Among the best ways for companies to significantly reduce costs, improve service quality, and concentrate on core operations is to outsource customer service. In an age where online reviews drive consumer and business behavior, choosing to outsource ensures that customer needs will be met in a professional, efficient, and cost-effective way that strengthens the company’s reputation and ratings.
While there’s a long list of benefits companies can realize by choosing to outsource customer support operations, we’ve found that most cite five specific benefits they’ve gained by outsourcing.
1. Improved Customer Experience (CX)
Many elements factor into the service outsourcing decision, but if your company’s ultimate goal is happier customers (or whoever your target audience may be), outsourcing is astoundingly effective at addressing potential customer interactions pain points while enhancing their impression of your company.
The best outsourced customer service companies are available without delay 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Customer problems don’t always crop up during regular business hours, so companies want to ensure skilled help is available whether it’s 3:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m.
Your budget may not allow you to staff that kind of availability, but a top-quality business process outsourcer (BPO) can absorb the higher costs by working with multiple clients whose needs peak at different times. That ensures customers are more likely to receive timely responses, reducing frustration and improving satisfaction.
Better service involves focusing on meeting your customers where they are. Some people are most comfortable finding resolution through a phone call, while others would prefer to find what they need through texting or live chat. Having ready support for customers who don’t speak your language is also critically important.
2. Access to Specialized Expertise & Tools
What’s the key to delivering the kind of customer care we just described? It doesn’t get delivered by people in low-pay, low-skill, and high-turnover environments. Professional customer service providers are experienced at handling interaction with customers in a wide range of situations. They know how to handle customers who are angry or simply confused.
Their expertise and people skills are supported with technology that helps them respond to customer needs more quickly. For example, Netfor’s outsourced customer service is built upon an extensive knowledge library. When your customer calls to say the red LED won’t go out or they can’t figure out how to insert the batteries, our customer service agent has instant access to step-by-step instructions, so they come across as knowledgeable and helpful.
We’re even using an AI-fueled system to monitor changes in callers’ voices and reactions so the agents can spot irritation or frustration. Clients have access to all the data related to our performance at handling their calls. We’re proud to share it with them because it proves we know we’re good at what we do for them.
3. Greater Cost Efficiency
Cost efficiency is nearly always a goal for companies that consider outsourced customer service. Working with a BPO provider means not having to invest in and manage your own staffing and technology. Instead, you can have access to state-of-the-art systems and skilled agents for a small fraction of what it would cost you to establish a lesser-quality in-house operation.
Nor will you and your team have to devote time and budget dollars to keeping customer service positions filled and staff trained in one of the toughest job markets anyone can remember.
4. Scalability & Flexibility
If there’s a sudden jump in call volume or a new software update that’s likely to cause confusion, it’s hard to add and train in-house staff in a hurry. That means callers may have to wait uncomfortably long – and we all know that people have a point when they’ll stop waiting and simply hang up. They no longer like or trust your company.
When you work with a BPO, they maintain sufficient staff to handle wide swings in call volume. If there’s a sudden jump, they can accommodate it more quickly, so your customers won’t notice any reduction in responsiveness or quality of care.
5. Better Use of Your Time
When you outsource the customer service function, your team can instead focus on your company’s core competencies. If your staff isn’t constantly being interrupted with customers reaching out about the same half-dozen things, they can focus on things like product development, process improvement, and even sales and marketing. After all, if you’re not forced to devote your time to the complexities of managing customer service, you can redirect your resources and attention to areas that directly drive your company’s growth and competitive advantages.
And A Bonus
Top-quality BPO providers understand the importance of cybersecurity and compliance. Working with them allows you to mitigate the risks associated with data breaches, legal liabilities, and customer dissatisfaction. Stringent security measures such as data encryption, access controls, and regular security audits protect your data and your reputation. And, if you do business within a regulatory framework, a top-quality BPO will steer you clear of costly missteps and mistakes. Those are just some of the many reasons companies come out ahead when they outsource their customer service infrastructure.
