Call Center: 7 Questions to Choose the Best
By: Hebé Lugo Nazario
A call center is a vital part of any business or institution, regardless of size or industry. It plays a key role in improving customer service, generating engagement, and ensuring that customers receive quick, effective responses to their inquiries.
Outsourcing call center services has become common practice. In the United States, there were an estimated 7,400 call centers in 2018. Meanwhile, Latin America generated $506 million in call center revenue in 2019.
Why is outsourcing so popular? Setting up a call center requires significant investments in technology, infrastructure, and human resources. For many businesses, outsourcing is more practical and cost-effective.
However, a call center—whether internal or outsourced—represents your brand in the market. Poor service can damage customer trust and brand reputation. Therefore, choosing the right call center is critical to business success.
Why Bad Call Center Service Hurts Your Brand
Let’s look at the case of Sandro Mairata, a Peruvian journalist who bought a laptop for his master’s degree in New York. Initially, the laptop worked well. However, problems soon began. Digital noise appeared on the screen, the keyboard malfunctioned, and the motherboard overheated.
When Sandro contacted customer service, frustration quickly set in. The representatives spoke in English with a strong South Asian accent. Sandro, a Spanish speaker, tried switching to Spanish support, but the manufacturer didn’t offer it consistently.
“It was hell,” Sandro recalls. “Being a technical issue, it was very difficult to understand what they were saying to me, nobody really wanted to help me, I felt that they were just dispatching me and they wanted to sell me spare parts. Since then I have avoided that brand, I always tell this story and even if the service has changed or new models have appeared, more than a decade has passed and I still have bad memories from that terrible service.”
This experience left a lasting negative impression. Over a decade later, Sandro still avoids the brand and warns others about the poor service he received.
The Ideal Call Center
The concept of a call center has evolved. Today, customer service requires a more comprehensive approach. Businesses are shifting from basic call centers to omnichannel contact centers that integrate multiple communication platforms—chat, social media, email, and phone.
“A contact center is viewed as one whose function is solely to address an upcoming need or generate a general sale,” says José Méndez, head of training at Strategic Minds, a consultancy dedicated to omnichannel services, with extensive experience in call centers. “However, an omnichannel goes further, generating a unified communication, service and sales experience, germinating a much more complete relationship with the customer and framed by their satisfaction and loyalty.”
An omnichannel center provides consistent service across all platforms. For example, a customer could start a conversation through chat, continue it via email, and resolve the issue through a phone call—all without repeating themselves.
7 Key questions to Choose the Best Call Center
Selecting the right call center requires careful consideration. Here are seven key questions to help you make the best decision:
- How good are the provider’s capabilities?
- How do you measure success?
- How do they conduct themselves?
- Do you have the capacity to increase the business?
- Are our clients and users satisfied?
- Where is it located?
- How is private information treated?
The Importance of Proactive Service
Customer expectations are higher than ever. Businesses can no longer afford to be reactive when it comes to customer service.
“It’s imperative to be more proactive and less reactive,” says Hebé Lugo, CEO of Strategic Minds. “Proactive service ensures that resources are used effectively and customer needs are met before they become problems.”
Proactive service allows companies to solve issues before they escalate. This approach leads to higher customer satisfaction and stronger brand loyalty.
Choosing The Right Call Center Provider:
Choosing the right call center provider is about more than saving costs. It’s about creating a customer experience that builds trust, drives loyalty, and enhances your brand’s reputation.
Partnering with a provider that understands your business and customer needs ensures that your brand remains competitive and responsive.
