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These Top 5 Call Center Service Providers for SMEs will Show Us Why Offshore Outsourcing is Better.
There are many things to consider when looking for the perfect call center service provider for your small business.
- What is the most affordable?
- Do BPO companies have a minimum?
- Can you get a small team for your call center service?
All these questions and more bother most business owners when outsourcing.
This article will discuss the top 5 US-based call center service providers for SMEs. We will also cite why some small businesses hesitate to work with them.
Contact Communication
Contact Communication is a US-based call center service provider for SMEs. They specialize in inbound call centers and have been in business for over 20 years.
The best thing about this inbound service provider is their seven-day, no-obligation free trial. This should be a must for all BPO companies offering their assistance to SMEs. Some of these small businesses do not have experience in outsourcing.
Therefore, they have no idea what the outcome will be when outsourcing. This option will give them an overview of what’s coming when they consider your service.
Their pricing is also exceptional, which starts at $40 per month. Although this is not the most affordable, it is still cheaper than most on this list. On top of that, this company is also HIPAA Business Associate Compliant. It means they will guarantee privacy in the phone conversation between your business and your clients.
It’s almost like Contact Communication has no flaws whatsoever. So what’s the catch? They have the highest call increment of all companies in this list. They will random every excess call after a minute to 30 seconds. This could significantly increase what you’re paying per month.
Another pain point of this company is their limitation with their service. As an SME looking to outsource, you’re looking for a company that can do anything for you. Unfortunately, Contact Communication is not built for flexibility. Their only focus is inbound call center service.
Signius Communications
Signius Communication is an inbound call center service provider with over a decade of experience servicing SMEs. Unlike the first on the list, they will charge you per minute. Their rate starts at $0.82/minute, depending on your plan.
They will not charge you for the basic plan when you outsource. Besides that, their contract is very flexible, and you can change it as your call volume increases or decreases.
They also have a HIPAA-compliant certificate for data privacy. Although, they also have few services to offer, which are just limited to inbound call centers.
Despite the “no charge” promo for setting up the basic accounts. There is no option to personalize the service. You must pay extra to update your agents into integrated customer relationship management (CRM).
They also have a 12-second increment for their service. Although not as big as the 30-second for Contact Communication, remember that your rate is per minute. You will pay more unless you control your average handling time (AHT). But, managing your AHT will result in a horrible customer service experience.
Five Star Call Centers
Five Star Call Centers offers the most versatile service among this list’s five call center service providers. They’re also the longest-running business with more than 35 years of experience under their belt.
This company offers both shared and dedicated services for SMEs. The pricing of their shared agents costs $0.80-$0.90 per minute. Meanwhile, if you want agents to focus on your brand alone, you c your dedicated service. Five Start’s dedicated agents cost $26 per hour.
They have a lot of accolades and awards. Most of them are about being the fastest growing company which is odd when you think how long they are in the business. In addition to that, they also don’t have any information about certification from standardization bodies like HIPAA and ISO.
Despite the flexibility, they have one of the most expensive services on this list. This company’s most significant weak point is its $3,000 monthly minimum. This is not a great start if you’re a start-up business with limited funds for outsourcing.
Besides, you still need to pay for services usually included in the package. ConsideringThis is already a big red flag considering their monthly minimum is, this is ale, you have to pay $26 for training your dedicated call center agents.
Another unfair trait of this call center service provider is their annual contract. Although, you have a 90-day-opt-out clause which has no cancellation fee. But imagine if you decided the price is too much after the opt-out clause. So maybe this company is not for SMEs with a tiny budget for outsourcing.
TeleDirect
If you want to outsource only during peak season, then TeleDirect is the perfect company for you. They have no long-term contracts, which is great if you only want to use them when your call volume is not manageable.
They have a prepaid package of minutes. Their minimum package is 300 minutes for $387 or $1.29 per minute. You can get a refund worth 80% of your remaining time if you cancel your subscription.
TeleDirect is almost 30 years in business. Thus, they provide versatile services to their clients, such as inbound and outbound call centers. They also have certification from ISO and HIPPA, which is a great attribute, mainly to ensure the safety of your information.
However, you need to maintain usage of 29 minutes monthly to keep your account active. This is not advisable if you have an erratic volume of phone calls which is typical for SMEs.
In addition, you also need to pay extra if you want to avail some core features that are usually included in the base price. Such core features include phone monitoring and quality assurance. This trait resembles Five Star Call Centers’ exclusion on their package.
Go Answer
This call center provider is hard to rate because of the limited information on their website. There’s no telling how many years they are in the business and their affiliations. However, some of their features are hard to resist. That’s why we still include Go Answer on this list.
For starters, their shared agent packages are on a monthly subscription. On top of that, they have a 30-day, risk-free trial. This is the most extended free trial on this list, considering all these companies provide services for SMEs.
Another good thing about their service is their dedicated agents. They have the most affordable pricing amongst the companies here at $14.50 per hour. They also don’t have a tiered service. Regardless of the package, you can get all the services available for your operation.
You may find their outbound call center service a bit rocky despite this. It is because they need first to study the demographics of your clients before providing an outbound agent for your campaign. Thus, it defeats the purpose of a fast onboarding process and a 30-day trial.
Moreover, they have a requirement team of five dedicated agents working an eight-hour shift before setting up your operation. So, their per-minute usage rates only become competitive if you have a higher call volume.
Also, their website offers limited information about any affiliation or certification. Therefore, you need to get all the information you want by calling them over the phone. They don’t have a live chat service that you can contact. It might take time to evaluate them, especially if you are just in the research phase.
Final Verdict
According to the data above, all of the call center service providers mentioned have their strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the needs of your business, you might need to assess them further or look for other providers.
Call Center Services Company: Onshore vs Offshore?
All companies mentioned above are US-based call center providers. Hence, prices are naturally higher compared to those outsourcing overseas.
SMEs outsourcing with US or onshore outsourcing aims to localize the company’s identity. Accent and English-language is a significant issue if you offshore your service.
That might be true if you outsource your business in India. They have a proficiency score of 496 which is considerably low by world standards. They ranked 50 out of 100 countries worldwide and the top 8 in Asia. This country is famous because of the large number of BPO employees.
Currently, they have over 4 million BPO workers, most of whom are in the IT industry. Few agents work in any voice account because of their thick accents and unconventional English cadence.
Meanwhile, if you want quality service at an affordable price, then go to the Philippines. After all, they are the Call Center Capital of the World. They have a high proficiency in the English language, with a score of 562. They are also top 2 in Asia and 27 out of 100 countries surveyed.
This data shows you don’t have to compromise your quality to get an affordable service. Filipino call center agents are also perfect for customer service because of their patience and empathy toward your customers. 33% of customers abandoned a company because of the agent’s lack of personality.
Call Center Support Services Trends This 2021
If you plan to outsource your small business, you must start immediately. According to a survey, demand for call center companies will increase in 2027. The estimated revenue during that year will balloon to $500 billion.
This figure came after businesses realized the importance of remote work and customer service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many corporations tend to find solutions for managing remote work while cost-cutting due to lower demands on some products. Thus, they turned to outsourcing to hit two goals with one action.
The volume of the calls coming might not be attainable in the future. So, many are also shifting to automated processes. The current estimated cost of IVR technology in call centers is roughly $930 million. This price could go as high as $3.1 billion in the next decade.
Chat support is also an in-demand service for many SMEs. This industry could potentially grow by 87% next year. As such, you must find a partner BPO company to assist you before the demand increases. Get a third-party service provider with an exceptional chat support agent.
Excellent Provider of Call Center Services for Small Businesses in the Philippines
If you’re looking for the best call center service provider for small businesses th, Magellan Solutions. We guarantee that we’re better than the aforementioned top call center companies. Here’s why:
- Pricing. – Our service is SMEs friendly. While those top companies either have a minimum figure or start-up price, we will base the pricing of the service on your business needs. We offer shared service way more affordable than Five Star and Answer.
- Services. – SMEs are typically outsourcing to maximize their potential. Therefore it is inefficient to partner with a call center provider with limited assistance. At Magellan Solutions, we have inbound and outbound call centers to offer. Besides, you can also outsource your back-office function. You run your business comfortably while we do all the heavy lifting.
- Tenureship. – We have more than 18 years of experience assisting SMEs. While this is not as mature as Five Star and TeleDirect, we have several experiences working with different industries worldwide.
- Affiliation. – We have several certifications from standardization organizations, such as ISO and HIPAA. In addition to that, we have various safety protocols to secure your information. Our technical team is ready for any data breach or phishing scheme.
Contact us today for a 60-minute consultation with our Business Development Managers at zero charges! On top of that, you can get our risk-free seven-day trial to assess our call center service. Please fill out the contact us form below.
