0
0
Call center outsourcing has become increasingly popular recently, with many companies in the United States outsourcing their customer service operations to third-party contact center companies in the US, Europe, and even Asian countries, such as India, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, etc. Essentially, call center outsourcing in the US involves a business strategy in which a company contracts with a third-party service provider to handle its customer service, telemarketing, or technical support functions. However, modern BPO companies handle much more advanced functions than the ones mentioned here, with a wide range of back-office functions also included in the list of professional services offered by these third-party service providers.
However, these benefits should not be the only reason companies should jump at the chance of hiring the professional services of such third-party BPO companies. While outsourcing your customer engagement practices to a top BPO services provider can help you enjoy a diverse range of benefits, there are also potential drawbacks you may want to consider before choosing a BPO company and signing the dotted line.
Pros of call center outsourcing in the US — The good bits
Some of the most influential pros of call center outsourcing in the US include:
-
Reduction in operational costs –
Outsourcing your business’s customer engagement activities can be massively cost-effective as it often reduces labor and infrastructure costs. Since you do not have to bear the costs of recruiting, training, and operating customer support teams, you can easily ensure superior customer support operations at a fraction of the cost of in-house operations. Additionally, many countries (especially Asian countries) offer much lower costs of labor compared to the US, making it easier for them to offer low-cost customer support operations.
-
Improved focus on core responsibilities –
Engaging in professional call center outsourcing in the US will allow businesses to focus on core competencies while letting experts handle customer interactions. Your in-house team of industry experts can perform their primary responsibilities with increased focus and vigor, allowing them to ensure superior outcomes. Additionally, it will improve the productivity and profitability of your business by ensuring superior results and reduced costs, improving the cost-effectiveness of your operations even more.
- Prompt & cost-efficient scalability –
When you engage a top BPO services provider for your call center outsourcing, you have the advantage of quickly scaling your customer support operations to accommodate fluctuating call volumes, ensuring consistent service. Top contact center companies have the ability to gauge spikes in call volumes during peak seasons, scaling their operations well ahead to ensure that the upward trend in call volumes can be met with equal servilities for consistent customer experiences. This does not allow for any drop in service quality, even during the busiest times of the year.
-
Round-the-clock availability –
As a business, it is your responsibility to be available to your customers at all times. Thankfully, call center outsourcing in the US allows you to do that without the need to keep your offices open at all hours. With 24/7 operations, call center outsourcing firms provide around-the-clock support, ensuring that customers can pick up the phone and talk to a brand representative at all hours, which will invariably improve customer service availability. At the same time, this round-the-clock availability ensures minimal wait times and reduces customer frustrations.
-
Access to skilled workforce –
The most significant benefit of call center outsourcing in the US is the availability of expert and trained professionals for your business’s customer engagement activities, ensuring superior quality service on every customer interaction. Customer engagement practices require immense skill to ensure favorable outcomes. After all, it takes quite an effort to handle frustrated and irate customers who come in with their concerns and complaints and provide them with quality service that will not only resolve their issues but also reinvigorate them to continue with your brand while inspiring others to purchase from your business. Thankfully, the professional customer support representatives working for a top BPO services provider are trained and equipped to handle these responsibilities quite efficiently.
Therefore, by outsourcing your customer support operations to a third-party contact center company, you can reduce labor costs and avoid expensive infrastructure investments. Additionally, outsourcing can provide more flexibility in terms of staffing and operational hours, allowing you to meet customer needs better. Outsourcing your business’s customer engagement activities to a third-party service provider will also help you access specialized expertise and the latest technologies that may not always be available in-house.
Cons of call center outsourcing in the US — The not-so-good bits
There are a few potential disadvantages you must consider when engaging in call center outsourcing in the US. Some of these potential drawbacks include:
-
Reduced operational control –
When you outsource your customer support operations to a third-party service provider, you must relinquish some control over the customer service process, which can lead to inconsistent service quality. However, you can counter this by obtaining periodic reports on operations and agent performances and giving instructions on potential changes.
-
Potential communication barriers –
One of the biggest challenges of call center outsourcing in the US is the language barrier between your target customers and the representative from the country of origin for the contact center company. Language and cultural differences can often result in misunderstandings or miscommunications between customers and outsourced agents, which can severely impact the quality of customer experiences.
-
Data security concerns –
Sharing customer data with third parties can raise concerns about data security and privacy breaches. If the contact center company does not have secure data protection practices and industry regulation-compliant infrastructure, it could lead to massive repercussions for your business. The ideal solution here would be to engage a top BPO services provider with secure practices that help to protect your customers’ data.
-
Negative customer perceptions –
Some customers may have a negative perception of companies that outsource their customer service, believing it reflects a lack of commitment to service quality. Moreover, if support representatives do not offer top-notch customer interactions, these negative perceptions could increase even more. Hence, it is important to engage a top BPO company with a reputation for delivering superior customer experiences.
-
Potential hidden costs –
While cost savings are often a primary motivator, hidden or unforeseen costs may arise, such as additional oversight or rework due to subpar service quality. Additionally, some BPO companies also charge additional fees for services that are surplus to your requirements or unnecessary for your customer engagement practices. Hence, you must make necessary inquiries about potential hidden costs before engaging in call center outsourcing in the US.
Outsourcing your business’s customer support operations to a top BPO services provider can be a strategic decision when executed with careful planning, oversight, and attention to maintaining a high level of service quality. Success largely depends on selecting the right partner and implementing best practices to ensure a positive customer experience and cost savings.
