Outsourcing Call centers are the staple of business operations, especially the ones that deal directly with customers. Not only they help in solving end users’ problems, they are also responsible for shaping the image of a company. It is imperative that a call center is treated on par with the core operations, in order to derive desirable results for a business. But, presiding over an in-house operation that always maintains high standards and deliver quality work is not as easy as it seems. Hence, outsourcing is an option that you should consider. In case, you are worried about offloading work to a third-party, you should weigh down the pros and cons of call center outsourcing.
Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Call Center Services
Pros of Call Center Outsourcing
- Access to a outsourcing call center partner with desirable skills in the field
- Sharing of burden with an outsourcing partner allows you to focus more on your core process
- Best software available to your call-handling agents without any major capital investment
- Access to managers and TLs who have delivered successfully for other projects
- Variety of inbound and outbound processes along with back office support services to choose from
Cons of Call center Outsourcing
- Handover of vital customer information to an external organization
- Lack of control over agents delivering customer service
- Frequent need to visit the premises of the call center vendor
Overcome the Cons of Call Center Outsourcing with Right Vendor Selection
Although there are certain cons of call center outsourcing, they can be eliminated completely with the right selection of vendor. Have a look at some tips that can turn an outsourcing venture into complete success:
Choose a vendor that has a reputation to protect
The reputation of a vendor is important not only because it ensures quality of operation, it is also significant because it serves as an insurance policy against data breaches. An eminent vendor takes extra care of the data shared by its clients as it has a reputation to protect. Hence, the chance of data loss/theft is almost eliminated.
Select a vendor that offers currency exchange rate advantage
You can hit a jackpot with your call center outsourcing if you can find a quality vendor that operates in a country with an inferior currency than yours. Even the best outsourcing call centers and back office support services providers in countries like India and China offer considerable cost benefits, especially for companies in the developed world like the USA and UK.
Hire a liaison manager to oversee outsourced operations
A liaison manager can be easily the difference maker between a good and bad outsourcing decision. An intelligent liaison manager can help you enforce your policies in a better way. Also, having your man in the outsourced company eliminates the need to visit far flung places. Therefore, you save a lot on airfare and at the same time improve your presence in the outsourced company.
Understanding the Value and Advantages of Different Call Center Processes
There are different call center processes run be different call center vendors. Each process has a certain scope, responsibilities and skill requirements. After understanding the pros and cons of call center outsourcing, you should also analyze the value of your vendor with respect to the process they will be running. Below we have mentioned some of the most popular call center outsourcing processes and their specific requirements, which your call center vendor should meet:
Customer Care
Customer care is the most common amongst all call center outsourcing ventures. Almost every company requires a customer care department for providing basic support to the customers. Below are some important traits of customer care processes that you need to understand:
- Polite call handling by agents
- Low AHT, high FCR and CSAT are desirable
- Call abandonment rate should always be low along with hold times
- Customers should not be put on hold or mute for long, if at all
Technical Support
Technical support is a specialist’s domain. As more and more work operations rely on technology, tech support has become vital for most business operations.
- Complete understanding of the relevant technology.
- Product and service manuals along with knowledgebase should be at the fingertips of the agents
- Step-by-step and logical troubleshooting is needed for providing accurate resolutions
- Experienced agents are most desirable as getting better at tech support takes time
- The managers should also be good teachers as agents need to be taught on the job
It should be understood that call center outsourcing decision for technical support should always be based on the experience of the vendor and its workforce.
Order Taking and Processing
Almost every ecommerce portal depends on order taking and processing call centers. These call centers serve as a backup for front-end online platform. In case, customers want updates about their order or need some clarification on the products, they can contact via phone support.
- Agents should be well-versed with the ecommerce portal
- They should be aware of the FAQs as most customers will have common and repetitive queries
- They should have complete mastery over ecommerce software and CRM used in order taking and processing operations
- Attention to detail is needed
Order taking and processing is not a complex process, but it is a process that requires complete attention of the agents and management. Always look for a vendor that is very professional and consistent in its project delivery.
Telemarketing
Telemarketing is an outbound call center outsourcing process that is heavily used by companies for promoting their products and services. Below are some favorable traits for such a process:
- Agents with a penchant for making sales and convincing potential buyers
- Persistence and staying motivated are two key traits of the telemarketers as people who are called are not always forthcoming and friendly
- Managers need to be good enough to keep the telemarketing team motivated
Recovery and reminder service
Recovery of loans on credit cards can be a major challenge for financial organizations like banks. Also, there are many times when customers need to be reminded about their upcoming payments and appointment. Therefore, companies choose reminder and recovery services. Some vital traits for this type of call center outsourcing are:
- Agents need to be calm and polite yet assertive
- Management should be very careful in ensuring that every reminder is sent on time
- Ability to put your point across without hurting the sentiments of the called party
Apart from the call center outsourcing services mentioned above, there are many services that are used by companies across the globe. For achieving the desired results in your outsourcing venture, you should analyze the pros and cons of each and every element of your decision. Always choose a vendor after checking its credentials in the type of work you want to outsource. Do not look at its overall standing in the market, but its expertise with respect to your process.
Conclusion
Just like any business decision, there are always certain pros and cons of call center outsourcing. But, it is possible to eliminate the cons by making the right vendor selection and hiring a liaison manager.
Vcare is an exceptional call center and back office support services with several years of experience in the field. We run a 24×7 operation, and take great precautions while handling customer information.