Customer Support Service Outsourcing

customer service outsourcing

A Deeper Insight Into Customer Service Outsourcing

When people mention about customer service outsourcing, the idea that comes to mind is a huge building packed with employees wearing headphones while simultaneously talking. Most often than not, they are generalized as people working on 12-hour shifts and are all fluent in English. But what if there’s more than just that?

Read on this blog and get a deeper insight into customer service outsourcing.

Outsourcing is not customer service outsourcing

Up until this day, a lot of people still confuse the whole concept of outsourcing to call centre agents. While a part of it, the idea of outsourcing does not exactly end with customer services alone.

On a closer look, outsourcing is anything. It could be delegating your non-core services to foreign countries or partnering with an offshore company to help your business get the best talent for cost-effective prices.

Now as a widely utilised business strategy, outsourcing entirely caters to different back-office services, IT solutions, digital marketing tasks and customer support. To simplify, customer service outsourcing is a popular service that falls under the general business strategy called outsourcing.

Why do foreign companies outsource their customer services?

Businesses from all over the world make use of outsourcing to lessen their labour costs, get access to international talents, improve output, tap the most skilled individuals, and a lot more. Out of all those benefits, most companies choose to outsource their customer services to free up time.

Numerous foreign companies prefer to outsource their customer support services also because countries such as the Philippines has a reputation of having good customer service skills. One proof is the neverending demand for call centre agents in the country. As of today, the outsourcing industry in the Philippines remains to be a huge contributor to the economy.

The on-demand economy

Nowadays, customer service outsourcing is a vital part of any business, regardless of the industry. And, the products or services a company offer is no longer the selling point for customers, rather the overall experience. So businesses today focus more on employing experienced, pro-active, and passionate customer-centric agents with absolute know-how.

Every day, outsourcing companies are dealing with a lot of competitors that pose a challenge to the efficiency of services that they provide. And though it has changed customer service in many ways, it still is one of the most effective ways.

Takeaway

The emergence of AI and automation was a threat to customer service outsourcing companies for a little while. However, it does not last for long as these companies thought of ways to increase their efficiency and further strengthen the level of services they provide.

One of these companies that kept on strengthening their customer services is DBOS. Located in the Philippines, DBOS is an Australian-owned offshore staffing company that caters to back-office services, digital marketing, IT outsourcing, and outsourced customer support services. Reduce your wage costs up to 70% and get a free consultation with our very own CEO/Founder!

customer support

Improve the Quality of Your Customer Support Services with These Tips

The life of BPO companies is their call centre agents. Whether they are in customer support, sales,  or any other position, they are the ones who answer phone calls to represent an organisation.

Customer support services are most often outsourced to other countries. Some popular destinations for this type of services are the Philippines, India, Singapore, and most Asian nations.

Now, if you’re seeking to upgrade your customer support team, let this 5 tips help you.

1. Add a human touch

Communication is the most important human interaction. Not only we practise it on our daily living but it is also vital in providing great customer support services.

The standard step is to introduce yourself first and then get the customer’s name as a common courtesy. Next should be thanking them for getting in touch and that you are very much happy to be of great help. When the customer feels comfortable with the person on the other line, better communication will take place.

2. Learn to listen

Effective customer support doesn’t only have to be good at talking. One should also be a good listener to understand the customer’s concerns and provide an excellent solution. Although you’re familiar with the customer’s problem and you’ve already memorized the answer in your head, you still should wait until they finished talking. Not only it is the proper approach for two-way communication, but it also makes the customer feel like they are being heard.

3. Use a positive language

A negative language indicates doubt and is not ideal to use in customer-centric services such as customer support. In a customer’s perspective, it indicates that their query might not be resolved and that it’s a pointless call. To avoid situations like this, help your team practise using positive language only. Who knows? This could also help with the successful resolution of the client’s issue.

4. Provide a clear response

It is highly important to provide customers with clear and straightforward answers. Vague answers will only cause confusion and might be misinterpreted. Also, avoid using technical terms and jargons that could cause further misunderstanding.

Before the conversation ends, take time to ensure that you have been clearly understood and if there are other queries that you can help with.

5. Give your customers a way to provide feedback

The most important feedback that you should get is from your customers. So it would be best if you can provide an easier platform for them to leave their opinions and suggestions. Whether it is something good, bad, or neutral, this will help you improve your service even more. On top of that, their needs and expectations evolve with time so you should cope up. Always remember that a customer’s voice is priceless for your business.

Gain access to skilled outsourced customer support and save up to 70% on your labour and operational expenses when you choose DBOS – one of the fastest-growing Australian-owned offshore staffing company in the Philippines. Get a free consultation with us today!

outsourced telemarketing

Outsourced Telemarketing VS In-house

Of all marketing strategies, telemarketing is the most considered as a black sheep. One, because it doesn’t seem to be effective enough to generate sales, unlike other marketing strategies. It is when outsourced telemarketing was introduced that things have changed.

Almost everyone can surely relay a story about receiving an unsolicited call from someone who sells a product or offers a service that they don’t know about. And whether we believe it or not, studies show that telemarketing remains effective up until this day.

Call centres continue to boom and telesales outsourcing carry on taking great strides towards making an impact in the marketing world.

On top of that, there are ongoing discussions about which is better? In-house or outsourced?

Telemarketing: Better in-house or outsourced?

Creating an effective B2B telesales campaign is not easy. The strategies should be executed well by motivated, dedicated, highly-trained staff to be successful.

But wisely choosing between in-house or outsourced telesales will make a huge difference to your telemarketing strategy.

Respectably, both in-house and outsourced telemarketing has its own advantages and disadvantages. They have a fair share of similarities and differences that easily distinguish them from each other.

Let’s identify some of their differences on the infographic below:

outsourced telemarketing

After knowing a few of the differences between outsourced telemarketing and in-house, evaluating comes next. Then, carefully choose which of the two will be best for your business.

Which is better according to the experts?

Telesales outsourcing remains to be a better choice according to business experts and consultants. Being it cost-effective is the number one reason. Next is because it produces more leads and sales. This kind of marketing strategy also allows you to focus more on the important aspects of your business.

The only obstacle in choosing telesales outsourcing is to find a reliable and effective telemarketing agency who has deep experience in telesales. And if you found a capable agency that can handle your telemarketing services well, get ready for new leads and clients.

Now, keeping up with leads, seeking more, and making sure that the business is running smoothly would be easier with an outsourced telemarketer.

We at DBOS make sure that you get the outsourced telemarketer that would best fit your needs. For more information, contact DBOS for a FREE consultation today!

good customer service

5 Skills That Makes a Good Customer Service Representative 

Good customer service requires more than just the fluency to communicate with the clients.

There are a lot of reports about companies who provide bad customer service. Now, if you want to be different, see these 5 excellent skills that make a good customer service representative:

Skill #1. Patience

Every now and then, you’ll inevitably come across with difficult clients who will test the extent of your patience. If you’re dealing with customers every day, make sure to be extra patient. Avoid easily getting pissed and practice effective breathing exercises that’ll help clear your head and be more composed while talking to clients.

Derek Sivers explained that quality service always beats fast service. He emphasized the importance of better understanding the client’s enquiries and needs than getting all worked up.

Take time to figure out what help they might need and then calmly assist them in solving their reason for calling. Be the level-headed person between the two of you and provide them with answers. Make sure to let them know that you are more than willing to help on whichever matter they are dealing with. At the end of the day, you never know how much customers appreciate good customer service.

Skill #2. Knowledge of the product or service

The best customer service representative has a deep understanding of the product or service that the company offers. If they are not well-informed about it’s every nook and cranny, how will they help the client about its many enquiries?

More than anyone in the company, the customer representative should know the service offered from the front to the back. It is the only way to make sure that they can attend to every client’s concern without a hitch.

Skill #3. Clear communication

To achieve clear communication between the company and customers, the agents should have a clear voice. In addition to that, an agent should be cautious about the words they use to avoid any misunderstanding with the client. By doing so, will eventually help you to stay away from bad circumstances.

Mimicking the customer’s tone and language is one way to communicate clearly because it shows that you understand and acknowledge their issue. It helps in creating rapport and establishing a better relationship between the client and the agent. Thus, marking it as a great call.

Skill #4. Empathy

Another requirement that makes a good customer service representative is the ability to empathise with the client. Empathy is a character trait that can be improved and learned upon. To understand the client’s dilemma and share their feelings would make a great impact on the customer as they will perceive the agent to be caring.

For instance, the client’s concern regarding your service has no hope and it is clear that they are at fault. Now, the client was asking you on what can they do to refund the certain service but you know that there’s no solution. The client was old and is clearly upset. But because of your empathy, you feel the client’s dilemma and you’re trying to calmly make them understand that there’s nothing else that you could do.

The ability to empathise gives the agent an automatic gentle voice while relaying the message. And thus, making it a great skill as a customer service representative.

Skill #5. Goal-oriented focus

One of the vital customer service skills that a company has been looking for is the goal-oriented focus. Aside from giving heart-warming customer service, agents also have numbered goals that they need to fulfil.

Business goals + customer happiness can go hand-in-hand without resulting in poor service. Thus, agents should be comfortable in achieving both.

If you’re looking for highly trainable customer service representatives, choose DBOS today! Aside from our dedicated and experienced agents, you can also check out our reliable offshore back office services. 

For more information and pricing quotes, contact DBOS for a FREE consultation today! 

Telesales Isn’t Dead—and Here’s Why

From an outsider’s perspective, telemarketing seems like an outdated form of selling your products. Today’s technology has forced the marketing industry to take great strides when it comes into advertising. From large LED screens playing video ads 24/7 situated in busy city streets, to subtle digital marketing techniques to help give target consumers a gentle nudge towards buying more goods, selling stuff through the phone is perceived to pale in comparison: it’s a marketing method almost as old as direct selling itself.

But today, call centres are still in demand because telesales still works. Despite the persistent misconceptions surrounding phone marketing, outsourcing telesales can still make a huge impact on your business.

It’s the least annoying form of advertising

Almost every time you go online, there’s always that pesky pop-up ad begging you to click on them. Even when you’re watching a video on Facebook or Youtube, or when reading an article, the average reader will have to go through a few hoops in order to dodge an incessant barrage of either static or video ads. Ads have gone from a necessary evil to a regular nuisance, and audiences are trying to actively avoid it. According to a poll, telesales is ranked as the least annoying form of advertising as only 4% of the total respondents have voted against it. This means that when conducted properly, telemarketing is less likely to be ignored by a target audience compared to other forms of endorsing sales.

Phone marketing strengthens human connection

Since telesales is conducted through voice calls, prospect consumers experience a more intimate approach. Customers were found to respond more with telemarketing because of the human interaction factor, affecting the perceived sincerity and personal touch of the transaction or session. According to recent studies, when making big decisions for large purchases like a car, insurance, healthcare, or the like, customers prefer calling businesses personally and talking to a real human being. Because of this, telesales is one of the business processes that are not currently in danger of being replaced by AI. This trend in customer behaviour also makes outsourcing telesales very ideal, as international agents from countries like the Philippines are well regarded because of their positive personalities and empathy towards their customers. Having a strong and experienced team of telemarketing can do wonders in helping to further develop your business.

Outsourcing telesales generates leads

Though there are several different ways to perform lead generation, telemarketing is among the most efficient method. Offshore telesales promotes better brand awareness and provides greater market insight. A significant chunk of the call centre industry specialises in performing outbound sales through offshore telesales. According to relevant statistics, outsourcing lead generation is ranked to be 43% more effective than in-house due to expertise and experience. Hiring an offshore staff to generate leads for your company stacks up numerous advantages on your end, as not only will you get better results, outsourcing also allows you to save money while efficiently improving your cash flow.

 

These are only among the many reasons why telesales continues to play an important role in business until today. Though times are changing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all traditional practices are rendered defunct due to technological advances. Telemarketing isn’t dead, and it isn’t showing any signs of dying out anytime soon.

Looking for highly-skilled telemarketers to boost your company’s sales? Check out our staffing services to see which of our outsourcing services is the best fit for your business’ needs.

customer service call center

4 Major Reasons Why You Need to Outsource Your Customer Service

The quality of customer support can make or break a business. Bad customer service can often lead to an unsavoury reputation and drive potential clients away. Hiring competent personnel capable of handling any form of customer support is quite difficult: there are so many factors to consider when deliberating prospects like the employee’s personality, patience, and adaptability. Partnering with the right BPO company can help you bypass this challenge, and outsourcing might just be the answer you’re looking for.

Outsourcing makes finding the right agents easier

A fully functioning staff of professionals sounds like a dream but it can be made into a reality by hiring offshore teams. Outsourcing customer support to countries like the Philippines is a convenient solution as Filipinos are well known for their hospitality, patience and empathy towards customers. BPO companies help connect you with the right people to handle every aspect of customer service. Whether it be for live chat support, community management, or telesales, outsourcing allows you to tap into a wide market of talents for a fraction of the cost.

The wages you usually pay for one in-house staff member can already get you two or even three offshore agents, as labour costs are lower in developing countries. Since outsourcing significantly lowers your expenses than hiring in-house staff, it makes assembling an offshore customer support team as affordable and a viable option for businesses of any scale.

An offshore team automatically offers multilingual support

One good way to maximise the advantages of outsourcing is to partner with BPO companies in a country where you can also get clientele. That way, your offshore team can cater to a wider audience they can communicate with: customers within their country who speak their native language, and international customers they can talk to in English.

customer service
Hiring a diverse crew increases the variety of languages your customer support team can accommodate.

Outsourcing customer service improves cash flow

Not only is outsourcing helping you save money due to cheaper labour costs, but it also helps businesses grow by increasing profits. Customer care boosts revenues as it improves general metrics like first-call resolution, average handle time and customer satisfaction. Happy clients are more likely to give great feedback and make recommendations to their family and friends which can then bump up your sales. Maintaining customer satisfaction through live chat support or other means helps stabilise your income generated from sales, subscriptions and other services your business offers.

Multi-channel support is made possible and easy

One of the most impressive features of outsourcing customer service is that you can reach your clients and patrons through more channels. Whether it be through video chat, VOIP calls, live chat, social media and many more. Call centres often train their staff’s flexibility and capability in handling multiple channels for customer care, ensuring you only get qualified employees to be part of your company. Unlike with hiring in-house staff, you no longer need to buy additional equipment or software to accommodate for multi-channel support. Seat fees and set-up fees are already included in payment packages when you outsource, and these are used to equip your offshore staff with the latest tools to help them effectively perform their jobs.

 

Efficient solutions don’t have to be expensive. If you are looking for ways to expand your business but don’t want to overspend, outsourcing your customer service department can be a wise option. It eliminates a lot of hassle yet introduces numerous advantages you can benefit from.

Want to get started on outsourcing? Check out our services to see which options are a perfect fit for your business’ needs.