to perform easier tasks. Along with this, agents might not be able to provide the best forms of customer support because they are juggling many customers at one time. The cost of this type of service is about 30 cents to a dollar per minute.
2. Dedicated- This type of call center involves a team of agents that are fully dedicated to your business. This type of service offered will give your business agents that are fully trained to suit your needs, making customer satisfaction greatly improving. It’s effective for upselling and cross-selling services offered as well, and can handle predictable call volumes. On the other hand, this type of call center tends to be a bit more costly than the shared center, and may require a larger investment of time and effort, in order to familiarize agents with your business’s goals and vision. In terms of costs, this will fall around $20-$30 an hour, depending on the country you are located in.

Besides these types of outsourced call centers, there are a few more options your business can choose from. It is important to note that the prices for these types of services are all decided due to the country your business is currently in, and where you are outsourcing agents from. Prices can range from $6 to $50 an hour.

1. Onshore/Domestic Outsourcing- Onshore outsourcing refers to hiring third parties companies to help with your business from within the same country. This is perfect for dealing with customers that speak the same language. Your business will also have more control over all interactions that these agents make with customers. As expected, the costs tend to be a bit higher than other outsourcing options.
2. Offshore Outsourcing- This term refers to requiring services from a different country. Some businesses might reach out to a country close by, or on the other side of the world, seeking services from the agents there. The benefits of seeking offshore services are cheaper costs and 24/7 support for customers. With agents in different time zones, customers can call in at any time if they need help, and will be greeted by a real conversation. The downside to hiring agents in other countries is the possible language barrier and decreased control of the team.

A Few Other Factors That Determine Pricing

1. Call Volume- This term simply refers to the number of calls your center makes or receives from customers. Call volume will not only impact the price of the services but also the number of agents your business needs to hire. Along with this, the amount of technology, software and infrastructure needed will play a part as well.
2. Services Required- Ask yourself, what needs do you expect your call center agents to fulfill? Low cost, simple call center services that involve a basic script will be found at the cheapest costs. On the other hand, services such as lead generation and product upselling will require a more dedicated and special team of agents. This will lead to the costs being a tad higher if your business requires advanced services.

 

Call Center Outsourcing

In general, outsourcing services with a call center in hopes to improve business will be beneficial due to many different factors. With no costs for start-up, infrastructure, or software costs, your business is already saving money off the bat. In normal circumstances, your business would have to pay for the office space, hardware, and maintenance for call center services, but by outsourcing, all these costs are eliminated. Along with outsourcing, costs will be saved due to not needing the hiring and training of new employees. Of course, there are so many more benefits for call outsourcing, but for most businesses it will all come down to the price. 

The pricing of these outsourced services will widely depend upon your company’s needs and requirements. If you and your business can keep in mind all that is needed when looking into different providers, then choosing the right one to fit all your needs will be easy.