What to ask a prospective technical support call center

Wednesday, May 14, 2014


With the booming outsourcing industry, it can be challenging for companies to find the right call center for your tech support needs. Outsourcing company Open Access BPO hopes to help these businesses by listing down the right questions to ask your prospective call center partners.

To be certain that your decision to outsource technical support call center services will truly help your business save a lot of money and time, the task of choosing an outsourcing partner must not be taken lightly. The challenge is to make sure your offshore partner has the necessary expertise that your customer base needs.

Taking the time to thoroughly get to know each prospective call center is a worthwhile investment. Doing so will prevent your potential outsourcing relationship from failing and will also eliminate the possibility of having to start all over again.

To search for an outsourcing provider, here are questions you can ask prospective tech support call centers:

1.   How long have you been in the business?

The last thing you need is a call center that's still learning how to do things right. You need an offshore partner that already knows the ins and outs of the trade. See if it has a good track record and long-standing experience by raising detailed questions that require answers hinting its operational and technical expertise.

2.   Who will be our regular contact person?

It's important to know if there are specific persons who will serve as key contact points for account supervision, inquiries, and updates. Think of it as a job interview. Ask the candidate companies how they can guarantee open communication lines since you must have a hands-on approach in managing your outsourced tech support team.

3.   What kind of tech support services can I outsource?

See to it that the business solutions you are looking for are within your prospect's spectrum of services.

Tech support services can range from non-voice support via live chat and e-mail to voice services including multilingual support. Be clear about the services included in the outsourcing package you are planning to avail and the cost that it entails.

4.   Can I visit your call center?

Taking a tour of a tech support call center's facilities can give you a clear picture of how call center managers set things to deliver what you need. You can assess how training is done, what tools are used, and what technologies are in place. If a call center refuses to let you see its facilities, it most likely has something to hide.

5.   Can you give me references that I can speak with?

Talking to previous and current clients of your prospective call center is probably the most important step in making sure that your expectations will be met. This is a good way to verify if what the call center claims to accomplish for you have been successfully done in the recent past. If the references attest to the level of expertise of the call center, then you would likely be satisfied with the outsourcing partnership with that call center as well.

Choosing the right tech support outsourcing provider does not need to be a blind leap of faith. Remember that selecting the best offshore partner is essential to having a productive outsourcing experience. By asking these five questions, you can gather the essential information that you can use in forming a solid and informed decision.