Some decisions come easy in the contact center while others require a good deal of attention and thought. The latter seems to be more and more common for businesses. The contact center is a profit center, at least when optimized and running correctly.
While the labor shortage has caused more companies to consider Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) as an effective option to combat the staffing challenge, there are benefits that go beyond the immediate needs.
What may surprise you to know, is that outsourcing doesn’t always mean overseas or another part of the world. There are near shore, offshore, domestic, and so many possibilities to consider.
Here are ten compelling reasons, along with examples that may help your team continue your discussion or get some chatter going in your meetings surrounding why choosing an outsourced model could significantly benefit your business.
- Financial Savings
- Expertise at Your Disposal
- Stable Employee Base
- Redirect Focus
- Effortless Scaling
- Adapting to Demand
- Around-the-Clock Service
- Technological Edge
- Data-driven Insights
- Global Presence
1. Financial Savings
Outsourcing often translates into reduced overheads. From office rentals to technical equipment and payroll, third-party centers can offer economies of scale. Such financial savings can be reinvested into core business activities.
Example
Consider a startup based in San Francisco. By managing an in-house contact center, they’d face high rent, utility bills, and the cost of purchasing state-of-the-art equipment.
Outsourcing to a reputable center in a region with lower overheads, like Idaho, or Iowa could result in savings of thousands of dollars monthly.
2. Expertise at Your Disposal
Outsourced centers specialize in customer support. They not only offer polite conversations but aim to resolve client issues effectively and promptly. It’s their core competency, to ensure your customers are in expert hands.
Example
Think about a product recall situation. An outsourced contact center, with experienced agents, can handle escalated queries with professionalism, ensuring customers remain loyal despite product issues.
3. Stable Employee Base
A common challenge with in-house centers is high turnover rates. It’s costly to constantly train new staff. Established outsourced centers tend to have robust employee retention strategies, ensuring consistent quality in customer interactions.
Example
An in-house tech company had a turnover rate of 40% in their contact center within a year. In contrast, their outsourced partner, with specialized training and employee engagement programs, boasted a mere 10% turnover.
4. Redirect Focus
Letting a third party handle your customer interactions allows your internal teams to focus on the company’s primary objectives. It streamlines processes and prioritizes strategic growth areas.
Example
A clothing retailer, instead of investing time in training customer support agents about the intricacies of a CRM system, outsourced their contact center. This allowed them to focus on expanding their product line and entering new markets.
5. Effortless Scaling:
Growth periods can be challenging. As demand increases, so does the volume of customer interactions. Outsourced centers offer flexibility, allowing you to upscale or downscale services based on requirements.
Example
A health supplement brand witnessed a sudden surge in orders due to a celebrity endorsement. Their outsourced contact center was able to promptly double the number of agents to handle increased inquiries without missing a beat.
6. Adapting to Demand
Whether it’s holiday sales spikes or off-peak lulls, a third-party center can quickly adjust staffing to match the ebb and flow of customer inquiries, ensuring efficient service throughout.
Example
A toy company has peak sales during the holiday season. Instead of hiring and training seasonal employees, they collaborated with an outsourced center that scaled up operations during the holidays and scaled down afterward, ensuring consistent service.
7. Around-the-Clock Service
The globalized market demands 24/7 customer service. Outsourced centers often have teams across time zones, ensuring that customers receive prompt attention irrespective of the hour.
Example
A software company from the US expanded its operations to Asia. Outsourcing their contact center allowed them to offer 24/7 support, catering to clients across different time zones, enhancing their global reputation, and enabling them to enter a new market with their product.
8. Technological Edge
Staying updated with the latest tech innovations can be time-consuming and expensive. Outsourced centers, aiming to offer best-in-class services, often employ the latest technology, ensuring your customers benefit from cutting-edge solutions without any direct investments on your part.
Example
A boutique online store lacked the funds to invest in AI-powered chatbots. By partnering with a forward-thinking outsourced center, they were able to provide customers with AI-enhanced support, giving them an edge over competitors.
9. Data-Driven Insights
Harness the power of analytics! Outsourced centers usually have advanced data collection and analysis tools. This data can provide invaluable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and areas of improvement.
Example
A travel agency, through the analytics provided by their outsourced contact center, discovered that a significant chunk of calls was related to itinerary changes. This insight led them to revamp their mobile app to make itinerary alterations more user-friendly.
10. Global Presence
As businesses aim for global footprints, understanding and catering to diverse cultural nuances becomes crucial. Many outsourced centers have multilingual support and cultural training, making it easier for businesses to cater to a global audience without major infrastructural investments.
Example
A US-based skincare brand, eager to tap into the Spanish-speaking market, collaborated with an outsourced center in Mexico. This provided native-speaking agents who understood the local cultural nuances, boosting sales in the region.
With InflowCX We Have Options for Outsourced Contact Center Operations
Our VP of CX Transformation & Outsourcing John Glantz knows the challenges both internally and externally that contact centers face. This comes from his experience both working as a leader in the contact center and working with leaders in the contact center world.
We understand that there is not one solution to every challenge contact centers face, there is only the solution that is right for your organization. If you need guidance on how to navigate this ever-expanding world, reach out to our team as we can help guide you on your journey, and save you hours and frustration along the way!
