Call center outsourcing has evolved with technology over the years, but it may not be the right choice for your organization. In a recent call center outsourcing face-off on SearchCRM.com, expert Lori Bocklund
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Take the quiz:
1. This outsourcing term was created to describe the practice of contracting with people in neighboring countries rather than distant ones.
Read the answer on outsourcing close to home
2. This is an area where a business has specific strength -- they might outsource non-essential areas of business, so they can concentrate resources here instead.
Read the answer on which areas to outsource
3. This is the practice of contracting out specific business tasks -- categorized as either front office or back office -- to a service provider.
Read the answer on outsourcing to a service provider
4. Sometimes used as a general gauge of management efficiency, this is a financial term for the profit or cost saving realized as the result of a specific use of money.
Read the answer on savings with call center outsourcing
5. Customer service agents working for one of these might be working anywhere in the world, rather than from their employer's location.
Read the answer on non-central call centers
6. This is an automated program that tries to provide the same service as a customer service representative does for an organization.
Read the answer on automated call center programs
7. This type of outsourcing company provides storage space and related management duties, such as backup and archiving, for other companies.
Read the answer on outsourcing companies
8. Through IP and the public telecom system, this type of network extends a company's intranet to suppliers, vendors, partners, customers or other businesses.
Read the answer on networks for outsourced call centers
9. By including both direct and indirect costs, as well as quantifiable benefits, this calculation can help create a realistic projection of the actual cost for a purchase.
Read the answer on projecting costs of outsourcing
10. Sometimes called "apps-on-tap," this type of solution provides access to applications and services that otherwise would have to be located on your own computers.
Read the answer on software for outsourced call centers
- Read two experts' opposing views in this call center outsourcing face-off
- Read a business case for
outsourcing the call center
Try these other SearchCRM.com call center quizzes:
Customer service and call centers
Call center performance management
Hosted call center
VoIP call center
Email marketing
This was first published in October 2006