VIDA Management Consultants

Specializing in Customer Interaction

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Past Project

Call Center Start-ups

Vicki has managed two full start-ups, four expansions, and two relocations. A lot goes into getting a call center set-up and operational, and strong project management skills are just the start.

Among the first considerations, is a clear understanding of what support is available from headquarters' staff and other departments. For instance, who makes carrier selections, negotiates contracts, hires janitors, and administers benefit programs? Vicki has set-up call centers both with and without headquarters support groups. Using help from headquarters requires just as much project coordination and more communication than handling everything yourself.

You have to look for people while the building is going up, the wires are getting pulled, and the computers and furniture are ordered.

The skills and number of people needed, depends on what the center’s function and it's organizational structure will be. Vicki hired the technical IT staff first so they could direct the installation of the computer equipment and phones, and get everything labeled, documented, and working. The next hires were for the human resource functions of recruiting and training. They helped with recruiting and interviewing, and developing the training materials for that first round of agents. Then the supervisory staff was brought on board. They participated in interviewing agents, setting up processes and learning the systems. Agents were then hired, trained and ready by the launch date. Setting up a new center is a high-energy task and a lot of fun. All of Vicki’s build projects have been on time and within budget.