Easy to Follow Steps for Setting up a Call Center

Setting up a call center is a sizeable investment. The consequences of every initial action, whether service level agreements, location or facilities available, are bound to reflect on the business. However, building a call center is not to be assumed as a complicated task, and the perception of a massive five-storied operations centre with hundreds of people taking calls, should be done away with right in the beginning.

At a well-organized call center, the highest quality of service at the lowest costs would require strategic planning. With so many components, people, processes, and technology, it is imperative that right decisions be made when assessing technologies, hiring techniques, staffing logistics, and when dealing with training and certification, orientation, strategic support skills, and technical training.

To build an efficient, competitive, and productive center, clear decisions are required on:

Human resources
High-end quality and experienced people at the helm
Comprehensive accent neutralization and training in situations such as call handling, managing technical equipments, multi-tasking etc.

Infrastructure
Telecommunication Network
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
Router
Long Distance Carrier (LDC)- International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC)
Ethernet Switch, Modem and Contact Center Server

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, a very recent entry into the technology field has strong impact as it is used to transmit voice, fax and data to another location through Internet Protocol (IP) network.

Hardware – Integration of hardware components such as local area network (LAN), desktops for agents, automatic call distributor (ACD), predictive dialer, computer technology integration (CTI), Web integration, interactive voice response, fax on demand, and voice logging and messaging on a single platform

Software –Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software helps agents gather information on a customer easily and segregate them on basis of their value. CRM software that caters specifically to specific functions such as telemarketing and technical support, are also available on the market.

Service Evaluation Parameters
Measures performance in the call center using parameters such as:
Average call time and speed of answer
Hold time and calls per hour
Occupancy, etc.
Suggests development areas for staff at different levels
Avoids disputes over service quality between client and vendor

Workload
Variability of volumes

Cost and Investment priorities
Cost of technology
Resources
Ongoing maintenance
Support

Systems Selection
Study actual technology needs in lieu of projects
Vendors (home agents to centralized or decentralized centers)

Technological Systems
Traditional tools
Desktop tools
Latest multimodal technologies

Basic Amenities
Well-designed work space
Air-conditioned workplace
Ergonomically designed furniture
Easy accessible restrooms
Storage space for official and personal goods
Availability of clean drinking water and refreshments