With just a few clicks, e-commerce is revolutionizing the shopping experience globally.
Even in the Caribbean, we're seeing businesses start and adopt a full e-commerce model.
Since online sales are predicted to grow by 10% this year and continue to rise over time, they may one day completely replace the average brick motor setup.
So the time has come to enhance your brand position and customer service if you own or sell projects online.
It can be more challenging to manage Customer Support in-house. In this case, outsourcing can help you build a better online reputation.
An e-commerce company can improve its online sales, service, and retention by working with an outsourcing provider who will handle customer questions, refunds, and complaints. The e-commerce owner saves money and gets support for their business process.
What Is Outsourcing E-commerce Customer Service?
If we were to put it simply, outsourcing is moving a portion of your business to a third party for less money - but equal or better expertise - than your current operations. This can be to another company in the same country or abroad, known as Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs).
Outsourcing has a bad reputation historically, as the thought is that it takes jobs away from others. However, given the rising demands and expectations for customer service, the practice is less about eliminating jobs and enhancing efficiency.
The needs of consumers have changed over time, and 83% of customers require assistance when shopping online. It is time to consider outsourcing if you cannot meet that demand.
Here are 5 tips for outsourcing your e-commerce customer service to strengthen your brand and online presence.
1. Be specific
Give a clear description of your needs and preferences. So do your research on providers before even starting. To build the ideal customer service team, consider all the necessary factors. Hold onto that distinct image you have in your head. What do those features entail, and what are the equipment requirements for this team?
A crucial element of success is to ask the right questions of yourself. This aids in eliminating potential partners and identifying the ideal one. If you are unfamiliar with customer service standards, here are some ideas:
Domestic: How does the location of your potential partners affect your business operations?
Omnichannel solution: are multiple tools or platforms used to service customers? Are those solutions compatible with the internal applications you use?
Coverage: What are the hours that the center you chose is open?
Culture Fit: Are your partner's practices, procedures, and management style compatible with your company's culture?
Language barriers: Do you work with foreign partners? If so, can you get around any potential language barriers?
Specificity simplifies your search for a BPO.
2. Search for the best partner
Websites and social media can be used to find potential candidates to handle your e-commerce customer support. You could also use online marketplaces like Upwork to find 1-2 persons, but a BPO agency or consultant can help if you need a larger team. Another option is asking for referrals from other businesses or using your local chamber. Narrow down your list to at least 3 potential providers.
3. Review your candidates
Most BPOs are willing to get on a call with you to explain how they can support your e-commerce business. Schedule multiple interviews and, where possible, do in-person visits.
Ask questions about culture, pricing, infrastructure, security, scaling your support, and guarantees.
4. Onboard your customer service team
Once you've found your BPO or customer service team, it's time for onboarding. Introduce them to your team. Help the management team understand your goals, strategies, and top priorities for the upcoming year.
Also, create and/or share existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents reinforcing processes and policies. Video does well here, so you can record your step-by-step processes so they can reference it at any time. This will give the BPO a better understanding of how your business operates.
You can then discuss the nuances of your brand, so it's easier
5. Manage your team
You are in a position for success if you have control and oversight. Set expectations and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and hold weekly meetings to check in with new partners. Be sure to address any issues, gaps, or potential improvement areas.
Outsourcing is more practical from a business standpoint. Nevertheless, you still want to ensure everyone's success by effectively communicating and monitoring performance.
Must-haves for your e-commerce business
Employing 24/7 customer support
Being present at all times is a great way to improve how your customers perceive you. However, we understand that maintaining this internally may be challenging for your team. One of our first recommendations for improving your e-commerce customer experience is to work with an outsourcing firm that provides round-the-clock support. Approximately 64% of customers want answers to their questions right away.
When you outsource this aspect of customer service, you can use teams in various time zones to address your customers' needs whenever they arise. With this level of service, your customer will always be attended to. Give your clients access to you at any time. Additionally, because people can interact with your products online 24/7, you should allow them to engage with your brand and receive support.
Resource optimization
So, we discussed how having an in-house team could be expensive, especially for small- to medium-sized e-commerce businesses. If your customer service could be more routine, think about outsourcing.
Every business faces a yearly challenge in implementing cost-saving measures. How can operational costs be reduced while profit margins are raised with the least risk to the business? You can outsource and perform both.
Multilingual & multi-channel support
You must go where your target audience is if you want to run a successful online business. Customer service should be available in your country's native language, plus at least one other.
This implies that you must be available to respond to customer needs on social media or websites, wherever they are, thanks to an omnichannel solution. Ask your provider if multilingual support is available. Multilingual support
Can you scale?
One of the most straightforward areas to scale is customer service. Additionally, you can expand your product line by working with an outsourcing firm. For instance, if you run an online book or stationery store, you may notice that demand for your products increases around back-to-school time or when businesses place bulk orders. Flexibility is crucial as an online business has peak and off-peak periods that may require more attention.
Ready! Set! Sell!
We hope you are fired up about your e-commerce outsourcing solution! As your online presence expands, you must find numerous ways to automate processes and increase efficiency while providing excellent customer service. Outsourcing customer service is the first step. The secret to success is knowing what you want and looking for a business that can do it.
Meet your candidates, choose the best one(s), and introduce them to your business to ensure they understand your operations, goals, and requirements for operating your online business, then get going. At CallServ, we help businesses by supporting their customer service through outsourcing. Send us a message, and let's take the stress off your hands.
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