Create a shortlist

Key factors to be considered when shortlisting the Call Centre Service providers:

• Experience in your area of business and with your type of contacts;
• Size and capacity to handle your volume of work;
• Management of its other clients’ business;
• Ethos and quality accreditations; and
• Culture and whether it fits with your business.

You can gain this information by asking call centre service providers to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire or by visiting them personally with a strict agenda that enables you to obtain the information you want.

Develop a scoring system to help you draw up a list of six or so companies which are to be invited to tender.

It is always prudent to ask the organisations to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Beware of call centre service provider’s who over-claim. It is in the nature of entrepreneurial businesses to ‘gild the lily’ so you must be thorough enough in your examination to see beyond the ‘hype’ to the reality.

At the end of this process you should be ready to draw up a shortlist of potential call centre service providers.