Ever been on hold for what seems like an eternity, only to end up frustrated with lackluster customer service?
You’re not alone.
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, outsourcing customer service has become a strategic move to enhance efficiency.
Did you know that 78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction due to poor service?
But fear not, as we’re here to guide you through the art of how to handle outsourcing customer service the right way.
From selecting the perfect partner to maintaining a seamless experience, join us on a journey to ensure your customers feel valued, no matter who’s on the other end of the line.
What is Customer Service Outsourcing?
Customer service outsourcing involves partnering with external companies or service providers to handle interactions and support for your customers. Instead of managing these aspects in-house, you delegate tasks such as answering queries, resolving issues, and providing assistance to a specialized team. This allows you to focus on core aspects of your business while ensuring your customers receive quality support around the clock.
Additionally, you can choose to offer customer support through different channels:
- Multichannel support: Help customers via various platforms like messaging, social media, and email.
- Omnichannel support: Gather customer info in one place for seamless service across multiple touchpoints.
Either way, outsourcing customer service should match your business needs. Also, consider vendors using innovative tech for better Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores.
However, the outsourcing cost for customer service can vary, starting at 70 cents/minute for basic answering services and going up to $1999/month for dedicated contact center agents, depending on the services you require. Let’s discuss its benefits now.
Benefits of Customer Support Outsourcing
Here are five valid reasons for you to consider customer support outsourcing:
- Enhanced Focus on Core Competencies: Outsourcing your customer support allows you to concentrate on your core business activities and strategic growth, while experts handle customer inquiries effectively.
- 24/7 Availability: By outsourcing, you can offer round-the-clock support, ensuring your customers receive assistance anytime they need it.
- Cost-Efficiency: This process can save you money by eliminating the need for hiring and training in-house staff, as well as investing in infrastructure, technology, and maintenance.
- Scalability and Flexibility: Outsourced services can easily scale up or down based on your business needs, adapting to fluctuations in customer demands without hassle.
- Access to Expertise: Partnering with specialized outsourcing providers grants you access to a pool of skilled professionals equipped with the latest tools and techniques, guaranteeing high-quality support for your customers.
Now, it is time to dive straight into the topic.
How to Handle Outsourcing Customer Service the Right Way
Simply follow this guide to do it rightly.
Important Points to Consider Before Outsourcing Customer Service Provider
- Affordable providers: They handle repetitive inquiries, but complex issues might be challenging for them.
- Communication: Outsourcing isn’t escaping responsibility; it’s teamwork needing mutual communication. Unsupervised teams can disconnect from your brand, impacting support quality.
- Preparation: Expert providers need time for top-tier solutions. Exceptional customer experiences demand consistency, training, and planning.
Now that you are ready to outsource, let’s get started.
1. Defining Guidelines for Brand Voice and Tone
You need to create a consistent brand voice and tone guidelines that ensure uniform customer interactions whether from outsourced support or in-house teams, strengthening your brand identity.
These guidelines also facilitate effective communication of your brand’s values and personality across various cultures and languages, fostering genuine connections with your diverse customer base. Moreover, this approach fosters trust and reliability with customers, enhancing loyalty and generating positive word-of-mouth referrals.
2. Explore Various Choices
To ensure you discover the suitable service that meets your requirements, invest ample time in researching potential customer service solutions. You’ll need to factor in elements like time zone variations, language necessities, and minimum support volume, among other considerations.
3. Evaluate Legal and Security Concerns
Be sure to assess potential legal and security risks when outsourcing your customer service. Safeguarding customer data and ensuring compliance with regulations is crucial for maintaining trust and avoiding potential legal issues.
4. Choose the Appropriate Tools
Investing in suitable tools for your outsourced customer service team is vital. Provide them with efficient communication platforms, ticketing systems, and knowledge bases to streamline their workflow and enhance customer support quality. For this, you can also check out tools like Helplama Helpdesk, Zendesk, etc.
5. Allocate Time for Training
Dedicate sufficient time to train your outsourced customer service team, ensuring they grasp your brand’s values and customer service protocols.
Around 81% of individuals state that experiencing satisfactory customer service increases their likelihood of making future purchases. Moreover, approximately 70% of the purchasing experience hinges on how customers are treated.
6. Selecting the Ideal Customer Service Type
Next is, choosing the right customer service approach, consider these options before you jump in:
- Email Support: Opt for email outsourcing for a more formal and detailed communication method, suitable for handling complex inquiries and providing written documentation of interactions.
- Phone Support: Choose phone outsourcing for immediate and personal interactions, catering to customers who prefer real-time assistance and voice communication.
- Social Media Support: If your audience is active on social platforms, outsourcing social media customer service can engage customers through their preferred channels and address public feedback effectively.
7. Choosing the Right Team
Let us now guide you on choosing an outsourced customer service team. Explore the following techniques for the same.
Outsourcing to a Call Center Team
If you are considering outsourcing support to a specific call center, check for the following:
- Primary Language: Ensure the call center team is proficient in your desired language for effective communication.
- Testimonials: Look for positive feedback from previous clients to gauge the call center’s reliability and service quality.
- Incentives: Check if the call center provides motivation and rewards for its agents, which can impact their performance.
- Call Monitoring Software: Verify if the call center employs monitoring tools to maintain service quality and identify areas for improvement.
- Test Calls: Conduct trial calls to assess the call center’s professionalism, response time, and problem-solving abilities.
Engaging a Remote Worker or Freelancer
In case you require outsourcing but minimal staffing, collaborating with freelance customer service representatives could be a suitable choice for your needs.
When enlisting a freelancer for support outsourcing, take into account the following:
- Employee Characteristics: Reflect on the traits and skills needed for the role to ensure the freelancer aligns with your requirements.
- Specialized Job Boards: Utilize platforms tailored for freelance work to find candidates experienced in customer support.
- Referrals: Seek recommendations from colleagues or industry contacts to discover freelancers with proven track records in delivering effective customer service.
As a bonus, we are providing you with 3 best outsourcing customer service companies, in the next section.
The Top 3 Outsourcing Customer Service Companies are:
Helplama
Rating: 5/5
Founded: 2016
Location: Walnut, California.
As a top-tier outsourced live chat operator, Helplama links you with industry-experienced professionals. Their team of expert chat operators is dedicated to enhancing customer satisfaction and retention, providing exceptional service tailored to your business.
Key Features
- 24/7 Customer Assistance: Always ready to manage your customer inquiries and concerns, ensuring swift responses.
- Proficient Support Representatives: Well-trained and skilled customer service agents adept at managing various customer interactions with effectiveness.
- Tailored Solutions: Support services tailored to accommodate the distinctive requirements and preferences of startup businesses.
Pricing
Personalized plans start from $399/month.
Triniter
Rating: 4.2/5
Founded: 2015
Location: Miami, Florida.
Triniter is your essential business partner, providing advanced technology integration and scalable solutions that adapt to your evolving needs. With expert strategic consultation, Triniter empowers your success by optimizing processes and ensuring long-term growth.
Key Features
- Advanced Technology Integration: Seamlessly integrate cutting-edge technologies to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
- Scalable Solutions: Flexible options that grow with your business, ensuring adaptability to changing needs.
- Strategic Consultation: Benefit from expert advice to strategize and optimize your business processes for long-term success.
Pricing
Flat pricing of $1999/agent/month.
Accenture
Rating: 4.2/5
Founded: 1989
Location: Chicago, Illinois.
Accenture is a leading provider of digital transformation services, helping clients to accelerate their growth and innovation. Since their focus is on driving innovation and sustainable growth, Accenture partners with clients to navigate the complexities of today’s business landscape.
Key Features
- 360-Degree Approach: Accenture provides comprehensive solutions that span across various aspects of business, helping clients address challenges holistically.
- Innovative Technology Insights: Leveraging cutting-edge technologies, Accenture delivers insights and strategies to enable businesses to stay ahead in the digital age.
- Global Expertise: With a vast network of skilled professionals across the world, Accenture offers diverse perspectives and deep industry knowledge to tackle industry-specific issues.
Pricing
Personalized
How to handle outsourcing customer service – Final Step
Transitioning to an outsourced support team might be challenging, yet a five-step procedure is available to help you navigate this change:
- Lawyer Up: Secure legal guidance to ensure a smooth transition to outsourcing while safeguarding your interests and agreements.
- Appoint a Manager: Designate a capable manager to oversee the outsourcing process and ensure effective communication between teams.
- Plan Your Projects: Strategically map out projects, tasks, and goals to ensure clarity and efficiency throughout the outsourcing endeavor.
- Share Knowledge: Facilitate seamless knowledge transfer to the outsourced team, ensuring they understand your business processes and expectations.
- Set Up a Review System: Implement a robust review system to regularly assess progress, identify areas for improvement, and maintain high-quality outcomes.
There, you are done!
Conclusion
In the dynamic landscape of business, mastering the art of outsourcing customer service ensures not only efficiency but also heightened customer satisfaction, setting the stage for sustained success.
Still uncertain? Reach out to the Helplama team for tailored solutions—they even back their expertise with a 100% money-back guarantee!
