Designing the Best Call Center for Your Business examines all key aspects of opening and expanding a live agent call center, with in-depth coverage on facilities and workstation design; site selection, including communications and power backups; finding the right property; and staff recruiting, training, and retention. It covers domestic and international call centers and those that handle online as well as voice interactions. The book also explores what functions and value call centers can offer businesses, including outbound and inbound sales and customer service and help desk. It examines and suggests how to cope with hot issues that could affect the center such as customer hostility to outbound cold-calling and unsolicited emails. This edition is revised throughout and expanded with two new chapters. Key topics in the second edition include offshoring as well as nearshoring, including the pros and cons as well as the how-tos of offshoring and nearshoring; hot issues involved with offshoring, such as cultural affinity, unique facilities and staffing issues, and consumer and political resistance; the impact of federal "Do Not Call" legislation; technology changes, including voice-over IP has come into its own; eLearning as a training alternative; ergonomic issues; and business continuity planning and disaster recovery.