Get the Details in Advance and in Writing
Outsourcer RFP: What to Include*
Overall
- Questionnaire format
- Pointed questions
Your Organization & Requirements
(Introductory Statements, not questions)
- Description of your company and program
- Program requirements (service, technical support, orders, sales, upsell, fulfillment, etc.; inbound calls, web-chat, e-mail replies, social media, outbound calls)
- Flowchart of program - where the outsourcer fits in
Their Organization Described
- Related experience - case histories
- Vendor's philosophy & approach
- Organization chart
- Staff information
- Management, account, supervisor, phone staff
- Annual turnover rate - Training procedures
Their Organization Described
- Supervisory procedures
- Quantity control
- Quality control, including remote monitoring by client on-demand - Account management process, account manager and contact information
- Program change procedures
- Problem resolution procedures
- Vendor changes in key staff, notification, client role in approval
- Potential conflicts of interest
*These are general recommendations. Specific strategies and tactics should be based on a review of your needs, market and operation. For outside support contact Lieber & Associates.
Reporting & Systems
- Tracking capabilities (including any test cells)
- Call guide or scripting - detail your requirements
- Reporting content and how delivered (e-mail, web, FTP) - detail your requirements
- Their systems - phone and computer software
- Data transfer & interconnection - detail your requirements
Pricing & General
- References - specifically related to your business
- Why use [vendor name] for this program?
- Pricing
- One-time costs
- Fixed costs
- Variable costs - per _______
- Discounts? - What's not included? - Copy of standard contract