Sample. Call Center Outsourcing. Request for Proposal

Transcription

1 Sample Call Center Outsourcing Request for Proposal

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PURPOSE...1 BACKGROUND...1 DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS...1 Program Overview...1 SELECTION CRITERIA...2 PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS...2 RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS...4 CORPORATE OVERVIEW...5 Organization...5 Identification of Resources...6 Financial Information...6 References...7 CALL CENTER CAPABILITIES...7 Call Center Management and Operations...7 Telecom Capabilities and Call Center Technical Skills...8 Hiring and Training...10 Quality Assurance/Call Monitoring...10 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS AND REPORTING...12 INVOICING...13 TRANSITION AND SET UP REQUIREMENTS...13 CONTRACT TERMS...13 PRICING...13 Non-Disclosure Agreement...1 Intent to Bid Form...1

3 PURPOSE The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to identify a vendor qualified to provide call center services to support ABC COMPANY s (type of program, i.e. inbound customer care, service, sales, outbound lead generation, etc.) program. This program provides ABC COMPANY S customers with XXXXXX. BACKGROUND ABC COMPANY is: Provide brief 1-2 paragraph summary of your company, it s goals and mission. ABC COMPANY has its primary headquarters at 123 Main Street, Somecity, Somestate, with additional locations at XXXX. DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS Program Overview Call Handling Describe the type(s) of calls that the service provider should expect to receive. What is prompting the caller to pick up the telephone, are they a customer with a service issue, billing concern, placing an order. Is the caller responding to direct media? If so, what form, print, radio, DRTV, web based, response? Are the calls customer service, order taking, sales, or technical in nature? Provide synopsis of call volumes, history, language support requirements, etc. State what is the expectation of the caller. What level of service they expect and are anticipating. What specific product(s) of yours will they be calling in regard to. Provide basic outline of call flow, script and pattern. Quality Monitoring and Training ABC COMPANY requires that XX% of calls handled are recorded. The recordings will be made available to ABC COMPANY and will be used to monitor and review the quality of the program. Vendor will be required to conduct agent training. ABC COMPANY will support vendor with the development of the training program by providing program-specific content and by conducting a train-the-trainer session with vendor. The ABC COMPANY program typically requires up to XX hours of program-specific training. Telecom Vendor will be required to set-up all call promptings and recordings for Toll-free #(s). ABC COMPANY will remain the owner of the toll free number. However, vendor will be required to provide termination phone numbers that ABC COMPANY will use to direct call traffic. State any additional telecom specific requirements that you have, i.e. routing, IVR, carrier specific service. 1

4 Hours of Operations and Call Volumes The Call Center open and available to callers (state hours of operation). The peak volume period is weekdays, between XX:XX a.m. and XX:XX p.m. Time Zone specific. Peak volume represents approximately XX% of calls are received. Historically, the peak monthly call activity occurs in (This Month) and the lowest monthly call activity occurs in (That Month). The Average Handle Time (AHT) for all calls is XXX seconds. PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL AND PERTINENT PROGRAM RELATED INFORMATION. SELECTION CRITERIA The qualified Vendor will deliver provider locator services either internally or through a qualified partner. Vendor selection will be based on the following criteria. Demonstrated ability to provide full call center services of all facets of the ABC COMPANY program, including: Hiring Qualified Staff, including multi-lingual agents Forecasting and Scheduling Training and Development Quality Assurance Telecom Administration, Reporting Capabilities, and Database Administration Disaster Recovery Plan Ability to fully implement the above stated services no later than (This Date). PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS RFP responses must be submitted in an organized manner. (If hardcopies are request, each copy separately bound with an appropriate tab for each distinct section as listed in the RFP Table of Contents). All RFP responses should have consecutively numbered pages, including all pages with printed matter, excluding the draft contract, table of contents, and section dividers. Important Note: ABC COMPANY expects Vendor candidates to answer all questions thoroughly, though concisely. If Vendor has any questions about the interpretation of a question, please ask during the Follow up Question Period prior to answering the question. Vendor responses will be judged based in part on the Vendors ability to communicate well. Please note the following instructions: Responses should be after each question using (designate font-type & size). Electronic documents must be in (state your acceptable format). Graphics and diagrams essential to describing capabilities also must be limited to editable formats such as PowerPoint. If electronic submission provide address(es) for those to receive submission 2

5 If hardcopy submission, state # of copies to be submitted by vendor. Provide address and any appropriate or pertinent shipping details. Elaborate brochures and/or other presentations beyond that which is sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. Finalists in the vendor selection process should be prepared for a potential request to provide a brief on-site formal presentation at the offices of ABC COMPANY located at 123 Main Street, Somecity, Somestate. RFP SUBMISSION SCHEDULE The following table is an overview of the selection activities and timeline: ACTIVITY TIMEFRAME RFP Release Day 1 Non-Disclosure Form must be signed, executed, and received Day 2 by Date and sent to RFP My Company no later than XX pm Intent to Bid Form must be signed, executed, and received by Day 3 Date and sent to RFP My Company no later than XX pm Follow up question period, questions must be submitted by e- mail to RFP My Company no later than XXpm. All Vendor questions and responses will be shared with all responding Vendors via . Day 5-7 One (1) electronic copy of the RFP Response must be submitted to ABC COMPANY via by close of business (XX p.m. to RFP My Company Day 10 Submit any other necessary forms required with RFP response. Day 10 Hard copies, if requested/required must be submitted no later than close of business (XX p.m. CT) to: RFP Manager ABC Company 123 Main Street Somecity, Somestate Day 12 3

6 RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. All material in this RFP is considered CONFIDENTIAL and shall not be used by the Vendor, or any of its employees, representatives or potential subcontractors, for any reason other than responding to this RFP. 2. This RFP represents a definition of requirements and may be withdrawn at any time by ABC COMPANY in its sole discretion. It is not a contract or an offer to contract. Only the execution of a written contract will obligate ABC COMPANY, and any resulting obligations will be strictly in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in such a contract. A response to this RFP will constitute an offer to develop a contract based on the terms stated in the Vendor s response ( proposal ), and such offer will be deemed open for at least XX days (unless agreed otherwise in writing). ABC COMPANY, at its option, may incorporate any or all parts of a Vendor proposal in the contract. 3. ABC COMPANY may enter into discussions and/or negotiations with more than one Vendor simultaneously; however, it should be clearly understood that ABC COMPANY reserves the right to determine whether to award and, if it does, to award based upon initial proposals without discussions. The final successful Vendor will be selected based on best value as determined by ABC COMPANY. ABC COMPANY reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. 4. ABC COMPANY may reject an offer as non-responsive if it determines that the offer is materially unbalanced as to prices. An offer is unbalanced when it is based on labor categories, rates, or option pricing which are in ABC COMPANY s estimation not realistic or reasonable to the extent that the pricing structure may have been manipulated to influence the selection process. 5. The costs of preparing and/or presenting a proposal shall be borne solely by the submitting Vendor, and shall in no event be recoverable. 6. All proposals and attached material will become the property of ABC COMPANY and will not be returned. Information contained in the responses will be considered confidential and proprietary. In no instance will ABC COMPANY release, publish or otherwise give access to response information to anyone unless required by statute, court of competent jurisdiction or regulatory bodies; and in no event without first notifying the Vendor that submitted the material. 7. ABC COMPANY reserves the right to reject any proposal received after the designated due date and time. 8. An officer of the company authorized to legally commit the corporation must sign Vendor s proposals. 9. Modification to a submitted proposal may be made prior to the scheduled submission date and time specified above. 4

7 10. ABC COMPANY expects that the selected Vendor will meet performance requirements and guarantees. Agreed upon deliverables must be provided by specified deadlines. CORPORATE OVERVIEW Organization Please provide an organizational chart including any subsidiaries/affiliates that will be involved in delivering the services described in this RFP. Provide a description of your organization, including the following: Name of firm Name of Parent Company (if applicable) Current street address (no Post Office Box numbers) Mailing address, if different Phone number & Fax number Contact name, phone number, and address Web site address How many full time employees work for the Vendor s company? Please provide a brief description of the Vendor s company history, including year founded and any key events that have taken place since launch, including the following: Any annual reports, brochures or other marketing literature in support of this description. Please describe any major mergers or acquisitions that have taken place in the last three years. Please tell us what companies the Vendor has merged with and how this has strengthened the Vendor s company. Please describe the Vendor s business market. Include in the answer the Vendor s industry market share and whom the Vendor views as its competitors and their respective market share. Brief description of the Vendor s core competencies and how the Vendor differentiates itself in the market place (e.g., specialty areas of expertise and/or value-added services). Please identify the Vendor s competitive strengths in each of the following areas: Management Team Industry Experience Product Attributes Technical Staff Key patents or technologies Key Customer / Supplier relationships Vendor Certifications (i.e. ISO 9000) 5

8 What industry and clients does the Vendor typically serve? List any legal actions that involve(d) the Vendor s Company that could have a significant adverse impact. Insurance Documentation Provide the Vendor s proof of Workers Compensation coverage for any employees or sub-vendors who may perform work on the installation or maintenance of equipment. Provide the Vendor s proof of liability insurance and the coverage amount. Identification of Resources Please describe company locations and their primary function and role in administering services described in this RFP. How many total locations? Are locations owned by Vendor or owned by Vendor s outsourcing partner? List partners relevant to this proposal and the nature of the relationship. Are call center capabilities outsourced? If so, please explain relationship and the strategic advantage of outsourcing to a third party? Please identify and provide resumes of individuals who have had previous experience on similar projects and would most likely perform the work for ABC COMPANY. Financial Information Please enclose the Company s most recent annual financial report. If the Company is publicly traded, please attach the Vendor s more recent 10-K in an electronic format. If the Company is privately owned, please enclose each of the following: a. Consolidated Balance Sheet b. Consolidated Statement of Operations c. Dunn and Bradstreet Comprehensive Report 6

9 References Please list three (3) other major companies with whom the Vendor is currently doing business, which may be similar to those that ABC COMPANY is inquiring. Company Name Address Phone Number / Address Contact Name/Title Nature/Length of Relationship Please provide a list of previous clients that are no longer current customers CALL CENTER CAPABILITIES Call Center Management and Operations What are some call center(s) for which the Vendor currently provides services? Nature/Type of Calls Average calls per day Average speed of answer Maximum number of concurrent agents Client uses shared or dedicated agents or a combination of both If applicable, average number of data records loaded Average Client Retention Rate For each call center that will be considered for this proposal please provide the following information: Location, including address Number of seats Current mix of full and part-time staffing Call Center Organizational Structure Ratio of agents to account Ratio of accounts to agent (shared agents) Ratio of agents to supervisor Current Hours of operation and availability Number of clients serviced out of the facility Number of calls handled per day and during peak intervals 7

10 Please describe how your center will prepare to incorporate call volume for this business (e.g., hire and train agents, use third party sources, etc ) Based on the graph presented earlier, XXXX historically experiences peak volumes in January; also peaks are historically experienced the day following a holiday. Describe how your call center will prepare for and manage peak call periods. Please provide detailed information on your Workforce Management Tools. If done manually, please include in pricing. a) Do you use third party software (i.e. TCS, Blue Pumpkin)? b) What type of reporting capability does your Workforce Management Software provide? What combination of shift durations is currently used to fill your staffing needs? What process is used to determine a program s required shift durations (i.e. 4x10shifts; split shifts; part-timers; etc.)? What are the flexibility and constraints for scheduling the agents? How often are agent schedules changed? What indicator does the Vendor use to determine if a mass schedule change is needed? Please describe the process by which the Vendor conducts a mass schedule change. Telecom Capabilities and Call Center Technical Skills Please describe your center s technology infrastructure, including detailed description of call processing features of your Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) and Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVRU), including, but no limited to the following: ACD make(s), models(s), and software release(s) Length of time using this switch Describe your capabilities to sort incoming calls through the use of ACD/IVRU call prompters. What is the current capacity of Vendor switch? Number of queues and queue slots relative to total available. Concurrent users (agents) during peak relative to total capacity. Concurrent callers during peak intervals relative to total capacity. Phone lines (i.e. T1s, T3s) in use during peak intervals relative to total capacity. Announcement capacity in-use relative to maximum capacity; number of simultaneous callers allowed to listen to a single announcement. 8

11 How is capacity monitored to ensure continued availability and access? Can vendor ACD system perform time-of-day routing? Does the vendor phone system have the ability to prioritize calls? Does the Vendor have the capability to play customized and/or forced queue messages? Briefly explain how the proposed call center(s) are virtually connected and how the call center(s) are virtually connected to the client s site. Please describe your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capabilities. How does your system support the easy retrieval of call recordings? Explain in detail how your firm uses the following: Screen Pops and Customer Telephone Integration (CTI) applications Voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) Voice/data capture and recording technology Outbound management Outbound Fax-on-demand/Interactive Fax How is information secured across applications? Describe the technology you are proposing to use in developing the applications covered by this RFP. Include supporting information systems, and note any upgrades and enhancements scheduled in the next year. Please describe the your internet working capabilities and the ability to provide agents with access to designated external websites. Briefly describe your process and turnaround times for application enhancements and system script changes. What is your turnaround time and procedure for the following IT changes? Non-scripting related changes through the switch/acd Re-recording and menu prompt selection changes System critical and non-critical changes 9

12 Is the Vendor willing to work directly with the client s third party Vendor to resolve all issues? Hiring and Training Briefly describe your agent hiring and recruiting policies, practices, and procedures. Briefly describe the Vendor s standard hiring profile and minimum skill requirements for agents. What is your turnover rate for each of the center s proposed? Agents Supervisory staff Is the workforce unionized? What multi-lingual capabilities do you have (identify languages)? What pool of labor does the Vendor typically draw from in the community (i.e. nearby colleges; community organizations; nearby competitors)? Describe your training organization and practices, including: Number of training staff and level of training experience. Size of training facility and number of phone/system enabled workstations. Average length and typical structure of new-hire training program and in what shift combinations. Types of internal training conducted (i.e. soft skills, computer training) Quality Assurance/Call Monitoring Please describe your quality assurance practices and internal evaluation process for agents, including the following: Soft skills Application skills Call sampling practices Who administers feedback to the agent? (i.e. centralized monitoring team, supervisor, team lead) 10

13 Describe how call monitoring is handled both on and off-site and how your system is unique. Is remote access for call monitoring available? ABC COMPANY will require Vendor to participate in a weekly quality calibration session where ABC COMPANY and Vendor will jointly review calls. Please describe capabilities to conduct joint call monitoring sessions. ABC COMPANY will require agents to access support documents during the handling of calls. Indicate which of the following items are provided for the call center staff and in what medium. Facilitators guide Job aides Workflow guides Provide a brief description of how your company handles/monitors new or unusual customer inquiries. How will ABC COMPANY receive notification/communication of these unusual inquiries and resolution status? Briefly describe how you handle problem resolution with your clients. DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY SERVICES Provide the Vendor s disaster recovery plan for major and minor service interruptions and catastrophes, including details of redundant site(s), data backup procedures, personnel contingency plan, timeframe for recovery, etc. CUSTOMER SUPPORT SERVICES AND ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT Describe what types of support service Vendor provides as part of their contract and what types of support are available for an additional fee. What methodology does the Vendor use to ensure client satisfaction throughout the contract term? Describe the process for submitting and tracking issues (both internally and with client) that impact production. How will ABC COMPANY receive notification/communication of system problems and resolution status? What specific information is returned, what tools are required, and what information is made available to client? At what point does your company typically involve or notify clients of system problems? Please define timeframes. 11

14 Please describe your capabilities to provide client contacts for each of the following, Primary contact or account manager who will be responsible for our account. After-hours and weekend contact. Assistant/back-up to primary contact. IT Project Manager. PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS AND REPORTING ABC COMPANY and the Vendor will establish a contractual service level agreement (SLA) to ensure that the availability and performance of the program meets business requirements. Can Vendor meet specified Key Peformance Indicators stated below? State process on how Vendor will achieve surpass KPI expectation. Key Performance Indicators XX% of calls answered in XX seconds or less Abandonment rate of X% or less monthly Average hold time of XX seconds or less monthly Average call handling time of X minutes or less monthly Customer satisfaction XX% or higher monthly What types of reporting and capabilities does your system provide? Describe reporting capabilities as they relate to industry standards in general and ABC COMPANY Service Level requests in particular. Please provide sample ACD performance reports that are routinely provided to your existing clients. How long are historical performance reports kept and how does ABC COMPANY access this information? Are reports available via a website? Is real time performance reporting available? For what time increments are reports available? Are clients able to monitor in real-time the number of calls waiting and queue times via remote access to Vendor s call center tools? Please describe your reporting capabilities. Please provide sample activity reports. 12

15 What types of customizable features are included in your reporting package? How long does it take to prepare customized reports? What fees if any are associated with customized reports? INVOICING Provide a description and flowchart of your billing process? Describe the controls that are in place to ensure accurate invoicing. Are invoices available electronically or via a website? Provide a sample invoice Describe your capability to provide invoice details, including number of calls received grouped by the first three characters of the member identification number as captured by the call center agent. ABC COMPANY will require documentation of billable minutes or hours (if applicable). What documentation does your company maintain to support billed hours? TRANSITION AND SET UP REQUIREMENTS Briefly describe the preparation process your company goes through to ensure that goals and needs are properly communicated with a client before implementation begins. Describe Vendor s capabilities to set up and establish a fully operational inbound Call Center by XX Date. What will you require from ABC COMPANY to initiate set up and training? Please provide a high-level project plan for development of the application concluding with a go-live date for call center operations Provide a description of your status reporting procedures that your company uses in project development and implementation. CONTRACT TERMS Provide a copy of your standard Master Services Agreement (MSA) PRICING ABC COMPANY expects to sign a (X) year contract with the selected Vendor. Please provide fully disclosed pricing that is clear and inclusive of all facets of the program. 13

16 Based on the services described in this RFP, please provide a comprehensive price for initial development and implementation based upon your proposed solution. Provide an overall price and detail major components, breaking out the costs for initial implementation, agent training, set-up, and any other one-time implementation cost categories. Please provide monthly recurring pricing to include all recurring facets of the program s operations. Please provide a (per-minute or dedicated agent hourly) pricing structure. Please provide an hourly rate for non-recurring facets of the program such as IT change requests or any custom work performed. Please provide any additional Vendor fees, not mentioned above. 14

17 Non-Disclosure Agreement RECIPROCAL NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT Provide your legally approved Non-Disclosure form for Vendor to execute.

18 Intent to Bid Form CALL CENTER OUTSOURCING RFP INTENT TO BID INTENT TO BID FORM Please check ( ) your intention to fully complete the attached RFP, return completed Intent to Bid Form, via facsimile or , by X:00 p.m. on XX Date to: RFP Person ABC Company 123 Main Street Someplace, Somewhere Yes, I will respond to the RFP by Submission Date No, I will not be responding to the RFP Please sign below to indicate that you understand the requirements of the RFP and accept the terms and conditions under which the RFP was issued to you. If your proposal deviates in any respect from the requirements of this RFP, you must include a section in the front of your proposal clearly specifying all such deviations. It is not sufficient to merely note such deviations in the body of your proposal. Signed Officer Name: Printed Officer Name: Company Name: Note: Failure to respond by due date may eliminate you from the RFP process.