# Customer Support Outsourcing Procurement Checklist

Every question worth asking a provider, in one document. Bring this to any evaluation call — including one with us.

Provided free by VoiceSupportCrew. Companion to [The Complete Guide to Customer Support Outsourcing](/guides/customer-support-outsourcing) and [Questions to Ask an Outsourcing Company](/guides/questions-to-ask-outsourcing-company).

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## On agents

- [ ] How are agents selected — what specifically are they assessed on?
- [ ] Are agents dedicated to my campaign, or shared across several clients?
- [ ] Who trains them, and on what timeline?
- [ ] Can I see, or participate in, the selection process?
- [ ] What happens if an assigned agent is not the right fit?

## On quality

- [ ] Can I inspect the actual QA criteria, not just a promise that quality is monitored?
- [ ] How often are conversations sampled and reviewed?
- [ ] What happens when an agent scores poorly?
- [ ] Is QA included in the base rate, or a paid extra?

## On reporting

- [ ] What reports are provided as standard, and how often?
- [ ] Can I see a sample report before I commit?
- [ ] Who do I contact if reporting does not match reality?

## On continuity

- [ ] What happens during planned leave?
- [ ] What happens during unplanned sickness?
- [ ] Is there a minimum team size, and why?
- [ ] Can capacity genuinely flex for a volume spike, and how fast?

## On data and access

- [ ] How is data protected — specific controls, not adjectives?
- [ ] Who owns the CRM and system access — the provider, or me?
- [ ] How are credentials revoked when an agent leaves, and can I verify it myself?
- [ ] What certifications does the provider actually hold? (Verify — do not take on trust.)

## On cost

- [ ] Are phone and telecom charges included in the quoted rate, or billed separately?
- [ ] What exactly is included in the hourly rate, and what is not?
- [ ] Is there a setup fee, and what does it cover?
- [ ] What are the notice periods for increasing or decreasing team size?

## On compliance

- [ ] What compliance responsibilities remain with me specifically?
- [ ] Who is responsible for lawful sourcing of any calling data?
- [ ] Will suppression and do-not-call instructions be followed immediately?

## On ending the relationship

- [ ] What is the notice period to cancel?
- [ ] Is there a defined offboarding process?
- [ ] What happens to open tickets and leads mid-cycle at termination?
- [ ] What happens to campaign data after termination?

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## Red flags worth taking seriously

- A guaranteed number of sales, appointments or revenue
- An unconditional "free trial" with no explanation of what makes it viable
- Vagueness about what is billed separately from the headline rate
- Reluctance to show QA criteria or a sample report
- Certification claims that cannot be evidenced
- No clear answer about what happens during agent absence

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## How to use this

Score each provider you evaluate against this list. The cheapest quote is frequently the one with the most left unanswered — the most useful comparison is not which number is lowest, but which provider was most specific about what the number covers.

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