So you’ve been thinking about hiring a customer service outsourcing company. It’s a common option for many CEOs, Operations Managers, and Customer Service VPs. Some companies need a customer service outsourcing company - aka a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company - to handle the overflow of customer support, typical in rapid growth. Others need to cut back on costs and seek outsourcing to do so while still maintaining quality.
In 2023, the business process outsourcing market is expected to generate 0.35 trillion dollars. This figure was only one-third of this before the pandemic.
These statistics mean there are lots of options for companies to choose from.
While there are many options, switching from one BPO to another if you receive poor service is more trouble than it’s worth. Therefore, choosing the right BPO outsourcing specialist can help support and scale your business. But what makes a great option? What should you look for?
What is an Outsourcing Services Company?
An outsourcing services company’s sole mission is to provide businesses with services and support. These are business-to-business (B2B) agencies, firms, consultants, or even freelancers with the skills necessary to help a company function.
Instead of hiring someone or a team themselves, companies can go to an outsourcing company to perform the task. The company pays the BPO, and the BPO delivers the services.
The company wins by having cheaper, scaleable labor while leveraging the expertise of the BPO. The BPO itself can earn revenue and scale thanks to its clients.
What are the Types of Outsourcing?
Outsourcing can be broken up into:
Manufacturing outsourcing: Possibly the most popular. An outsourced solution makes your product or makes specific parts for your product. Chinese and automobile manufacturing are good examples.
Professional services outsourcing: These are knowledge-based, such as Accounting, Human Resources, IT, Data Analytics, and Finance.
Process Specific Outsourcing: Steps necessary to support or grow your business. Inbound Call Center Solutions, Lead Generation, and Sales are good examples.
Operational outsourcing: Supply chain, Product Development, Payroll, and other facets necessary to keep your business running smoothly.
Project outsourcing: Completing a specific project in a particular timeframe.
Outsourcing can be:
onshore (BPO in your country),
nearshore (BPO nearby your country in the same time zone),
offshore (BPO in a foreign country, often in a different time zone), or
Multi-shore (combining multiple BPO services)
What Makes a Great Customer Service Outsourcing Company?
Customer service is a major part of a business’s brand, growth, and revenue. Happy customers buy more, stay longer, and tell others about your services. These customers must feel valued when a problem arises and need the required support from customer service.
According to Fortunly, 54% of businesses employ at least BPO to communicate with customers. Some of the best customer service outsourcing companies have the following in their favor:
A Well-trained and Experienced Customer Service Team
When someone contacts a company for help, they want to know the person on the other end can solve their problems.
The best customer support staff are experienced in handling different types of customers, are well-trained, and are adaptable.
Your customer service outsourcing company should have a track record of excellence in customer service with an experienced leadership team.
Ask for testimonials or feedback from past clients. Look at the customer service ratings of the companies the BPO supports. This should give you an idea of the capabilities of the team.
Providing Personalized and Empathetic Customer Service
Companies that take customer service seriously have their own standards for service, experience, and resolving specific issues. However, an excellent customer service outsourcing company understands the importance of personalization and empathy in every customer interaction.
They go beyond scripted responses and strive to truly understand each customer's unique needs and concerns. You can see the effort to create meaningful connections with customers on recorded calls or emails.
Personalized and empathetic customer service helps build trust, enhances customer satisfaction, and fosters long-lasting relationships.
Offer Omnichannel Support to Meet Customers on Their Preferred Platforms
Customers now communicate in multiple formats, and companies must provide support over each of these channels. Furthermore, in today’s digital age, customers expect seamless interactions across multiple channels. They should be able to pick up their interactions from one channel and continue in another.
Whether by phone, email, chat, or social media, a great outsourcing company can provide omnichannel support. Even if it’s not built in the BPO model, the BPO should be able to integrate the company’s systems or provide the necessary staff to accomplish omnichannel services.
The BPO will use omnichannel services to provide convenience, accessibility, and flexibility for your customers, resulting in higher satisfaction and loyalty.
Provide Flexible Pricing Options to Fit the Needs of Different Businesses
Every business has unique requirements and budgets. A great customer service outsourcing company understands prices based on the client’s needs. Scalability is the most significant advantage of a BPO as the client can add more staff to meet demands. Therefore, the price must be competitive for the client.
Whether it’s pay-per-call, pay-per-hour, or customized packages, the BPO should work closely with clients to tailor pricing structures that align with their specific goals and financial capabilities.
Flexible pricing options enable businesses to optimize their investment from the customer service outsourcing company while receiving high-quality support.
Offer Multilingual Support to Reach a Wider Range of Customers.
It’s not uncommon for customers to need support in their native language.
To cater to this diverse customer base, the customer service outsourcing company should offer multilingual support.
This approach enables businesses to break down language barriers and effectively engage with customers, regardless of their preferred language.
It may be a nice-to-have, but it could be an extra bit of Customer Experience to take your service to the next level.
Maintain Transparency and Clear Communication with Clients and Customers
A great customer service outsourcing company understands the importance of transparency and clear communication in building trust and fostering solid relationships.
They establish open lines of communication with their clients, ensuring that expectations, goals, and performance metrics are clearly defined and mutually understood. Furthermore, they prioritize transparency with customers, providing updates, resolutions, and any necessary information promptly and honestly.
By maintaining transparency and clear communication, they create an environment of trust, ensuring clients and customers feel valued and informed throughout their interactions.
Provide 24/7 Customer Support
In today’s interconnected world, customers expect round-the-clock support. A great customer service outsourcing company recognizes this and offers 24/7 customer support services.
They understand that customer issues and inquiries can arise anytime, and their dedicated team of agents is available around the clock to provide timely assistance.
By offering 24/7 support, they ensure customers receive prompt resolutions, enhance customer satisfaction, and demonstrate a commitment to delivering exceptional service at all times.
Conduct Regular Customer Satisfaction Surveys to Improve Services
Continuous improvement is a hallmark of a great customer service outsourcing company. They actively seek feedback from both clients and customers through regular customer satisfaction surveys.
These surveys provide valuable insights into the quality of service, areas for improvement, and emerging customer needs. For instance, Call Serv performs Quality Assurance, Customer satisfaction (CSAT), and Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys as needed.
By listening to feedback and acting upon it, they can refine their processes, train their agents, and implement changes that enhance the overall customer experience.
Through customer satisfaction surveys, they demonstrate a commitment to constantly improving their services and exceeding customer expectations.
Have a Strong Focus on Data Privacy and Security Measures
Security and data privacy are some of the biggest concerns for clients. The client must trust that the BPO keeps sensitive customer information safe.
A great customer service outsourcing company recognizes the sensitivity of customer information and takes measures to ensure data privacy and security.
These measures should be presented as part of any offer, and the BPO should have IT staff dedicated to cybersecurity.
They should also implement robust protocols, secure technologies, and compliance measures to protect customer data from unauthorized access, breaches, or misuse.
By prioritizing data privacy and security, they instill confidence in clients and customers, assuring them that their information is safely handled, even when passed on to someone else.
What’s Next for You?
Hiring a BPO to support your business can feel like a significant step. However, it’s one of the best ways to achieve growth as you and your team can now focus on bigger projects to move the company forward.
Still, you want your outsourcing specialist to be the best for your needs at the right price.
By embodying these qualities, outsourcing providers can establish long-lasting client partnerships, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and stay ahead in a competitive market.
When choosing a customer service outsourcing partner, considering these tips will ensure that your business receives top-notch support and your customers receive the exceptional service they deserve.
At Call Serv, we provide customer service outsourcing and several other process-related services like Sales, Lead Generation, Outsourced Telemarketing Services, Workforce Management (WFM), Back Office Support, and much more.
Contact us today to discuss how we can support your business and take it forward.
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