42 Rules for Outsourcing Your Call Center (Geoffrey A. Best)
Problem
Rigid rules can block a better response to changing conditions.
Action
Adjust each rule when evidence shows that another approach works better.
Outcome
The outsourcing program stays practical and responsive.
Chapter: Rules Are Meant to Be Broken
Problem
Outsourcing without a clear reason can add cost and complexity.
Action
State the specific business problem that outsourcing must solve.
Outcome
The decision focuses on measurable business value.
Chapter: Ask "Why Outsource?"
Problem
An unclear approach creates conflicting expectations about control and responsibility.
Action
Define which services to outsource and which responsibilities to retain.
Outcome
Both parties understand the structure of the relationship.
Chapter: Define an Outsourcing Approach
Problem
Service can fail when it does not meet customers' expectations.
Action
Research the speed, quality, and channels that customers want.
Outcome
The outsourced service better meets customer needs.
Chapter: Know Your Customer Expectations
Problem
Poor communication weakens customer trust.
Action
Give customers clear and timely information during every interaction.
Outcome
Customers feel informed and respected.
Chapter: Communication Is the Key to Customer Relationship
Problem
Customers may leave when their preferred contact channel is unavailable.
Action
Support the communication modes that customers use most often.
Outcome
Customers can reach the business more easily.
Chapter: Determine Communication Modes
Problem
Home agents can create quality and security gaps without proper oversight.
Action
Apply clear performance, privacy, and workspace standards to remote agents.
Outcome
Home-based service remains secure and consistent.
Chapter: Govern Work-at-Home Agents
Problem
Unmanaged social messages can leave customer issues unanswered.
Action
Route social media requests into the customer service process.
Outcome
Customers receive consistent support across social channels.
Chapter: Integrate Social Networking
Problem
Poor self-help tools can frustrate customers and increase contact volume.
Action
Test whether customers can complete common tasks without agent help.
Outcome
Customers solve simple problems faster.
Chapter: Evaluate Self-Help Customer Service
Problem
An outsourcing plan can waste resources when it lacks a business target.
Action
Connect each outsourcing decision to a defined business goal.
Outcome
The program produces results that matter to the business.
Chapter: Plan a Strategy to Achieve Business Goals
Problem
An incomplete timeline can cause delays and rushed work.
Action
Estimate each implementation stage based on input from each responsible team.
Outcome
The launch follows a more reliable schedule.
Chapter: Understand Implementation Timelines
Problem
Technology choices can become expensive when their purpose is unclear.
Action
State what each technology must improve before selecting it.
Outcome
Technology spending supports specific service needs.
Chapter: Understand Technology Objectives
Problem
The wrong voice system can reduce call quality or raise costs.
Action
Compare voice options for reliability, quality, capacity, and cost.
Outcome
The selected voice service supports stable customer conversations.
Chapter: Evaluate Voice Communication Options
Problem
Operations drift when teams lack clear performance targets.
Action
Define measurable targets for service, quality, productivity, and cost.
Outcome
Teams can manage daily work against shared expectations.
Chapter: Understand Operational Objectives
Problem
Unmanaged risks can interrupt service or damage customer trust.
Action
Identify likely risks and assign a response to each.
Outcome
The organization can limit the impact of problems.
Chapter: Manage the Potential Impact of Risks
Problem
Major decisions can stall without active executive backing.
Action
Obtain executive agreement on goals, funding, and decision authority.
Outcome
The program receives faster support when issues arise.
Chapter: Get Executive Commitment
Problem
Implementation can fail when technology leaders are not committed.
Action
Gain approval from technology management for resources, architecture, and support.
Outcome
The required systems receive proper technical ownership.
Chapter: Get Technology Management Commitment
Problem
Unstructured work makes important tasks easy to miss.
Action
Use defined stages, owners, reviews, and approval points.
Outcome
The implementation becomes easier to control.
Chapter: Use a Structured Methodology
Problem
Incorrect requirements lead to unsuitable services and costly changes.
Action
Review each requirement with business, operations, and technology owners.
Outcome
The selected solution reflects actual needs.
Chapter: Validate Requirements
Problem
Unplanned provider systems can create integration and support problems.
Action
Document the technologies the provider must supply, operate, and maintain.
Outcome
The provider environment supports the required service.
Chapter: Plan Outsourcer Technologies
Problem
A hidden dependency can delay or stop the service.
Action
List all systems, networks, suppliers, and data sources required for operation.
Outcome
Teams can address dependencies before they cause failures.
Chapter: Identify Dependent Technology
Problem
An unclear deployment process increases launch errors.
Action
Specify how changes will be tested, approved, released, and reversed.
Outcome
New services enter production with fewer disruptions.
Chapter: Define the Deployment Process
Problem
Long or confusing IVR menus waste customer time.
Action
Offer a short menu that leads quickly to the right service.
Outcome
Customers reach useful help with less effort.
Chapter: Use Your IVR Wisely
Problem
Basic routing can send customers to agents who cannot help them.
Action
Use customer data and contact reasons to select the best available agent.
Outcome
More issues are resolved during the first contact.
Chapter: Route the Call with Intelligence
Problem
Unclear security expectations expose customer and company information.
Action
Document required controls for access, data, systems, and facilities.
Outcome
Both parties protect information under consistent standards.
Chapter: Establish Security Guidelines
Problem
Written controls fail when employees treat security as someone else's job.
Action
Train employees to recognize, prevent, and report security risks.
Outcome
Security becomes a shared daily responsibility.
Chapter: Promote a Security Culture
Problem
Agent computers can expose sensitive information through weak controls.
Action
Restrict desktop access, applications, storage, and data transfers.
Outcome
Customer information is at lower risk at the agent workstation.
Chapter: Define Desktop Security for the Agents
Problem
Reports have little value when they do not guide action.
Action
Include measures that show what happened and who must respond.
Outcome
Managers can correct performance problems sooner.
Chapter: Reports Should Be Actionable
Problem
A vague RFP produces proposals that are difficult to compare.
Action
Describe service, technology, security, staffing, and performance needs clearly.
Outcome
Providers submit more accurate and comparable proposals.
Chapter: RFPs Are Only As Good As Your Requirements
Problem
Small omissions can create major cost or service disputes later.
Action
Review definitions, assumptions, responsibilities, charges, and exceptions before signing.
Outcome
The agreement leaves less room for costly misunderstandings.
Chapter: The Devil Is in the Details
Problem
Numbers alone may not reveal whether a provider will be a good partner.
Action
Combine documented evidence with direct observations of the provider's people and behavior.
Outcome
The final choice reflects both capability and working fit.
Chapter: Go with Your Gut (and Some Analysis)
Problem
Hidden subcontracting reduces control over service quality and security.
Action
Require the provider to disclose every subcontracted service and location.
Outcome
The organization knows who performs and controls the work.
Chapter: Know If the Outsourcer Is Outsourcing
Problem
A weak subcontractor can create the same risks as a weak primary provider.
Action
Evaluate each subcontractor's finances, operations, security, and experience.
Outcome
Third-party risks become visible before work begins.
Chapter: Perform Due Diligence on Subcontractors
Problem
An aggressive launch date can force teams to skip essential work.
Action
Base the schedule on the actual effort required for hiring, training, testing, and integration.
Outcome
The service launches with fewer avoidable problems.
Chapter: Be Realistic about Implementation
Problem
An unrealistic staffing model causes long waits or high costs.
Action
Check workload forecasts, schedules, skill needs, shrinkage, and turnover assumptions.
Outcome
Staffing better matches expected customer demand.
Chapter: Review the Outsourcer Staffing Model
Problem
Delayed reports can hide service failures until customers are affected.
Action
Monitor queues, staffing, system status, and service levels throughout the day.
Outcome
Teams can correct operational problems quickly.
Chapter: Stay Involved in Real-Time
Problem
Measuring only calls can hide poor experiences in other channels.
Action
Collect customer feedback from voice, email, chat, social media, and self-help services.
Outcome
The organization sees customer satisfaction across the full service experience.
Chapter: Monitor Customer Satisfaction in All Media
Problem
Performance numbers cannot show whether agents handle conversations well.
Action
Evaluate a representative sample of calls against clear quality standards.
Outcome
Coaching targets the behaviors that most affect customer service.
Chapter: Monitor Call Quality
Problem
Silence during a failure creates confusion and delays recovery.
Action
Tell affected teams what failed, what is being done, and when the next update will arrive.
Outcome
People can respond effectively while technicians restore service.
Chapter: Communicate When Technology Breaks
Problem
Business needs and service conditions will change after the contract begins.
Action
Use a clear process to assess, approve, price, and implement changes.
Outcome
The outsourcing arrangement stays aligned with current needs.
Chapter: Things Change
Problem
A major disruption can stop customer service without a tested recovery plan.
Action
Create and test plans for backup staff, sites, systems, networks, and communications.
Outcome
Customer service recovers faster after a disaster.
Chapter: Disasters Happen
Problem
General advice cannot cover every condition in a specific outsourcing program.
Action
Turn experience, results, and lessons into rules that fit your organization.
Outcome
Future decisions benefit from a practical record of what works.
Chapter: These Are My Rules. What Are Yours?