by Randy Johns

When you outsource to a contact center, you expect a combination of cost savings and value-adding expertise in the call center industry. However, you shouldn’t expect (or accept) that the savings comes from poor hiring practices, poor training or poor quality. This is where most call centers fail. The savings should come from efficient management of labor, technology, expertise, facilities, etc across multiple projects.

Most contact centers fill seats as quickly and cheaply as possible – without screening for the appropriate skill sets, behaviors, education, attitude and CULTURE that clients pay for. Many decision makers in outsourcing selections have grown so accustomed to these practices that they have begun to accept them as standard practices.

The less time and money that gets invested in the people combined with the more time and money that is redirected elsewhere within your organization, the less quality and productivity you get in your workforce. A vicious cycle forms – margins take a dip and the temptation to start reducing employee investment starts. But, the more resources an organization takes away from their people, the less those employees will give in return. The cycle continues until you lose key people and clients.

To differentiate your contact center (or choice of contact centers) from the rest, you have to invest in and protect your most important asset – the PEOPLE. At Inktel Direct, we have a “Passion for People.” We hire the right people for a client’s project and for the company – not everyone gets hired. We invest a tremendous amount into agent training and preparation and reward and recognize top talent.

We find the differentiators translate to happy and loyal employees who treat your customers better, improve sales and revenue and increase customer satisfaction.