How to Start A Call Center

If your business relies heavily on your phone system, it may be time to consider starting a call center. With modern technology, starting a call center is now easier than ever.

Keep reading to determine if your business needs a call center and three different ways to get started.

Do You Need A Call Center For Your Business?

Before starting a call center, you need to determine if your business actually needs one.

If your business doesn’t receive a large volume of phone calls (and doesn’t plan to) or otherwise uses other forms of communication, you probably don’t need a call center.

However, your business may benefit from a call center if:

• You receive many phone calls from customers
• Your business makes numerous phone calls
• Employees are having difficulties keeping up with other tasks due to the volume of phone calls
• You want dedicated customer service
• You want a department that streamlines tasks like accepting payments over the phone, providing customers with account balances, or handling customer complaints

To summarize, businesses that send or receive numerous phone calls that interrupt daily operations may want to consider a dedicated call center.

Three Ways To Start A Call Center For Your Business

There are three ways to start a call center for your business. You can set up an in-house call center, outsource your call center, or start a remote center.

How To Start An In-House Call Center

An in-house call center provides a dedicated space within your physical location for making and receiving calls.

This option provides you with lots of control. You can hire the call center agents. You can also oversee the training of agents. You can ensure that the values and standards of your brand are reflected through the service provided at your call center.

However, this type of call center also comes at a price, requiring both time and money investments. To start an in-house call center, you’ll have to:

• Have physical infrastructure that supports your phone system
• Purchase equipment (such as desk phones and computers to pull up customer data)
• Provide a dedicated space for call center agents
• Create and implement a training program
• Hire, onboard, and train employees (and do it again if it doesn’t work out)

These costs can add up quickly. While this may be a good option for larger companies (with larger budgets), an in-house call center may not be feasible for smaller businesses.

How To Outsource A Call Center

If you don’t want to deal with the hassles and expenses associated with in-house call centers, you can outsource call center tasks to a third-party company.

Many of the challenges you’ll find with in-house centers are remedied through this solution. By outsourcing your call center, you won’t have to worry about space, infrastructure, or equipment. You also don’t have to hire or train call center agents.

Instead, you’ll simply contact a call center outsourcing company or agency, discuss your needs, discuss pricing, and sign a contract or agreement.

While you won’t have some of the expenses of an in-house call center, it is worth noting that this option does come with its costs. The average rate for an outsourced call center agent is $20 to $30 per hour, although this amount could rise to $50 or more. If you need two call center agents operating for 40 hours per week at a rate of $20/hour, you’ll pay $1,600 per week. Additional fees may also apply.

Even though outsourced call centers resolve some issues, they have their own set of challenges to consider. With this method, you won’t have as much control as you would with an in-house center. You won’t oversee training and hiring, and agents may not handle customer service the way you’d like.

Security risks may also be an issue, as you won’t be overseeing the measures used to protect your customers’ data.

How To Start A Remote Call Center

If an outsourced or in-house call center doesn’t seem to be the right fit, how about getting the best of both worlds with a remote call center?

A remote call center gives you the control of an in-house center without requiring expensive infrastructure, equipment, or dedicated space, much like an outsourced call center.

This is made possible with the use of a VoIP phone system. With VoIP, employees can work from anywhere there’s an internet connection — whether it’s at home, in the office, or in a coworking space. Employees can also download an app on their smartphones, tablets, or computers to make and receive calls (no desk phones required!)

With a remote call center, you can hire your own employees, train them according to your business’s policies, and track performance and customer satisfaction to address any issues. You also have full control over the security of your system.

However, you won’t have to worry about calling your phone carrier to install infrastructure or spend thousands of dollars on equipment. A remote call center powered by VoIP offers flexibility and scalability that’s more affordable than traditional in-house call centers.

The Bottom Line On Starting A Call Center

Before starting a call center, make sure to weigh out the pros and cons. You also need to determine if the cost will be worth it to your business. Regardless of which type of call center you choose, there will be additional business expenses — employee wages, equipment, monthly phone plan and add-ons, and more.

However, if your employees are struggling to keep up with their other duties as a result of phone calls, a call center may be a solid solution.

While the type of call center you have varies by business, most smaller businesses will find remote call centers to be the most cost-effective option. To get started, check out the best VoIP phone systems. Even if you don’t start a call center, VoIP has the potential to transform your business — and in most cases, at a lower monthly cost than your old phone system.