Online call centre costs are markedly lower than traditional alternatives
An online call centre is an extremely cost-effective alternative to a traditional call centre. So the popularity of online call centres has increased dramatically in line with the expansion of cloud technology. This article looks at the typical costs of running an online call centre, and the best way to manage call centre costs.
What is an online call centre?
An online call centre is a call centre that runs entirely over the internet.
Why are online call centres cheaper to run?
The beauty of an internet-based call centre is that a physical call centre location is not needed. Traditional call centres incur a high level of start-up, property, equipment and agent costs. But online call centres avoid the majority of these.
Your VoIP provider looks after your online call centre for you. So they handle everything from the actual call centre software to the maintenance of servers and equipment. So setting up your call centre is inexpensive, easy and hassle-free.
How much does an online call centre cost to run?
The pricing model for an internet-based call centre depends on your software provider. The usual costs to consider are:
Equipment costs
Each of your call centre agents will need a computer with internet access, a browser and a headset. Don’t forget to take these costs into account when planning your online call centre.
A per-agent fee
Most providers will charge a fee per agent (sometimes known as “seats” or “extensions”) to access to the call centre software. Bear in mind that any per-agent fees are incurred before you even make a single call, so it could cost you quite a lot upfront to get started.
Extra costs for extra features
Your monthly costs will generally change depending on which calling features you need. For example, some providers charge extra for call forwarding services, call recording and time of day routing. Some VoIP providers charge per feature and others bundle the features together. With tiered pricing, the lower the price, the fewer features you can expect.
Call costs
You will also pay for the cost of each inbound and outbound minute that your agents talk for. The cost per minute will vary, depending on where your call originates and terminates. Pricing between online call centre providers varies enormously. Usually, calls cost a few pence per minute. Make sure you know what the call charges are.
Why is Liberalis Now so cost-effective?
Liberalis Now is a Pay As You Go (PAYG) online call centre system. Unlike other call centre systems, you only pay whilst your agents are actually connected to customers. There are no hidden costs. There’s no charge for the software, no agent fees and no need for traditional telephones. In fact, there are absolutely no monthly charges or commitments. With Liberalis Now, we don’t charge anything for the software, there’s no tied pricing and you get all our features from day one. When you finish with the system, you just switch it off. This is what makes our online call centre services so cost effective and popular.
What’s more, Antheus operates a very simple and straightforward call pricing structure. You can see just how clear it is by visiting our Liberalis Now page.
Get a flexible online call centre solution
As your business grows, so will your call centre software needs. Liberalis Now offers the ultimate flexibility. You can create additional capacity without any additional infrastructure or per-agent costs. If you are uncertain about volumes, or have seasonal variations, you can vary down as well as up. So when considering which provider to use, make sure you can easily add or remove services as and when you need them.
Some providers take growth as an opportunity to charge more for extra users or storage. Because Liberalis Now charges only when your agents are connected, if you are successful then we make more money. And the more you grow, the more we prosper. It’s that simple.
Our ‘pay as you go’ approach, whereby you can easily adjust what you are using and paying for depending on the needs of your business means that there are no nasty surprises when it comes to your online call centre cost. There’s no need to pay up-front for licences or estimate your maximum volumes for the next 12 months. If business is slower, so are your costs.
Liberalis Now enables you to add extra agents on a short-term basis to deal with peaks in activity. And your agents can even work remotely, which leads to better agent retention.
Whether you’re new to the call centre industry or you’re looking to make the switch to an online call centre solution, its vitally important to understand the costs associated with each aspect of a virtual call centre. With the help of an experienced online call centre provider like Antheus, getting your call centre up and running will be a stress-free, inexpensive and easy experience. Contact us to find out more, or try out Liberalis Now for free.
