Customer Service

Getting the best out of customer service outsourcing

More and more businesses today are opting to outsource their customer support operations to third-party vendors in an effort to deliver effective customer service. A robust customer support strategy is fundamental to building long-term customer relationships, boosting brand loyalty, and expanding market share.

Outsourcing customer service activities is a great way for organisations to meet today’s growing customer service expectations without worrying about the resources needed to consistently deliver excellent customer experience. While the flexibility and scalability offered by outsourced customer care processes can be great for your organisation, there a few things to remember when shifting this responsibility over to a vendor as we discuss in this blog.

Work with a reputed service provider

While you might find several vendors keen on taking over your customer service operations, all of them may not be capable of meeting your expectations as well as your customers’. That is why it is important to be aware of the vendor’s past experience, explore their background, and pick a reputed service provider that can deliver trust along with an effective customer service strategy.

Look beyond the costs

While saving money is one of the chief reasons to consider outsourcing, it wouldn’t be wise to let cost be the deciding factor when choosing a vendor. It is also a fallacy to conclude that the most expensive of the prospective vendors will deliver the best value. Be sure to consider options other than price when deciding on a third-party provider to handle your customer support activities.

Treat the relationship like a partnership

Rather than treating your relationship with a third-party customer service provider simply as a business arrangement, consider the outsourced customer service team an extension of your in-house team and brand. Treating the relationship more like a partnership will ensure open communication between both parties and foster a deeper connection between the two entities. This connection will allow your customer service provider to better understand your business strategy, goals, and challenges and enable them to serve you better.

Embrace digitisation

A customer service provider that incorporates modern digital technology into their processes offers your business access to various cutting-edge tools designed to enrich the customer experience. These could include robotic process automation (RPA), AI-powered chatbots, interactive FAQs, internal wikis, and more to streamline customer care activities and boost customer satisfaction at every interaction.

Allocate time for training

Your outsourced customer support team will be able to add value only if they are thoroughly trained and aware of your organisation’s standard operating procedures. Dedicating enough time towards getting the customer service team members familiar with how your organisation’s business functions will ensure that their performance matches your standards.

Look for business continuity plans

A business continuity plan (BCP) outlines the protocols and procedures to maintain during operations in the event of any unexpected disruptions such as a cyberattack, natural disaster, or any other unforeseen occurrence. Partner with a third-party service provider that delivers a strong BCP to ensure uninterrupted business operations even in trying times.

Maintain open lines of communication

Working with a remote team can only be successful if you spend enough time communicating and guiding the team in meeting your organisation’s goals and standards. An outsourced team cannot work completely independently and will require consistent guidance on effective operational strategies.

Avoid micromanagement

If you are new to outsourcing important business processes to third-party vendors, you and your core management team might want to micromanage the service provider. This can increase the workload on your in-house employees, decrease productivity, and dampen morale, all of which are counterproductive and defeat the purpose of outsourcing in the first place. Having faith that your customer service provider can accomplish their objectives allows you and your core team to focus on more pressing, business-critical matters.

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How can Infosys BPM help?

Infosys BPM offers comprehensive end-to-end customer service outsourcing solutions support based on digital technology. Reach out to know more about how Infosys BPM can provide your organisation with strategies for effective customer service.