How to Get the Most Out of Outsourced Contact Centre Services

For many UK businesses, outsourcing to a contact centre offers a smart way to stay responsive, reduce overheads and provide a professional customer experience around the clock.

However, handing over part of your customer communication to a third party can feel like a leap of faith. How do you make sure it works for your business? How do you maintain quality, build trust with your customers and see a real return on investment?

This guide will walk you through how to get the most out of outsourced contact centre services, with clear, practical steps to follow. Whether you're considering outsourcing for the first time or want to optimise your current setup, you'll find insights you can immediately put to work.

Step 1: Define What Success Looks Like

Before you even begin speaking to a contact centre provider, take the time to identify what you need - and why.

Ask yourself:

• Are you looking to reduce missed calls?
• Do you need out-of-hours support?
• Is it about improving the quality of service for your customers?
• Or is your internal team stretched too thin to handle day-to-day queries?

The clearer your goals, the easier it is to choose the right provider and measure success. Be specific. For example, aim to "reduce average call waiting time to under 30 seconds" or "free up 20 hours per week for the sales team."

Answer4u tip: “Write down three key objectives you want your outsourced contact centre to help you achieve. This becomes your benchmark for performance and helps avoid vague expectations later.”

Step 2: Choose the Right Partner

Not all contact centres are the same. For instance, some may focus on high-volume call handling, while others provide more bespoke services. Some may only operate during office hours, while others are available 24/7. Take time to find a partner that understands your industry and your customers.

Key things to look for:

• Experience with similar businesses or sectors
• UK-based agents (if local knowledge and accents matter)
• Clear service level agreements (SLAs)
• Transparent pricing with no hidden extras
• Technology integration with your existing systems (like CRM or ticketing tools)

It's also worth reading reviews or case studies and even asking to speak to other clients they have that operate within the same business sector to discuss their experience.

Answer4u tip: “Ask potential providers how they've helped other UK SMEs. If they can't demonstrate results, it's a red flag.”

Step 3: Start with a Clear Onboarding Process

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is rushing the setup. The smoother your onboarding, the better your provider can represent your brand from day one.

A good contact centre will guide you through the setup, but you should also provide the following:

• A clear outline of your services or products
• FAQs and script ideas for common queries
• Brand guidelines and tone of voice
• Escalation paths for more complex issues
• CRM access or contact logging tools (if needed)
  
  

Answer4u tip: “Schedule initial training or a Q&A session between your in-house team and your provider's training or account manager. It helps to build rapport and gives them valuable insight into your business culture.”

Step 4: Monitor Performance Regularly

Outsourcing doesn't mean stepping away entirely. By keeping a regular eye on performance and customer satisfaction, you can stay proactive and ensure that your outsourced contact centre delivers the quality service your customers expect.

Here's what to track:

• Call answer rates and handling times
• First-call resolution rates
• Customer feedback and satisfaction scores (CSAT)
• Escalation rates to in-house teams
• Missed call rates

Most reputable contact centres will provide monthly reports. Use these to spot trends, resolve issues early and celebrate wins.

Answer4u tip:“Agree on KPIs during the setup stage and review them quarterly. If something's off, speak up. A good partner will welcome your feedback.”

Step 5: Keep Communication Open

Building a strong working relationship is key to long-term success. Treat your outsourced contact centre like an extension of your own team.

Hold regular check-ins. Share updates on new products, promotions or changes to your process. The more they know, the better they can represent your brand.

Make it a two-way street. Ask for feedback from your account manager - what do customers keep asking about? Where are the information gaps? This insight can help you improve your business internally.

Answer4u tip: “Nominate a single point of contact within your business to manage the relationship. It prevents mixed messages and speeds up decision-making.”

Step 6: Use Technology to Your Advantage

Modern contact centres use advanced tools to help manage customer interactions, from cloud-based phone systems to intelligent skill-based call routing.

You don't need to be a tech expert, but it's important to understand what's available:

• Call recording for training and compliance
• Integration with your CRM or helpdesk software
• Call scripting technology and knowledge bases
• Actionable reporting mechanisms

Technology should support the human side of customer service, not replace it. The right blend helps improve accuracy, speed and consistency.

Answer4u tip: “Ask your provider what tech solutions they use and how they can tailor them to your needs. Don't pay for features you won't use, but don't miss out on valuable tools either.”

Step 7: Plan for Growth

One of the most significant benefits of outsourcing is scalability. You can increase or reduce call handling capacity as your business changes, without hiring or training new staff yourself.

If you're planning a seasonal campaign, launching a new product or expecting a busy period, let your provider know well in advance. They can add support to keep things running smoothly.

Answer4u tip: “Build flexibility into your contract. Choose a provider that allows you to scale services up or down with short notice and no heavy penalties.”

For example, our Flexi Virtual Assistant Service is ideal for businesses that need adaptable support without a long-term commitment.

Step 8: Protect Your Brand Reputation

Your contact centre is often the first point of contact for your customers. Their experience reflects directly on your brand.

Make sure agents:

• Speak in your brand tone of voice
• Have accurate, up-to-date product information
• Treat every caller with courtesy and professionalism
• Follow GDPR and data protection protocols

Reputation takes years to build and seconds to lose. Choosing a partner who shares your standards is crucial.

Answer4u tip: “Mystery shop your contact centre. Call in as a customer or have a friend do it. This gives you a clear sense of what real customers experience.”

Step 9: Make It Part of Your Customer Journey

A contact centre isn't just there to answer phones. It can play a key role in your customer journey - supporting sales, helping with onboarding, collecting feedback and more.

Think about how you can use outsourced support more strategically:

• Redirect sales calls to a specialist agent team
• Provide live chat or email support for online queries
• Use follow-up calls to boost retention or ask for reviews
• Route support tickets through a helpdesk
  
  

Answer4u tip: “Map your customer journey and identify all the touchpoints where a contact centre could help. You might be surprised at how many there are.”

Step 10: Review and Refine

Outsourcing isn't something you set and forget. The most successful partnerships are those that evolve over time.

Take time to regularly review:

• Your service level agreements (SLAs)
• Customer feedback and complaints
• Changes in your business or industry
• New tools or services the provider may offer

This is especially important if your business is growing. What worked when you had 50 calls a week might not suit you at 500.

Answer4u tip: “Hold a formal review meeting with your contact centre provider at least twice a year. Use this to reset goals, fix issues, and explore ways to do even better.”

Final Thoughts

Outsourced contact centre services can significantly benefit your business by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and delivering better customer satisfaction. But to unlock those benefits, you need to treat it as a partnership, not just a transaction.

By following the steps in this guide, you'll be in a strong position to make outsourcing work for your business. It's about more than just answering phones - it's about delivering a consistent, reliable and professional experience that keeps your customers coming back.

If you want to learn more about how outsourced services can fit your business needs, take a look at our Dedicated Agents Service or contact us today for a tailored consultation.