Cost and quality go hand in hand when deciding whether or not to outsource a piece of your business. In our Complete Call Center Outsourcing Guide, we discuss outsourcing in general, and the different types of outsourcing: Onshore, Offshore, and nearshore. There are pros and cons to each option, but this article is for businesses that are looking for the best balance between quality and cost. To that effect, we’re going to dig in deeper into the benefits of nearshore call center services.
On one hand, you have skilled workers in your backyard but there is often a high a price that comes with it. On the other hand, you can cut costs by outsourcing overseas but at the sacrifice of service quality. While this is a common debate, it’s becoming obsolete with the rise of the Nearshore Contact Center. The perfect balance, nearshore centers help you cut down on call center costs while maintaining a high standard of quality and visibility in your business.
Location
Proximity to your outsourcing partner can go hand in hand with quality. It’s advantageous to have the ability to visit your call center for training, new product launches, or just general check-ins. Nearshore call center services offer you the benefit of service at a decreased cost, but still close to home. While they’re not down the hall, your contact center is just a short plane ride away if needed. These are currently the top five nearshore locations:
Other notable mentions include El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. The definition of near shore being close in proximity to the United States, but a separate country.
Language and Culture
Your near shore Call Center will offer languages that are most likely to align with your US based customers, such as English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. You’re also more likely to find native speakers of these languages near shore, and especially those that are bilingual or trilingual. These criteria would come at a greater cost on and offshore, where they’re harder to come by and often considered a higher valued skill.
The culture more likely resembles that of your US customer base as well. With the close proximity, nearshore citizens often consume US content, have family located in the US, or have traveled/studied there themselves. When traveling to Bogotá, the capitol of Colombia, for example, you’ll find a mix of local chains and familiar US brand names. You have the choice to stay at a JW Marriott and eat at Papa Johns, or explore the native culture.
The quality, educated workforce you’ll find in most nearshore locations is often worth the cost you’d save going all the way offshore.
Cost Savings
Taking proximity and quality into account, neashore contact centers will give you the most value for your money. Call center costs may be more expensive nearshore than offshore, but they’re less expensive than an onshore center with a more comparable quality. Pricing will depend on the service you’re seeking, but this is generally accurate. Where your business may shift it’s focus between cost and quality, nearshore will always be the most stable option that gives you the benefit of both.
For a deeper dive into Bogotá as your nearshore call center destination. Get to know Callzilla, a company that provides call center services putting quality first. We provide outsourced call-center services for all types of industries, achieving excellent results.
About the Author: Neal Topf
