4 Crucial Steps to Effective Outsourced Customer Service
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated.
If you’re thinking about using outsourced customer service, you’re in good company. Outsourcing is revolutionizing customer service and retention. By investing in outsourced customer service, companies everywhere are freeing up valuable time, energy, and resources. Regardless of whether your company is just starting out or shifting from an entirely in-house team, keeping your customer service (CS) system running smoothly and effectively can be a challenge.
To make sure that your business gets the most out of outsourced customer service, preparing a detailed strategy beforehand can help you navigate the process. As you prepare your business for this change, here are four crucial steps to help you achieve effective outsourced customer service.
1. Choose the Best Outsourced Customer Service Company
Customer service (CS) is an industry priority—and for good reason. During the buyer’s journey, your customer service team is the face of your company. Poor CS has the potential to wear away at your established business relationships, costing you loyal clients and generating negative word-of-mouth. In fact, one study found that 67% of customers are willing to leave a provider due to a poor customer experience.
With this in mind, it’s no wonder that many business owners may feel reluctant about the quality of outsourcing their customer service. The key to avoiding these potential pitfalls? You need a powerful outsourced customer service provider with reliable talent.
Conducting thorough research on each potential outsourced customer service company can give you the best understanding of each candidate before making your decision. The ideal CS provider for your company should share your core values and demonstrate a strong commitment to understanding your brand’s mission. They should also be fully dedicated to supporting your company’s success.
When it comes to working directly with your customers, transparency, trustworthiness, and accountability are non-negotiable qualities for any CS company. Because of this, consider seeking out a company that implements an extensive training process. The best company should provide highly motivated representatives who are willing to go the extra mile to gain in-depth knowledge of your brand’s products and services. By choosing an outsourced customer service company that meets these criteria, you can ensure that your customers will receive exceptional support and build a strong and lasting relationship with your brand.
At Bandalier, quality is our priority. We help to shape our representatives into customer service pros with our rigorous training program. After completing training, our representatives are then supported by a team that checks on their progress, creates goals, monitors success, and inspires resourceful thinking. Our core principle, kaizen, keeps our reps focused on innovation and constant improvement.
Customer service should always be cutting-edge. Backed by our expert team, Bandalier’s goal is to provide you with an outsourced customer service team that meets your specific needs and provides reassurance that your brand is in good hands.
2. Hit Hard with Branding
Your company’s values should be on display from the first interaction a CS representative has with your customers. This means that branding should always be a top priority for any outsourced customer service provider you partner with. Over 60% of companies believe that maintaining a strong and consistent brand is important not only when generating leads, but also when communicating with customers.
According to Forbes, one of the most significant factors when it comes to outsourced customer service is that the representatives take ownership of the brand. For the best outsourced CS, your representatives need to be well-versed in your company’s voice. That’s why Bandalier’s team members focus on understanding your brand values from the get-go. Once your customer service team is fluent in your brand, tone, and values, they can better represent your company.
3. Keep the Conversation Open
Communication is key. To ensure that you can have confidence in your outsourced customer service representatives, develop an open dialogue with them, discuss goals, establish deadlines, and solve problems as a unit. Our team members are accustomed to routine team meetings, training sessions, and setting and reaching monthly KPIs. They’re skilled in analyzing data and developing team strategies that help them reach your goals.
Additionally, for best results, encourage collaboration between your sales team and your outsourced customer service team can lead to optimal results. According to one report, 90% of sales leaders say they collaborate with the customer support team daily or weekly. This collaboration is crucial in crafting and sending a cohesive message to your customers.
4. Integrate the Right Customer Service Reps
So, you have the best representatives. They’re trained in your brand and you’ve established a dialogue. Once you and your outsourced customer service reps have found your rhythm, you may want to fully integrate them into your in-house team. With the right outsourcing partner, it’s possible for this process to be practically seamless.
Bandalier’s onboarding process is designed so that, if it’s the right fit, hiring our reps onto your team full-time is a breeze. You can feel confident making an offer to any of our representatives to join your in-house team for the long-term.
Outsourced Customer Service Without the Stress
As companies seek out smart and resourceful business solutions, outsourced customer service only continues to grow. In fact, the global outsourcing market is currently valued at $92.5 billion. Make sure you’re staying ahead of the game with these tried and true tips for guaranteeing that while you benefit from preserving time and resources, your customers continue to receive the highest quality of service.
At Bandalier, we’ve spent years perfecting our process to bring you the best outbound customer service possible. From our carefully-crafted interviews to our long-term support, our quality customer service representatives are set up to succeed.
We’ll work with you to understand your unique business needs and create a customized solution that works for you. Our goal is to provide you with the support and expertise you need to take your customer service to the next level. Let us help you free up valuable time and resources, while ensuring your customers receive the best possible service. Schedule a consultation with our experts today!
