Hi,
I have thoroughly researched your options in setting up a call center
in Chennai (and the rest of the country) and have presented the
information you need under the following heads. There are several
resources on the internet for this business which have sprouted over
the last few years/months. I have however presented only a select few
websites and publications after speaking to some people who have used
them to further their interests.
1) Online resources / Catalog of Call Center books
2) Advanced Online Knowledge centers
3) Consultants / Professional Help
4) Business Contacts
5) Your prospective Competition
1) Online resources / Catalog of Call Center books
The links I have mentioned below makes for informative reading on the
procedures of starting a call center, call management and success
stories. The information also included are means on accquiring Call
Center Software and Hardware. The comparision of different Software
systems. The cost efficient methods of setting up your business, how
to choose a location for your business, the technology involved, VoIP
and much more.
"...Till some months back, only option open to call centre operators
is to invest in everything himself resulting in heavy capital outlay.
Capital cost requirement for setting all these up goes upto anything
between Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 8 lakhs per seat. Heavy capital outlay was
one of the key entry barrier for small entrepreneurs, but not any
more. Advanced trends in the industry and telecom deregulation opened
up many possibilities..."
CALL CENTER OPTIONS
http://www.futurecalls.com/white1.htm
A set of white papers which analyse the different ingredients that go
into setting up a call center are available here, and come from a
company which helps companies and individuals commited to setting up
call centers in India.
http://www.futurecalls.com/whitepapers.htm
An online library with a huge collection of resources from around the
globe are available here. Friends in the business cite this online
resource as one of the best available on the internet.
http://techlibrary.commweb.com/data/web/cweb/cweb_index.jsp
The white papers contained in this site also include several case
studies in call center management and selection of suitable Call
center software.
http://techlibrary.commweb.com/data/rlist?t=itmgmt_10_40_20
An example of a successful business deal by one of India's leading
call center company is detailed here:
http://www.iseva.com/casestudies_2nd.html
A reading of the case studies above should give you an idea of what to
expect when you set up your business. the main problem will be
acquisition of trained agents to make and take calls. India has these
advantages which I am sure you are already aware of:
-> Huge pool of English speaking and computer literate graduate
manpower.
-> Cost of qualified personnel amongst the lowest in the world.
-> One of the world's best education systems.
-> Special tax and other incentives for export activities.
-> Excellent telecom infrastructure.
-> A virtual 12-hour time zone difference with USA and other major
markets for IT-enabled Services
Some books which can give you a rather decent overview of Call Center
technicalities are available in this catalogue. Some of these books it
seems have proven to be quite useful to entrepreneurs who have set up
their own call center businesses.
INCOMING.COM Call Center catalogue
www.incoming.com/catalog/catalog.pdf
Call Center Management Books, Videos, & Seminars
http://www.the-resource-center.com/CATALOGS/call_center_management.HTM
Please also take the time to go through this two part article as it
can give you a lot of valuable tips. Though it pertains to a
pre-historic (1997) in the Call Center world it still is the Good
Word.
Advice for Managers of Small Call Centers (Part 1) by Brad Cleveland
http://www.incoming.com/smallcc/ccmr0297.html
Advice for Managers of Small Call Centers (Part 2) by Brad Cleveland
http://www.incoming.com/smallcc/ccmr0397.html
Small Call Centers Must Keep Pace with Service Leaders in the
Multichannel Age by Susan Hash
http://www.incoming.com/smallcc/ccmr1100.html
2) Advanced Online Knowledge centers
I call these advanced knowledge centers for your business because they
will help you get in touch with real players in the market who have
already established successful careers for themselves. This will also
get you in touch with people who are in a similar quest as you are.
Call Center Forum
http://www.erlang.com/forum/callcenter/
Call Centers in India
http://www.callcentersindia.com/
Magazine - Connection Magazine
http://www.connectionsmagazine.com/
magazine - Call Center Magazine
http://callcentermagazine.com/
You could also settle for an online development kit, details of which
are given here:
Planning and Design Toolkit: Table of Contents - The most
comprehensive strategy and planning guide available.
http://www.call-center.net/planninganddesign_toc.htm
Call Center Planning and Design Toolkit - The most comprehensive
strategy and planning guide available for new or redesigned contact
centers.
http://www.call-center.net/planninganddesign_main.htm
I do not know of people who have used these kits for setting up an
business, but some of the people I talked to mentioned these tools. It
might not hurt to check them out.
3) Consultants / Professional Help
If you wish to make use of a consultant or an expert to aid you in
your venture (highly reccomended), you can contact these people who
have an India specific plan which has been used by most successful
call centers in the country today. I have personally checked out the
services offered by these two companies and have listed them in order
of preference.
a) Future Calls Technology Pvt. Ltd. (http://www.futurecalls.com/)
These people are consultants to one of the most successful call
centers in Chennai called Ajuba Solutions (P) Ltd. As they say, "The
consultants' fee is visible and not hidden; it is only a small
component of the high Project cost. Also, it is ploughed back through
savings in equipment cost and from the recurring operational
expenditure.."
Since you wish to set up your call center in Chennai, I think these
people would be the best bet as they are familiar with the market
conditions in this city.
Contact Details:
FutureCalls Technology (P) Ltd.,
'Shifa Arcade', Flat 1B, First Floor,
Door No. 1, Bharathi Nagar, First Street,
Off North Usman Road, T.Nagar,
Chennai - 600 017, TamilNadu,
India.
Telephone : 91-44-2834 0186
TeleFax : 91-44-2834 0189
E-mail : info@futurecalls.com
b) RSA Teleservices (http://www.rsateleservices.com/)
RSA Teleservices has over 21 years of active involvement in the call
center and teleservices industry at the senior management level,
working with a diversity of clients in different industries, on
hundreds of different campaigns. These people are experts in this
field and are successful in several aspects of setting up teleservice
businesses. They also are famous for their superb and detailed databse
of Who's who in the Call Center world.
Robert Acoca,
Senior Partner
RSA Teleservices, Inc.
14, Marie-Curie
Kirkland ( Quebec )
Canada H9J 3V9
Tel : (514) 575-7424
Fax: (514) 697-0585
Other consultants worth mentioning are:
(i) The Brady Group (http://www.thebradygroup.com)
(ii) Peter deHaan Consulting (http://www.peterdehaan.com/)
(iii) ICMI (http://www.incoming.com/index.shtml)
I have heard from references about the material these consultants
provide and they really know their stuff. However these consultants
are not specific to the conditions in India.
3) Business Contacts
In your line (or your would-be line) it would pay to keep in touch
with people who are working on projects *within* call centers. This
way you can gauge for yourself the strengths and weaknesses of several
business strategies and resolve them. In a way of providing contacts
to you, here are a few people who can help you with any queries and
sort out technicalities. Of course, if you still have problems, you
can always put up your question here in this service and I can look at
it for you. These consultants and executives are Sukanya Raman
(sukanyaraman@futurecalls.com), Ali Potia (ali.potia@inlight-cem.com)
and Solomon Porres (saulpotter@yahoo.co.uk)
4) Your prospective Competition
A good look at the databse maintained by RSA Teleservices will give
you a brief preview of what you are up against. I do not have a copy
of the database but I am sure you can acquire it by contacting company
'b' in section 1. A brief outline of what to expect in that database
is given here:
Call Center Executive Contact Databases - Find out " Who's Who " in
the Call Center Marketplace
http://www.rsateleservices.com/id18.html
Over the last three days I have collected the following information
for you so that you get a brief idea of what to expect when you jump
into the fray. This information in a real on-the-ground profile of
each Call Center operating in Chennai and their strengths and
weaknesses from my perspective.
a) Verimed Services
They have their Head Office in Pennsylvania. Their major area of
business is Heath care and medical transcription.Since they are in the
market for qutie some time now they have a regular client based with
hospitals like Kaiser foundation and all the major hositals in
Pennsylvania. The hospitals in Pennsyvania are regular clients for
Verimed Services.
Services offered are:
(i)Medical Billing
(ii)Medical Transcription
(iii)Accounting
(iv)Teleservices
The actual ground realities about Verimed are:
There major area of business comes from medical transcription and
their business is largely based on the hospitals in
Pennsylvania.As of now there doesn’t seem to a latest campaign in
telemarketing .Thet have campaigns of health survey
There medical billing project is facing rough waters.Since hospitals
are cuting on budgets.In terms of medical transcription they are
doing well.
Number of Agents:
Around 100 (this is what I have heard, but I suspect it is lot less)
Future Plans:
They are opening up a Medical transcription outlet in Hyderabad's IT
park. They might have already opened in fact, I am just not too sure.
b) Cyber Wave
The company is just starting now and they went live from the first
week or the second week of september (last year).It is part of the
cybernet group companies who provided computer hardware and internet
service corporates.They also run various training institute in
computer education.
Services offered are:
(i) Telemarketing Outbound
Number of Agents:
Around 10-15 when they started. Now it is just a bit more, I am again
not to sure about the actual numbers.
c) Sutherland
Have offices in major countries around the world. Their head office is
based in New York.The corporate office in India is in Bangalore while
their operations are in Chennai. Suthrland technologies have been in
the market for over 20 years .They have an impressive client base.
They started out as Customer Relation Management and its natural they
would like to find a major hold in
CRM.The company handles anythging to with software and other service
they offer are technology services and business process management
except networking. They always boost of a very high qualified and
trained staff and right now they are looking to hire agents who would
have to speak to customers using lotus or any other products they are
marketing.
Services offered are:
They are in to BPO And every facet of technological servcies and
business project management. A very impressive line off projects have
been lined up for them. Last I heard they were working on the Compaq
email support
Number of Agents:
Around 150
You now will have a brief idea of the situation here. I wish you the
very best in your venture. Of course if you do have any further
questions, please post them and I will be glad to have a look.
Warmest Regards,
Shiv Reddy |
,
0 Comments
)