Outsourcing vendors, with hundreds or even thousands of seats, make money by maximizing the utilization of those seats. Seats that sit idle do not generate revenue, thus providing either costly overhead or an opportunity for companies to increase capacity by soliciting business that is complementary in terms of time. For example, Philippine call centers often mirror North American timezones, which is the night shift local time. So, what happens to those seats when the sun rises in Manila?

A savvy outsourcing company will seek to utilize those otherwise empty seats, perhaps for correspondence or other work that doesn’t require the level of accent neutralization otherwise required. And that utilization may provide an incentive for vendors to provide services at reduced rates. Working together to increase schedule adherence is beneficial to both company and vendor. Working together to maximize utilization with your vendor partner can be cost effective in that both parties share the benefit of filling seats and receiving services from seats that may otherwise remain empty.