The call center setup checklist provides steps for starting a call center, including setting goals, estimating call volume, choosing software and staff, optimizing features, and creating a recovery plan. LiveAgent is recommended as a reliable software option.
Call Center
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Call center setup checklist
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A call center is a form of customer service that has been around for decades. It’s an integral part of any business, but setting up and implementing one can be tricky.
This guide will help you set up your call center in the most efficient way possible. We’ll provide tips from finding your team members, all the way down to what software you should use to run it.
The importance of a call center setup checklist
A call center
can be a huge boon to any business, but conversely, it can be a disaster if not set up correctly. That’s why having a call center setup checklist is so important. It will help you ensure that everything is in order before agents
start answering calls.
Go through all the stages of setting up a call center to make sure that every step is done correctly. The aim of this guide is simple: to help you set up your own call center and run it successfully.
Who can benefit from a call center setup checklist?
business owners – to help them run their call center as efficiently and effectively as possible
center agents – to help them understand the process of setting up and implementing a call center
call center managers – to help them set up an efficient call center
Are you in one of these groups? If so, keep reading.
Explore the setting up a call center checklist
Call center setup checklist
Before you launch your call center, define your business goals clearly. This will help guide your decisions along the way.
Why is setting goals important?
When you’re setting up a call center, it’s easy to get sidetracked. You may want to add too many features or change the goal of your call center halfway through implementation. Setting goals in advance helps you prepare a business plan and meet all the requirements.
How to handle setting goals?
Decide which products and services you will sell from the call center. It’s essential to have a clear goal in mind.
Determine the size of your call center. How many agents will you need? Think of the smallest and the ideal number. This will help you determine how much space and equipment you’ll need.
Define what type of customer service you want to offer.
Consider how your call center will fit into the organization, e.g. is it an independent department or a part of another one? What are its goals and objectives in relation to other departments, if any?
Setting up your own call center based on your own needs is vital as every business is different and has its own methods.
Which tools to use for setting the goals of your call center?
Asana or similar project management tools can help you plan and organize your call center’s goals.
Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) software like Salesforce or LiveAgent can help you manage your leads and track each agent’s goals and objectives.
One of the most critical steps in setting up an inbound or outbound call center
is estimating the number of calls that will be made and received. This will help you figure out how many agents you need, as well as what type of software and equipment you’ll require.
Why is estimating the number of calls important?
It’s essential to know how many calls your call center will make and receive daily, weekly, and monthly. So that you can adequately staff your call center and set up the necessary equipment.
How to estimate the number of calls?
Survey customers – ask them what services they would like to see offered through a call center.
Look at your customer service logs – how many calls do you currently receive? This is a good starting point for estimating the number of future calls.
Review your website analytics – which pages get the most traffic, and what are people looking for on your website? This will help you determine which of your website visitors are likely to call.
These three methods complement each other, and using all of them is crucial for getting a complete picture of the calls that will be made in the future.
Which tools to use for estimating the number of calls?
Call center software
like Callfire, LiveAgent, or predictive dialers like Noble Systems can help you estimate the number of calls that will be made and received.
The call center design
you decide to go for should best suit your and your customers’ needs. There are two types of call center setups: on-site and virtual. The former have agents, hardware, and software all stored and operated within your business, whereas the latter is hosted by a phone company on an offsite server.
Why is it important to determine the setup type?
The setup type is vital to the success of your call center. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages that you must weigh up before deciding.
How to determine the setup type for my business?
On-site call centers
are generally better for businesses that have a lot of customer service needs or want more control over their agents. However, they require more space and equipment.
Virtual call centers
are suitable for businesses with limited budgets or those that offer customer service 24/7. No physical location is required as they use a cloud to store all the data, which also means such organizations can be more flexible and scalable (agents can have access to the software wherever they are).
The best way to determine the setup type for your business is to ask yourself a few questions:
Do you have employees that work remotely?
What type of equipment do you have or plan to purchase?
How many calls do you anticipate receiving each day/week/month?
What is the budget for your call center?
Answering these questions will help you determine if an on-site or virtual call center is a better fit for your business.
Which tools to use for determining the setup type?
Check the offers of different setups – for example, go to the LiveAgent website and check what the possibilities are and which one would work best for your business.
Phone systems can be very costly. They are expensive to purchase and maintain, so choosing an adequate business phone system is essential for any business that wants to run a successful call center.
Why is evaluating the costs of the phone system important?
It is crucial to evaluate the costs of the phone system because doing so will help you determine which system is best for your business. There are many different types of phone systems available, and each one has its own benefits and drawbacks.
How to evaluate the costs of a phone system?
To evaluate the cost of a phone system, you should consider the following:
the price of the phone system itself
the costs of maintaining the phone system
additional features and call center services that are available
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Instead, you need to consider the needs of your business and the type of phone system that will best meet those needs.
What are the most common phone systems available on the market?
Voice Over Internet Protocol (virtual VoIP) Phone Systems
Traditional phone lines
Hosted PBX Systems
IP PBX Systems
Once you have decided to run an on-site or virtual call center
, the next step is determining how much money and staffing will be required.
Why is it important to estimate budget and staffing requirements?
The budget and staffing requirements for your call center are essential to determining how much money and manpower you will need to get your call center up and running. This information is also essential when fundraising or hiring employees.
How to estimate budget and staffing requirements?
To estimate the budget and staffing requirements for your call center, you need to consider the following:
the money required for setting up the call center
the costs of maintaining the call center
the number of employees required
the type of employees needed
take into account all shifts, staff absences, and days off
You can create a realistic call center budget and staffing plan by answering these questions.
Tip: When creating your budget and staffing plan, it is important to remember that these numbers will change over time. As your call center grows, you may need to add more employees or upgrade your equipment. Make sure you are prepared for these changes so your call center can continue to run smoothly.
Which tools to use for estimating budget and staffing requirements?
predications
call volume forecasting
There are many different types of call center software
available on the market. It is important to choose the right software for your call center to run your business effectively.
Why is deciding on the type of call center software important?
Choosing the right call center software
is crucial since the available solutions differ in cost, deployment model, maintenance, scalability, and robustness. You need to find the one that suits your business best.
How to decide on the type of call center software?
You should consider the following factors when choosing the type of call center software
you need:
The number of agents working in your call center – the amount of software required depends on how many people will be answering calls. If you have a large number of employees, then it’s likely that more advanced call center software will be required.
How much data will there be – not all call center software can deal with a large amount of data. If your call center is going to be handling a lot of customer information, you need to make sure the software can handle this load.
What type of reporting is needed – different types of businesses need different styles of reports. Make sure the software you choose can provide the kind of reports you need.
What type of customer service is required – some call center software provides live customer support while others do not. Make sure the software you choose meets your needs.
Which call center software should you choose?
on-premises – installed on your company’s computers
cloud-based – hosted by a third party and accessed online
hosted – installed on the provider’s computers
browser-based – accessed through a website
Once you have decided on the type of call center software, it’s time to choose a provider. There are many different providers available, so it’s important to do your research and find the one that best suits your needs.
Why is choosing a software provider important?
The software provider you choose will have a significant impact on the success of your call center. Make sure to select a provider that offers the features and support you need.
How to choose a software provider?
When choosing a software provider, you should consider the following:
The features offered – make sure the provider offers all the features you need.
The price – compare prices between different providers to find the best deal.
The support offered – make sure the provider offers 24/7 support in case you have any problems.
The scalability – make sure the provider can scale up or down as your call center grows.
Which tools to use for choosing a software provider?
comparison websites
reviews
free trials
Once you have chosen your call center software, it’s time to optimize its features. This will help you get the most out of your investment.
Why is optimizing call center features important?
Optimizing call center features helps you get the most out of your software and improve the efficiency of your call center.
How to optimize call center features?
Set up IVR – Interactive Voice Response (IVR) allows customers to navigate through a menu of options to reach the right department.
Configure call routing – make sure calls are routed to the right agents based on their skills and availability.
Set up call recording – record calls for quality assurance and training purposes.
Enable call monitoring – allow supervisors to listen in on calls and provide feedback.
Which tools to use for optimizing call center features?
LiveAgent’s built-in features
IVR systems
call routing software
Hiring the right staff is crucial to the success of your call center. You need to find people who are skilled, motivated, and able to handle the demands of the job.
Why is hiring the right staff important?
The staff you hire will have a direct impact on the quality of customer service your call center provides. Make sure to hire people who are skilled and motivated.
How to hire call center staff?
Define the job requirements – clearly outline the skills and qualifications needed for the role.
Post job listings – advertise the position on job boards and social media.
Conduct interviews – interview candidates to assess their skills and fit for the role.
Check references – verify the candidate’s work history and qualifications.
Which tools to use for hiring call center staff?
job boards
recruitment software
interview scheduling tools
Training your team is essential to ensure they can handle any situation that arises. This includes both technical training and soft skills training.
Why is training important?
Proper training ensures that your agents can handle customer inquiries effectively and provide a consistent level of service.
How to train your call center team?
Provide product training – make sure agents understand the products and services they will be supporting.
Teach soft skills – train agents on communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills.
Conduct role-playing exercises – simulate real-world scenarios to help agents practice their skills.
Provide ongoing training – continue to train agents as new products and procedures are introduced.
Which tools to use for training your team?
learning management systems (LMS)
video conferencing tools
role-playing exercises
Having the right equipment is essential for running an efficient call center. This includes hardware, software, and other tools.
Why is proper equipment important?
The right equipment ensures that your agents can work efficiently and provide a high level of customer service.
What equipment do you need for a call center?
Computers – each agent needs a computer to access the call center software.
Headsets – high-quality headsets are essential for clear communication.
Internet connection – a fast and reliable internet connection is crucial for VoIP calls.
Phones – depending on your setup, you may need physical phones or softphones.
Which tools to use for providing proper equipment?
hardware vendors
software providers
IT support
Organizing your call center processes is essential for ensuring smooth operations. This includes everything from onboarding new agents to handling complaints.
Why is organizing processes important?
Well-organized processes help ensure that your call center runs smoothly and that agents know what to do in any situation.
What processes do you need to organize?
Many processes need organizing when setting up a call center, including:
the onboarding process – this is how you get new agents up to speed and teach them the basics of the job
training sessions – familiarize all agents with the call center software and procedures
the complaint handling process – train your staff on how to deal with complaints
the reporting process – measure success and track data
Which tools to use for organizing call center processes?
spreadsheets – great for tracking data and organizing information
project management tools – can help you keep track of all your call center processes and ensure that they are completed on time
Model the organizational structure of the call center after your own company’s org chart, which will help agents feel more comfortable in their new jobs. Furthermore, internal communication between departments will be a lot easier.
How to model the organizational structure?
There are many ways to model the organizational structure of a call center, including:
by department – common in large call centers, helps agents specialize in specific tasks
by the process – organizes agents by the type of task they are performing (e.g. customer service, sales, technical support)
by-product or service – categorizes agents by the type of product or service they offer
Which tools to use for modeling the organizational structure?
organizational charts – these can help you visualize the structure of your call center and make it easier to understand
video conferencing solutions such as LiveWebinar
Establishing the right key performance indicators (KPIs) can have a huge impact on the success of a call center.
Why are KPIs important?
By tracking metrics, you can see how your call center performs and identify areas that need improvement. This will help you make data-driven decisions about improving your business operations.
What KPIs should you track?
Some of the most important ones include:
the number of calls answered/received
average handle time
customer satisfaction score
agent productivity
Which tools to use for tracking KPIs?
spreadsheets – great for tracking data and organizing information
performance monitoring tools – can help you track KPIs over time and identify trends
LiveAgent – get insight into agent call performance and all metrics
No matter how well you plan, things can always go wrong in a call center.
Why is having a disaster recovery plan important?
Having a disaster recovery plan in place can quickly get your call center back up and running if something happens. This helps minimize the impact that a crisis can have on your call center operations
.
What should be included in a disaster recovery plan?
steps you will take to recover from a disaster
people who will be responsible for carrying out these steps
tools and resources they will need in order to do so
Which tools to use for creating a robust disaster recovery plan?
assurance call center checklist
To ensure that your call center provides a consistent customer experience, it’s essential to pay more attention to its quality assurance procedures.
Why are quality assurance procedures important?
It helps you track the level of customer service that your call center is providing and identify areas that need improvement.
How to handle quality assurance procedures?
regular customer surveys
reviewing agent call recordings
conducting mystery shopping audits
Which tools to use for establishing customer service quality assurance procedures?
quality assurance software – this can help you track the level of customer service that your call center provides
Before you go live with your outbound/inbound call center
, it’s vital to perform a series of tests to ensure that everything is working correctly.
Why is testing important?
Any existing issues must be identified and fixed before your call center can be accessed by a larger audience. By preparing in advance, you will ensure that nothing goes wrong during the launch.
What should you test?
Before going live, you should test the following:
call flow
call center scripts
routing
technology
Which tools to use for performing tests before going live?
test call center software – this can help you simulate real-world conditions and identify any problems that may exist
test call scripts – check your call flow and scripts
Now that your call center is ready, you can launch it.
Summary of the call center setup checklist
Set the goals and objectives of your call center
Identify and estimate the number of calls
Determine the setup type
Evaluate the costs and benefits of each type to determine which is best
Estimate budget and staffing requirements
Decide on the type of call center software
Choose a software provider based on your needs
Optimize call center features
Hire your call center staff
Train your team for any potential incidents
Provide your call center with proper equipment
Organize your call center processes
Model the organizational structure of your call center
Setting up a call center can be difficult, but with the right tools, it can be a relatively straightforward process. If you go step by step and check off the points you've already covered, you won't miss anything. By using this method, you can prevent future changes from disrupting your call center, plus you'll save money and effort.
What should launch day look like?
On the day of your call center's launch, make sure everything is in order. All technology should be working properly, while all scripts and procedures should be tested. Be prepared for a few glitches on the first day, but everything should run smoothly with a careful planning process.
What are the steps involved in setting up a call center?
To set up a call center, you must choose the right technology, establish procedures, and perform tests. Our call center setup checklist will walk you through every step of this process.
Can LiveAgent help me start my own call center business?
Yes, LiveAgent can help you start your own call center business. It provides all the tools and resources you need to get started, plus our team of experts is available to help you every step of the way.
What documents are required for call center?
It's vital to clarify that required documents for call center employees may vary based on the industry, country, and company. Generally, they may need identification documents, proof of address, potentially a social security or tax number, and relevant educational qualifications. Individuals should consult their employer or HR for role-specific documentation requirements.
How do I run a successful outbound call center?
A successful outbound call center needs well-trained, motivated agents who can engage consumers positively, supported by ongoing training. Essential tech tools include a reliable CRM system, call tracking, recording software, and predictive dialing systems. Clear goals and success metrics like conversion rates and call resolution times should be established. Compliance with regulations like the TCPA and National Do Not Call Registry is also crucial to build trust and prevent legal issues.
