5 Advantages of Customer Support Outsourcing
Customer support outsourcing involves the delegation of a company’s customer support functions to a third-party organization. This strategic decision allows businesses to transfer the responsibility of managing customer inquiries, concerns, and requests to an external entity that specializes in providing customer support services.
According to industry reports, customer support outsourcing has gained significant traction in recent years. In fact, according to CreditDonkey, the customer service sector accounts for around 22% of companies within the outsourcing industry. This statistic positions customer service as one of the top five frequently outsourced industries. This trend can be attributed to several factors, including the increasing complexity of customer interactions, the need for cost optimization, and the desire to leverage specialized expertise. In this article, we will explore 5 advantages of customer support outsourcing.
Advantage #1. Cost Reduction
Due to the prevalence of outsourcing in developing countries with lower living costs compared to developed nations, businesses can achieve substantial savings of up to 70% on employee salary expenses.
Furthermore, by partnering with outsourcing companies, businesses are relieved of the additional costs associated with recruiting, hiring, and training customer support staff, as these responsibilities are handled by the outsourcing provider’s human resources department.
Moreover, customer support outsourcing eliminates the need for businesses to invest in renting additional facilities and procuring necessary equipment, as these aspects are covered by the outsourcing companies themselves.
Advantage #2. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction
One of the key benefits of customer support outsourcing is the potential for improved customer satisfaction. By entrusting customer support functions to specialized third-party providers, businesses can leverage their expertise and resources to deliver a higher level of service to their customers.
Outsourcing companies often employ well-trained and experienced customer support agents who possess the skills and knowledge to handle various customer interactions effectively. These agents undergo rigorous training programs, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary tools and techniques to provide exceptional customer service. As a result, customers receive prompt and accurate responses to their inquiries, leading to increased satisfaction with the support they receive.
Additionally, outsourcing companies understand the importance of adopting customer-centric approaches. They employ specialized methodologies and best practices that prioritize customer satisfaction and aim to create positive experiences. These providers often implement robust quality assurance measures to monitor and evaluate customer interactions, ensuring consistent service levels and identifying areas for improvement.
Positive customer experiences and increased satisfaction can lead to improved customer loyalty and retention. Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat customers and advocates for the business, promoting positive word-of-mouth referrals. In fact, the way a customer is treated significantly influences 70% of their overall buying experience. By outsourcing customer support, businesses can enhance their reputation for quality service, resulting in long-term customer relationships and potential business growth.
Advantage #3. Access to Specialized Expertise
Customer support outsourcing enables companies to tap into specialized expertise and industry knowledge in particular sectors. For instance, businesses operating in highly technical or regulated industries like healthcare, legal, or finance can benefit from outsourcing providers who offer customer service agents trained and well-versed in those specific fields.
These specialized agents possess the necessary expertise to provide expert assistance to customers who have complex inquiries or issues related to the industry. By leveraging their knowledge, the overall customer experience is improved as customers receive accurate and tailored support.
Moreover, outsourcing providers can implement customized training programs for their agents, ensuring they stay updated on industry regulations, terminology, and best practices. This ongoing training guarantees that the agents possess the latest industry knowledge to effectively address customer concerns.
By outsourcing customer service to providers with specialized expertise, companies can ensure that their customers receive high-quality and precise information. This commitment to accuracy and industry-specific knowledge enhances the company’s reputation and brand image, establishing them as a reliable and trustworthy source of information within their respective industry.
Advantage #4. Shorter Response Time
The responsiveness of customer support plays a crucial role in shaping the customer experience. Customer support outsourcing helps businesses achieve a shorter turnaround time for addressing customer queries and concerns. With dedicated outsourced teams solely focused on providing quality service to customers, there are fewer distractions or competing tasks. This singular focus allows the outsourced team to promptly address customer inquiries, leading to faster response times and resolution of issues. The streamlined workflow and specialized expertise of the outsourced team contribute to an efficient and expedited customer support process.
Imagine a scenario where a customer named Alex purchases a new smartphone online. A few days after receiving the phone, Alex encounters an issue with the device’s camera. Frustrated, Alex decides to reach out to the customer support team of the smartphone manufacturer for assistance.
Luckily, the company has opted for customer support outsourcing, which enables them to achieve a shorter response time. Alex sends an email explaining the camera problem and anxiously waits for a reply. Thanks to the dedicated outsourced team, they promptly receive Alex’s email and prioritize it for immediate attention.
Within a few hours, Alex receives a personalized email response from a knowledgeable customer support agent. The agent expresses understanding of the issue and provides troubleshooting steps to resolve the camera problem. This quick response time demonstrates the efficiency and focus of the outsourced team in addressing customer queries and concerns.
Advantage #5. Omnichannel Support
By opting to outsource your customer support, you alleviate the concern of determining which customer support channels to invest in, as your outsourcing partner will have proficiency across multiple channels.
This allows you to cater to your customers’ complaints, feedback, and queries through the platforms that are most convenient and preferred by them. With access to a diverse range of customer support channels, such as phone, email, live chat, social media, and more, you can engage with customers on their preferred communication platforms. This flexibility enables you to meet customers where they are, providing seamless and convenient interactions across various channels.
The omnichannel support also allows customers to switch seamlessly between different channels while receiving consistent and uninterrupted assistance. For instance, if a customer initiates a support request via email but later decides to continue the conversation through phone, outsourcing agents can access the conversation history and provide a seamless transition. This capability eliminates the need for customers to repeat their concerns, saving time and effort. The seamless channel switching demonstrates a customer-centric approach and helps build trust by showing that the business values and respects the customer’s preferences.
Overall, the seamless omnichannel support is an important feature of customer support outsourcing. It strengthens customer relationships, fosters trust, and contributes to customer loyalty.
To learn more about outsourcing, you can read our Top 8 Qualities of an Outsourcing Company in the Philippines article. We invite you to follow us on social media and to visit our website to learn more about our services.
About Us: Sourcefit is a widely recognized US-managed business process outsourcing company based in Manila, Philippines. We proudly serve over 100 clients with a workforce of more than 1,300 employees. Our global centers can serve multiple markets, and our staff is highly proficient in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Whether you need a few or many employees, we can help you achieve your business goals and build high-quality offshore teams.
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Sourcefit’s commitment to excellence has been recognized through numerous industry awards and certifications.
We recently received the Fortress Cyber Security Award from the Business Intelligence Group. Sourcefit was also honored with the prestigious recognition of Best Outsourcing Solutions Provider in the Philippines during the 2023 Business Excellence Awards.
Other awards include: FT ranking of 500 high-growth Asia-Pacific, The Marketing Excellence Awards, Inquirer Growth Champion, HR Asia Awards, among others.
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