Customer contact is vital and the core of any business. It keeps the businesses informed of their strengths and weaknesses and helps them continue getting bigger and better. Many tools are used to keep in contact with customers but one of the major communication tools is the Call Centers. Other customer communication tools include emails, text messages, Contact Center Services, reviews, and social media presence.
As businesses grow in size it becomes less efficient for them to carry out all operations under one roof or within the company. Because growing businesses also require efficient and effective customer service.
Call Centers
The main purpose of call centers is to provide customers with a smooth experience whether they are acquiring a service or making a tangible purchase. They provide technical support, sales assistance, and after-sales services to ensure the process runs smoothly.
To make things easier, let’s suppose a customer wants to purchase a television, the purpose of the customer support will be to provide all necessary assistance required to the customer to make this purchase a smooth one. For that, he may need some sales assistance to help him choose amongst the various varieties available according to his needs and budget. Next, he might need help to install the device hence technical support should be efficient and at par to provide necessary and timely assistance. Sales Services may be required if the customer faces some issues regarding their purchase.
If the company is able to provide all necessary assistance efficiently, it may have won them a lifetime customer and some good recommendations for future customers.
Challenges of In-House Call Centers
In-house call centers are subject to various challenges that limit their effectiveness. These challenges are as follows:
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Poor Customer Satisfaction
If the call center agent fails to satisfy the customers or if the customers have to talk to multiple agents to solve their issues, customer satisfaction takes a hit.
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Lack of Engagement
Lack of engagement by customer service representatives can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
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Long Wait Times
Another thing that customers just don’t like is waiting! Long waiting lines are generally caused due to less staff but it puts off the customer from waiting on call for long.
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High Turnover Rate
Due to the nature of the work, long working hours, and demanding targets, this industry has always had a high turnover rate. Sometimes employees leave without prior notice which disrupts the entire system.
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IT issues
As all business processes are now backed by IT. Sometimes a fault somewhere or an overload of calls may get the phone lines or other business operations suspended causing wasted time and less productivity for the day.
Overcoming Call Center Issues with BPO Services
What are BPO services?
Sometimes it may become difficult for large-scale businesses to carry out all operations from all departments within one system. Even if they do it can affect their productivity and efficiency which is key to the success of any business. This is where BPO or Business Process Outsourcing Services come in.
BPO enables businesses to outsource their less efficient and low-performing departments to other specialized business providers to increase efficiency and reduce the burden on the main team.
One of the most commonly outsourced services is that of a call center. Multinationals have long outsourced their call centers for higher efficiency and lower costs to third-world countries where labor is relatively cheaper.
Replacing In-House Call centers with BPO Services
As we discussed how in-house call centers face certain challenges BPO services can easily overcome these challenges with its specialized units.
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Highly Motivated Workforce
Since most of the services are in labor-intensive countries, paying representatives a little over the market rate and providing benefits help BPO service providers to maintain a motivated workforce.
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Shorter Waiting Times
It is easier for BPO providers to maintain a reasonable workforce that enables them to efficiently answer calls thus lessening waiting times.
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Less Turnover Rate
With good salaries and providing a fair chance of progress and development, there is less turnover rate, hence trained employees dealing with a certain company tend to stay with them for longer periods.
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IT Issues
BPO specialized units maintain in-house technical support staff as they deal with several companies across the globe and act as their subsidiaries. They need constant communication to ensure their services are not disrupted.
