Setting up a Phone Center

Is it worth the cost?

[SirFeep]

I was wondering if anyone has expanded their sales options by working with a professional call center to handle order taking.

My site currently offers web ordering exclusively, and I realize we may be missing out on customers who feel more comfortable ordering over the phone. At the same time, since we are a commission-based service (we charge a per-item commission on goods that are served on our site), it's fairly clear that the extra cost of offering phone sales would eat into a portion of our revenue.

I was wondering what experience anyone has had with phone sales. Could you give me an estimate of what the cost is per phone-based order, provided you're using a 1-800 number and an outsourced solutions provider?

[hfwd]

They vary in quality & price - we used to have one for taking calls after hours. Although often advertised, they are not very good in upselling, answering detailed questions, etc. They read from a script and it shows.

Unless you have a large volume of calls, the high quality centers are probably not worth the money (most charge setup fees, some as high as $2,500 - although they're negotiable).

If you have small volume of calls, then answer the phone yourself & have an answering machine to pick up after hours calls.

[watercrazed]

I agree, get an 800 number, post your business hours, and be regilous about returning call first thing in the morning and you will improve your revenues with a minumim of extra cost. If you are reliant on international sales or have dozens of calls to your after hours voice mail a call center maybe an option.