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Imagine that your business gets twice as many calls from customers as it did last year. The employees on your team are finding it hard to stay on top of all these calls. Your customers have longer wait times, employees are feeling the pressure of being so busy, and you’re missing opportunities to sell things through phone calls.
The time to consider how to outsource call center functions begins as soon as you find yourself wondering what you can do to maintain high-quality customer service while still being able to focus on other areas of your company’s growth. To understand if and when outsourcing is right for your organization, you need to know what to look for, and how the process will impact the way you operate each day.
Is Your Business Ready to Outsource?
Small and medium sized businesses can take advantage of the same benefits that big businesses do when it comes to utilizing external phone support services.
Look for these signs:
- Your team misses calls during busy hours.
- Customer support costs keep rising.
- You need evening or weekend coverage.
- Staff spend too much time answering routine questions.
- Your business is entering new markets.
If these issues sound familiar, an external call center may help.
Choose a Business Model That Fits Your Needs
You have flexibility regarding how many customer interactions you want to handle yourself.
In full outsourcing, an outside organization performs all of the primary functions of a company’s customer service department. Companies who wish to cut down on internal staff may find this type of service beneficial.
Your organization’s internal team will handle the most important customer-related issues, while the external service provider will address all routine calls and/or provide additional capacity when necessary.
After-hours support: Agents respond to calls while your business is closed. This provides customers with a way to contact you outside of your typical work hours.
What Should You Expect From a Provider?
A reliable vendor will have knowledge of your target audience, what you offer, and how you deliver value. Request verification of past performance within your sector.
You will also want to see what processes the provider uses for staff training, call recording, customer data and quality reviews. In addition, you should confirm if the provider has systems that can be integrated with your current systems.
A company should never select a service provider simply because of the cost. A bad service will lead to loss of revenue from both existing customers who leave, and potential new customers who never find out about your business.
Calculate the Value, Not Just the Cost
Before you sign the contract, assess the costs of hiring an external vendor versus having an internal team. Consider all aspects such as employee wages, recruiting efforts, staff education, software purchases, facility rental fees, and administrative expenses.
Also consider the value of longer service hours and fewer missed calls.
Make the Transition in Stages
When learning about how to outsource call center operations, do not change everything at one time.
Begin by adding a single function to your program, such as scheduling appointments or answering basic customer inquiries. Evaluate call performance and feedback from customers prior to expanding the functions of your program.
Outsourcing needs to help address a business need. When done properly, and with an initial plan in place, outsourcing will allow your team to spend more time working on growing the company, while still allowing for the delivery of customer service that is delivered in a timely manner.
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