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Customer support plays a crucial role in business. Specifically, it involves helping customers who have trouble with a company’s products. This function demands customer satisfaction, which is key to business success.
But how can you ensure this if you don’t have a robust workforce? What if you don’t have the latest technology and resources? The answer to these questions is to outsource your customer support.
Hiring a business process outsourcing (BPO) provider is a viable solution. BPO proves beneficial to companies in many ways. Unconvinced? Here are the ten real benefits of outsourcing customer support below.
1. Focus on Core Functions
Companies consider outsourced technical support and customer service to focus on their core operations. This business objective is one of the major benefits of outsourcing. It applies to startups and small businesses looking to grow. And even big companies have this goal in mind.
Outsourcing your customer support can help you meet this objective. It enables your core team to work on their primary functions. It also allows you to focus on your primary goal: to scale your business. You can entrust your customer support to a third party and have peace of mind that their support needs are getting met.
2. Save on Operating Costs
Outsourcing comes with several practical benefits. Cost reduction remains the top BPO reason. It even outweighs other business objectives such as flexibility and agility.
According to Deloitte, BPO allows companies to reduce operating costs. Outsourcing specifically helps you save on your labor and production expenses.
Why? Because building an in-house customer support team can be costly. You’ll need to:
- Spend on hiring people and training new employees
- Invest in the technology, equipment, and resources required for the operation
Hence, outsourcing can be more cost-efficient than setting up an in-house department.
3. Employ an Expert Workforce
Another benefit of outsourcing customer support is access to a robust workforce. Clutch surveyed small businesses to find out the benefits of outsourcing. About 26% want to work with experts employed by either onshore or offshore BPO providers.
Customer support is a critical front-office function in which employees directly work with customers. You’ll need a solid crew of highly trained and competent employees. This operation can make or break your business. Hence, consider outsourcing and partnering with the right BPO firm to access an expert workforce.
4. Access the Latest Technology
The same Clutch report cites the top benefit of outsourcing: about 33% of small businesses outsource to access flexible resources.
Deloitte identified the leading digital enablers in BPO. These are:
- Cloud computing (68%)
- Robotic automation process (64%)
- Single instance ERP (55%)
Other technological resources to consider are:
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Progressive web apps (PWA)
- Social media channels
- Omnichannel solutions
Companies cannot afford to ignore technological advancements in today’s business landscape. Access the latest digital tools and technological resources through outsourcing. Whether you outsource data entry or customer support, look for a BPO partner with the latest technology.
5. Have State-of-the-art Facilities and Resources
Most BPO companies house world-class facilities. They have a robust internet connection, stable phone lines, and the best infrastructure. But how can they serve other companies if they don’t have the best resources?
State-of-the-art facilities and amenities are necessary for IT support services. Hiring an IT BPO firm is good for customer support for technical products.
But what is an outsourced IT provider?
This BPO firm specializes in IT services such as help desk support and technical support. That said, take advantage of the benefits of outsourcing customer support. Hire a trusted IT service provider.
6. Optimize Business Operation
Outsourcing gives companies access to an expert workforce, advanced technologies, and updated resources. But why is there a need to do so? It all boils down to business optimization.
Front- or back-office outsourcing services will help scale your business operation. Some features to take advantage of include:
- 24/7 Availability: Outsourcing gives you a BPO partner that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has customer support representatives on round-the-clock shifts. They can cover non-business hours and weekend operations.
- Language Options: A BPO service provider offers multilingual services for your customer support. For instance, you can outsource to a BPO firm in Latin America. They have bilingual agents who can speak both English and Spanish.
- Omnichannel Solutions: Some BPO companies usually offer various channels for customer support. They do not only have a contact center; they also provide live chat, email support, social media management, and self-service options.
- Quality Control: A BPO service provider usually has a team of quality analysts (QAs), who audit operations and track performances. They can stay on top of your quality control to please customers and boost your business.
- Robust Training and Constant Updates: BPO roles encompass what’s happening in the production. Service providers also train newly hired employees to ensure they get fully equipped. Even employees on the floor get constant updates and training for continuous learning.
Outsourcing can indeed improve your customer support operation. The management team will provide agents with complete support to ensure that these highly trained and competent representatives will take care of your customers. Through outsourcing, you’ll see significant progress in your operation.
7. Improve Business Performance
Improving business performance is another benefit of outsourcing customer support. About 73% of business leaders reported a direct link between customer experience and business performance.
When you optimize your operation, expect a significant improvement in your business. Outsourcing helps you meet the following metrics:
- Service Efficiency: Expect customer support representatives to handle as many customers as possible. They will not only assist them; they will also ensure they promptly resolve their issues.
- Quality and Compliance: BPO companies usually focus on service quality. Customer support representatives also ensure strict adherence to standard workflows and business policies.
- Customer Experience: When you hire the right BPO partner, expect its employees to provide the best customer care. Highly skilled representatives will do their best to assist your customers, which can translate to an enhanced customer experience.
8. Achieve Customer Satisfaction
Earlier, we mentioned three key performance indicators (KPIs) in BPO. Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is the most critical for customer support. This metric determines whether customers are happy with the services they’ve received.
Whether you outsource data entry services or customer support tasks, your goal is to satisfy your customers. The key to achieving customer satisfaction is to hire a reliable service provider. By doing so, you’ll reap the benefit of outsourcing customer support.
9. Boost Business Profits
Zendesk studied customer experience (CX) trends in 2022. The report shows that an excellent CX can help win new customers, increase retention, and boost sales.
The report also stressed increasing the bottom line by always putting customers first. Remember that happy customers will patronize your business. Satisfied clients will continue to buy your products or hire your services.
Outsourcing is best if you want to prioritize your customers and boost your profits. Consider hiring a reliable BPO service provider for your customer support. You’ll be surprised at how they can substantially increase your bottom line.
10. Scale and Grow a Business
Earlier, we noted the Clutch report on the outsourcing benefits for small businesses, which notes that 19% of small businesses outsource to support growth and scalability.
Front- or back-office outsourcing allows you to meet the critical business objectives above. And this applies to customer support functions as well.
Your hired BPO service provider will handle your customer support operation, and representatives will take care of your much-valued customers. In addition, industry experts and business leaders will also scale your business. To that end, they can be instrumental to your growth and success.
The Bottom Line
Optimizing your customer support is best for your business. Access an expert workforce, the latest technology, and updated resources. To do this, hire a reliable BPO partner.
BPO proves beneficial to your business in more ways than one. Consider the benefits of outsourcing your customer support discussed above. They will give you all the right reasons to work with a third-party service provider.
A solid crew and advanced resources will optimize your customer support operation. It will improve your performance, ensure customer satisfaction, and boost your profits. Ultimately, your BPO partner will help scale and grow your business.
