Nearshore countries and regions have been rising in popularity as call center outsourcing destinations of choice. Tijuana, Mexico is no exception to this trend. Corey Kotlarz, President of Outsource Consultants, recently made a trip to visit an outsource call center in Tijuana, Mexico. He answered a few questions regarding his thoughts on call centers in Tijuana and their benefits for companies looking to outsource with a nearshore outsourcing center.
Tell us about your trip to the Tijuana call center. What were some of the highlights?
It was a great trip to Tijuana! I’m a fan of Tijuana as a call center outsourcing location due to the fact that it’s extremely close geographically to the United States and is easy to travel to. I flew into San Diego, California and the outsourcing provider picked me up at the airport and drove me across the border without any hassle. I arrived at the Tijuana call center destination within 35 minutes after the flight landed. This is highly attractive for US-based organizations that want to closely manage their call center operations or quickly provide initial training or even ongoing training and QA oversight for their call center outsourcing provider.
What kinds of companies use call centers in Tijuana?
The organizations that I visited have extensive experience in the financial services industry, travel, hospitality, and retail. The call centers provide these industries services such as customer service, customer care, telesales, and collections.
What is the customer service quality level from Tijuana call center agents?
I’ve visited multiple centers in Tijuana over the years and have consistently found that the quality of English-speaking agents is second to none versus other nearshore countries. A majority of call center agents have lived within the United States at some time in their lives, so their cultural affinity and ability to speak effectively with US-based customers makes Tijuana an outsourcing destination of choice.
What are some of the key benefits of Tijuana call centers?
The benefits are the combination of strong English speaking skills along with the close proximity to the United States. You can drive to Tijuana, which isn’t possible with other nearshore or offshore locations. You can also reduce call center costs by up to 50% versus USA call center outsourcing rates.
What are some key disadvantages to utilizing a call center in Tijuana?
Colleagues of mine have expressed concerns over safety within Tijuana and Mexico in general. With any destination that you’re traveling to, you always want to be as cautious and safety-minded as possible. Based on my personal experience in Tijuana, the outsourcers will pick you up from the airport and drive you directly to the center. Most call centers in downtown Tijuana have hotels in very close proximity or are even connected to them. Some of these hotels include leading brands such as Hyatt and Marriott. In addition, there are many restaurants in Tijuana within very close proximity of the leading call centers. I’ve felt comfortable every time I travel there. If you stay within close proximity of the call center and your hotel and don’t wander to “bad parts of town” like with any other city, I feel you can overcome any safety concerns.
Do you have any insider advice if for companies planning to outsource in Tijuana?
If you’re planning on being hands-on with training and KPI management along with ongoing travel to visit your outsource call center partner (which I highly recommend), I can’t recommend the global entry pass enough. This allows you to drive across the border without dealing with the extensive customs process each time you visit Tijuana.
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