Maintaining high quality takes investment no matter where a contact center operates. Callzilla’s main facility is a nearshore contact center in Bogota, Colombia.
Some people make the mistake of thinking that putting our main contact center in Bogota, Colombia, means Callzilla’s costs must be pennies on the dollar compared to a domestic contact center.
Maintaining nearshore quality takes investment
Not so. The truth is, maintaining high quality takes investment no matter where you operate. We still want to find and groom the best agents and supervisors in the world. That means investing a lot into training, regular business reviews, quality calibrations, and collaborating with client companies.
The awards on our walls show we’ve made progress… and the ledgers in our accounting department show that we’re not getting there for free.
We also have to invest in technology. Customers expect to have a choice of connecting by phone, email, live chat or other channels. Our telecommunications switch is housed in the Miami, Florida area, interconnected with multiple US and Latin American carriers. And in our main contact center, we have hundreds of workstations with high speed connections, and multiple internet links for flexibility and backup.
So, why Bogota?
Neal’s connection to Colombia goes back to his early 20s, when he went there to teach English and fell in love with the place. As he grew older and wanted to run his own business, he realized Bogota provided some great advantages. It has a population almost as large as New York City, so we can tap into a large, well-educated work force.
Colombia is closer to our Florida headquarters than Salt Lake City or Phoenix. There’s only one hour time difference.
And geographically, Colombia is the definition of “nearshore”, sitting closer to our Florida headquarters than Salt Lake City or Phoenix. There’s only one hour time difference, so it’s easy to coordinate schedules.
Doing the job right
OK, Bogota does offer some cost savings too. But pennies on the dollar? Not when you want to do the job right. Companies that approach us thinking only about getting a deep discount have the wrong mindset. Our starting point is providing customer experiences that enhance loyalty. Experiences our clients can feel proud of.
We always try to achieve that goal economically. But cheap? No way.
About the Author: Neal Topf
