Questions to Ask an Outsourcing Company Before You Sign
Useful even if you end up hiring someone else. That is deliberate.
9 min read · Updated 12 August 2026
A sales conversation is designed to make you feel confident. These questions are designed to give you actual information instead. Ask them of any provider you are evaluating, including us — a good answer should hold up regardless of who is giving it.
On agents
- How are agents selected, specifically — what are they assessed on before assignment?
- 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?
On quality
- Can I inspect the QA criteria, not just be told quality is monitored?
- How often are conversations sampled and reviewed?
- What happens when an agent scores poorly — is it coaching, or replacement, and who decides?
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 the reporting does not match what actually happened?
On continuity
- What happens during absence — planned leave, and unplanned sickness?
- Is there a minimum team size, and why?
- What happens if volume spikes suddenly — can capacity actually flex, or is that just a line in the sales deck?
On data and access
- How is data protected — specifically, not generically?
- 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, and can they be verified?
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 if so, what does it cover?
On compliance
- What compliance responsibilities remain with me, specifically, versus with the provider?
- Who is responsible for the lawful sourcing of any calling data?
- Will the provider follow suppression and do-not-call instructions immediately, without argument?
On ending the relationship
- What happens when we cancel — notice period, final invoice, data handling?
- Is there a defined offboarding process, or is it improvised?
- What happens to open tickets and leads mid-cycle at termination?
Customer Support Outsourcing Procurement Checklist
The complete question set from our buyer guide and procurement questions article, formatted as a checklist you can bring to any evaluation call.
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