Setting up a VoIP call center isn’t as complicated or expensive as you’d think. With the right tools and planning, you can have a fully operational call center within your budget without sacrificing features you need.

This guide walks through how to do just that, including tips from someone who’s set up several.

Create a call center RFP

A call center RFP (Request For Proposal) is an official document that highlights why you need call center software, what the ideal contact center solution would look like for you, your expectations, and your budget.

These aren’t something you should just throw together. It’s important to get all of your teams involved so you aren’t blindsided later.

The last thing you want is to find out that someone needs a specific feature you didn’t know was important. Best case, you start the process over. Worst case, you’ve just signed a year-long contract for software that doesn’t fit your needs.

At a minimum, your RFP should include:

• Company details: Talk about your vision, values, and business objectives as well as your target audience, competitors, and elevator pitch. This gives potential vendors a general idea of what you do.
• Project overview: Define the challenges you’re currently facing, what you hope to be able to do with your call center software, features you need, a list of devices if you already have them, and specific details like your monthly call volume, working hours, and the types of calls you’re going to handle (inbound vs outbound, sales vs customer service, etc.).
• Project budget: Let them know your price range so they know right away if you’re in the same ballpark. You should also note if there’s any wiggle room in your budget.
• Your preferred timeline: Note when you hope to roll out your system, any key milestones you have, and your timeframe for choosing the best candidate. A specific review date gives them a reason to get back with you in a reasonable amount of time.
• Minimum vendor requirements: Explain any requirements you have, like if you prefer a vendor close by, one that’s experienced in your industry, those that meet HIPAA or other strict guidelines, a team that’ll work with on an SLA, or a partner with proven experience working with businesses the same size as yours.
• Submission requirements: Tell them what you expect them to send you, whether it be an official quote or proposal, a brochure explaining their services, a slide deck, or something else entirely to help you make the best decision.

SEE: Learn about the top 20 call center features to consider. 

Distribute your call center RFP to potential vendors

RFP in hand, it’s time to get it in front of the right people. That starts with putting together a list of providers that’ll likely be able to meet your needs.

You can put it together by doing research online, getting recommendations from your network, reading case studies and client testimonials, or attending in-person events, like trade shows, conferences, and forums.

Next, decide how you want to distribute them. Most businesses send them via email or an online form. You can also publicly post it on your website or an online forum.

The latter can help you reach a broader pool of vendors, but you may get some who aren’t actually able to help you.

You can use a simple checklist or project management tool to keep track of everything you receive. As your submission deadline nears, be sure to send follow ups to any vendors who haven’t yet sent you a proposal.

Shortlist the best options and schedule demos

Now’s the time to carefully review all of the proposals you’ve received. You can also do your own research into other companies if you’d like.

Pay close attention to the value each vendor offers for the price.

It’s not just about the number of features, but more so about the features you need to accomplish what you’re after. A vendor might have all the bells and whistles at a seemingly great price, but having to pay extra for a single feature you can’t live without may make it more expensive than something else.

Next, schedule demos with the top four or five that seem to best meet your needs at the right price. Personalized demos are best so you can ask questions.

Free trials are good, but don’t consider that a valid replacement for a demo. Talking to the vendor is a crucial step many businesses skip. Sure, it sounds inconvenient but it gives you a chance to really dig into specifics and see the solution in action.

You may also be able to negotiate a better price if they know you’ve been shopping around.

SEE: Understand the real costs associated with a new VoIP system. 

Sign up for the best fit and set up your phone number

During the signup process, you’ll be able to choose your phone number. Many vendors include a free toll-free or local number at no extra cost. If you already have one you’d like to keep, you can port it to your new provider.

Although the porting process is easy, it can be time consuming.

You’ll need to notify the company managing your existing number, initiate the process with your new provider, fill out the necessary paperwork, and potentially write an LOA (Letter of Agency).

From there, you’ll have to wait until the porting process is complete. During that time, you’ll need to pay for both services.

In most cases, you’ll get a temporary number from your new VoIP call center provider to use while you wait. When your old number is ready, everything will transfer over.

With your main number figured out, you’ll be able to add all of your users and assign direct dial numbers or extensions to them.

Buy hardware (if needed)

Many businesses don’t need hardware at all. If you plan to have your team use their cell phones or computers (called a softphone), you only have to consider buying headsets.

If you need desk phones, some VoIP providers sell hardware outright or let you lease it directly from them. Buying directly from your vendor means your devices come pre-configured — all you have to do is plug them in when they arrive.

However, that’s the most expensive route — new phones usually start around $100 each and can go as high as $600 or more.

If you’re willing to configure devices yourself, you can buy them from third parties or opt for refurbished phones.

Already have phones you want to keep? IP-enabled phones are already capable of connecting to the internet. All you have to do is make sure they’re compatible, configure them in your online account, and plug them in.

Analog phones require an adaptor you can get directly from your VoIP provider.

Configure your new VoIP call center system

While you wait for the number porting process and hardware to arrive, you can start configuring your new system.

To start, download and install your provider’s desktop and mobile apps. From there, you’ll be able to set up voicemail settings, forwarding settings, pre-recorded messages, call routing rules, IVR menus, and settings for all of your users. It’s a good idea to spend some time getting used to everything.

Many vendors provide a getting started guide or checklist. You can also reach out directly if you need help.

If you’re using softphone functionality, you can skip to the next step.

Otherwise, you’ll need to set up your phones. Preconfigured devices don’t require much aside from unboxing and plugging them in. For third-party, refurbished, or existing phones, the first step is registering the Media Access Control (MAC) address for each.

This is a 12-digit code that identifies devices on your network. They’re usually located on the bottom of the phone itself.

After registering your devices, the network will allow them to operate within it.

At this point, you may also want to introduce a firewall and/or a VPN to further protect your system. While quality vendors offer top-notch security, it’s never a bad idea to do more.

SEE: Check out my top tips for a smooth VoIP installation. 

Train your team

With everything set up, all that’s left is training your team. It may be tempting to rush through this step and assume everyone will figure it out in time.

For some teams, that may be the case. But extensive training in small groups has always worked best for me. Taking time to understand where users get confused can help you further streamline the system and teach them in real time.

You’ll also be able to go through mock situations and role-playing exercises using the system to ensure they know what to do no matter what.

Many call center solutions also include live call monitoring capabilities (like whisper, barge, and takeover) and call recording. Combined, these can help you build out further training programs for new agents.

Don’t forget to train them on two-factor authentication and creating strong passwords.