A few years ago, 1-800-Flowers.com needed to ramp up its call center capacity for one of its biggest revenue-generating holidays of the year, so it contracted with an outside call center to provide 800 additional operators.

"That was a mistake," recalls Lou Orsi, vice president for vendor and service center relations. "They got in a little over their head. They struggled meeting the hiring numbers. They were taking in anyone off the street they could. Quality suffered."

The experience didn't sour Orsi on outsourcing, but it did teach him a couple of lessons: Make sure the vendor understands your expectations, and make sure you don't depend on a single vendor at a revenue-critical moment.