Top 5 outsourcing tips for your customer service

At CC33 we have been helping our clients for over a decade in providing customer support and sales activity, so we wanted to share some of our learnings to help make sure you have the best chance of success when considering your outsource partner. Whether you’re making the decision to outsource for the first time or have plenty of experience with outsourcing in your business, hopefully there will be some useful tips for everyone, enjoy.

Choosing the right outsourced contact centre partner is crucial for your business’s success.

But how do you know it’s time to outsource?

Well, when your customer support performance starts to be affected due to demand, staff, or technology issues it may be time to outsource for that vital support.

At CC33, we have seen it many times; a client comes to us with poor performing customer support metrics and/or recruitment challenges, meaning their customers are getting a sub-standard service, which impacts loyalty, and ultimately their bottom line.  We will then work with our partner to agree the specification of work required, and quickly mobilise an experienced team supported by the right technology to help them recover their service levels quickly…it’s what we do.

So if you think it’s time to outsource, here are 5 things to help you make a more informed decision when choosing:

1.   Know Your Needs:

Before reaching out to potential partners, clearly define your objectives. Are you aiming to cut costs, enhance service quality or increase sales? Identify the specific areas of customer service or sales in your business that need assistance. This will help you align with the right outsourcing partner from the start. At CC33 we have seen numerous clients come to us with an idea of what they want, but perhaps not a fully thought-out proposal. Whilst we can work flexibly in this situation, it can take more time and ultimately money, before going live. So as clear a specification as possible will help the campaign to be priced accurately and help your chosen outsourcer put the right implementation plan together for you.

2.    Find the Right Fit:

Look for a partner whose values and goals align with your organisation’s. Looking at their social media activity and web site can start to help you appreciate that, but visiting the premises for that first meeting and asking to speak with a cohort of their teams will help you truly understand it. Also, insist that factors such as cultural fit, expertise, and technological capabilities are included in your outsourcer’s first presentation or pitch. Finally, ensure they clearly understand and have experience in your industry with your types of customers. Making sure they feel like an extension of your business is key, so take the time to find the right outsourcer for your business.

3.    Establish and Track KPIs:

Once you have made the decision to outsource, you will clearly want to track the performance accurately, to make sure you get the right return on investment. Therefore, choose a partner equipped with the right technology for monitoring and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs). You need to determine your outsource will give you easy access and regular interval reporting so you can dive in as much or as little as you want to. Understanding how your potential outsourcer’s client service team will work with you is also imperative for a successful partnership too. Confirm the team’s credibility and experience, and that they are able to provide insight and recommendations on your campaign via regularly agreed meetings. This should be expected from any reputable outsourcer; but if you don’t get this kind of service then you need to question whether they are right for your business. Make sure the available performance metrics are measuring performance against your specified metrics too – examples might include response time, customer NPS, first-call resolution, customer contact rates, average order value or sales conversion rates. Your chosen outsourcer should provide you with the confidence that they will have their finger on the analytical pulse to drive successful insight and action for your campaign.

4.    Evaluate Staffing and Recruitment:

Outsourced partners should be very adept at recruiting for knowledgeable contact centre roles in a fast and flexible way. They understand the clear skills, experience and personality types that work best in customer support or sales roles. Usually they have adopted specific centre locations or working practices to maximise the availability of staff too. Check that your potential outsource partner is truly flexible, they should be able to scale up and scale down quickly according to the needs of your organisation. Overall, make sure you clearly understand how your chosen outsourcer intends to recruit the team for your campaign, and that the process fits with your business values too.

5.    Ability to Respond Quickly and Efficiently:

Customers expect great customer service as standard nowadays, but we know the reality can be somewhat different. Unhappy customers make themselves heard easily too, helped by the use of social media and customer satisfaction platforms. Outsourcing when things get tough can help you recover your service quickly, turnaround those one-star reviews and get your customer experience back on track. Ensuring you choose an outsource partner who can handle engagement at scale, provide support in a flexible way, when and how you need it, is crucial. Make sure your chosen provider can offer a completely flexible service for your requirement, helping your business when you need it most.

Remember, the ideal outsource partner can seamlessly integrate with your business objectives, ethics, and values in a flexible way. Take your time, assess options, and choose wisely. A strategic outsourcing partnership can transform your customer service and sales landscape for the better!

The great news is CC33 can offer and support your requirements for outsourcing. We have B2B & B2C experience across a wealth of industry sectors in both customer services and sales capacities.

If you would like to discuss how we can help you, then get in touch here, or email paul.fletcher@cc33.co.uk