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Why SMEs Should Outsource Call Center Services
For small to medium businesses, relating to customers is vital to a business strategy. When your business grows, so is the number of your customers. Which is a good news
But, the challenge arises when you can no longer serve them well.
Longer on-hold time, unanswered queries, or a lack of manpower to answer customer calls are major turn-offs for customers, which could lead to them switching brands and turning to your competitors. This is a doomsday scenario for you.
What is the best way to keep up with customer demands and their growing numbers while keeping your business on top of its game? Call center services.
An effective call center service provider can ensure smooth customer service and quick responses while you focus on your business management and development. You may ask, what kind of services can you avail of from a call center service provider?
Basic Call Center Services
Simply put, your call center service provider makes the calls for you. This could be in the form of appointment reminders to your customers, telesales, cold calling, telemarketing, or market research.
Your call center service provider takes your calls. This could include telephone answering, order processing, customer support, and other help desk services.
You can outsource call center services to external providers. The Philippines and India are the top outsourcing destinations for these services.
Why Are Call Center Services Perfect for SMEs?
If you are a small to medium enterprise, you have limited manpower. With this manpower, you would rather focus on core responsibilities. That has a direct impact on profit and revenue. But unattended customers can lead to your business suffering.
To prevent this from happening, you must ensure that you have effective call center services in place. You may look for concrete evidence of why this is a need, such as these numbers.
|
Percentage |
What Does It Tell You |
|
65% |
Customers prefer phone calls over another medium to reach a business |
|
38% |
Consumers call a customer service agent when they encounter service or product issues |
|
66% |
People do more business with businesses that provide good customer service |
|
76% |
Consumers prioritize speed to resolution |
An outsourced call center service can help you deliver stellar customer service.
Benefits of an Outsourced Call Center Services
You can gain the following advantages: inbound or outbound call center services.
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Cost Optimization
Hiring employees to accommodate customer calls is often expensive. You have to think of the time and money you have to allot. These are for recruitment, office space, salary, and benefits, among other things.
Outsourced call center services from Asia with lower labor wages mean cost savings. When you outsource from a Philippine BPO company, you are free from all these hassles.
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Access to Efficient Call Center Customer Representatives
An outsourced call center service provider helps boost call success as they have experienced and educated customer care representatives. BPO companies in the Philippines have talents and high-level English skills.
Plus, their neutral accent is a commendable skill that Western clients find advantageous. Philippine BPO companies also have industry experience in customer service.
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Improve Customer Service
It is crystal clear that customer retention keeps any business striving. Efficient call center service contributes to your customer retention abilities. Outsourcing call center services allows you to have 24/7 customer service.
They can facilitate calls at any time of the day, even after business hours. This can result in far better service, which your customers will surely appreciate.
Things to Remember Before You Outsource A Call Center Service Provider
SMEs can outsource. That is a fact. You can reap tons of benefits when you outsource call center services. When you choose to do so, you must remember these key points
1. Define Your Needs: Inbound or Outbound Call Center Services
A call center service provider may specialize in one or the other. While some BPO companies may offer both services. When you define what you need, you can shortlist the best provider for you.
This will give you an idea of what kind of agents your provider should assign to your business.
For inbound call centers, best to have polite agents. Also who can lend empathetic ears to your customers? Whether the customer reaching your business is nice or irate.
For outbound call center services, polite but assertive agents skilled in sales are a must. This is true if they have to do cold calling or telemarketing for your business.
2. Determine Your Business’s Average Call Volume
A good starting point would be to determine the average daily calls you receive, and then per month. Are there seasonal spikes in the call volume you receive or vice versa? Also, the average duration of the calls you receive or you make. Once you determine these, you can tailor your call center services to your needs.
It is worth noting that a call center service provider will allow you to scale up or down. This is perfect for businesses that have an erratic influx of customer calls. Scale up when there are tons of calls. Scale down when it is manageable by a small number of teams.
3. Location of the Call Center Service Provider
Customer retention relies on the quality of service your chosen provider delivers. 61% of consumers cite poor customer service experiences as the reason they stop transacting with a business.
Also, communication issues arise if English is not your call center service provider’s native language. Furthermore, shared culture is another key to building rapport with customers. Your outsourced agent’s ability to relate to your customers is an added boost for your business.
The good thing is that this ideal situation is not a rare thing to find. The Philippines is the perfect balance for these vital factors. Dubbed as the World’s Call Center Capital. This proves that outsourcing call center services here are a top choice for businesses worldwide.
English fluency is part of the learning process in the country. It is the medium language for teaching from elementary to tertiary. Also, cultural affinity to the West comes naturally due to the American colonization of the country.
4. Complexity of Your Product or Service
The nature of your business can also help you narrow down your options when outsourcing. If your product or service requires specialized knowledge, look for agents with such qualities to ensure they are efficient when interacting with your customers.
For example, an agent with medical knowledge and experience would be ideal if your business is in the healthcare industry. Depending on your business, some certifications are a necessity.
This is true for healthcare, where HIPAA compliance is a must. For financial institutions, PCI Level 1 is for credit card information processing.
Knowing these factors and awareness of necessary certifications will ensure security. Information and data security should be a priority when outsourcing.
5. Call Center Service Provider Performance
Outsourcing call center services is an investment, not an add-on. Thus, it is critical to choose who you will partner with. Once you shortlist your top choices, you can ask for their performance and zoom in on their experience in the same industry or business model you are in.
One thing to consider is that it is best practice to answer calls within 20 seconds. The average call duration should be 4 minutes. Also, an average of 70%- 75% of callers resolve issues on the first contact.
These figures are a good number to serve as your benchmark. Furthermore, focus on their consistency when delivering the service you want.
6. Call Center Services Pricing
There is a clear difference between onshoring and offshoring. Onshoring means you have to pay for call center services at a wage that is adherent to your country’s labor law. For Western call center service providers, the hourly rate of an agent ranges from $22 to $40.
When you outsource call center services offshore, it would only range from $6-$8 for an hourly rate. Imagine the cost you can save when you choose to outsource offshore.
But keep in mind that affordable does not mean low quality. You are always responsible for choosing the best call center service provider for your needs.
Magellan Solutions: A Top Call Center Service Provider
We have over 18 years of impeccable call center industry experience. We provide continuous training for our agents to deliver quality performance for your business. Magellan Solutions is ISO-27001:2013-certified and HIPAA-compliant. When you outsource your call center services with us, we ensure information security.
Contact us today for your free 60-minute business consultation. Fill out the form below!
