When it comes to the labor shortage in the United States, contact center positions are one of the most affected during the pandemic. The bad news is that the labor shortage is not going to be solved by hiring, or filling those seats through hiring.
The good news is that if we approach the problem a little differently than we have in the past, a more economical, efficient & scalable solution is within reach. Like most problems that we have faced, the larger the issue the more innovative the solution. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is an option that solves the problems facing contact centers today and scales into the future.
Current Challenges In The Contact Center
There are tens of thousands of positions open across America. It is difficult to recruit new talent, with several companies competing over the same talent pool retaining current agents is the toughest it has ever been. Turnover has always been a challenge in the Contact Center, however, we are at a historic level.
The time that is spent recruiting, onboarding, training and consistently coaching those agents is taxing on the training department. This causes a cascading effect as trainers are unable to keep up with the new hires and ongoing training needs of experienced agents. This leads to issues on the quality side in the contact center.
Not having a stable workforce, or at a minimum being able to accurately anticipate and fill your staffing needs causes stress in every facet of the contact center. Get staffing right, and you get everything right. It is not a lack of effort, work ethic, or dedication that is the reason for the instability in the workforce. It is simply a numbers game, more people are leaving than filling those agent positions.
Do What Your Business Does Best & Let Dedicated Contact Centers Do The Same
If your business is really good at manufacturing, e-commerce, shipping, or a list of countless other solutions you could provide we know that the business flourishes when you can allocate your resource to your craft/product. Concentrating on what you do best and partnering with other companies who specialize in doing the same has always been a recipe for success.
We do that with shipping & logistics. We do that with technology, communications, catering, landscaping, and more. So it only makes sense to turn to companies who specialize in Contact Center, all things Contact Center when it comes to providing an unparalleled customer experience.
There Is A Contact Center For That
With near-shore and on-shore options available like never before, there is a Contact Center that specializes in your industry. In manufacturing, E-Commerce, Help Desk, Technical, and so on, there is a niche Contact Center that knows your industry. One of the misconceptions about BPO is that there are only a few countries, where the opposite is true. With Native English-speaking countries, Spanish-speaking countries, and others entering the mix, the diversity in options is in your favor.
Yes, there are some mega-companies that have “all things to all industries” Call centers, however, InflowCX has made it a priority to partner with the mid-level niche market Contact Centers. From a quality control and partnership perspective, it is best for our clients and customer experience.
Does A BPO Contact Center Know Our Business?
They absolutely will. In fact, the same quality standards that are in place in your contact center today are what the BPO will adhere to. What is even better is that the training, quality assurance, hiring, staffing, and everything else that goes into running a contact center is upheld in the BPO.
The trainers at the BPO sit in on every call with you and then train their agents on everything that makes your business, products, and services unique to you. Whatever CRM you use, the BPO can use it too. Whatever technology you leverage the BPO can leverage as well, which is especially important when leveraging WFM solutions in your Contact Center and the BPO.
BPOs Are Best At Contact Center Operations
This is not something that our hundreds of BPO partners also do, this is all they do. We have chosen our partners carefully over time because they have a passion for customer experience in the contact center.
If you are wondering how you can leverage the efficiencies both financially and operationally that BPO has to offer, let’s set up a time to speak with our team. Chances are we will have a BPO or several BPOs that are eager to help!
