If you have not used a call centre before, then selecting one may be a daunting process – how do you know you will be getting what you’re paying for, or expecting? Which elements of service are essential, and which can you afford to go without? With this process in mind, Rocket has developed this brief guide of things you should bear in mind when selecting your potential outsourcing partner.

1) Visiting their premises

If you are thinking of using a call centre for telemarketing or inbound call handling, I cannot stress enough how important it is to visit their premises and meet the people who will be acting in many instances as a first point of contact for your business. Unless a call centre has the proper infrastructure to support your needs in terms of staff, technology and telephony, you may find yourself being let down by an unreliable or simply inadequate service. If you cannot attend the offices in person then be sure to request a web demonstration so that you can view the company’s scripting capabilities. If a company hesitates to offer you a personal meeting and/or web demonstration you may want to consider why that is, as most reputable contact centres will be proud to demonstrate their staff and infrastructure.

2) Call recording facility

The next point to consider is whether or not the company in question has a sophisticated and reliable call recording facility, and if so whether or not it adheres to industry regulations. Most call centres will record each and every call that is taken, partly for quality and training purposes but primarily for your protection. In the event that a customer should raise a complaint with your business it is absolutely vital to have a recording of that initial contact, in order to avoid any disputes.

3) Experience and reputation

Another point to bear in mind is, how much experience does your potential new partner have in the telecommunications industry? Do they have the experience required to enable them to meet your needs with the proper expertise? Rocket UK boasts 13 years of experience, but not all call centres have been around for so long. If they haven’t, be thorough and make sure that they have the knowledge and technology that you would expect. If they haven’t been able to build up a good reputation and establish a strong customer base yet, do be careful – this makes that first point about visiting their premises even more important!

4) Customer testimonials

Customer testimonials are a great way of knowing what your company can expect from your new business partner. They should give you an idea of how well a customer’s brief was met by the call centre, and what sort of benefit their business enjoyed as a result. Most call centres will have their customer testimonials displayed on their website, but if not they should always be available on request. If a call centre declines to provide any references this is definitely a warning sign – it may be that they do not have the industry experience required to support your business, or they may have problems with customer retention due to issues with their service. Again, this is another good reason to visit their actual premises and make sure that you’ll definitely be getting what you’re paying for.

Individual call handling requirements vary greatly between different clients, but the above four points are important for any kind of call centre outsourcing you may consider. Outsourcing your calls can be a greatly beneficial experience for many businesses which can enhance your brand and give you peace of mind that your customers are receiving first class service every time. However without the correct infrastructure and training in place you may not get the service you were expecting, so it’s always worth making sure that you are dealing with an experienced and reputable telecommunications company.

Should you ever require more specific or in-depth advice about the outsourcing process, please don’t hesitate to e-mail us and we’ll be glad to help you.

“Having been with the company for the last three years, all I can say is that it has been eventful to say the least. I have seen Rocket progress in many different ways in that time, taking on so many different kinds of clients. We have provided a huge variety of services for different customers but one thing remains constant – Rocket’s flexibility.

It is even more evident these days because of the current economic climate and developments inside Rocket. A lot of people have stepped up and are taking on additional responsibilities. Everybody is mucking in and seems willing to try different things.

This is extremely encouraging as this will help Rocket’s development as well as our own. I think this shows everybody is committed to the cause and genuinely wants the company to succeed and press forward.

All I would have to say to the doubters is look around and see what is happening. Rocket is changing as it always has – if there is a prime example then it would have to be our own Operations Director – Mr Donald Macmillan.

Donald more than anybody has stepped up, starting out as a Rocketeer and is now showing everybody the way and I believe he is to thank for our latest drive. I feel that Donald will succeed in furthering Rocket’s progress, allowing us to expand as a business.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Mike and Linda as well for showing the faith in us and providing every employee with such a wealth of opportunity.

Let’s show what Rocket can do!!!”

For Rocket this was ten times as noticeable – as a call answering service provider, we are open 24 hours a day come rain or snow, so our Rocketeers were able to help hundreds of snowed-in companies by handling their calls and keeping their businesses open.  As well as logging employee absences our dedicated staff took catalogue requests, product orders, important messages and sales enquiries as usual.

For those who don’t know, Hampshire was hit especially badly by the snow, which affected most of Rocket’s employees – but we didn’t let that stop us! Our local Rocketeers trekked in through the snow, but others of us were totally snowed in, unable to drive or take public transport. But where trains and cars failed us, Rocket’s founder and director Mike Relf came to the rescue by volunteering as taxi driver for the day, and personally collecting our employees in his 4×4!

I can proudly say that the Rocketmobile (aka Mike’s Landrover!) managed to get us all to and from our offices in Fleet when many other offices were unable to open, ensuring that we continued our 24/7 service and continued to give our clients’ customers the first rate customer service they have come to rely on. For our clients, the ability to divert their calls to Rocket gave them peace of mind that they weren’t missing out on business, even if they couldn’t physically get to the office.

Just like those few inches of snow, Rocket’s 24 hour call handling was the difference between total chaos and business as usual for many companies. So thanks again to our dedicated staff, for keeping things running smoothly even when the weather had other plans!

The Rocket blog will endeavour to keep you updated with all our exciting new products and services, but also to bring you the latest in telecoms news, outsourcing information and tutorials on how to get the most out of your telecoms provider. Telecommunications is a wonderfully fast-paced industry so make sure you don’t miss out – click the ‘Sign me up!’ link to subscribe to our blog posts and stay informed.

So why are we so excited about 2010? Well first of all, after a gloomy financial year for many industries, things are looking up for telecoms in general; according to research released by Informa Telecoms & Media the telecoms industry is now starting to see signs of economic recovery, and can look forward to sustained revenue growth over the next year.

But on a more personal note, we are starting the New Year with a fantastic new addition to the Rocket team – our new Operations Director, Donald Macmillan. We are sure that Donald will help take Rocket’s services to the next level, and with a whole host of new products planned for 2010 the timing couldn’t be better! As always we are committed to finding more and more ways to help businesses work smarter, not harder, while receiving fantastic ROI – but you’ll see that for yourself when our new services are unleashed.

In the meantime, on behalf of all the staff at Rocket Telecoms we would like to wish you a Happy New Year!