Before You Go to RFP, Get Friendly: A Guide to On-Site Contact Center Visits

Picture this: You’re in the RFP process for a new contact center partner. You have a short list of participants. You give them a couple of weeks to return their answers, and then you spend a few more weeks poring through those answers with your team to eliminate the deal-breakers and discern the winner. Finally, you’re down to two choices – both options have versatile capabilities and impressive metrics. You make plans to visit their offices for the first time. But when you walk in the door of the first, your heart sinks. This simply isn’t somewhere you could see yourself – or your agents – working. Maybe it’s the lack of windows and the glaring fluorescent lights. Maybe the leisure spaces are uninspired and uninspiring. Maybe it’s something you can’t quite put your finger on. Can your brand really shine in this kind of environment? You walk away from that option and visit your second finalist with your fingers and toes crossed. Miraculously, it’s the perfect fit. You only wish you could have saved the precious time and effort spent in the RFP process by having this insight beforehand.

This isn’t just an imaginative exercise – it’s a situation we’ve witnessed in real life, with one of our own valued clients. And it’s why – for the same reason you wouldn’t throw down thousands of dollars on a house you haven’t walked through – we recommend always conducting site visits before diving into the time-consuming RFP process.

Process vs Strategy

The procurement process can be a thing of beauty. It exists to achieve consistency, efficiency, and objectivity. You know exactly what you need in regards to channel support, reporting metrics, technical capabilities, agent training, and more, and the contact center RFP makes sure you’re checking all the boxes. The goal of this process is an apples-to-apples comparison of capabilities, performance rates, and price points.

It’s a worthy goal, but procurement can’t happen in a vacuum. Putting your brand in the hands of an outsourcer requires a strategic partnership, not just a vendor who checks all the boxes. And establishing that partnership isn’t as simple as following a checklist. It means physically shaking hands with leaders and agents, walking through office spaces, and getting to know the people you’ll be working with. It means asking the question, “can we see ourselves working here?”.

Getting on-site with each potential outsourcer will enable you to narrow down the options. Then you can deliver a tightly curated list to procurement to let them do what they do best.

What Should You Be Looking For?

Don’t go in blind. Know what you should be looking for on your contact center site visit before you get there. Here are a few considerations:

Culture fit. A shared culture is key – that’s probably one of the biggest reasons you’re choosing not to offshore your project. Your outsourced agents must be able to empathize and engage with your customers – and that goes deeper than simply speaking the same language. An organization that is culturally aligned with your own is one that shares similar values, commitment to their employees, and vision for the future.

Capabilities in action. Your RFP process will naturally require vendors to list and describe their capabilities, but getting on-site may reveal innovations, complexities, or nuances about technologies, workforce management or processes that you simply didn’t know to ask.

Physical work environment. The people representing your brand will be entrenched in the workspaces you observe, all day every day. Is there a friendly atmosphere? Is it an engaging space designed to nurture employees? Or does it feel oppressive and tense? Are employment standards similar to your own? Remember that the happiness of your agents directly impacts the happiness of your customers.

Brand representation. Without a site visit, it’s difficult to get a sense of how agents identify with the brands they’re representing. In person, however, you can see firsthand how well the client brand resonates in the subculture of the contact center. If the entire center feels homogeneous and mundane, your unique brand is unlikely to reflect in the customer experience. In our experience, agents who are truly aligned with a brand see themselves as employees of the client first, and of our contact center second.

Safety and security. Your RFP will likely have an entire section dedicated to safety and security, but a site visit enables you to see how security measures are actually fulfilled in real life. How is data kept secure? Are sensitive projects kept separate from others? What does a safe space mean to your potential outsourcer – and does it match your own definition of safety and security? Observe how careful your hosts are with you on site. Chances are, other visitors (your competitors perhaps?) are likely to be held to the same security standards, or lack thereof, that you are. For example, if during a tour, you’re “treated” to a sneak peek into a highly secure area, beware.

Ease of travel. Regular site visits – annually or even quarterly – are important for a highly strategic partnership. It’s likely another reason you’re choosing onshore or nearshore outsourcers. You want to minimize time spent in transit. However, be careful who you rule out in light of this consideration. Nova Scotia in Atlantic Canada, for example, may sound distant if you’re unfamiliar with the region. But it’s a stone’s throw from New York, with direct flights to major US cities including Newark, Chicago, Boston (and the added bonus/ease of US Customs pre-clearance at Halifax International Airport!).

Obstacles to the On-Site Contact Center Visit

We get it – touring multiple contact centers can be cost- or time-prohibitive on the front end. If you’re struggling to get buy-in on the time and expense, we recommend that you invite potential partners to visit your offices instead.

Meeting them in person and giving them a behind-the-scenes look at your brand and operations will still go far in being able to narrow down your list of vendors. You’ll get a better sense for who they are, how engaged they are with your own people, and how committed they are in accommodating your needs.

Improve Your RFP Process by Getting On-Site First

Meeting your potential contact center partners before you send them the RFP empowers you to build a better list from which to choose. Figuring out the subjective, intangible elements of the decision process up front allows you to focus simply on the skills, competencies, and cultural make up of those partners you already feel you can work with. In this situation, your customer service leaders and procurement department can work closely to tailor that RFP based on your visits. For example, if something struck you as innovative or essential at one center, but you didn’t observe the same factor at another, be sure to ask about it in the RFP.

Source: https://blueocean.ca/contact-center-visit-guide/

2023 Buyers Guide

Get Listed

Dialer Solutions

 

1.)

Premium Listing Call Center Studio Call Center Studio Call Center Studio is the world’s first call center built on Google and is one of the most secure and stable systems with some of the industry’s best reporting. It is one of the most full-featured enterprise grade systems (with the most calling features, one of the best call distribution, outbound dialing features and integrations—including IVR, AI Speech Recognition, blended inbound/outbound calling and includes Google’s new Dialogflow and Speech API. Call Center Studio is the absolute easiest to use (with a 10 minute setup), and is the price performance leader with lower equipment cost and less setup time.

2.)

Acqueon Technologies Inc. Acqueon's AI-driven conversational engagement software enables sales, marketing and service organizations to engage in emotionally connected dialogs with customers via their channel of choice for significantly improved results. The Acqueon suite adds multichannel campaign management, contact center analytics, desktop, and CRM connectors for your contact center software of choice, including Amazon Connect, Cisco, Nice inContact, and Twilio. Acqueon conversational engagement software leverages the Acqueon IQ platform to aggregate data from the various applications, assemble rich customer contexts, and drive next-best-action using powerful statistical and predictive models.

3.)

Avyukta Intellicall Consulting Pvt. Ltd. Dialer CRM VoIP CTI Cloud Solutions We are a single roofed solution for Dialer / Hosted Dialer / VoIP / CRM and CTI Solutions . With 300+ call center clients in above 9 countries and recent features such as : Dynamic custom agent crm popup avatar module 10+ Custom Reports Cloud Telephony with/out "Host your Trunks" option and End to End CRM on the cards we are supposed to grow exponentially within the next 6 Months

4.)

Cloud IT Services GmbH Dialfire Dialfire offers you a complete call center solution that is simple and intuitive to use and adapts to your needs. It's completely cloud-based, saving you the hassle of setting up a phone system and installing software. In addition to predictive dialing and call blending of inbound calls, you can create personalized campaigns through an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. Features include automated workflows and full control over the agent screen. You can see the full list of features here:

5.)

ComSys S.A. CList for Outbound Campaigns Management CList by Comsys is an application that helps contact centers enhance the performance of their outbound campaigns. It accomplishes that by enabling the planning and execution of sophisticated communication strategies. Additionally, the AI-powered module of CList extends the possibilities of outbound campaigns delivering unprecedented results. Comsys is a provider of οmnichannel customer engagement solutions that assist companies around the world in delivering unique customer experiences. For the last 15 years, Comsys designs and implements complex projects for clients from the outsourcing, financial services, telecommunications, and retail sectors. Comsys enjoys strategic partnerships with t... (read more)CList by Comsys is an application that helps contact centers enhance the performance of their outbound campaigns. It accomplishes that by enabling the planning and execution of sophisticated communication strategies. Additionally, the AI-powered module of CList extends the possibilities of outbound campaigns delivering unprecedented results. Comsys is a provider of οmnichannel customer engagement solutions that assist companies around the world in delivering unique customer experiences. For the last 15 years, Comsys designs and implements complex projects for clients from the outsourcing, financial services, telecommunications, and retail sectors. Comsys enjoys strategic partnerships with technology vendors like Cisco®, Aspect Software®, and Microsoft® for the delivery of innovative interaction management and contact center optimization solutions.

6.)

Consilium Software Consilium UniCampaign™ Reaching the right person with the right information on the right channel at the right time is a tall order. That’s the power the new Consilium UniCampaign™ has been adding to Cisco outbound contact centers, easily tripling or quadrupling results, from improving digital customer acquisition to managing post-sale customer relationship. Delivering proactive outbound engagement in a game-changer product, Consilium UniCampaign™ is an omnichannel List and Campaign Management (LCM) solution which complements the strength and robustness of Cisco's Outbound Dialer with the implementation of multichannel (voice, email, and SMS) outbound contact strategies. The new 7th release of UniCampaign™ is des... (read more)Reaching the right person with the right information on the right channel at the right time is a tall order. That’s the power the new Consilium UniCampaign™ has been adding to Cisco outbound contact centers, easily tripling or quadrupling results, from improving digital customer acquisition to managing post-sale customer relationship. Delivering proactive outbound engagement in a game-changer product, Consilium UniCampaign™ is an omnichannel List and Campaign Management (LCM) solution which complements the strength and robustness of Cisco's Outbound Dialer with the implementation of multichannel (voice, email, and SMS) outbound contact strategies. The new 7th release of UniCampaign™ is designed to automate all elements of outbound campaign execution, including business workflows, prioritization of contact channels, and handling responses from contacted leads via multiple channels. UniCampaign™ provides a turbo boost for Cisco contact centers outbound dialing with the most powerful set of multi-level filters and threshold-based campaigns, real-time one-touch control over stopping and resuming dialing, and across-the-board actions which can be applied to all campaigns or selectively. The Consilium Callback Manager module, known as UniCBM™, is an intuitive callback management solution integrated within UniCampaign™ for contact centers to end long hold times for customers during peak call hours. Our customers wanted to create data-driven outbound contact rules, based on client profile and propensity modeling, data on digital interaction preferences, and insights from external data sources such as CRMs and social media. UniCampaign™ has native integration with CRMs like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics to drive seamless import and export of calling data and dialing in a FIFO (first-in, first-out) or LIFO (last-in, first-out) fashion. If your CRM already has integration to online channels such as your website, Instagram, or Facebook, your online leads can get qualified by preconfigured business rules and called, emailed, and / or texted without any human intervention. UniCampaign™ is trusted by 100’s of clients across key verticals, ranging from top Fortune 500 and global organizations to industry-leading startups, helping them provide an entire canvass to communicate with customers, whether it is for sales through web or social media campaigns, deepening loyalty, improving cross-sell purchases, or debt collections resulting in proactive customer experience (CX) across all outbound digital channels. New features at a glance • Right Party Connect Optimization (RPCO) to make result-oriented calls that meet business objectives • Option to monitor real-time progress of each campaign using UniCampaign™ Dashboard • Multi-campaign disposition where agents can disposition call outcomes independently for each campaign • Enables Right Party Connect (RPC) by displaying all campaigns mapped to a specific contact • Multiple emails and SMS campaign templates for sending appropriate emails and broadcast SMS • Callback Manager (UniCBM™) to reduce the impact of customer abandon rates and calls waiting in queue, resulting in higher customer satisfaction

7.)

contactSPACE contactSPACE Dialer software that makes customer contact pain free, so your team aren’t worried about complex technology and can focus on what they do best. Dramatically increase agent productivity using a variety of dialers, combined with AI, leveraging data-driven contact strategies to ensure the right agent is contacting your customers at the right time. Take control, and ensure your team are on-message by designing the perfect agent interface with a drag-n-drop visual WYSWYG editor. Rotate CLIDs, and auto-wrap certain calls to ensure maximum agent productivity and performance.

8.)	CTCOMM Genesys PureConnect Genesys PureEngage Tegsoft

9.)

Cloud IT Services GmbH Dialfire Companies of all sizes rely on the cloud-based call center platform Dialfire and its powerful predictive dialer. Dialfire is ready to use within minutes and easily personalizable. From small ad-hoc to large multi-step campaigns, Dialfire offers high scalability. Adapt customer masks and automate workflows per mouse click. Integrated scripting and APIs ensure a smooth connection with external systems.

10.)

Megacall Megadialer With Megadialer you will get a customized call center software. With the creation of personalized questions, surveys and sales script you will have the information you need from your customers quickly and efficiently. Improve the performance of your agents with a 100% online contact center, real-time analytics and predictive dialer to optimize the time between one call and another. All rates include: Instant Call Reports On-Demand Recording Call Supervisor Call Layout after Completion Your Own Caller ID Call Monitor Automatic Re-Calls Automatic sending of Mails Incoming Call Management Real-time Activity Panels Call Lists for Agents Different Levels of Administration

11.)

Noetica SmartBound™ Advanced outbound solution including predictive dialing, featuring patented technologies such as Live Person Detection (LPD™) and SNoDrop™ using Artificial Intelligence to deliver compliant & effective predictive dialing with 0% abandoned call rates. The solution includes its own CRM system as well as visual campaign creation and management as well as automated data import and export capabilities. The package comes with highly visual and open call scripting technology and an SDK (Software Development Kit) is also available for embedding the dialer into your own user front end.

12.)

Nuxiba Technologies CenterWare Discover Nuxiba's all-in-one dialer solutions. Either predictive or automatic, our software adapts to your business needs with a powerful and easy-to-use system. We offer TCPA compliance options, so you never have to worry about issues with the law and PCI Data Security so you can protect your cardholder's data information during every call. Stop worrying about technicalities and focus on the most valuable aspect: giving the best service and customer experience with our intuitive features. All of our features and modules are fully adaptable to any business needs. Obtain the benefits of using software fully tailored to your business, start saving money, and boosting your productivity.

13.)

PhoneBurner PhoneBurner Reach more contacts, in less time with PhoneBurner. Powering thousands of client and millions of calls, our cloud-based software eliminate repetitive tasks so agents have up to 4x more live conversations. Unlike other dialers, PhoneBurner delivers 100% delay-free connections with no awkward pause. Conversations start off with promise, not hangups. - Call 60-80 contacts per hour, per agent - Instantly leave voicemails - Send 1-touch emails - Automate workflows and call logging - Record and transfer calls - Access reporting and analytics - Intelligently distribute leads - Dial from local Caller IDs - Get free white-glove onboarding Scales to any size team with no contracts, no setup fees, and no per minute charges. Start a free trial without a credit card.

14.)

PrimoDialler Predictive Dialler A predictive dialler is an outbound call system that automatically dials from a list of telephone numbers. Also known as Power or Auto dialers it will automatically help agents make more calls, generate higher rates of connections, increase conversions, manage voicemail, no-answers and disconnected numbers. We’ve made it easy to get started, we offer packages to best suit your needs and don't tie you into long term contracts. Don't take our word for it take out a no-commitment free trial!

15.)

Teckinfo Solutions Pvt. Ltd. InterDialog UCCS The InterDialog Dialer is an independent & intelligent auto dialer software that controls the outbound calls using various algorithms. This call center dialer works as Predictive Dialer Software, Progressive Dialer Software, Preview Dialer Software or Power Dialer Software based on the requirement of the process. It allows the system to create groups/caller lists and then dials out to multiple calling groups/lists at the same time, thus helping target a wider market segment in a shorter period of time. The predictive dialer software and automatic dialer algorithms used by the InterDialog Dialer are designed to improve efficiency by lowering the wait time, the number of dropped calls and t... (read more)The InterDialog Dialer is an independent & intelligent auto dialer software that controls the outbound calls using various algorithms. This call center dialer works as Predictive Dialer Software, Progressive Dialer Software, Preview Dialer Software or Power Dialer Software based on the requirement of the process. It allows the system to create groups/caller lists and then dials out to multiple calling groups/lists at the same time, thus helping target a wider market segment in a shorter period of time. The predictive dialer software and automatic dialer algorithms used by the InterDialog Dialer are designed to improve efficiency by lowering the wait time, the number of dropped calls and the idle time of agents. They are configured to allow the Dialer to decide which group to call, which agent to divert a connected call to, etc. These decisions are based on various factors such as the approximate duration of a call, the number of agents available, the number of connections, etc.

16.)	Tru29 Outsource Solutions Inc. Custom Outsourced Solutions Tru29 Solutions tailor fits a dialer solution that will truly suit your needs.

17.)

voiptime Voiptime Contact Center Our contact center solution allows processing the high volume of client requests from different channels (voice, webchat, email, web callbacks), running massive outbound dialing campaigns, and makes all call center operations visible for management. Voiptime Cloud Contact Center is a professional calling solution for outbound and inbound calls. It’s a plug-and-play software that immediately increases the productivity of your call center department. With the help of our solution you are able to: - Automate lead prospecting and have 4x more live conversations daily; - Increase the agent occupancy up to 80-90% with the help of the fastest Predictive dialer; - Smooth out the peaks of calls by... (read more)Our contact center solution allows processing the high volume of client requests from different channels (voice, webchat, email, web callbacks), running massive outbound dialing campaigns, and makes all call center operations visible for management. Voiptime Cloud Contact Center is a professional calling solution for outbound and inbound calls. It’s a plug-and-play software that immediately increases the productivity of your call center department. With the help of our solution you are able to: - Automate lead prospecting and have 4x more live conversations daily; - Increase the agent occupancy up to 80-90% with the help of the fastest Predictive dialer; - Smooth out the peaks of calls by running different inbound and outbound tasks on the same agent group; - Track all important KPI and monitor your remote teams work in real-time mode; - Reduce your operational costs and scale up your cloud contact center when required.

 

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