The Most Important Reasons to Outsource Customer Service
Customer service has evolved into one of the most important pillars of every organisation. Organizations of all sizes now recognise the importance of having separate customer service departments.
Consumer service has evolved into a specialty field and a unique task that requires specialised training, tools, and technologies as customer expectations and behaviour have changed, and as digital technology has advanced. As a result, companies have begun outsourcing customer service in order to save money and limit the usage of internal personnel. Outsourcing to a multi-channel contact centre provider also provides more data on consumer behaviour and helps with decision-making.
Despite all of the advantages of outsourcing, some companies are still hesitant to outsource customer service, citing concerns about performance and a lack of managerial control as reasons.
Here are a few crucial considerations to consider when deciding whether or not to outsource customer support.
Customer Service Outsourcing: Why Should You Do It?
Table of Contents:
- Cost Savings
- Seasonal Spike in Volume
- Multi-Channel Support
- 24×7 Support
- Complexity
- Size of Organization
- Organizational Culture
Cost-cutting:
Every organisation strives for cost-cutting opportunities, and cost-cutting is the primary driver of outsourcing. While it is true that outsourcing reduces costs, it should not be the main motivation. A company’s top priority should be service quality, as any inefficiency might result in a huge exodus of clients. As a result, while choosing an outsourcing agency, think about their track record, clients, and service evaluations.
Seasonal Spike in Volume:
Businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors, for example, enjoy a seasonal surge in sales volumes during particular times of the year, such as the holiday season. Many events account for a significant amount of these businesses’ annual sales, and they can’t afford to miss out. In these circumstances, the outsourcing model for customer service becomes particularly advantageous, since more workers can be readily deployed to answer client inquiries and orders.
Multi-Channel Help:
Outsourcing frequently gives businesses access to multi-channel support, which can be difficult to implement domestically. If a company’s consumers use all available means of communication to contact it – such as voice calls, emails, live chat, mobile / SMS, and social media, for example – outsourcing may be the best way to answer to their communication quickly and professionally.
24×7 Support:
if the company deals with international consumers or those that communicate outside of normal business hours. If an eCommerce business has a global distribution model, it must provide always-on customer service, regardless of the customer’s geographic time zone. It may be difficult for such a company to provide 24-hour customer service, thus outsourcing to a professional company that does provide this service becomes a possible option.
Complexity:
If your company receives a lot of difficult technical calls, it’s a good idea to have an in-house staff to manage them, because third parties may not have the technical know-how to provide appropriate answers. Furthermore, if calls are frequently transferred between departments, it will be difficult for an outsourcing firm to process them. In these situations, the in-house customer service centre can ensure that customers receive the most appropriate and optimal answers to their problems. Other tasks, such as making appointments and generating leads, can be outsourced.
Size of Organization:
While outsourcing benefits businesses of all sizes, if the volume of customer interactions is low, it may be easier for a company to assign customer service to an in-house executive. Depending on the company’s future growth, outsourcing may be considered.
Organizational Culture:
Collaboration, control, cultivation, and competence are the four types of organisational cultures defined by the Schneider Culture Model. An organisation with a ‘control culture,’ defined as adherence to a strong hierarchy and well-defined power structures, may find it difficult to shift to an outsourcing relationship in which some control must be handed to a specialist. A ‘control’ organisation, on the other hand, can use outsourcing to accomplish non-core work if it establishes a well-thought-out service level agreement and reporting requirements.
Consider all aspects before deciding on outsourcing, including business volumes, staff salary, training, maintenance, and equipment costs. Analyze the risks and benefits of having an in-house staff versus outsourcing. If outsourcing is the preferable option, find a professional call centre services provider that can meet all of your current and future business needs.
