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Overseas Call Centers & American Call Centers

Guest post by: Nicolas DAlleva

Article Overview: Today, there is more competition in the call center industry by overseas answering services offering a more budget conscious and technically equal service to any US based answering service. Before being drawn in by the always lower price of an overseas call center, there are a few points to consider to see if an overseas call center alternative is right for your business.

Overseas Call Centers & American Call Centers

Over the past few years there has been renewed discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of using overseas call centers versus domestic centers. Many people laud contact centers based in foreign countries as one of the greatest cost-cutting options in recent memory. Others write off overseas call centers as inexperienced, unprofessional, and bad for business. Despite all the talk, there is no consensus in the business community regarding which kinds of call centers are better. The most likely reason for this is probably because domestic and foreign call centers offer solutions appropriate for different sorts of situations. Companies who use one kind of service may be wildly successful where a different company might have a bad experience with the same group.

When deciding between a domestic service and a more affordable foreign one, you need to consider the planned purpose of this service. An inexpensive call center based in India could be a perfect fit for a company that needs someone to take confirmation calls but they might run into trouble if they have the call center do more advanced tasks that require more extensive knowledge of the English language. For these sorts of needs, you'd be wise to use an American-based call center or one based in a predominately English speaking country such as Canada or England. However, some call centers based in Asia or Africa can be quite experienced as well. For this reason, research every service you are considering using.

Many businesses use overseas call centers because they are in need of operators who speak the local language of that country. Companies that provide services to Spanish-speaking individuals might choose a call center based in Mexico. Not only would this center likely cost less than domestic centers be staffed with operators who speak Spanish, there is a good possibility they speak English as well. Remember, it is good to check any prospective service out extensively before signing on as a customer. In addition to finding out how professional the services is and their cost, ask what other services the center can offer you in addition to standard message taking and call patching. You might be surprised at what a foreign service might have to offer.

Although foreign call centers can be a great choice, oftentimes a domestic center is the only realistic option. Whether a foreign center is on the same level professionally as its American counterparts, many see a company's choice of using an American call center as patriotic and indicative of a company they want to do business with. Some of your customers are looking to do business with a domestic company and using an American company for your answering service projects a good image of yourself as someone who supports American businesses. This is especially true when dealing with individuals or companies that may have negative experiences with outsourcing.

No matter which route you choose to take, quality is the most important factor. This is equally true for both domestic as well as foreign country based call centers. You need to make sure that each call will be handled professionally and in a timely manner. Whether your customers mind or even realize where your calls are being taken, they will have strong opinions about who they speak to representing your company. If it is a negative experience, it will reflect poorly on your company and there is a strong chance you could lose business. If it is a positive experience, however, you will have great success.

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Article Tags: american call center, call centers, phone answering



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I answer my phone - when I worked in the Call Center we had to say "Good XXXXXX, Andy speaking, How may I help you?" imagine saying that over and over again. It kind of sticks with you. It's been a few years now but I've kicked off "How may I help you?" part.
Money I made while in School - While in university I did have a Student Loan (still paying that bugger off) and had a part-time job as a Call Center agent (inbound). *Canada* I also designed websites (outsourced all the work). I just worked on getting new customers, managed the projects to completion and helped create Marketing Plans for my clients (Online and Offline). *Canada* When I was studying the in the States I also made some money as a Part-time Flight instructor. *USA*
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Comapnies that release buggy software - I know that companies have been doing this for a long time - rushing software into release and then sending out "patches" for the many problems they have later on, but I've never understood it. Surely the bad will they generate is enough to drive away customers?? Having said that, I've got Windows XP, it works just fine for me, and I see no point in changing. Call me an old fuddy duddy, but in my experience new software usually takes away stuff you loved about the old application, and puts in new stuff that you hate, because no one ever asks the users what they want...it's all done by techheads....or whatever the term for those guys is these days...
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