Customer Service To Outsource or Not to Outsource

When it comes to Customer Service many companies wonder if they should outsource or not such a key piece of their business.Customer Service is key for a company in many ways; keeping clients satisfied and providing exceptional customer service is vital in this economy as customers tend to shop around more and are looking for the best value.Outsourcing Customer Service is a way in which many companies are able to provide better and extended customer service to their clients as it is more cost effective than providing that service themselves.However, many companies are concerned that by outsourcing Customer Service they will lose control over their Customer Service standards and quality. What they don’t know is that there are services where a company can outsource its Customer Service and take advantage of state of the art call center solutions and high quality experienced resources while still managing those Customer Service resources so they are tightly align with the companies policies, procedures and standards.This model provides the best of both worlds, a company can:-Manage cost
-Reduce cost and head count
-Better predict cost
-Take advantage of economy of scale
-Improve cost effectiveness
-Manage risk
-Access to skill set and leading technology
-Spreading of initial investment cost
-Free up cash for investment
-Avoid non-core capital investments
-Manage Customer Service standards
-Accelerate Execution
-Accelerate speed to market
-Easily increase of reduce resources to meet demand
-Manage process effectiveness
-Improve quality of serviceOnce a company makes a decision of outsourcing customer service, the next question is should I outsource offshore, nearshore or in country. Each options has its own set of benefits and advantages:-Nearshore outsourcing: This is a type of outsourcing that refers to projects outsourced outside the country where a company is located, but is on the same continent-like USA and Mexico.Here’s a list of some of its benefits:-Time Zone. Having a call center outsourcing that is close to home gives the advantages of having a support team that’s working in +/- two hours from your time zone.Keep also in mind that most outsourcing companies are able to provide the benefits of a support team that is available 24/7. This will be beneficial for both your company’s profits and your customers satisfaction.-Geographic proximity and Costs Advantage. This allows for a number of advantages, one of which is saving on travel cost for when a company needs to visit. This will allow the Project Management to be more involved and hands-on with the outsourced business.-Cultural Affinity. Direct and successful interactions are easier to attain when there is a cultural affinity between customer and support provider.-Cost savings. Operating costs will be reduced by a significant margin while still providing the same quality of work.-Offshore outsourcing: If the outsourced extension is way beyond the company’s country and continent of origin, it is known as an offshore outsourcing. Most outsourced projects extend to countries in Asia like India and the Philippines. The benefits of offshore outsourcing include:-Cost. Offshoring will help reduce operating costs by a significant margin while still providing the same quality of work. Usually cost savings are greater than nearshoring as the cost of living on these countries is usually lower.-Time zone advantage. Offshore outsourcing models often gives a company the benefits of a support team that is available 24/7. This will be beneficial for both your company’s profits and your customers satisfaction.Customer Service /Call Center Outsourcing is growing trend for businesses worldwide. Not only does it give companies a chance to make the best use of their resources, it also allows their customers to get the best and most convenient customer service and support they can possibly get.