Hello,

After some extensive research and talking to few turnkey solution providers, i have understand a fact that setting up a call center is quite very capital intenisve.

I am interested to hear from you experts as to how could we reduce or minimise the capital required to setup a call center. I am sure many of you have setup a CC or have a part of such a process and made mistakes which has thought you more than a couple of lessons. I'd be very much interested to hear from you as to how can or what factors to kept in mind if i want to keep the capital required to be as MINIMUM as possible without sacrificing anything that goes into setting up a workable call center.

Thank you very much for your very valuable time.

Cheers
Raj
91 80 31811052
raj@dotglum.com

Raj
I hope you are in final stage or not yet started. if you need any clarification contact me.

vijay
vijayone@hotmail.com
0044-7984017166

Hello Raj

Consorte provides inbound call centre routing solutions from the network cloud and as such does not require you to investin extensive technology.

Provided you can supply a DDI phone number we can deliver an extensive service. At approx 10% of the cost of traditional supply.

Can't get much better than that.

regards,

Paul

Hello Paul James,

The service you are providing is interesting.Do you have similiar solutions for out-bound too ? Kindly let me know

Thanks :)
Prem

Hi Prem

We offer CPS services for outbound rates and voice quality are good but not cheapest. See the www.contactcentres.com web site for best in class dialers.
We do have an automated call back in queue facility which deals with peaks in inbound call volume. The caller is asked to leave a number they wished to be called back on. Once thier queue ticket reaches the front of the queue we engage an agent and make the outbound call. The caller is given the option as soon as they enter a queue above the threshold time or number of callers so they do not have to wait before being given the option.

regards,

Paul

Hello Raj and Prem,

Sounds like you are keen on setting up cost effective turnkey solutions. Have you ever considered outsourcing your call centres to businesses in South Africa. Research shows that this is one of the most cost effective and viable options for companies as South Africa has the resources and infrastrucutre to support large call centre operations. We are already seeing a large move for US and UK companies to set up their operations in South Africa.
Just a thought. If you would like more info please feel free to contact me.

Regards
Christopher Mills
+27 83 653 2992
Chris.Mills@paladin-consulting.co.za

@Vijay : Yes, we are very much in the startup stage, doing the leg work. How could you be of help to us ?!

@Paul : can i know, how to contact you by email preferably !?

Thanks for your help

Hi Raj

The link on the website should work but feel free to mail me on paul.james@consorte.com

regards,

Paul

Hi, there are plenty of options available to reduce capital costs for setting up call centers which would in part cover technology, asp models, real estate, hr, not such an easy question to answer in a bulletin board. Feel free to email me at raj@smcyber.com for a reply. I can help you all here. We are managing a 120 seater call center in Hyderabad for over 1 year and are currently in the position to provide solutions to call centers both in terms of technology and outsourced business.

Let me suggest an option that may not have been mooted yet:

Don't set a call center up.

Why should you do that spending up-front? If you have the business to support a call center, just watch and wait. Sooner or later, an outsourcing call center you are monitoring will fail, either because it is mismanaged, because of HR problems, or because it could not get enough business to survive.

Then step in, and make an offer. Attempt to aggressively renegotiate any existing contracts the CC has (lease, etc.) The counterparties' choice is your price, or having to find another lessee (for example). If they won't negotiate, just walk. Once the CC goes under, wait a while and offer them even less.

Retain the staff you want. Unless your local labour law prevents it, get rid of the ones you don't want. Ensure that your legal talent/political fixers see to it that the deal is airtight, that you are not buying someone else's liabilities.

Technology, etc., is all very well, but without the *business* to turn that investment into returns, technology is worth less than nothing.

Lest this advice sound nasty, consider this-- you will be stepping in to rescue someone from a costly lesson. A market in 'distressed' call centers works to the advantage of everyone running them.

I agree with Wiggle Puss, watch, wait and pounce....but with one added caveat; ensure you have a complex understanding of the reasons why it failed and ensure that not only are these issues not duplicated but your strategies far surpass them.
Otherwise the only elephants you'll see wont be Indian but white.

Leasing a Call Center is a great idea specially if you can get a call center that lends its expertise to providing support for HR, Ops, Management and tends to reduce your learning curve. I know of one that also bundles infrastructure and services as an incubator for new entrepreneurs or corporates.