Short answer
Shortlist contact centre providers on five things: relevant experience with your industry and contact types; the size and capacity to handle your volumes without becoming their largest risk; how well they manage existing clients; security and quality credentials; and cultural fit. Use a short pre-qualification questionnaire and scoring system to narrow the market to four to six providers, and ask them to sign a confidentiality agreement before sharing details.
Key points
- Look for relevant experience, the right size, strong client management, credentials and culture fit.
- Use a pre-qualification questionnaire and simple scoring to reduce the list.
- Be wary of over-claiming — ask for evidence, references and real data.
- Your programme should be important to the provider, but not so large that it strains them.
The five key criteria
- Relevant experience — in your industry and with your types of contact (for example regulated sales, collections, complaints or technical support), and ideally with customers in your market.
- Size and capacity — enough people, sites and recruitment capacity for your volumes and growth, and room to scale.
- Client management — how they manage their other clients: tenure, retention of clients, governance and reporting.
- Credentials — information security (for example ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS), quality certifications, and compliance with POPIA and your own regulations.
- Culture — how they treat staff, how they communicate, and whether their style fits yours.
Use a pre-qualification questionnaire
A short questionnaire (10–20 questions) quickly separates serious candidates. Useful questions include:
- Current clients in your industry and market, and how long they have been clients.
- Number of seats and sites, and current utilisation.
- 12-month agent attrition and average tenure, with the calculation method.
- Certifications and the dates of the latest audits.
- Business continuity arrangements, including backup power and connectivity.
- Technology platforms supported, and whether they can use yours.
- Recruitment and training approach, and time to hire.
- Financial stability: years trading, ownership, and willingness to share financial information.
Score the answers with a simple weighted model and invite the top four to six providers to the RFP. Ask each to sign a non-disclosure agreement before you share detailed information.
Red flags
- Claims that cannot be evidenced — “industry-leading”, “number one”, unnamed “Fortune 500 clients”.
- Attrition figures that are far below market norms with no explanation of the method.
- Reluctance to let you speak to current clients or visit the operation.
- A sales team you never see again after contract signature.
- Very low prices without a clear explanation of how they are achieved.
It is natural for any provider to present itself well. Your job is to look past the sales material to the operational reality.
Where to find providers
- Industry bodies such as BPESA and its member directory.
- Referrals from peers and advisers.
- Directories and review sites (treat reviews as one input among many).
- Industry events and trade publications.
- Direct approaches — including ours. Callrica is operated by CoActivate Group, whose companies include contact centre providers; we are happy to be one of the providers you evaluate.
Frequently asked questions
How many call centre providers should be on a shortlist?
Four to six is usually right. Fewer limits competition; more creates a lot of evaluation work and discourages good providers who see a low chance of winning.
Should the provider be large or small?
Choose a provider where your programme will be important enough to get senior attention, but not so large that it represents a disproportionate share of their business or strains their recruitment capacity. Mid-sized providers often offer more flexibility and senior involvement; larger ones offer more scale and multi-site options.