Should You Outsource Customer Service?

Good customer service is essential to the wellbeing of any business. But when your workload is too high to manage all the communication channels, what do you do? You can’t neglect customer service calls and messages, but you also can’t put other operations on the backburner. The answer is to outsource customer service.

If it’s not possible to employ in-house staff to take care of all the customer service needs, think about outsourcing as your business grows.

Big companies and small businesses alike use outsourcing for customer service. Today, we’ll evaluate the pros and cons of outsourcing customer service as well as provide you with information about selecting a call center. 

Making the switch to an outsourced customer service solution is a major decision, with wide-ranging effects. But it could be the key to helping your company expand, continue operations and offer top-notch customer care. 

Consider the advantages and disadvantages for your company’s culture, service requirements, personnel abilities, and resources before deciding whether outsourcing customer service could be beneficial.

Take a good, hard look at your customer experience

Take some time to reflect on your customer experience. People think that small businesses are more able to provide more personal attention than larger companies, but that may not be the reality. Small businesses that are growing often lack employees who have customer service training. As a result, customer service tasks may fall to whoever is available, which can create issues. 

In addition, salespeople may be tied up with troubleshooting tasks instead of selling, leading to lost revenue.

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Customer Service

Pro: Cost Reduction

Outsourcing customer service is an incredibly cost-effective solution. You can hire experts located in different regions, who might be more expensive than local labor, but still cost you less in the end.

You don’t have to pay for office space or equipment, and you can even give them the option to work from home. Research shows that this type of arrangement is beneficial for both the employer and the employee alike.

Con: Less Control

When you outsource your customer service to another country, you experience a decrease in control and understanding. You have to depend on people located across the world to keep your operations running smoothly without your personal input and oversight. These changes lead to a weaker grasp on the situation and a lack of direct contact.

Pro: Scalability

When you outsource customer service, it gives you access to people located in different countries, working in different time zones, and speaking different languages — all without putting excessive strain on operations. You can hire a company that specializes in recruiting personnel and creating an excellent workplace with superior practices, which allows your company to easily expand and nurture growth. This type of organizational structure provides the flexibility to concentrate on introducing new products, explore international opportunities, and gain more customers.

Con: Communication Issues

When you outsource customer service, you run the risk of encountering language barriers. If your customers talk to someone who doesn’t have a strong command of English, chances are they won’t be satisfied. Finding customer service agents overseas who don’t have thick accents or limited speaking skills is difficult. If customers can barely understand or get their message across to the customer service center, it will create a lot of frustration. If you outsource in the hopes of improving customer retention, this kind of service won’t achieve your desired result.

 

Reasons Why You Should Outsource Customer Service

Rather than hiring an in-house employee to support your current team, why not consider outsourcing customer service? There are numerous advantages to this option.

Work with Specialists in Your Industry

People often think that hiring an outside customer service provider means hiring a huge call center off in some other country with representatives who speak English, but may not be native speakers. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. Many companies are now turning to specialized providers who understand their industry—even their particular niche—better than ever.

Receive Only the Service You Need, and Only When You Need It

You don’t always have to turn to an external customer service provider. You could handle the majority of inquiries in-house and only outsource when you need additional help, such as during peak periods with more sales or a product recall situation that requires extra personnel.

Take the Pressure Off Your Team

Customer service agents can quickly provide answers to common queries, but they’ll still forward any complex queries to your internal team. This way, your team can put a stop to dealing with everyday support and focus solely on tasks that require someone from your organization’s specific knowledge.

Gain Competitive Advantage

If your main competitors have limited customer service hours, you can use it as an opportunity to differentiate your business by offering longer hours. For example, outsourcing could allow you to offer customer service even on weekends or outside of regular business hours.

Reach Customers in Their Language

Interacting with customers who don’t speak English can be a challenge. Outsourcing customer service that provides different language options can prevent misunderstandings and frustrations. This could be especially beneficial if you have an online business or seek to expand internationally. Letting customers know they have the option of multilingual support will make your company more desirable than the competition.

Receive the Experience You Lack

Many smaller businesses can’t manage the cost of a full-time customer service employee. Without previous customer service experience, the quality of your client relations may be inadequate. But outsourcing your customer service will give you an immediate team of experts with the most up-to-date technology and tools.