For many companies, hiring an external service provider to handle after-hours calls is a cost-effective way to provide 24×7 support. Rather than manage a round-the-clock workforce, this allows companies to shift call answering responsibilities to a third-party. External service providers can also answer calls on holidays, weekends, and even overflow periods.

If your organization needs to provide phone-based support at all hours, but doesn’t need to staff an entire call center during those periods, outsourcing calls to a third-party may reduce the financial burden.

However, for organizations that require a high degree of agent expertise, after-hours call centers may not be able to provide adequate customer support. In these cases, customers must call back during normal business hours to have their issues resolved, negating any cost savings. Continue reading →