One of the primary ways to nurture and maintain a good relationship with your patrons is by providing them with the best customer service. You need to attend to their needs immediately and give them the correct options to solve their problems.
According to Microsoft’s recent survey, 90% of Americans consider customer service as a deciding factor in whether or not they will transact business with organizations. One thing is certain; customer service matters now more than ever.
A lot of businesses today are turning to customer service outsourcing as it is a more viable solution for their growth and development.
If you think you do not have the right people, expertise, and resources, perhaps it is time to evaluate your current strategies. Customer service outsourcing is your key to succeeding in today’s ever-cutthroat market landscape.
What is customer service outsourcing?
Customer service outsourcing is the act of contracting out parts or your entire customer service process to an external provider. Typically, companies outsource customer service processes to renowned BPO service providers like OP360.
Companies that procure customer service outsourcing to OP360 can tap into a wide pool of seasoned customer service specialists.
Foreign companies that offshore these processes can fully leverage global Filipino talent, top-of-the-line technology, infrastructure, and customer service solutions that are according to their type of needs.
What’s more is that businesses can save up to 70% of their overall costs when outsourcing, in general.
Customer service outsourcing channels
Outsourced customer service can be performed through the following channels:
Phone call
Phone call is more traditional yet one of the most powerful forms of customer service. Phone channel is best used to attend to customers with immediate concerns.
This channel facilitates phone conversations with agents properly trained in proper phone etiquette, speaking skills, and call center best practices.
Email support
Similar to phone calls, email is also one of the primary channels that consumers utilize for customer service even up to the present day.
As for your end, with email support, your agents are given ample time to provide customers with the right information they need.
Live chat
Live chat is the most preferred communication channel by customers as it provides real-time support. In fact, as per Statista, customers’ satisfaction rate through live chat reached 98.56% in the real estate industry.
Live chat support typically happens when consumers visit your website and click your live chat support button to start a conversation.
Social media support
Social media is widely used by people from across the globe as they spend most of their daily time on various social media platforms. Like live chat, your customers can also easily reach out to your brand via social media channels like Facebook or Instagram.
How can customer service outsourcing benefit your business?
Customer service outsourcing can bring the following advantages to your business:
Flexibility
Customer service outsourcing gives you added flexibility by having extra support from your outsourced customer service representatives. As opposed to hiring full-time staff, outsourcing grants you the liberty to scale easily during your peak and off-peak periods.
Cost efficiency
Many businesses choose to outsource services as it is more cost-efficient. With customer service outsourcing, you will not be required to spend more on additional office space and needed resources, including recruitment.
Access to a larger talent pool
Distinguished BPO companies usually have customer service specialists who have undergone extensive training. On top of that, these professionals often already have years of experience working for different clients in various industry sectors.
24/7 customer service operations
Another great advantage of customer service outsourcing, especially when offshoring, is that companies can have their operations over extended periods. Time zone differences can be used as an advantage as your customer service functions can operate up to 24/7.
Tips for choosing the right customer service outsourcing provider
There are thousands of reliable BPO companies that you can partner with. However, selecting the right outsourcing provider that suits your business and needs is crucial to your success.
Consider the following in choosing an outsourcing company:
Customer service agent skills and training
Your outsourced customer service agents will pose as your customers’ direct point of contact so they must be proficient in their craft.
Choose a BPO company that provides thorough training sessions to continuously work on their agents’ skills, knowledge, and capabilities.
Quality assurance and monitoring
Look for an outsourcing provider with a quality assurance and monitoring team. This will guarantee you that there will be a dedicated QA team to regularly monitor and check the quality of your customer service functions.
Cloud-based customer service software
A good customer service outsourcing provider uses cloud-based software as it is more secure and reliable, and can be accessed from anywhere. A cloud-based software integrates well with different tools, programs, and other software.
Another good feature of cloud-based software is that it can grow with your business as it allows you to scale up smoothly.
Now you’re all set for customer service outsourcing!
