In the realm of Contact Center Outsourcing there are a lot of misunderstandings and myths that seem to swirl around the topic. We're here to discuss 11 of those common misconceptions, from cost to quality, we want to clear the air some, and prove that outsourcing your call center may be the answer to growing your business after all.

Myth 1: Outsourcing my call centers is more expensive than having one in-house

After you take into consideration all of the costs involved in running a call center including: wages, benefits, quality, recruitment, dialer, overhead, and turnover costs … outsourcing is actually cheaper. This is because all of these costs are spread out over all of the call center’s clients, and not just on one business.

Myth 2: The call center I outsource to won’t represent my brand as well as I do.

Call center agents are an extension of your brand. When your company is onboard, specialized agents will be educated about your company, and how to answer calls in a way that will best reflect your specific brand.

Myth 3: No one uses the phone anymore, call centers are outdated.

Call centers remain extremely relevant, and the use of 24/7 answering services is actually growing … even with live chat and social media in the mix. In fact, 80% of customers still get problems resolved over the phone.

Myth 4: Outsourced call centers are all overseas and have foreign agents.

Although some outsourcing is done overseas, outsourcing doesn’t just refer to companies who are based abroad. Companies can outsource domestically as well; and domestic call centers who offer outsourcing services actually create hundreds of local jobs annually.

Myth 5: Call centers are basically telemarketers.

Call centers used to play a larger role in telemarketing than they do today. With the shift towards inbound marketing, call centers are more in place to provide good customer service and give support to customers than to sell you services or products.

Myth 6: Outsourced call centers always leave you on hold for longer.

You are less likely to be put on hold, or not at all, with outsourced call centers. They have the ability to easily grow and shrink to a client’s need and are capable of handling fluctuating call volumes.

Myth 7: My data and information will be more vulnerable if I outsource my call center.

Your data may actually be more secure in outsourced call centers than within your own company. They have to follow sets of rules, and many are compliant with TCAP, FACTA, HIPAA, and other regulations.

Myth 8: Call Centers are awful places to work.

Modern call centers are actually great places to work for any range. They provide communication skills experience, specialized training, and they support and care for their employees. Why?

Happy employees = Happy customers!

Myth 9: I will have better quality, and quality control over calls in-house.

In-house call centers aren’t necessarily better. Even some well-known large companies who have their own call centers are ranked poorly in customer service experience. Outsourced call centers specialize in the industry, and are set up to maintain a high quality of customer service. All calls are screened in order to ensure that they meet company, and client standards.

Myth 10: Only large businesses can benefit from call center outsourcing.

Even small businesses can benefit. In fact, it can help small businesses grow and act bigger than they really are. Call center employees are an extension of the businesses, giving small companies access to more employees, without having to hire them themselves.

Myth 11: My business customer service is too complicated to be handled by an outsourced call center.

Most companies are complicated, in their own way. Each have a set of industry specific terms and intricacies. This is nothing new for the call center industry. Each time a new client is added, call center agents are educated in the industry and company, to act as successful brand-ambassadors for your company.