If you’re under the impression that a nearshore call center is a cheaper version of customer support, you might need to rethink your stance. Great customer experience doesn’t require teams sitting down the hall, but it also shouldn’t be managed halfway around the world.
Nearshore outsourcing bridges that gap by providing skilled, bilingual agents in nearby countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia. These agents work in the same time zone, speak the same language nuances, and cost far less to employ.
In this post, we’ll walk through our eight-step roadmap for setting up a nearshore call center from the ground up. You’ll learn how to define your business objectives, choose the correct location, recruit exceptional agents, and integrate technology that supports long-term growth. Let’s get started.
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Setting Up Your Nearshore Call Center: An 8-Step Framework
While it may seem daunting at first, establishing a nearshore call center doesn’t have to be. Here’s our 8-step roadmap to simplify the process:
Step 1: Define Your Business Objectives and Call Center Goals
Before you start scouting for agents or scouting nearshore locations, stop and ask: What’s the actual business objective here?
Are you trying to reduce costs? Scale faster during peak seasons? Deliver higher customer satisfaction by improving service quality? Whatever your reason, it determines your model, your management structure, and even which nearby country you should consider.
Think of this as your foundation phase. The clearer your objectives, the better your call center operations will run once they’re live.
Every company enters nearshore outsourcing with different goals, but they usually fall into a few categories:
- Cost Efficiency: Achieving 40–60% cost savings compared to onshore call center operations, thanks to lower labor costs and operational expenses.
- Scalability: The ability to ramp call center teams up or down quickly based on call volume or seasonal peaks.
- Quality & Customer Experience: Nearshore agents are fluent in English (and often Spanish or French), minimizing language barriers and improving empathy in customer interactions.
- Cultural Alignment: Agents understand your customers’ humor, tone, and expectations, as well as the small details that translate into higher customer satisfaction.
Once you’ve set your business objectives, define how you’ll measure success. Common metrics include:
- Average Handle Time (AHT): How efficiently customer inquiries are resolved.
- Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Direct reflection of how well your call center agents perform.
- Service Level Agreements (SLA): Your operational heartbeat; the benchmark for responsiveness.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): Long-term customer loyalty indicator.
Step 2: Choose the Right Nearshore Location
Proximity is what makes nearshore outsourcing so powerful.
This means you can hop on a flight, land before lunch, and be on the call center floor by the afternoon. Being in the same time zone (or just one hour off) means your call center teams can work side-by-side with your in-house staff in real time.
Top Nearshore Locations for U.S. Companies:
| Country | Time Zone Alignment | Language Skills | Market Maturity | Key Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | CST / MST – mirrors major U.S. business hours | High English proficiency, strong bilingual base (English/Spanish) | Mature | Large, educated workforce; easy travel from major U.S. airports; growing BPO industry |
| Costa Rica | CST – same time zone as Texas and Chicago | Fluent English; many multilingual agents (Spanish, French, Portuguese) | Highly mature | Political stability, robust infrastructure, advanced technology, and strong data protection |
| Colombia | EST / CST – same time zone as U.S. East Coast | Excellent English fluency, high levels of education | Rapidly expanding | Cost-effective solutions, well-trained call center agents, and excellent cultural alignment |
These nearshore locations offer something offshore call centers often can’t: familiarity.
The accents are easy to understand, customer interactions feel more natural, and the minimal cultural differences translate into smoother customer service operations and higher customer satisfaction. For a better look at other outsourcing destinations check out our detailed guide to the top countries.
Step 3: Select the Right Operating Model
Once you’ve chosen a region for your nearshore call center, the next question is how you’ll actually operate it.
Do you want to own it, rent it, or share it? That’s essentially what your operating model decides. The right choice depends on your business objectives, risk tolerance, and how hands-on you want to be in your call center operations.
The Three Main Models of Nearshore Outsourcing:
| Model | How It Works | Best For | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) | You partner with a local provider who sets up the infrastructure, hires staff, and runs the operation. After a set period, ownership transfers to you. | Enterprises wanting long-term control but a low-risk entry point. | Gradual ownership, reduced setup risk, local expertise. |
| Managed BPO / Center Outsourcing | A partner manages your entire call center (recruitment, training, payroll, compliance, and performance). You focus on KPIs and customer experience. | Businesses wanting cost-effective solutions and fast scalability. | Quick launch, low overhead, predictable costs. |
| Employer of Record (EOR) | The partner legally employs your staff abroad, handling payroll, compliance, and taxes. You manage day-to-day work. | Companies wanting full control without setting up a local entity. | Legal protection, simplified HR, flexible scaling. |
Think of it like this:
- If you’re building a long-term presence, BOT makes sense. It’s an investment in your own infrastructure.
- If you want immediate results and flexibility, managed nearshore call center services are your best bet.
- If you want to avoid local legal headaches while maintaining control, EOR is the smart middle ground.
Most fast-scaling U.S. companies start with a managed BPO model. It’s fast to deploy and leverages the expertise of outsourcing professionals who know how to recruit, train, and supervise agents in nearshore locations.
Step 4: Plan for Compliance, Payroll, and Security
The legal and logistical maze of doing business abroad isn’t glamorous, but it’s crucial. If you miss a compliance detail, you’re not just risking fines. You’re risking your reputation, your clients, and your ability to operate sustainably.
When companies move operations to a nearby country, they often underestimate the paperwork waiting for them: employment contracts, benefits regulations, tax filings, and data privacy standards.
Each nearshore location, whether Mexico, Costa Rica, or Colombia, has its own rules, and navigating them takes local expertise.
That’s why many companies turn to a managed BPO partner or an Employer of Record (EOR).
Instead of setting up a legal entity abroad, an EOR employs your nearshore agents on your behalf. You get the control and consistency of managing your own call center teams, without the red tape or legal exposure.
Step 5: Recruit and Vet Your Call Center Agents
Now comes the heart of your nearshore call center: the people. The difference between good outsourcing and great outsourcing often comes down to who’s answering the phone.
The advantage of nearshore outsourcing is that you’re not starting from scratch. Countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia have deep talent pools of educated, multilingual professionals trained in customer service, technical support, and sales.
Many are fluent in English and often bilingual in Spanish or French, which eliminates most language barriers and improves every customer interaction.
Here’s what to prioritize when recruiting nearshore call center agents:
- Language proficiency: Ensure agents are fluent in English and confident in communicating in your customers’ tone and idioms. Bilingual or multilingual skills (Spanish, French, Portuguese) add significant value.
- Cultural alignment: Seek people who share similar cultural touchpoints with U.S. clients. This minimizes miscommunication and builds empathy in customer interactions.
- Relevant experience: Target professionals with prior experience in customer service operations, technical support, or data entry roles.
- Education and training: Nearshore agents often hold higher education degrees or specialized certifications. Use that to your advantage when building skilled teams.
- Stability and professionalism: Look for agents with a proven track record of reliability, attendance, and strong communication ethics.
- Customer-first mindset: The best agents don’t just resolve problems, they represent your company culture with empathy and confidence.
Outsourcing partners like 1840 & Company streamline this process using AI-driven vetting to match you with pre-qualified, bilingual talent often in under a week. That saves time, ensures quality, and gives you a dedicated team that feels in-house, not outsourced.
Step 6: Set Up the Infrastructure and Technology Integration
Technology is the backbone of your nearshore call center. The right setup determines how efficiently your center operations run and how securely your data moves.
A modern call center no longer needs rows of desks and wires. With cloud-based tools, a virtual call center can operate just as smoothly as an in-house one, often with better flexibility and far lower operational costs.
Your tech foundation should include:
- Cloud telephony and CRM integration for seamless call routing and customer history tracking.
- Workforce management and QA software to monitor performance and service quality.
- VPNs and encrypted systems for data protection and compliance with privacy laws.
- Advanced analytics for tracking trends in customer inquiries and agent efficiency.
Most nearshore services already come equipped with infrastructure and trained IT teams. Still, ensure your partner can scale systems as you grow and integrate new technology without disrupting service.
READ MORE: Nearshore vs Offshore Outsourcing: Which Is Right for You?
Step 7: Train, Manage, and Align Your Nearshore Team
Hiring great agents is half the equation; managing them well is what turns your nearshore call center into a world-class one. Training should go beyond scripts and procedures. It’s about building connection, consistency, and confidence across borders.
Start by integrating your nearshore agents into your company culture early.
Treat them as an extension of your in-house staff, not outsiders. Shared team meetings, overlapping business hours, and transparent communication channels help everyone feel part of the same mission.
Strong management practices for call center operations include:
- Brand immersion: Teach agents your tone, values, and customer expectations so they represent your voice naturally.
- Performance visibility: Use real-time dashboards to track service quality and key performance metrics.
- Feedback loops: Hold regular coaching sessions focused on empathy, communication, and first-call resolution.
- Recognition and growth: A motivated agent is a loyal agent, so acknowledge wins, encourage upskilling, and celebrate milestones.
This is also where cultural alignment pays off. Nearshore teams share similar holidays, humor, and social cues with U.S. clients. That familiarity improves customer interactions and leads to higher customer satisfaction.
When your nearshore agents feel seen, supported, and connected, they perform not like an outsourced unit but as a dedicated team fully invested in your business objectives.
Step 8: Scale, Optimize, and Drive Long-Term Business Growth
Once your nearshore center is running smoothly, the next move is optimization.
The beauty of nearshore outsourcing is flexibility. You can scale your call center teams up or down as customer demand shifts, without the heavy overhead that comes with onshore operations. Agility is a significant advantage of business process outsourcing, and it keeps you responsive and cost-efficient.
Keep an eye on your metrics: customer satisfaction, service quality, average handle time, and first-contact resolution. These aren’t just numbers. They’re early indicators of whether your center services are creating genuine value or just processing calls.
Optimization can take many forms:
- Cross-training agents for technical support, sales, or data entry to expand capability.
- Integrating new technology to automate repetitive tasks and speed up response times.
- Analyzing call trends to refine scripts and improve customer experience.
- Scaling into new nearshore locations as your business grows, leveraging your existing operational model.
As you grow, remember that cost efficiency doesn’t mean cutting corners. It means doing more with less friction. A strong nearshore model delivers significant cost savings while maintaining consistent service quality and cultural connection.
Simplify Your Nearshore Setup With 1840 & Company
Setting up a nearshore call center doesn’t have to feel like battling international red tape.
With 1840 & Company, you get a partner that already knows the terrain. By combining our AI-powered talent sourcing with deep regional expertise, we help U.S. companies build high-performing, bilingual teams across Latin America.
Our flexible models, whether business process outsourcing, managed services, or Employer of Record (EOR), let you scale quickly without the legal and logistical headaches of setting up abroad.
You stay focused on customer experience and business growth. We handle the rest: the people, the process, and the infrastructure that make your nearshore call center services run seamlessly.
FAQs About Nearshore Call Centers
Build a nearshore call center that balances cost, culture, and quality, delivering seamless customer experiences with the efficiency today’s businesses demand.
What Are the 3 Types of Outsourcing?
The three types of outsourcing are onshore, nearshore, and offshore outsourcing. Each option is defined by its distance from the client’s country and offers different balances of cost, control, and cultural alignment.
What Is KPO?
KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) involves outsourcing high-value, knowledge-based tasks like research, data analysis, and strategy to specialized professionals, focusing on expertise rather than volume.
What Is RPO?
RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) is when a company partners with an external provider to manage all or part of its hiring process, improving efficiency and talent quality.
Final Thoughts
The nearshore model isn’t a temporary trend. It’s the evolution of innovative call center outsourcing.
As automation, AI, and omnichannel platforms reshape customer service operations, nearshore teams will sit at the center of it all: agile, multilingual, and deeply aligned with customer expectations.
The future belongs to businesses that combine advanced technology with human empathy. And nearshore call centers are perfectly positioned for that balance.
1840 & Company helps you establish, manage, and scale your nearshore call center from strategy to execution. From sourcing skilled agents to managing compliance and payroll, we make global expansion seamless, cost-efficient, and sustainable. Contact us today to start building your nearshore team with confidence.
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