Offshore Inbound Call Centers: What You Need to Know

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Introduction

One of the most major decisions you must make when outsourcing your call center needs is whether you want to hire an offshore provider or hire a call center in the US. While the hugely popular practice of hiring foreign call centers has been largely accepted by both the consumer and the business world, there is still a raging debate as to which is better in the long run for everyone.

Information is the best guard against making a poor decision, so read on to inform yourself of both the beneficial and the unfavorable aspects of each choice before letting emotions and misconceptions cloud your reason. Once you have all the facts, it will be much easier for you to see the decision that is right for you.

Offshore Call Center Benefits

There are notable benefits to "offshoring" your call center needs.

Cost. The most notable benefit of offshore call centers is their cost. Rates for offshore call centers can be as little as 25% of what a call center based in the US would charge for the same service.

Language. Another benefit of offshore call centers is that the agents are frequently bilingual and will be able to offer excellent bilingual inbound call center services. If you are in need of a bi- or multilingual call center services, “off shoring” your needs could be a naturally effective choice.

Offshore Call Center Detriments

Although offshore call centers are less expensive and possibly more versatile with multilingual call center needs than their American counterparts, there are some downsides to choosing offshore call centers that you should be aware of, the first of which is the way your company’s image will be impacted.

Image. Whether you are dealing with customer, employee, or media perception, it is important for your company to maintain a spotless public reputation. Choosing to use a call center outside of the United States may reflect negatively on your business. Our times are marked by intense patriotism in the media and on the streets, and anything that “takes business away” from hardworking Americans can be villanized.

Communication. Due to difficult to understand accents or cultural differences, communication can be a problem—both between you and the call center and between sales and customer service representatives and potential customers. If you are worried about accents diminishing the efficacy of your offshore call center, seek out call centers in Canada or the Caribbean, where English is commonly spoken. You can also alleviate some difficulty by writing a simple and structured sales scripts that are easy for telephone sales representatives to follow.

Location. If you wish to be highly involved, face-to-face, with your call center service provider, offshore providers may not be the most cost-effective choice for you. Offshore call centers work best if you take a more distant approach to involvement, such as conducting meetings over the telephone and using email and fax machines for written communications.

Conclusion

When considering your inbound call center needs, look carefully at what aspects of service you hold most important, and, regardless of the decision you make, get several quotes on service so that vendors can compete for your business. With 360Telemarketing, it’s easy to get price quotes on inbound call center services from up to five qualified vendors—at no cost to you! Simply fill out a single form and let the telemarketing service providers come to you.