For many businesses, providing exceptional service is the difference between generating repeat business and losing a customer forever. In fact, 49% of American consumers switched companies last year due to poor customer service, which demonstrates the large percentage of companies that are still failing to provide first-rate experiences.
Businesses have three options when it comes to providing high-quality customer service: handle it themselves, hire a team of skilled customer service professionals, or partner with a leading outsourced customer service team.
What are some reasons to outsource customer service?
Outsourcing customer service can be a great way for businesses to save time and headaches in a variety of ways. Here are some of the top reasons that businesses outsource customer service, which we will explain in more depth below.
- It reduces your business’ overhead
- It helps businesses save time
- You don’t need to provide training when you outsource
- You can use it only when you need it
- You will never have to worry about being short-staffed
Outsourcing customer service reduces your business’ overhead. While outsourcing can initially seem expensive, let’s consider the ways that it can help your business save money. Outsourcing customer service eliminates the need for businesses to spend money on the following:
- Recruiting
- Training
- Salaries
- Benefits
- Office space
- Equipment (desks, chairs, computers, phones, headsets, etc.)
- Uniforms
- Technology
Outsourcing customer service helps businesses save time. Some businesses handle their own customer service in-house, with everyone taking turns. However, customer service can be very tedious, distracting your employees and preventing them from completing other more important tasks. Outsourcing your customer service allows you and your team to focus on the core responsibilities of your business, helping you to be much more productive over time.
You don’t need to take the time to provide training when you outsource. If your phones are ringing off the hook, chances are you’re in a hurry to get some relief. It is faster to outsource to an answering service than to find, interview, and train in-house customer service employees. The best part is that the live agents who will answer calls on your business’ behalf are qualified professionals with in-depth customer service knowledge. They have received extensive training on best practices, and are proficient in assisting all types of people.
You can use it only when you need it. If your business is seasonal, it’s often cheaper and easier to outsource customer service during your busy periods. The process of hiring and training temporary employees can be grueling, and it can get expensive if you need to pay them overtime. When you outsource, you only pay for the calls that are handled.
You will never have to worry about being short-staffed. With a team of in-house customer service employees, there’s always the chance that someone will call in sick, take a sudden leave of absence, or quit without notice. Each of these events can overwhelm the rest of your team, and it’s up to you to find a way to make up for the missing employee. Outsourcing ensures that your business is always covered and that your callers receive excellent customer service no matter what.
