Customer Service Outsourcing For Your Business Growth

Factors You Should Know About Customer Service Outsourcing

Customer service outsourcing is a strategy to improve customer retention. Top businesses succeed due to a lot of reasons and among them is good customer service. But how do we gauge that customer service plays a vital role in business? We can base it on numbers. 

This only shows that customer service is an indispensable tool for any business. Industry players do customer service outsourcing and they reap tons of benefits. Such as better customer handling and retention. 

That does not mean small to medium businesses cannot take advantage of this smart move. As a matter of fact, you can but do not let these numbers fool you into jumping to outsourcing. Like any other smart business strategy, this is a calculated risk. 

You should ask the right questions before you outsource your customer service. Good thing you can use this guide tailored for a business like you.  But first things first. 

What is Customer Service Outsourcing? 

This is a process where you outsource a specific area of your business operation. In this case, your customer service, to a third party operator. You farm out tasks to these outsourcing providers to handle your customer service. 

This may sound too simple for such a great contributor for your business growth. In fact there are three ways to outsource your customer service. Which leads us to the next question.

What are the Three Types of Customer Service Outsourcing?

• In-shore CSO

You outsource customer service to a provider near you. They could be in the same state or even in the same city. Depending on how they provide services, you may have to train and reserve office spaces for the staff they will provide you. As you can monitor their performance, you can ensure if their CRM suits your business. 

• Onshore CSO

This means you outsource customer service to a third party provider in the same continent or country. This sounds ideal as you may have the same culture, same accents, and same understanding. Especially on how you handle your customers. Plus factor is you can visit their location as necessary to improve your collaboration.

• Offshore CSO

This just means you outsource to a provider thousand miles away. They will handle the recruitment and training of the staff they provide you. As well as maintaining call center software, infrastructure and day to day operations management. They also have their dedicated offices in their home country for an optimal work environment. 

Benefits of Customer Service Outsourcing

For small to medium businesses, you would rather spend on things that have a great impact on your earnings and profit. These profits are of course driven by good flow of customers and on how you keep them. Which is all up to your customer service and client relations management. 

Added Flexibility 

When you outsource, be it inshore, onshore, or offshore, you combine their skills to your overall operation. Which in turn gives you flexibility to handle your CRM. It also adds extra support when you need it. This is a game changer especially for businesses that have seasonal spikes of customer flow.

Access to Qualified Talents

Outsourcing providers have skilled and qualified talents you can get your hands on. They are equipped with educational expertise and experience necessary to deliver quality service you can imagine. 

Saves you Time and Money

To hire in-house customer service representatives is a tedious task. Remember, you are responsible for the recruitment process, their training, and the equipment they need. In addition to that, their base salary and benefits. 

Which must be adherent to industry standards. The time and money you would spend for these would be minimized. Savings you can better invest directly to your business growth. 

Round the Clock Service

Outsourcing providers can offer you flexible working hours. You can choose to avail their service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This means no customer left unattended. Their needs are met with the highest customer service quality you can offer. 

Reduction of Management Pain Points

Your chosen outsourcing provider has experienced human resources staff to ensure that their agents are the best for your needs. They also have management personnel like team leaders to ensure your desired KPIs are met. 

Focus on Business Development

Customer service is vital, yes but this is not a core competency. When you outsource this operation, you can focus on things that matter for your business. Such examples are the development of your products, improving your services, and conducting sales.

It is good to note that these benefits are not entirely true among the three ways to outsource. It is always up to you to weigh in what is the most effective way to outsource which could lead you to reap all these benefits. 

Why is Offshore Customer Service Outsourcing the best for you?

To outsource your customer service to an offshore provider may sound intimidating and challenging. To help you reach a smart decision we list down the pros and cons of this proven business strategy. 

If you examine closely, the pros actually outweighs the cons of customer service outsourcing offshore. Good thing about the cons of outsourcing offshore is, you can minimize or eliminate them all. 

How? By simply choosing what country is the best to outsource. Then zoom in on the best provider you can get. 

Philippines vs. India: Which one is the go-to for Customer Service Outsourcing?

The Philippines and India are the top players when it comes to global outsourcing. India boasts its IT infrastructure. This explains why they are the go-to for services that are IT-related. While they also provide customer service to western clients, language barrier and cultural incompatibilities is a hurdle most businesses cannot overlook. 

For the Philippines, there is no denying that the whole business processing outsourcing flourished due to customer service outsourcing. This only shows that the Philippines has the best human resources and technology to deliver stellar customer service to clients all over the world. 

It is good to remember that 70% of clients that outsource customer service to India transferred to the Philippines in 2014. This only highlights the formidable strength of the country when it comes to customer service deliverables. 

The Philippines won’t be dubbed as the Call Center Capital of the World for nothing.

How to Outsource Customer Service the Right Way in the Philippines

It is clear that outsourcing is a vibrant industry in the Philippines. Thus you can expect that a lot of outsourcing providers are here. Best to keep in mind that there is no one size fits all when it comes to outsourcing. These are the guidelines to outsource customer service the right way.

Know your business situation

It is never a smart move to jump to the outsourcing bandwagon without studying your business situation. Whether you are going through a rapid change or stunted growth, it is best to understand how customer service outsourcing will impact your business. 

Decision makers and the management shall be in unison to outsource. Consultation should happen within your business, among the management and the sales team at best. This will give you a clear view to set your requirements when you outsourced customer support services. 

Best to have lots of options

There are tons of customer service outsourcing providers in the Philippines. They have their respective core strengths and weaknesses. This is where your set requirements can help you. Good thing with outsourcing providers in the country, they are used to provide for global clients. 

Some providers are great for high volume. Some are good for in-depth and varying customer service situations. Also you need to consider their staff’s customer care experience, English proficiency, and ease of training.

Ask for KPIs

When you shortlist your outsourced customer service providers, ask for their industry experience. Best to look closely on their experience with the same business model as you. You can zoom in on their average handle time, first contact resolution, and other metrics that will show you their productivity. 

You can also learn how they monitor quality assurance and how many calls they take into account. 

Check their Added Services

Customer relations management could mean a lot of things. They can provide you with call recordings for you to know your client’s pain points. Which you can work around to minimize and improve your service quality.

Consider their Information Security Systems

When you outsource customer service, you also provide them with your clients sensitive information or vice versa. This is where certification comes in. You have to be aware of globally recognized standards for information security. 

Global standards are GDPR, ISO 27001, and HIPAA. Look closely if they bear these certifications. Plus if a quality management system is in place and closely followed. 

Customer Service Outsourcing Pricing: Do the Math

Customer service outsourcing pricing varies even in the same country. This is because outsourcing companies in the Philippines factor in a lot of things to come up with the total price. For starters, hourly rate of customer service representatives in the country starts at $6 to $8. This is a significant difference compared to western counterparts that starts at $22 to $40. 

Magellan Solutions: Top Customer Service Outsourcing Provider

We are 17 years in the industry that provides stellar customer service to clients worldwide. Magellan Solutions provide high quality talents to handle your CRM at best. We maintain quality assurance with our trained and skilled implementations team to ensure that your KPIs are met. 

We offer flexible pricing that fits your budget with no hidden costs. Avail our free trial to experience our expertise. Fill up the form below for your free 60-minute business consultation!

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