Customer Support Outsourcing FAQ

Questions we are asked most often, grouped by topic. If yours is not here, ask us - questions that come up repeatedly are how we decide what to write next.

Getting started

What is the smallest team you will provide?

Five dedicated full-time agents. Below that you cannot cover a real shift pattern with handover, holiday cover and someone to escalate to, and a team that cannot do those things will disappoint you regardless of price.

How long does it take to go live?

It depends on three things: how quickly system access can be arranged, recruitment lead time for the language and seniority involved, and how complex the training is. Access is reliably the slowest and almost always sits on the client side, so it is worth starting at scoping. We give an indicative timeline with the assumptions visible rather than a date that depends on access we have not been granted. See the implementation process.

What do you need from us to get started?

A named decision-maker who can settle scope questions in days rather than weeks, system access started early, whatever process documentation exists however untidy, and someone available during the pilot to answer the questions it raises.

Can we run a trial before committing?

Yes, and we recommend it. The pilot stage is a limited live window at lower volume with every interaction reviewed rather than sampled. Its purpose is to find what nobody anticipated while fixing it is still inexpensive.

Cost and contracts

Why do you publish prices when most suppliers do not?

Because you cannot shortlist suppliers you cannot cost, and three discovery calls to reach a number you could have read in ten seconds wastes everyone's time. The honest caveat is that published rates are floors for straightforward deployments. See pricing.

Are your published prices quotes?

No. They are starting points for planning, each shown with the basis it is calculated on. Nine things move the real figure: channel mix, language, process complexity, training, coverage hours, technology, volume, service levels and delivery location.

What is included in the rate?

Normally recruitment, training to your process, salary and employment costs, supervision, quality review against an agreed scorecard, standard reporting, and the agent's workspace and connectivity. Usually separate: third-party licences where you require a specific platform, telephony and messaging usage, unusually long or specialist training, work outside agreed scope, and setup fees for complex integration.

Is there a setup fee?

Not as standard. One applies only where onboarding involves genuinely complex integration work, and it is itemised rather than folded into the monthly rate.

How the team works

Will our agents work on other accounts?

No. Every agent is dedicated and full-time on your account. Shared pools cost less per head and usually more per resolved contact, because an agent covering six brands routes rather than resolves - and every routed contact becomes a second contact.

Do agents work in our systems or yours?

Yours, wherever possible. A second copy of your customer data in someone else's platform is a liability you inherit and a synchronisation problem you pay for twice. See technology.

Can one team handle several channels?

Yes, and it is usually better. One team across phone, chat, email and WhatsApp means the customer history travels with the customer, so someone who switches channel mid-problem does not start again. See omnichannel support.

What happens when something is outside the agreed scope?

It escalates. An agent guessing at policy is worse than an agent saying "let me get you the right person", so the authority boundary is agreed per contact type and written into both training and the scorecard.

Coverage and hours

Can you cover evenings, weekends and holidays?

Yes. Coverage is built from shift units: an eight-hour day is one, twelve-hour cover is two, weekends need enhanced staffing, and round-the-clock cover is three daily teams plus a holiday plan. The rules are configurable, because a retailer in November and a software company in August have very different weeks.

How do you decide the shift pattern?

From your arrival data rather than your office hours. Most operations are staffed around the head office working day, and looking at when contacts genuinely arrive usually reveals an evening or weekend peak nobody is rostered for.

Is it expensive to extend hours later?

It costs more, but extending is a staffing change rather than a renegotiation, which is the point of pricing coverage in shift units.

Languages and location

Which languages can you staff?

From India: Hindi, Hindi-English bilingual, English, Bengali, Nepali and Punjabi as standing capability. Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese and Odia are available on request, subject to recruitment lead time. For international voice we staff neutral international English.

Can we get agents based in the UK?

Yes. UK onshore and nearshore agents are available where a caller base genuinely needs them. A blended model - India-delivered on routine volume, a smaller onshore group on complaints and escalations - usually gives better value than either alone. We do not claim onshore delivery anywhere else. See the UK market page.

How do you handle accents?

We recruit for comprehension and clarity rather than accent imitation. The skill that matters is following regional speech at natural speed and asking a clarifying question without making the caller feel awkward.

Quality and reporting

How do you measure quality?

Interactions are sampled and scored against a scorecard agreed with you, by reviewers calibrated against each other. Resolution carries the most weight, because everything else serves it. See quality assurance.

What do you report, and how often?

Daily operational figures, a weekly pack with trends and exceptions, a monthly review with root causes and owners, and a quarterly look at whether the team shape still fits. You get the same numbers we manage the operation with. See service levels and KPIs.

Will you commit to service levels up front?

Not before seeing your contact data. A speed-of-answer target is a function of arrival pattern, handling time and headcount - committing without those means guessing high and failing, or padding the team and overcharging you.

Are the performance figures on your site guarantees?

No. They are historical or representative, reflect particular engagements over stated periods, and depend on channel mix, volume and campaign. No supplier can honestly offer past numbers as your future targets before seeing your queue.

Technology and AI

Do you use AI instead of people?

No. Automation summarises conversations before escalation, classifies email by intent, surfaces knowledge articles while the agent types, and drafts first replies for a human to check. A person stays responsible for judgement, tone, exceptions and anything involving money, complaints or vulnerability.

Are the platforms you name official partnerships?

No. They are platforms our teams are trained and competent in. We hold no partnerships, certifications or reseller arrangements with them and will not describe it otherwise.

Security and compliance

How is our customer data protected?

Least-privilege role-based access granted per agent and revoked when no longer needed, verification before disclosure, and recording and retention configured to your requirements and to what the law in your market allows. See security and data protection.

Are you certified for information security?

RH International Ltd. is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under reference ZB879055. That is a register entry, not a certification. We will walk your security team through our controls in detail, and we do not display certifications we do not currently hold. If your procurement requires a specific certification, tell us early and we will say plainly whether we meet it.

Who is the data controller for our customers' data?

You are. When we deliver support for you we process your customer data on your instructions as your processor, and your privacy notice governs it. Our own privacy policy covers data we collect for our own purposes - website enquiries and recruitment.

Working with us

What do you not do?

We are not a managed cybersecurity provider. We do not provide audit, tax advice or regulated financial decisions. In healthcare we provide administrative support only, not clinical advice or triage. For legal services we handle administration and enquiries, not legal advice. And we do not claim onshore delivery outside the UK.

When are you not the right supplier?

If you need fewer than five agents, if you need any of the excluded work above, or if you want a supplier who will commit to service levels before seeing your data. See why RHI, which sets this out at more length.