A closer look at outsourcing to call centers in the US

Time is money, and when you find yourself juggling a dozen operational tasks at once, it might be a sign you’re ready to outsource certain ones to a third party. 83% of support teams in 2023 say that they saw an increase in customer expectations, up from 75% in 2022.¹ Outsourcing your call center to the US is one way you can consistently meet these demands and stay on top of your game.

We’ll be covering a few call center options in the US and what you need to take note of before outsourcing work there. We’ll also talk about how the Wise business account is a smart way to pay your employees while reducing currency conversion costs.

We shall be looking at

Call Center Outsourcing Options in the US Outsourcing your Call Center Requirements to Unitel Outsourcing Your Call Center Requirements to VoIPstudio Outsourcing Your Call Center Requirements to HelloSells Outsourcing Your Call Center Requirements to AnswerFirst Things to Note Before Outsourcing Work to the US Cultural Similarities and Differences Time Zone Differences Compliance with Legal Requirements Labour Laws for Outsourcing Work to US Employees Currency Conversion When Paying Salaries from CAD to USD

Call Center Outsourcing Options in the US

The US is full of high-quality call center outsourcing options from coast to coast, ready to improve your business performance in this customer-centric market. Here are just a few of the options the US has to offer.

Outsourcing your Call Center Requirements to Unitel

Looking for a modern and flexible way to improve your call center operations? Unitel is a trusted partner when it comes to world-class customer interactions. It’s a work-from-anywhere phone system that lets businesses handle professional calls through a personal phone. Being able to stay connected from anywhere and route calls to available employees or custom voicemails, you can ensure every call is handled the right way.

Trustpilot Rating: 4.9/5¹

Outsourcing Your Call Center Requirements to VoIPstudio

VolPstudio is an excellent choice for cloud-based communications. This complete call center allows you to utilize local and global numbers from over 70 countries, manage your calls through a virtual switchboard, and take advantage of 40+ advanced call control features.² Tools like customizable voicemail, speech-to-text, live chat, and detailed analytics, will help bolster your communication systems.

Trustpilot Rating: 4.8/5³

Outsourcing Your Call Center Requirements to HelloSells

HelloSells specializes in marketing intelligence and lead conversion in the realm of communication. It considers all touchpoints on the sales pipeline, including when a lead calls in, qualifying that lead, and giving a live chat response. The platform features a calendar for appointment booking, a live chat feature, and more, all on one mobile app.

Trustpilot Rating: 4.7/5⁴

Outsourcing Your Call Center Requirements to AnswerFirst

For businesses that want to provide 24/7 availability, AnswerFirst offers a round-the-clock answering service and inbound call center that integrates with your business software. Using only US-based call centers, you can ensure that your customer receives native, top-notch service in whatever way they’re looking for. AnswerFirst provides everything from message-taking and virtual reception services to help desk and technical support.

Trustpilot Rating: 4.6/5⁵

Things to Note Before Outsourcing Work to the US

With all the benefits that come with outsourcing, it might seem like an easy decision to jump on board. But before you do so, there are important aspects to consider in order to be successful.

Cultural Similarities and Differences

One of the perks of outsourcing call centers in the US is that English is prevalent. Especially for Canadian businesses, having native English speakers on your customer service team will enhance your customer experience. Seeing as there aren’t stark cultural differences between the US and Canada like there would be with other countries like India, for example, you can expect similar styles.

Time Zone Differences

Depending on where your business is located, outsourcing can have positive and negative benefits on your call center operations. The US itself spans six different time zones, meaning that if you want to do business in time zones outside of them, you might not be available to your customers around the clock. In many cases, outsourcing companies provide 24/7 service.

Compliance with Legal Requirements

The United States is strict when it comes to its legal landscape. Call center operations have many regulations to safeguard consumer rights, such as data privacy laws and other telemarketing activities.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates how call centers can interact with customers through the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), while there are limitations in place with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and safeguards in place to handle medical data sharing by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Making sure the outsourcing company you work with follows these rules is important to stay compliant.

Labour Laws for Outsourcing Work to US Employees

Outsourcing work to US employees involves understanding and complying with American labor laws. These regulations are put in place to safeguard all aspects of employees’ rights while giving employers guidelines. Partnering with a legitimate call center ensures businesses adhere to these regulations and mitigate any risks of fines, lawsuits, and other issues of non-compliance.

Currency Conversion When Paying Salaries from CAD to USD

When it comes time to pay call center outsourcing companies in the US, there’s the issue of currency conversion to consider. Banks and money transfer services might promise zero fees or low fees, only for you to find out there’s a markup on exchange rates that only benefits them. Adding to that, the SWIFT network often charges added fees too.

Wise offers a solution to this issue, letting Canadian businesses pay their outsourcing companies in USD at the mid-market exchange rate. By avoiding these expensive rates and costs, businesses won’t have to lose money every time they have to make a cross-border payment. Got other contractors to pay? The platform features easy invoicing and batch payment capabilities that can handle up to 1000 payments at a time. The service comes at a one-time fee of 42 CAD and minimal charges on transfers.

To make sure all your transfers are secure, Wise also implements security features, including two-factor authentication, 3D secure online payments, biometric recognition, and dedicated anti-fraud teams.

Pay your employees and clients abroad with Wise

Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

Conclusion

Embracing call center outsourcing in the US will help Canadian businesses navigate customer demands so they can focus on core operations. With a reliable partner that features native English speakers and compliance measures in place, businesses can be confident that their customer service is taken care of. To complement the process, Wise Business lets you pay your US call center providers at the fairest rate possible, evading costly hidden fees rooted in traditional payment systems.

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Sources

1 - Trustpilot - Unitel
2 - VoIP Studio
3 - Read Customer Service Reviews of voipstudio.com - Trustpilot
4 - Read Customer Service Reviews of www.hellosells.com - Trustpilot
5 - Read Customer Service Reviews of answerfirst.com - Trustpilot

Sources verified on 22 March 2022