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Sep 17, 2019 Thomas Cannon

In-House vs. Outsourced Customer Service: 4 Benefits of Outsourced

Customer service agent

Is your customer service department no longer providing the customer experience (CX) that your clients expect? Can you no longer afford the technologies needed for superior customer service? Or perhaps you simply don’t have the resources anymore to keep up with seasonal demand?

These, along with many other reasons, might be encouraging your business to consider an outsourced call center.

There’s no doubt about it, outsourcing such an important aspect of your business can be intimidating at first - but modern customer service strategies are complex. Failure to deliver a superior customer experience only leads to customers looking elsewhere for your products or services.

As your business grows, it becomes even more likely that you will lack the necessary infrastructure and resources to provide the level of service that your customers expect.

Not only will outsourced customer service provide you with all the tools, resources and highly-skilled representatives you need to continue to provide fantastic customer service, outsourcing will also save you money.

Here are just four key reasons why an outsourced call center - such as Advantage Communications - wins in the in-house vs. outsourced customer service battle every time:

1 - Access to world-class CX technology

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace. It’s pretty much impossible for your company’s in-house customer service team to not only keep up with new technologies that are improving the customer experience - but also afford them.

New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) tools, chatbots and intelligent virtual agents are significantly improving the customer experience for consumer-facing companies, while other tools such as operational intelligence and live-call guidance are enhancing the way customer service agents work.

These technologies are all enhancing the experience that your customers have with your brand. They encourage self-service, reduce the customer effort, improve customer satisfaction, increase first-call resolution (FCR) and much more.

Your company simply cannot afford these technologies, but, if you decide to outsource, it’s vital that you ensure that your outsourced contact center uses these technologies to transform your customer service strategy.

2 - Scaling for seasonal demand

If you are a small to medium-sized business that experiences a peak season in which you need to scale up quickly, it’s unlikely you have the resources to do so. Instead, you cross your fingers, buckle down, and hope you can make it through the busy period without losing too many customers.

These stressful seasons probably involve your company sourcing and managing more space at the last second, adding infrastructure to that space and hiring seasonal staff that you then need to lay off a month or two later.

It’s also likely that you are trying to avoid the possibility of overstaffing while, at the same time, worrying that you won’t have enough customer service representatives to deal with all of the requests you are about to receive.

Your customer service strategy doesn’t have to be like that. By choosing an outsourced call center with expertise in scalable solutions, your business will be able to rapidly scale up and down for new projects or seasonal demand.

3 - The creation of a customer experience strategy by industry experts

The customer experience is complex, and consumers want more from the brands they do business with than they ever have before. It’s very unlikely that your company has the in-house knowledge to develop a world-class customer service strategy.

An outsourced call center, however, will have extensive experience in creating a customer experience and customer service strategy that works for the unique needs of your company.

Here at Advantage Communications, for example, we use a program management strategy in which our dedicated program managers are empowered to continually innovate and improve your company’s performance and experience.

We use our extensive knowledge and innovative technology solutions to ensure your customers are left satisfied and eager to not only buy from your brand again, but to recommend your business to friends and family.

4 - Access to highly-qualified workers

By working with a nearshore call center your organization will have access to highly-qualified workers for a fraction of the price. This will provide your business with significant cost savings, particularly if you are located in a large city such as Toronto, New York or Chicago where a shortage in skilled workers is only making it more expensive to hire top talent.

Take Canada or Jamaica for example. Outsource call centers like Advantage Communications, located in these countries, have access to highly educated workforces that blend excellent education with hands-on customer service experience.

Your company will be able to access highly-talented workers for a significantly more cost-effective price.

Are you looking for more information about how an outsourced call center in Canada, serving global clients, can transform your company’s customer service strategy? Contact our team of experts today. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

Download How to Outsource Guide

Published by Thomas Cannon September 17, 2019