Outsourcing the customer support function of a company to a specialized provider is known as call center outsourcing. A third-party vendor can assist customers with questions, payment failures, and other issues. Companies that outsource call centers can save money, time, and resources. Businesses use these functions such as product design, market strategies, and sales. As a result, they must find outsourcing firms that match their corporate culture.
Two types of call center services you can outsource:
- Inbound Call Center Service
- Outbound Call Center Service
Inbound Call Center Service
An inbound call center receives incoming calls typically made by existing customers of businesses. The main function of this type of call center is to provide excellent customer service.
Below are some inbound telephone answering services:
- Product or Technical Support – Agents provide technical support and answer inquiries about consumer products and services. If necessary, call center agents can direct consumers to specialized technical support teams.
- Order Processing – Outsource the process of steps to gather customers’ data, encode their order, and pass it on to another department for fulfillment.
- Help Desk Services – Helps identify and assess customer issues and determine solutions for immediate resolution.
- Payment and Order Processing – Inbound call agents can assist clients in completing their transactions over the phone. Customers may also contact a company to ask about their bills or solve problems with online payments.
Outbound Call Center Service
Outbound call center service handles the outgoing customer service calls for a company. Sales teams frequently use outbound centers to inform potential customers about their products. Companies may also make outbound calls to survey customers and collect market research.
- Telemarketing – Agents use direct response marketing to make phone calls to prospective customers to sell their products and services.
- Market Research – Involves agents conducting phone surveys to identify consumer pain points and better understand the customers.
- Lead Generation – Generating leads for your sales team through advertising, direct engagement, or following referrals from existing customers.
- Appointment setting – Helps set appointments, confirm dates, and improve show rates.
The Pros of Call Center Outsourcing Services
Here are some ways that outsourcing call center services can benefit your company:
- Cost-Effective
Outsourcing your call center needs can help you save money on infrastructure. Its service providers give you the option of using shared or dedicated call center agents. Collaboration with shared agents can help you save money on human resources. Can also hire in other countries, such as the Philippines, where labor costs are significantly lower, without sacrificing spoken English proficiency.
- Solve Staffing Issues
Call center services outsourcing can save your company a lot of time and money when vetting potential call center hires. This includes all administrative aspects of an employee, as well as HR and IT. They hire, train, and delegate tasks to call center representatives on your behalf.
- Provide 24/7 Customer Service
Your customers could be located all over the world. Due to the time zone difference, it can be difficult to serve them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, with the help of an outsourced call center provider, you will have access to call center agents who can accommodate different shifts and provide 24/7 customer support.
Cons of Call Center Outsourcing Services
- Lack of Control
Outsourcing can make it difficult to control your operations and monitor whether your outsourced team completes its KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Fortunately, introducing employee productivity management software like Time Doctor is one way to keep track of your call center’s performance metrics. With the help of an account manager can oversee the client’s complaints, concerns, and feedback.
- Poor collaboration and information silos
The efficiency and effectiveness with which a team of customer service agents collaborates and exchanges information are determined by how well you outsource your customer service. When agents do not work well together, it results in poor customer experience which could lead to a loss in sales or brand trust. It could lead to inconsistencies and discrepancies in the service you provide to your customers.
- Data Security Concerns
While outsourcing customer service, you will almost certainly share sensitive customer data with your outsourced team. In this case, rely on your outsourcing service provider to keep your data safe. While your outsourcing partner may have specific security measures in place.
The Wrap Up
Outsourcing a call center is the best decision your business can make today. Whether you want to focus on scaling your business, save money on staffing costs, or ensure you are delivering a superior customer experience, outsourcing your call center needs is an excellent way to meet your diverse business needs.