For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Twelve Criteria For Contact Center Outsourcers

Questions Companies Need to Ask When Engaging A Contact Center Outsourcer

by Elizabeth Herrell, September 10, 2009

Many companies consider outsourcing their contact center or customer service centers to improve operational efficiencies and to increase customer satisfaction. However, many decision-makers know little about potential contact center outsourcers, and they . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

Telecom And Networks North American Insurance And Banking Contact Center Data  (453 KB PPT)

by Ellen Carney, July 10, 2009

These data charts detail how the global recession has affected telecommunications spending and how contact center spending and support in banking and insurance are affected.

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Are Home Agents Right For Your Contact Center?

Challenges And Benefits Of Supporting Work-At-Home Agents

by Elizabeth Herrell, November 19, 2008

Faced with tight budgets, customer experience managers struggle to provide high-value customer support while also lowering operating costs. Many organizations are taking a closer look at employing home contact center agents to determine if the risks are . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

2008 Contact Center Technology Trends

by Elizabeth Herrell, August 13, 2008

In 2008, contact centers are leaning toward an increased emphasis on self-service and applications that provide greater insight into customer experience. Organizations are also considering how to support their customers more proactively and reach beyond . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

How To Select A Contact Center Outsourcer

Evaluate Both The Outsourcer's Market Position And Vertical Experience

by Elizabeth Herrell, March 18, 2008

If you're selecting a contact center outsourcer, you'll need to look much deeper than a vendor's ability to provide customer support services. Consider a business partner with experience and understanding of the critical customer-care issues in your industry. . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Topic Overview: Offshore Services

by Stephanie Moore, John C. McCarthy, September 24, 2007

The forces driving offshore IT services are undeniably compelling. Companies are under intense pressure to reduce — or at least contain — IT costs. Years of downsizing have resulted in a shortage of skills and the need to improve service. Outsourcing . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Self-Assessment For Contact Centers

Firms Should Perform An Audit Before Making Outsourcing Or Upgrade Decisions

by Elizabeth Herrell, June 12, 2007

Providing quality customer service is a critical success factor for most organizations, but contact center managers often face the challenge of managing contact center upgrades on limited budgets. Organizations must make strategic decisions when considering . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Outsourcing Contact Centers: Protect Your Customers' Experience Upfront

They Are Still Your Customers, So Don't Let An Outsourcer Drive Them Away

by Elizabeth Herrell, May 8, 2007

When considering outsourcing agreements for contact centers, it is especially important to develop contract terms and conditions that reflect your operational requirements to ensure that customer service supports your company's objectives. For many global . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Hosted Contact Centers: Benefits And Risks

What To Consider When Evaluating Hosted Contact Centers

by Elizabeth Herrell, November 7, 2006

As companies migrate to converged voice and data networks, many also consider hosted or leased solutions to provide advanced networking capabilities and technical expertise for implementing IP contact centers. Hosted solutions allow customer service executives . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Offshoring Contact Centers: Identifying Locations

How To Compare And Select A Site That Best Suits Your Customer Base

by Elizabeth Herrell, May 24, 2006

Many contact centers' directors consider offshoring to reduce customer care operational costs. When evaluating offshoring customer support centers, companies need to decide which services to offshore and where to locate them. Companies will realize the . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: TRG

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

TRG is best suited for customers who want to customize their contact center solutions according to their specific business requirements. It provides a wide mix of tailored transaction support for inbound, outbound, and IT services that support customers' . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: TeleTech

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

TeleTech has a history of serving very large global firms that want customized contact center solutions. It offers a wide range of services for outsourced and hosted contact centers and is also finding opportunities to serve midsize and large companies . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: SITEL

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

SITEL is best suited for companies that are looking for advanced solutions. Its contact center solutions cover the following broad categories: customer care, sales/customer acquisition, technical support/help desk, risk management/collections, back-office . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: EDS

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

EDS is best suited to clients who are looking for integrated services that support business process optimization (BPO). EDS supports a broad range of contact center services, including sales, customer services, technical support, help desk, and employee . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: SR.Teleperformance

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

SR.Teleperformance is best suited for companies that are looking for a full spectrum of customer relationship management (CRM) and business process optimization (BPO) contact center solutions. It offers an extensive portfolio of services that includes . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: ClientLogic

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

ClientLogic is best suited for firms that need support for a high level of personalized interactions. It offers customers a full range of fully integrated services for both self-service and assisted services, including customer service, sales/upsell/cross-sell, . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: Convergys

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

Convergys is best suited for customers who are looking for a best-value solution. It offers a comprehensive set of outsourced multichannel contact center solutions, including sales, customer care, employee care, product support, help desk, business intelligence, . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: ICT GROUP

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

ICT GROUP is best suited for customers who require a broad range of transaction services for customer management. It provides a comprehensive mix of customer care, retention, technical support, acquisition, upselling/cross-selling, market research, and . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: West Corporation

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

West Corporation supports multiple types of inbound services, interactive services, Internet services, receivables management, and conferencing services. Its services include live agent, home agent, and automated interactive voice response (DTMF and speech) . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Scorecard Summary: PRC

Key Findings From "The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005"

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

PRC is best suited for clients who desire multifaceted customer care. It provides customer management support — from customer targeting and acquisition to care, retention, and growth. PRC's B2C division also supports nearly every transaction type: basic . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers, Q4 2005

Evaluation Of Top Multichannel Contact Center Outsourcers Across 47 Criteria

by Elizabeth Herrell, December 12, 2005

Most enterprise customers no longer expect one-dimensional support from contact center outsourcers and want to extend these services across multiple channels, including the Web and other self-help services. Companies that outsource their contact centers . . .

Account Theft Undermines Indian BPO

$350,000 Stolen From Customers' Accounts

by John C. McCarthy, April 7, 2005

Yesterday, three former employees of MphasiS BFL's BPO operation Msource along with nine others were arrested after it was reported that they had allegedly stolen more than $350,000 from four customers at one of the largest US financial services institutions. . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Creative Customer Segmentation: Offshore Chatting

by Chip Gliedman, March 11, 2005

Every organization with a large customer contact requirement is balancing the possibility of reducing costs by locating the call center in a lower-cost region, with the possible decrease in customer satisfaction due to a cultural, language, or even accent . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Managed Contact Center Services

Provide Competitive Advantage To Premise-Based Solutions

by Elizabeth Herrell, June 9, 2004

Many carriers are increasing contact center services well beyond toll bypass and CTI services to deliver managed services solutions, which are supported with professional services for design, integration, and management. In addition to providing solutions . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Multishore Contact Centers On The Rise

How To Determine The Right Location For Your Business

by Elizabeth Herrell, May 17, 2004

Many organizations weigh the option of moving their contact centers to offshore locations to lower their cost of operations. Some companies open up offices in offshore locations directly, while others go through call center outsourcers. In their effort . . .