Let’s be realistic, just outsourcing to a call center isn’t going to be a magic wand that helps every single business. You’re not going to start forwarding your calls to a call center and *POOF* you’re business is a success. And even if it was, it’s not really that easy to choose the best call center, not to mention integrating it into your business processes. It takes a bit of research and work, but hiring a call center does pay off in the end with better customer service, more leads, and stellar customer retention. That’s why we decided to write about what businesses need a call center services without even knowing they do. If you run a business, you’re an excellent candidate.  Let’s start with why your business should be using a call center.

Why do I need a call center?

You may not think you do. But you do. If you’re even asking this question, you probably have no idea about the benefits of a call center. Employing call center services will help your business operate better. Check it out for yourself:

• 24/7 live answering to give your brand a personal touch.
• Integrative software applications which allows your call center to work in tandem with your business.
• Online portal and mobile apps to help you stay connected no matter where you are.
• On demand reports that can help you plan your next marketing campaign or understand your call volume.
• Affordable pricing options for small businesses on a budget.
• Bilingual agents to speak with customers in the language they prefer to communicate in.
• Emergency dispatching and the flexibility to create customized  on-call schedules.
• Outbound calling for telemarketing, appointment follow ups and market research needs.

If you’re still asking the question “Do I need a call center”, then you haven’t been paying attention. The answer, of course, is yes! Whichever industry you work for, whichever business you represent, whatever you do – a call center can benefit your business in multiple ways.

Who needs a call center?

Working call center services into your business is pretty universal as it can be used for sales, customer service, human resources, marketing, and more.

Call center for a sales team

Sales teams are the life blood of businesses. They are the ones that are able to push potential customers into the company’s sales pipeline. Without a sales team and new customer acquisition, a business will fail. While your sales team is busy closing deals, call centers can take care of the jobs that are more time-consuming like cold-calling potential customers, or contacting old customers to see if they can provide new incentives to get them back on service.

Call center for human resources

Human resource departments wear many hats. One minute they may be reviewing resumes or deciding on a new health insurance plan, and the next they may be reconciling an office feud. No matter what your human resources department is working on, a call center can help with things like answering questions about the business for people who are interested in a new job or acting as a compliance hotline for disgruntled employees.

Call center for customer service

Every day customer service departments across the globe strive to fix customer issues and increase the overall client experience. For small businesses, it can be difficult to provide the best possible care when working with limited resources. Call centers provide an affordable alternative than hiring more staff, and can be available to your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, many call centers can integrate with software your business is already using, like appointment scheduling platforms or various CRM systems.

Why isn’t my business using a call center?

If you aren’t using a call center yet, now is the time to do it! If you’re not, you probably have a few reasons you think are good, but they really aren’t. One of the reasons you’re probably not already using a call center is because you think it’s too expensive. It’s true, small businesses are among the most cost conscious. With tight budgets, payroll to meet, and other expenses moving to the forefront, it’s hard to imagine another expense gnawing at your bank balance each month. However, call center services are affordable as the cost of the service is a function of your volume – i.e. the more calls you send, the more the service will cost. You don’t need to spend a bunch, just spend a little to start exploring the benefits.

If cost ain’t no thang, you may be thinking “Hey, no one calls me anyway”. We say – no way! Sure, there are multiple channels that customers can reach you on, like web chat, email, or text – but using the telephone is still very much a thing. And don’t forget, if we’re talking relevance, call centers can handle all manner of contact, including web chat, including email response, and including responding to texts. If you want to stay relevant, you need to be thinking call centers.

To show you that call centers can benefit any small business, we’ve listed 10 businesses that you may not think would need to outsource to call centers, and why we think they should:

Call Centers for Start-ups

Start ups are the perfect candidate for outsourcing. Most start ups have lower budgets than their established business counterparts and need to monitor their costs wisely. However, being a start-up doesn’t absolve the business from the normal grind like making sure managerial tasks are being completed on time, your customer base is getting established, marketing plans are being fine tuned, and the products or services they are looking to sell are being perfected.

Call centers can help alleviate some of the pressure  and give small businesses the presence they need in order to gain traction in order to compete with their competitors. For example, they can:

• Answer inbound calls 24/7 which allows in-house staff to prioritize call-backs accordingly
• Handle outbound communications like market research, lead generation and telemarketing
• Monitor email, live chat and social media channels to handle customer inquiries, give your brand a social presence and process customer feedback which can be used to understand more about your customer’s needs

Call Centers for Taxi or Transportation Services

Taxi and transportation services are busy 24/7, which means they need the assistance of a live 24/7 call center to help with the daily influx of new jobs and responsibilities. For example, call centers can help:

• Schedule new rides
• Update existing ride information
• Process payments
• Answer questions regarding booking information, ride estimates and quotes
• Field calls for customers wanting to know where their ride is
• Gather information like pick up and drop off locations, preferred vehicle, flight numbers and times, etc.

Call Centers for Mobile Pet Grooming

Mobile pet grooming services can get a lot of use out of call center services. Not only can a call center help schedule appointments, but they can also usually integrate with different applications and software to help maximize productivity. For example, if a call center can utilize Google Maps, they can check to see if a customer is in the designated service area and help provide directions.

Call Centers for Church or Ministries

While it may not seem like a church or ministry would need to use a call center, not many people really consider what goes on behind the scenes at these types of centers. For example:

• Priests may need to be called in the middle of the night to read someone their last rites
• Members may want to call and donate over the phone if they are unable to donate during a service
• Members may have questions about service or event dates and times, especially during the holiday seasons

Call Centers for Personal Trainers or Gyms

Whether someone is working as a personal trainer or running a small gym, call centers can help customer satisfaction and get more guests through your doors. Some ways they can help include:

• Simple receptionist support for small gyms who may not have phone support
• Offering bilingual support to Spanish speaking customers
• Scheduling classes
• Answering questions about class schedules, memberships, amenities and guest services
• Processing gym memberships over the phone or online via live chat
• Answering frequently asked questions
• Upgrading service levels or up-selling classes

Call Centers for Credit Unions

Credit unions are small, non-profit organizations that help people with various financial services similar to a bank, but with much lower interest rates. Call centers can help credit unions by assisting callers with loan or mortgage applications, provide balance and transaction information, help answer questions regarding claims and interest rates, and ultimately provide a live voice to talk to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call Centers for Food Manufacturers

Food manufacturers aren’t always monster factories. Many food manufacturers are actually small businesses that produce and deliver food to local shops, or have niche products that are available nationwide. Call centers can help with:

• Placing customer orders
• Scheduling deliveries
• Handling high volume product recalls
• Answering for employee or compliance hotlines

Call Centers for Local Government Offices

From complaints and suggestions to questions and requests, local government offices handle a lot of different calls each day. Government offices that outsource to call centers can set up multiple different lines all under one roof that would allow operators to handle calls differently. For example, lines could include:

• Tip line to report suspicious activity.
• Complaint or suggestion line to offer constructive criticism or suggestions of how to utilize vacant government property.
• Event registration line to help answer questions and register or reserve guest spots by processing payments.
• Basic receptionist line to route and transfer calls instead of listing dozens of individual numbers for residents to call.
• 24/7 service line to answer calls and dispatch messages in the event of bad weather or emergencies.

Call Centers for Magazine and Newspaper Companies

While most companies typically opt for inbound services while using a call center, magazine and newspaper companies can actually benefit from using both inbound and outbound services. For example, inbound services can be used to help answer questions and provide customer support, while outbound services can be used to reach out to existing customers whose subscriptions are nearing their end to see if they would like to renew.

Call Centers for School Districts

Like local government offices, school districts can utilize call centers in many different ways. For example, they can be set up to:

• Receive and schedule maintenance requests like leaky faucets and busted lockers.
• Screen calls and dispatch emergencies like flooded bathrooms or no electricity.
• Field complaints regarding vandalism, school closures and excessive noise.
• Answer questions about teachers, classes and extra curricular activities.
• Help register new students for the upcoming school year.

The post 10 Businesses That Might Not Think They Need a Call Center (and Why They Do) appeared first on SAS Call Center.

We’ve listed our favorite quotes from some of the most renowned customer service experts for this article. If we missed something and you have a great customer service quote to share, please tweet us @SpecialtyAnswer.

43 customer service quotes to inspire you

• “Thank your customer for complaining and mean it. Most will never bother to complain. They’ll just walk away.” ― Marilyn Suttle
  
• “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” ― Bill Gates
• “The ‘U’ goes before ‘ME’ in Customer.” ― Janna Cachola
• “It’s always the first rule of customer service. Make eye contact, smile, say hello. To EVERYONE: your fellow employees, customers, everyone connected with the extended community.” ― George Troy
• “Always think relationship over revenue. Just as your team members are human beings, your customers are, too.” ― Janna Cachola
• “The best advertisement you can have is a happy customer with a big mouth. The worst advertisement you can have is an unhappy customer with a big mouth.” ― Larry Winget
  
• “If we can keep our competitors focused on us while we stay focused on the customer, ultimately we’ll turn out all right.” ― Jeff Bezos
• “The best way to help your consumers with your business is to treat your employees right so they give better customer service, empower them so they can provide faster solutions, and to treat your vendors and partners fairly and with respect so they can continually provide the best product and services to their ability.” ― Kailin Gow
• “Exceptional customer service proactively manages your brand and reactively can turn upset customers into raving fans based on how you handled their complaint.” ― Amber Hurdle
• “In this fast-paced digitally connected world, your competitor is only a WhatsApp message away. Be reachable by every medium possible” ― Bernard Kelvin Clive
• “It’s not the customer’s duty to be loyal to you; it’s your duty to be loyal to your customers. Focus on quality, relevancy, and the BEST customer service possible. Make sure your business is creating a service experience so good that it inspires loyalty.” ― Steve Maraboli
• “The most hurting response you can give to a client is “I tried”.” ― Allan Amanyire
  
• “I have always believed that the way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers, and that people flourish when they are praised.” ― Sir Richard Branson
• “The most dangerous customers aren’t your haters; they are the “meh” in the middle, the dissatisfied customers who don’t take the time to complain.” ― Jay Baer
• “I have come to realize that customers love companies that make them feel good about themselves—companies that reflect what they, the customers, believe about themselves. Customers fall in love with the company that says to them, “You are unique. You are great. We are the only ones who can make you feel that way. Fall in love with us and we will continue to make you feel great.” ― J. N. Halm
• “The easiest and most powerful way to increase customer loyalty is really very simple. Make your customers happy.” ― Kevin Stirtz
• “Take good care of your customers and they will take care of your business.” ― Biju Paulose
• “A complaint is a unique opportunity to strengthen the relationship with the client.” ― Kevin Kelly
• “if you are not a fan of great consumer service, then you are not a fan of business, ultimately not making you a fan of money.” ― K. Abernathy
• “The purpose of every business and organization is to get and keep customers.” ― Shep Hyken
  
• “What’s that you say? You want to talk to a real human being in “customer service?” HA HA HA! Press “4” and kiss the rest of your day goodbye.” ― Michael Moore
• “What the customer wants and what they get. Generally, every customer wants a product or service that solves their problem, worth their money, and is delivered with amazing customer service” ― Fabrizio Moreira
• “Great customer service does not come by chance. It is the result of training and ensuring there are enough assistants to serve the customers.” ― Theo Paphitis
• “Southwest Airlines is successful because the company understands it’s a customer service company. It also happens to be an airline.” ― Harvey Mackay
• “By providing memorable social media customer service, companies not only create deeper connections with consumers, but they glean valuable insights on how to improve their products or services.” ― Amy Jo Martin
• “I have connected by phone with customers who have left negative reviews and had a chance to get to know them. Not only was I able to solve their problems, a lot of the customers were so happy with the customer service that they become repeat customers.” ― Chris Gronkowski
• “Customer service is just a day-in, day-out, ongoing, never-ending, unremitting, persevering, compassionate type of activity.” ― Leon Gorman
• “Firms need to ensure that their ability to provide effective customer service keeps pace with their growth. If you’re marketing your firm to new customers, you better be able to provide them service when they do business with you.” ― Arthur Levitt
• “There is only one boss. The customer.” ― Sam Walton
• “Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company.” ― Michael LeBoeuf
• “Loyal customers, they don’t just come back, they don’t simply recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you.” ― Chip R. Bell
• “Customer service is the new marketing.” ― Derek Sivers
  
• “Our mission statement about treating people with respect and dignity is not just words but a creed we live by every day. You can’t expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don’t exceed the employees’ expectations of management.” ― Howard Schultz
• “Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.” ― James Cash Penney
• “The single most important thing is to make people happy. If you are making people happy, as a side effect, they will be happy to open up their wallets and pay you.” ― Derek Sivers
• “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.” ― Seth Godin
• “Customer complaints are the schoolbooks from which we learn.” ― Lou Gerstner
• “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” ― Will Rogers
• “Every contact we have with a customer influences whether or not they’ll come back. We have to be great every time or we’ll lose them.” ― Kevin Stirtz
• “Customer service shouldn’t just be a department, it should be the entire company.” ― Tony Hsieh
• “Every great business is built on friendship.” ― James Cash Penney
  
• “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
• “Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.” ― Don Porter

The post 43 Customer Service Quotes to Motivate Your Service Department appeared first on SAS Call Center.

Today, technology that furthers the demise of live human conversation is everywhere you look. We have bots answering customer service questions, text messaging replacing talking, and IVRs answering questions and processing requests – all without the need for humans. Where businesses are getting it wrong is when they try to eliminate all human contact. The reality is, people still do love talking to people!

In fact in a recent customer service study, it was reported that 58% of customers surveyed in the United States thought that using chat bots for customer service was only somewhat effective, and 34% of those customers say that automated support is one of the most frustrating aspects of customer service.

With the above in mind, it’s clear that talking through live conversations isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Check out these 20 quotes from some of the most brilliant minds in the world about live interaction and personal contact. We hope they’ll inspire you to remember that employing call center services to manage your live customer communication essential to your businesses success.

John McCain, Politician:

“As far as this business of solitary confinement goes, the most important thing for survival is communication with someone, even if it’s only a wave or a wink, a tap on the wall, or to have a guy put his thumb up. It makes all the difference.”

Maulik Pancholy, Actor:

“I remind myself that I’m always more satisfied by human interaction than by a digital connection.”

Matthew Stewart, Philosopher:

“There were about two years when I literally paid no rent anywhere in the world. Everyone’s a contact, but there’s no real human interaction. That’s a very wearying thing.”

Jon Taffer, Entrepeneur:

“Human interaction is something that I believe, as humans, we crave for. And that is where bars and social environments come into play.”

Atul Gawande, Surgeon:

“Human beings are social creatures. We are social not just in the trivial sense that we like company, and not just in the obvious sense that we each depend on others. We are social in a more elemental way: simply to exist as a normal human being requires interaction with other people.”

Vincent Nichols, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church:

“We’re losing social skills, the human interaction skills, how to read a person’s mood, to read their body language, how to be patient until the moment is right to make or press a point. Too much exclusive use of electronic information dehumanizes what is a very, very important part of community life and living together.”

Brandon Jenner, TV Personality:

“We can bring positive energy into our daily lives by smiling more, talking to strangers in line, replacing handshakes with hugs, and calling our friends just to tell them we love them.”

Dan Gilbert, Businessman:

“There’s nothing better than people talking to each other, sharing best practices, and opening up communications.”

Ze Frank, Online Performance Artist:

“What better way to connect with people than by staring and talking straight at them? Don’t blink – that’s one less connection you could have made.”

Pepa, Rapper:

“Lack of communication is the key to any successful relationship going wrong.”

Russ, Rapper:

“I think talking things out is therapeutic.”

Anne Hathaway, Actress:

“I’m much happier talking with people than I am flirting with them.”

Ada Yonath, Crystallographer

“Problems should be solved by talking and not in an aggressive manner.”

Robert D. Putnam, Political Scientist:

“Community connectedness is not just about warm fuzzy tales of civic triumph. In measurable and well-documented ways, social capital makes an enormous difference in our lives…Social capital makes us smarter, healthier, safer, richer, and better able to govern a just and stable democracy.”

Sherry Turkle, Professor:

“We expect more from technology and less from each other. We create technology to provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.”

Atul Gawande, Surgeon:

“Human interaction is the key force in overcoming resistance and speeding change.”

M. Scott Peck, Psychiatrist and Author:

“All human interactions are opportunities either to learn or to teach.”

Stephen Covey, Educator and Author:

“The person who is truly effective has the humility and reverence to recognize his own perceptual limitations and to appreciate the rich resources available through interaction with the hearts and minds of other human beings.”

Reverend Malcolm Boyd, Priest and Author:

“Real answers need to be found in dialogue and interaction and, yes, our shared human condition. This means being open to one another instead of simply fighting to maintain a prescribed position.”

Earl Sweatshirt, Rapper:

“Miscommunication is the number one cause of all problems; communication is your bridge to other people. Without it, there’s nothing. So when it’s damaged, you have to solve all these problems it creates.”

Brian Tracy, Motivational Speaker:

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.”

Rollo May, Existential Psychologist:

“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.”

Joe Gebbia, Internet Entrepreneur:

“Digital communication is completely different from in-person, face-to-face conversations. One will give you surface insights, and the other really gives you depth.”

Jan Koum, Computer Programmer:

“Communication is at the very core of our society. That’s what makes us human.”

Charles Dickens, Author:

“Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true.”

John Cena, Professional Wrestler:

“A relationship is based on communication.”

Christine Tsai, Venture Capitalist:

“If you invest the time earlier to create structure and process around communication, planning, and goal-setting, you can prevent missteps before they occur.”

Tom Peters, Author:

“Communication is everyone’s panacea for everything.”

Michel de Montaigne, French Philosopher:

“There is no pleasure to me without communication: there is not so much as a sprightly thought comes into my mind that it does not grieve me to have produced alone, and that I have no one to tell it to.”

Mary Dillon, Businesswoman:

“I’m the biggest fan of face-to-face communication.”

Pat Gillick, Professional Baseball Executive:

“Texting is a lot like an answering machine. If you don’t want to talk to somebody, it’s like screening your calls. To me, it’s a way of communication, but not one that I favor. ”

We hope you enjoyed these quotes! If you feel like we missed something, please get in touch with us on Twitter @SpecialtyAnswer

The post 30 Quotes About Human Interaction That Will Make You Love Call Center Services appeared first on SAS Call Center.

Whether it’s finding a way to meet customer service challenges without having your service team be a cost centre, or finding cost effective ways to edge out your competition, small businesses are always facing pressure to grow rapidly and stay competitive. But without help, growth can be difficult. That’s where call center outsourcing comes in. Whether you’re completely outsourcing your business processes, or just outsourcing a small part of what you do, outsourcing can be a lifeline. But even those bravest small business owners among us may be skeptical of outsourcing.

12 quotes to inspire you to look into outsourcing as a way to stay competitive

• “The important thing about outsourcing or global sourcing is that it becomes a very powerful tool to leverage talent, improve productivity and reduce work cycles.” – Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro Limited
• “Companies are past the basics of talking about outsourcing and offshoring. Executives understand outsourcing now and want to know how to effectively use it in their organizations.” – Jagdish Dalal, CEO of Corporate Affairs
• “Outsourcing and globalization of manufacturing allows companies to reduce costs, benefits consumers with lower cost goods and services, causes economic expansion that reduces unemployment, and increases productivity and job creation.” –Larry Elder, Lawyer and host of the Larry Elder Show
• “The real power of outsourcing going forward is going to be that it increases an organization’s core capacity for change and growth. The business challenges over the next decade are going to be very different than anything we’ve seen so far and the companies that weave a powerful network of global partners through outsourcing will be the winners.” – Michael Corbett, Chairman of the IAOP 
• “Being in the consumer business helps us groom talent in areas like marketing, finance and logistics. We can benchmark our outsourcing business to our consumer business and its best practices.” – Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro Limited
  
• “In the long run, outsourcing is another form of trade that benefits the U.S. economy by giving us cheaper ways to do things.” – Janet Yellen, American economist
• “The need for access to talent will lead companies to think about outsourcing as a means of accelerating innovation and gaining competitive advantage. This will lead to a transformation of the outsourcing profession where innovation will be valued much higher than pure cost savings.” – Jagdish Dalal, CEO of Corporate Affairs
• “Outsourcing was the bogeyman of the ’90’s. Protectionists portrayed it as an evil that would take American jobs away. Yes, some jobs did go offshore as people feared, but it made the global economic pie grow bigger.” – Vivek Wadhwa, American technology entrepreneur and academic
  
• “If you deprive yourself of outsourcing and your competitors do not, you’re putting yourself out of business.” – Lee Kuan Yew, Former Prime Minister of Singapore
• “And just remember, every dollar we spend on outsourcing is spent on U.S. goods or invested back in the U.S. market. That’s accounting.” – Arthur Laffer, American economist
• “Master your strengths, outsource your weaknesses.” – Ryan Khan, Founder of The Hired Group
• “Challenges create opportunities. Outsourcing service providers are very aggressively examining their products and services to create greater value and increase market share in these times. Companies are recognizing they need to use this as an opportunity to strengthen relationships with their partners because each one of those partners will make them a better company.” – Michael Corbett, Chairman of the IAOP

The post 12 Of The Best Quotes about Outsourcing appeared first on SAS Call Center.

With how much call center technology and what’s capable to be outsourced changes almost every minute, it’s always fun to see what people in the industry think about where the industry is headed. What’s on the horizon? To get some perspective, we cornered 10 of our employees to get their predictions on call center services over the coming years.

Here’s what our crew said:

• “I think that call centers are going to become even more advanced as technology continues to evolve, and outsourcing is going to feel like a seamless experience for business owners, their staff, and their customers.” – George Nave
• “In my opinion, more and more businesses are going to look to outsourcing as a way to stay above the competition, and soon enough every business will be outsourcing one thing or another.” – Matt Baker
• “Back in the day, you only really talked to call centers when you were calling  your doctor or trying to place an order for a product you saw on TV. However, you’d be surprised how many companies use call centers, and that number is only going to grow higher.” – Barb Albert
• “As the need for call centers continues to increase, I think we’re going to see a jump in call center service providers. A growing market means more entrepreneurs are going to want in on the action, which means a lot more choices for consumers.” – Kaila Hamaday
• “Right now, call centers are relatively limited in the things they can do. For example, unless you have a dedicated agent that is only handling your calls, your operators are going to have limited knowledge of your brand. As the call center industry evolves, I think operators are soon going to be capable of doing a lot more.” – Kelly Dunbar
• “Many call centers offer a mobile app and online portal which their customers can access and retrieve messages. I think mobile apps and online portals are going to become standard across the board, and those features are going to become way more advanced.” – Taylor Blair
• “A lot of call centers offer bilingual support with Spanish speaking agents. However, I think that eventually all call centers are going to become bilingual, and I think that more call centers will start to offer support in other languages as well.” – Kevin Kozeniewski
• “Call centers are definitely going to become the norm across many industries. The other day I was at the dealership for my car, and every 5 minutes the phone kept ringing. No receptionist at the desk and no call center to help answer means the woman I was working with had to constantly help pick up the slack. Businesses can’t afford to lose customers based off poor or lacking customer service, but they usually can afford to outsource.” – Courtney Pizzi
• “I think call centers are going to become more integrated with the businesses they’re answering for, and I think that customers are going to be able to directly talk to and meet with the people handling their calls, and have a more hands on approach to their outsourcing experience.” – Matt Cohen
• “I think it’s possible that more businesses will try to open up their own call centers to help keep everything consolidated under one roof. However, I don’t think it will work out for most of them due to the added expenses and responsibilities needed to run a successful center.” – Stephen Wildemann 

What do you think about the SAS employees predictions? Are they right on point on or a bit sour? If you have some other ideas, feel free to connect with us on twitter @SpecialtyAnswer.

The post See What 10 SAS Employees Believe The Future Holds for Call Center Outsourcing appeared first on SAS Call Center.

There are three basic ways companies setup their call center:

• Standard Script: Basic template provided by the call center.
• Semi-Custom Script: Starting with the basic template with adjustments made to language and either the addition or elimination of a few script steps or paths.
• Custom Script: Fully custom script from start to finish for a total branded experience.

Each of these scripting options has pros and cons. We’ll discuss each of them in detail below so you can decide which option is right for your business.

Standard Call Center Script

A standard call center script is most often used by businesses who want to keep their call handling simple and straightforward. Standard scripts are simple and entail the operators gathering the caller’s name, number, email, and a brief description of what the call is regarding (the message). After, the call center agent will end the call and  send the message through to the business’s in-house team.

Pros:

• Operators will be able to get on and off the phone quickly keeping callers happy
• Invoices won’t be as high as the call length will be economized
• Standard scripts minimize the chance of operator error

Cons:

• Callers may expect to be helped right away and not want to wait for a call back
• Workflows will not be custom tailored to your specific needs and could result in more work on your end
• Callers may know they are speaking with a call center instead of someone in your office, which may be a turn off

Semi-Custom Call Center Script

A semi-custom call center script is typically used by businesses who want a simple call flow where operators gather name, number, email, and a description of the call, but may also want some custom workflows added in as well. For example, they may want sales prospects transferred to their in-house team, or they may want their operators to schedule new clients on their calendar.

Pros:

• Though a bit longer call length than a standard script, calls will typically last between 3-5 minutes
• Operators will be able to assist callers with more than just gathering basic information and follow some of your office workflows while still operating within standard scripting elements they are familiar with
• Your staff can engage in more meaningful conversations with prospects and customers instead of spending time on the initial setup call (i.e. scheduling the appointment)

Cons:

• Scripts are not 100% catered to your specific account and still using standard scripting elements
• If operators are scheduling appointments, callers may have more advanced questions which the operators won’t be equipped to handle
• If there are multiple reasons why someone may be calling and the operators need to select between multiple call paths, operators may accidentally go down the wrong path

Custom Call Center Script

A custom call center script is used by businesses who want their call center to work 100% in harmony with their in-house procedures, and are typically more involved than just gathering basic information. For example, they may want their operators to follow scripted workflows to assist callers with troubleshooting helpdesk issues, or they may want the operators to submit data through an integration to a CRM.

Pros:

• Scripts are catered to your specific workflows
• Call center agents will feel like an extension to your business
• Callers will be able to be helped more thoroughly than just giving information and waiting for a call back
• The more tasks the operators are able to do, the less your in-house staff have to worry about

Cons:

• Calls will last longer due to the complexity of the script
• Invoices will be higher due to the length of calls and the nature of the helpdesk
• More chance of operator or integration errors if using a 100% custom script in a shared operator pool
• For the best branded experience, you’ll need to use dedicated call center agents which may be pricey
• Callers may think they are talking to someone in your office and ask questions the operators are unable to answer

Conclusion

So what can you takeaway from this post? Probably that each of the scripting options above all have their benefits and any one can be the ideal solution for whatever you’re trying to accomplish with call center outsourcing. When deciding which option to select, it’s important that you consider what role the call center will play in your business. Consider long term outsourcing goals, short term outsourcing goals, and how the call center will jive with your own resources. But, also remember that call center scripting is never set in stone. If you start with a standard script, you can always add to it to make it your own, or completely scrap it in favor of something that’s uniquely you.

Great news for you is that SAS Call Center can help you decide which option is right for your needs now and you can try our call center for free! When you’re on your free trial, we’ll make adjustments over time as we continue to develop your call center campaign and we’ll work to find which scripting scenario type well for you.

The post Call Center Architecture: When to Choose Standard, Semi-Custom, or Custom Scripts appeared first on SAS Call Center.

What is a call center?

A call center is a business that is set up to handle large amounts of call volume on behalf of other businesses. Call centers typically employ 100+ employees known as operators or call center agents, who are usually staffed 24 hours a day. Many different types of businesses outsource to call centers for multiple reasons. Some examples of industries that use call centers include:

• Healthcare
• Telecommunications
• Hospitality
• Insurance
• Non-profit
• Automobile
• Retail
• Utilities
• Financial

No matter what type of business you run, a call center can be used in many different ways, from providing customer support and helping close more sales to giving your company the fuel it needs to facilitate growth.

How can a call center help me close more sales?

A call center can help you close more sales through a number of different methods. First and most importantly, outsourcing to a call center allows your business to be available to potential customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is incredibly beneficial for companies who operate on a global scale, as many of your client base will be calling from various time zones.

Another way a call center can help you close more sales is by acting as an extension to your business. Not only can your call center agents be available when  you’re not, they can also provide dedicated agent services, or agents that are specifically dedicated to your account. That means they can learn your particular protocols, access your secure systems, and handle various tasks as if they were in your own office, including processing orders and increasing a sale amount by implementing up-sell and cross-sell techniques.

Can a call center help me find more sales opportunities?

Yes! A call center can help you find more sales opportunities through outbound calling campaigns like telemarketing or telesales. While call centers are most known for their ability to handle inbound traffic, they can also be used to handle your outbound calling as well.

For example, call centers can help you set up lead generation campaigns to generate qualified prospects so you don’t have to. Your call center can handle the cold calling aspect while your in-house staff focuses on other tasks, like reaching out to hot leads to close more deals. Additionally, call centers can also help  you set up market research campaigns so you can get a better idea of what  your target customer base is interested in, so that you have more tools at your disposal to create the perfect product or service.

How can a call center help keep my current customers happy?

A call center can help keep your current customers happy simply by being there for them when they need to be heard. If you only offer support to your customers from 9am-5pm, you’re only keeping a segment of your customer base happy.

Often times customers are busy during the day and can’t find time to reach out to your support team, so they try to reach out after hours. However, if you’re not available after hours, they’re going to be having awfully long conversations with your voicemail, or they’re going to be leaving awfully bad reviews online – neither of which are good. Allowing your callers to speak to a live voice when they’re in need of help could be the deciding factor on whether or not they continue to do business with you. Even if the call center operator isn’t able to solve the issue, they can provide a listening ear and help deescalate a situation until someone from your team can step in and take the reins.

Is a call center worth it if I only get a few calls?

Believe it or not, call centers are worth it even if you only get a few calls a month. Most call centers offer multiple different pricing plans that can usually fit any sized budget. And, you’ll find that the service will wind up paying for itself in the long run.

Imagine you only got a few calls a month, but those calls could potentially bring in a couple thousand dollars of business each. Now imagine those calls come in when you’re in a meeting or after hours when you’re relaxing with your family. If no one is there to answer those calls, you’re going to be missing out on a lot of business opportunities. For a business that only gets a few calls a month, you can’t afford not to have a call center!

Is a call center worth it if I get thousands of calls a month?

Absolutely! A business that gets thousands of calls a month is a perfect outsourcing candidate. Since call centers are equipped to handle high volumes of calls day in and day out, you can save your employees a lot of time and energy by allowing them to focus on other tasks instead of answering calls all day.

A call center can also be customized to your needs. For example, a non profit may need to set up a line for pledge drives, where call center agents are processing donations on your website, or a grocery store may need to set up a recall hotline for tainted produce in which they are answering questions and issuing out vouchers for refunds or replacements. No matter what kind of calls your business receives, a call center can help.

Can outsourcing to a call center help me save time?

In your day to day responsibilities, how much time is spent on the phone, or responding to emails? Probably a lot. And how often do you put things off for tomorrow because you just don’t have time today? Probably too often. A call center can take over those daily responsibilities that you and your staff just don’t have time for.

Through the use of a dedicated agent, you can outsource your email response, live chat support and social media monitoring to a call center agent so your staff isn’t wasting valuable time when they could be focused on other tasks, like closing deals and assisting VIP customers.

Can outsourcing to a call center help me save money?

Yes, if done correctly. There are some companies who try to do too much too soon and wind up spending more than what they originally intended, but as long as you have realistic goals and understand what your call center can and can’t do, they can absolutely help save you money.

For example, a small business may be eager to use their call center for lead generation, but may not take into account that outbound calling campaigns are usually a bit pricier than general inbound answering. While the lead generation campaign could be successful, the business may also wind up spending more than what their budget allows, which could be more harmful than beneficial. However, many call centers offer various pricing plans and are able to scale along with your business, which could help save  a lot of money in the long run.

Is sending my call traffic to a call center complicated?

Not at all! Call centers are able to accept your incoming calls through a few different methods. The most common form is through call forwarding, which is a feature that most phone providers offer. Call forwarding is typically done by dialing *72 on your keypad, followed by the number you wish to forward to. However, it varies depending on who your phone provider is.

When you partner with a call center, they provide you with a number that is specific to your account. What you choose to do with this number is up to you. Most companies choose to forward their existing business lines to the number given to them, while others choose to advertise that number separately. However, it should be noted that most call centers will usually maintain ownership of the number provided, so you probably won’t be able to take it with you should you decide to leave service. If you happen to be advertising the number, you may not want to spend a lot on printing it on business cards, but may prefer posting it on your social platforms and website.

Are call center services customizable to our in-house business process?

Absolutely! Most call centers use advanced call center technology that allows businesses to customize their call handling protocols to match their in-house procedures. Through the use of FAQs, app integrations, flexible scripting software and a knowledgeable customer service team that can work with users to develop a successful workflow, your transition over to a call center can be seamless, fluent, and efficient.

Do call centers just answer calls?

Call centers can be used for more than just answering your business calls. They can act as the first line of defense for upset callers, provide customer support, assist callers with scheduling appointments or placing orders, and dispatch urgent messages, among others. On top of all of that, they can give your business a 24 hour presence, and be there for your customers when you can’t.

What are the different kinds of services call centers can provide?

Call centers services are vast. If you can do it in-house, it can be outsourced. For example:

24/7 Customer Service: In most cases, business are not equipped to stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, but a call center is. No matter if it’s Christmas morning or your child’s first birthday, you can still be available around the clock for your customers via your call center.

Inbound Answering: Call centers are most widely known for their ability to answer incoming calls, as that is what they were originally designed to do. No matter what kind of business you run, if you can’t answer all your calls, a call center can.

Outbound Telemarketing: Call centers can handle a business’s outbound telemarketing by calling out to a list of uploaded leads, and following a customized script.

Sales/Lead Capture: A 24/7 call center can make sure all calls are being answered, which means leads are being captured and converted. Even at 3 AM!

Appointment Scheduling: Some call centers can access scheduling software a business is already using, some may use their own system, and some may be able to integrate with web-based software like Google Calendar.

Order/Payment Processing: PCI compliant call centers are able to help businesses place and process orders via secure call center technology. Call center agents can sometimes even use up-sell and cross-sell techniques to help maximize a sale.

Tier 1 Help Desk:  Call centers can act as the first line of support and help troubleshoot basic technical issues. For example, if a user’s thermostat isn’t working, a call center agent can walk the user through how to check if the batteries need changing, a filter needs cleaning,  or escalate the issue if it’s out of their realm of expertise.

Email Response: Sifting through and responding to emails is a daily chore that many business owners and employees don’t have time for. Instead of putting off responses until tomorrow, call center agents can handle emails as they come in and dispatch responses accordingly.

Social Media Monitoring:  Call centers can help keep a business’s staffing budget to a minimum by managing social platforms through the use of a dedicated agent.

Live Chat Assistance: Through the use of a dedicated agent service, call centers can train agents on specific protocols so they can help make businesses available via live chat 24/7.

Event Registration: For businesses that help plan events like seminars or conferences, outsourcing event registration calls to a call center can be a big help. Call centers can document who is able to attend and who is not, and can even secure seats by processing payments via secure call center technology.

Emergency Dispatching: Many businesses rely on emergency dispatching, like HVAC technicians, medical professionals and travel agencies. If employees can’t be available 24/7, a call center can be. They can also follow specific on-call protocols and dispatch messages through phone call, text, email, fax or alpha pager.

Bilingual Support: More and more businesses are gearing their customer support teams to be able to help Spanish speaking callers. However, it can sometimes be hard to find bilingual employees. Call centers often employ multiple bilingual agents who can be used to help Spanish speaking customers.

Automated Support: While live support is usually always the preferred method of communication, automated support can sometimes come in handy as well. For example, if a customer wants to check their account balance with their bank, or if they just need the new office address, a call center can set up an automated system which could help streamline requests.

How do I know if my small business can benefit from a call center?

The best way to find out if your small business can benefit from a call center is to try it! Many call center providers offer a free trial period so you can test out their service and see if it would be a compatible fit for your business.

During your free trial period you would be able to place test calls to see how the operators sound, which will help you get a better feel for what your callers will experience. Additionally, a free trial period is a great opportunity to make changes and iron out any kinks you may come across, so that when you do go live with your customers it’s smooth sailing.

If I decide to use a call center, why is SAS the best choice?

Specialty Answering Service is an award winning call center that has been providing multiple inbound and outbound services for businesses all around the world for over 30 years. Starting out as a small business ourselves in 1985, we know what it means to be a bootstrapped business, which is why it is our goal to help other businesses, no matter their size, on their path to success.

Our knowledge base is vast, and our ability to mold to your business model allows us to stand out among the competition. We help give your business a local presence, as all of our agents are located right here in the United States, and SAS offers multiple cost effective plans which allows us to scale along with your business. SAS is the trusted call center provider for over 5,000 businesses, and we can’t wait to be yours!

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To help you on your journey, we’ll start by going over the two basic types of call center services you can adopt, then we’ll dig a bit deeper into what each type can do, and review the pros and cons of each including a quick cost analysis. If we can capture your attention until the end of this article, you should have a pretty good understanding of what type of call center outsourcing will work best for your business.

Types of Call Center Outsourcing Services

When small businesses are starting out, cost is probably the most important factor when doing anything. From what to get for lunch to what stationary to buy, how much you’re spending and on what is paramount. To that end, a lot of small businesses will think that they can handle their own inbound phone traffic. They’ll answer calls in the middle of meetings, give cell phones to employees to handle calls after hours, and forward their business phone to their home phone. If you’re not getting many calls, these methods may work. But as your business continues to grow, what used to be a cheap lead capture and customer service method will eventually take over your life.

What works for customer service and sales communication when a company is just starting out are colossal headaches if those methods are still used as a business grows. Customers end up waiting to communicate to a live person which leads to frustration.  Sales prospects are left interacting with voicemail which leads to missed opportunities. Employees feel chained to the office because they’re on-call 24/7. Current business suffers and new business doesn’t have the chance to connect.

Any of the above reasons are why successful businesses look to call center service companies like SAS to consolidate their customer service and sales communication. Without getting into the on-shore, off-shore, and near-shore varieties, generally call centers come in one of 2 flavors: shared call center and dedicated call center.

Let’s jump into what a shared call center and dedicated call center are, and some of the pros and cons of each.

Shared Call Center

A shared call center is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of one agent answering calls for you, you are sharing agents with all of the other call centers clients. For example, when your dedicated line rings at the call center, your script is presented on the screen and the agent handles calls according to your protocol. The next time the phone rings, it could be from another customer where the screen will present their script and their protocols.

PROS:

• There are enough agents answering the phones that your customers won’t have to wait long to be connected to an operator.
• Shared call center agents are available 24/7 which means your customers will always have a live voice to talk to no matter when they call.
• Shared call center agents can usually handle most of the same tasks your office staff are responsible for, like scheduling appointments, placing orders and troubleshooting issues.
• Depending on your average call volume, using a shared call center is generally pretty cheap.

CONS:

• Since agents are answering for many different businesses, they may not have the time to learn your account specifically which could result in errors.
• Having a different agent answer all of your calls may be confusing to your callers and may seem impersonal.
• If there is an unexpected spike in volume at the call center, your callers may have to wait in a queue.

Dedicated Call Center

A dedicated call center, also known as a brand center or dedicated agent service, refers to agents that you lease from the call center who solely answer calls for your business and your business alone. These agents are able to be trained according to your nuanced protocols to make sure that customer service experience is seamless from calls answered in your own shop to calls answered in the call center.

PROS:

• Dedicated call center agents are only handling your calls, so there will be no mistaking one account’s protocols for another.
• Dedicated call center agents have the ability to learn specific protocols, and would be able to log into your secure systems like a CRM platform.
• Dedicated agents can handle tasks like social media monitoring, email response and live chat management whereas a shared agent would not.

CONS:

• Utilizing a dedicated agent platform is much more costly than a shared agent platform, which may not be in your budget.
• Depending on how many dedicated agents you hire, you may have more calls than people answering, which could result in hold times.
• Unless you have employed a handful of agents to work various shifts, you may not have 24/7 coverage.

Why Do Businesses Choose Shared Call Center Services?

With a much lower price per entry, it’s easy to see why most businesses initially exploring call center outsourcing choose shared agent services over dedicated agent services. But surely cost can’t be the only factor? What other reasons are there?

Sure, lower startup costs have huge appeal for any business starting out when compared to the $3500 and up monthly cost for each US agent a company may lease on a dedicated agent platform. Looking outside of cost, businesses who are using a shared call center as a Tier 1 helpdesk or front end receptionist have great success in outsourcing. Acting as either of these, businesses are able to use their own in-house team as the experts, and use the call center team as the foot soldiers with the ability to offset simple requests from reaching the next level.

In this manner, your in-house personnel are left to handle the bigger ticket items, where the call center staff handles little things. For example, for an eCommerce store, the shared call center staff can answer questions about shipping times, enter in orders, and answer inventory questions if given the appropriate software access. In this model, your in-house staff can handle escalations for irate customers who received the wrong order, or processing refunds back to the customer’s credit card.

By handling the easier requests, the shared call center model gives your in house staff the chance to focus on more complex problem solving – the type of customer service that really matters.

The notion of letting your in-house staff focus on the bigger picture also fosters growth. When your staff isn’t focusing on the daily grind of customer service contact, your resources will be free to reallocate to other essential business duties like marketing and social media management.

Evaluating Shared Call Center Services

If you’ve decided that a shared call center solution is the right type of call center outsourcing model for your business, then you’re at least one step into your journey. The next is to decide which of the thousands of call center service providers is right for you. Without looking at the providers themselves, you should start by looking at the features – i.e. what’s going to be available to you if you do sign up.

While not exhaustive, here are a few of the main points to consider:

• Scalability: A call center that is able to scale up or down with you is crucial, especially for small businesses looking to grow. For example, you may start off with a basic set up just to get the ball rolling, but as your volume increases, you may want to increase your pricing plan or customize your call handling to better fit your needs. A call center that can grow with you will be a call center worth choosing.
• 24/7 Support: One of the main reasons businesses choose to outsource to a call center is because they can’t be available to their customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If this is the issue your business is currently facing, a call center that can offer 24/7 support is paramount. However, you’ll want to make sure there aren’t any hidden fees, like charging extra to answer your calls on holidays or weekends.
• Integrations: A call center that is able to integrate with a CRM platform or system that you’re already using is a great way to decrease the amount of work your in-house staff has to do. Instead of having your staff copy the information from the messages that your call center takes and pasting it into your CRM, your call center agents would simply capture the appropriate information, and the integration would be able to populate the respective form or record immediately afterwords.
• Web Based Access: Web based access for eCommerce companies or companies that rely on appointment setting is important. While a shared call center agent may not be able to log into a protected system using a username and password, they may still be able to access your website to place orders, schedule appointments, or fill out forms.
• On Demand Reports: For businesses that are tracking various metrics like the number of monthly inbound calls, being able to access on demand reports is important when trying to factor in important business decisions. For example, the number of inbound calls  a month could determine if you need to scale your marketing endeavors up or if they’re fine where they are, or you may need to consider advertising on different platforms to increase the chances of being seen.
• Emergency Dispatching: Many different types of businesses need help solely after hours to handle any urgent issues that might come through. So, it’s important to find out if your call center offers emergency dispatching, and if they can follow your particular on-call schedule.
• Bilingual Agents: Many shared call center services offer bilingual services, which may be something you’re in the market for. However, they may not offer all of the same features like appointment scheduling or web based access. There may also be an associated fee to utilize bilingual agents, so you may want to do your research beforehand.

You’ve Nailed The Features, Now The Questions To Ask

Once you’ve decided on which platform is going to work best for you and you’ve checked a few boxes that you’ll need from the technology or operations perspective, it’s time to see what vendor is going to work best. With so many providers to choose from, which one is best? We’ve put together some questions you should ask potential vendors before you commit to any contract.

• Do you have experience in my industry? There are many call centers out there that focus primarily on one industry, like medical or HVAC call centers. These centers have specialized knowledge on the industry they serve, and may be better suited for streamlined support. However, many other call centers are capable of handling calls for a wider range of businesses. They may answer for healthcare companies, HVAC accounts, tax prep companies, automotive companies, and more. So, before you sign up with a call center you will want to find out if they can handle calls for your business, and if they’re knowledgeable about the industry they’re answering for.
• How much does the service cost? Since cost is a big factor when deciding to outsource, it’s important to weigh your options. Does the call center charge per call or per minute? Do they charge extra to answer your calls after hours, on weekends, or holidays? Is messaging included? If they offer an online portal or various app integrations, are they complimentary or are they an added expense?
• If I have a problem, what is your customer support experience like? A great customer support experience is crucial for any business. You may want to ask your call center about the different ways you can reach out. Are they only available via phone or can you email or chat in as well? Are they available 24/7 like the call center agents or are there different business hours for the customer support team? Will there be one person managing your account, or are you able to speak to anyone?
• If my volume goes up or down, can I change my plan anytime? It’s no surprise that call volumes may fluctuate throughout the year, especially for seasonal businesses. For example, a landscaping business may be busy in the spring and summer months, and slow during the fall and winter. A call center that allows you to upgrade or downgrade your plan depending on your call volume will wind up being the most cost effective option for you in the long run.
• Is setup stock or can it be customized to my needs? A call center that can customize call handling to your specific needs is going to work out better in your favor than a call center who sets every account up with a standard script. While gathering a name, number, email and regarding may be helpful for everyone, some accounts may need a bit more detail. For example, a medical practice may want to know if their callers are new or existing patients, or if they’re using insurance. An HVAC company may want to know if their callers are calling about a residential property or a commercial property. A call center that is able to customize your call handling will allow for more streamlined messages which will allow your staff to prioritize better when following up.
• Do I have to sign a contract? Before you sign on with a call center, you should find out their terms and conditions. If a call center service provider requires you to sign onto a year long contract, you may find out a little too late that they’re not the right fit, or you just don’t need service for that long a time. For example, a non-profit organization may want to outsource to a call center to help with an annual telethon, and then deactivate their service until next year.  In this case, they would want to sign up with a service that offers month to month billing where they are not tied into any long contracts.

Shared or Dedicated, Invest In Your Growth

Now that we’ve educated you on what types of call center services there are, and the pros and cons of each of the two models, you’re ready to select a vendor. Using the information above, you’re well equipped to find the best call center service provider for your needs who is going to deliver the biggest ROI with the least friction.

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