10 Questions to Ask Before Outsourcing Customer Service
Before outsourcing customer service, companies should test how a provider will handle quality, staffing, security, technology, scalability and accountability.
These ten questions uncover far more than a sales presentation ever will.
1. Who will actually support our customers?
Ask whether agents will be:
- Dedicated
- Shared
- Remote
- Facility-based
- Bilingual
Also ask about agent experience and hiring standards.
2. How will agents be trained?
A provider should explain both initial onboarding and ongoing coaching. Ask:
- Who builds training?
- Who certifies agents?
- How are product updates handled?
- How quickly can new knowledge be deployed?
- CSAT
- FCR
- AHT
- QA
- Response time
- Service level
3. Which KPIs will you own?
Avoid vague commitments to "excellent service." Define measurable objectives such as:
- CSAT
- FCR
- AHT
- QA
- Response time
- Service level
4. How do you monitor quality?
Ask how many interactions are reviewed, who evaluates them and how coaching gets triggered.
Providers using speech and text analytics can analyze a much larger share of interactions than manual sampling alone. Pentafon's CX Technology includes speech and text analytics designed to identify patterns and surface service improvement opportunities.
5. How do you protect customer data?
Ask for evidence of controls and certifications. Depending on your industry, this may include:
- ISO 27001
- SOC 2
- PCI DSS
- Access controls
- Encryption
- Monitoring
- Incident-response procedures
6. What happens when volume spikes?
A strong provider should know how much capacity it can add and how quickly. Do not accept "we can scale" without numbers and a process behind it.
7. Which systems can you integrate with?
Document:
- CRM
- Ticketing platform
- Telephony
- Knowledge base
- Ecommerce platform
- Payment systems
- Analytics
Technology gaps discovered after the contract signing can delay implementation significantly.
. How is pricing calculated?
Ask exactly what triggers a bill. Is pricing based on:
- Hours
- Agents
- Minutes
- Contacts
- Resolutions
- Outcomes
Then ask which expenses sit outside that number.
Read our guide to customer service outsourcing pricing models.
9. What happens when performance misses the SLA?
Every provider can explain what happens when things go well. Ask what happens when they don’t. Look for:
- Escalation procedures
- Remediation plans
- Executive governance
- Service credits
- Root-cause analysis
10. What does the first 90 days look like?
Request an implementation plan. It should cover:
- Discovery
- Process mapping
- Technology integration
- Recruiting
- Training
- Certification
- Pilot
- Ramp
- Optimization
If a provider can’t explain implementation clearly before the contract is signed, execution is unlikely to become any clearer afterward.
One final question for your own company
Before choosing a vendor, ask: What business outcome are we trying to improve?
If the answer is simply "cheaper agents," the outsourcing strategy is incomplete. The goal might instead be:
- Lower cost per resolution
- 24/7 availability
- Higher FCR
- Faster response
- Bilingual coverage
- Increased scalability
Once the outcome is clear, vendor selection becomes much easier.
Use our guide to choosing a customer service outsourcing company to build your shortlist.