Today’s competitive challenges and technological advances have changed how companies work. Staying ahead of the competition means leveraging the latest technology and going above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Outsourcing helps companies, large and small, do precisely this.
The benefits of outsourcing and remote work have become more evident, and it’s a trend that’s here to stay. According to an Upwork study, 22% of the U.S. workforce, approximately 36.2 million Americans, are projected to work remotely by the beginning of this year. This marks a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels, where only 5% of work hours were remote. However, other data suggests that the actual percentage of remote workers may be lower. Forbes reported that one in five workers, or 20%, worked remotely. This indicates that while remote work has become more prevalent, it may be lower than percentage of the workforce Upwork projected.
Businesses outsourced customer service long before the COVID-19 outbreak. But if you’re new to how it all works, you’ve come to the right place! Below, we will answer and discuss the following questions about outsourcing customer service:
- What is customer support outsourcing?
- Why is customer service outsourced?
- What are the benefits of outsourcing customer service?
- What should I look for when outsourcing customer service?
What is customer support outsourcing?
Customer support outsourcing involves entrusting your customer communication tasks to a live answering service or a third-party vendor. This partnership allows professional agents to handle key interactions, including managing inbound phone calls, responding to SMS text messages, and engaging with customers via website chat.
Outsourced agents act as an extension of your team, taking on various responsibilities to ensure your customers receive timely and effective support. They listen carefully to caller concerns, provide accurate answers to general inquiries, route calls to the appropriate contacts, and record detailed messages for follow-up.
By outsourcing customer support, businesses can focus on their core operations while ensuring their customers receive consistent, high-quality service. Whether resolving issues, enhancing customer satisfaction, or simply maintaining availability around the clock, outsourcing offers a reliable way to manage communication demands without overburdening your in-house team.
Why is customer service outsourced?
The demand for quality customer experiences has grown in recent years, and businesses today are defined by their customer service. Here are some interesting statistics from Hubspot that show how important customer service is to customers:
- 88% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience.
- Nearly three out of five consumers report that good customer service is vital to feeling loyalty toward a brand.
- 75% of customers will tell six or more people if they have a good experience with a brand.
As you can see, customer service can make or break your business, regardless of your industry. It helps boost revenue, earn customer loyalty, and improve your overall business strategy. To keep up with this demand cost-efficiently, businesses often partner with live phone answering services to impress their customers and keep them coming back.
What are the benefits of outsourcing customer service?
From cost savings to cutting back on staffing headaches, there’s no shortage of benefits associated with outsourcing customer service. Here are some of the main reasons why businesses choose to partner with phone answering services:
- On-demand flexibility. You can ramp up and cut back when outsourcing customer service as needed.
- 24/7 support. Customers want access to customer service when needed and, sometimes, that’s after traditional business hours. Phone answering services are available day, night, weekends, and even holidays.
- Lower costs. You can save this money or put it back into your business without the need to pay for salaries, training, office space, or equipment.
Your customers get to speak with real, live agents. When they have a question or wish to solve a problem, your customers want to talk with a real person. They don’t want to mess with an automated system or leave a message. Live call answering services provide trained, educated agents focused on providing terrific service.
What should I look for when outsourcing customer service?
Once you have decided to outsource customer service, it’s time to find the right partner for your business. We recommend you start by listing your needs, expectations, and goals. Some things to consider:
- How much coverage do you need? Which days and times will you need it?
- What are your customers’ demographics and preferences? Are many of them Spanish speakers? Do they prefer to communicate with your business via phone, text message, or live website chat?
- Does your business handle protected health information? Do you need a HIPAA-compliant answering service?
Once you better understand what you’re looking for, you can research your options and select the best fit.
