Offshoring Call Centers

What you'll learn

1. What are the different types of outsourcing?
2. What are offshoring call centers?
   
3. Why do companies outsource their contact centers?
   
4. What are the benefits of offshore call centers?
   
5. What are some factors that should be considered when choosing the right call center for your business?
   
6. Is offshore call center outsourcing right for your business?

There are three different types of call center outsourcing in terms of location. There is onshore, nearshore, and offshore outsourcing. In terms of outsourcing by industry there are a variety of categories. The main categories include Professional outsourcing, Operational outsourcing, Manufacturing outsourcing, and Project outsourcing.

An offshore call center is a type of outsourced call center that provides call center services outside of the hiring company's country of origin. The contact center agents will be sourced directly through the offshore company in the company's country.

TBusinesses of all sizes outsourcing their contact centers is a common practice. Outsourcing allows businesses to focus on developing their products and services instead of investing time and money in the development and management of their own personal contact center. Utilizing existing contact centers means a business does not have to form their own procedures, hire their own agents and managers, or worry about potential fluctuating costs within the call center business itself.

Offshore call centers can be more cost effective. Due to varying economies, a company in the United States may find that the utilization of an offshore center is more affordable than an onshore center. These call centers can also be beneficial as it provides the opportunity to hire bilingual agents that can reach a greater number of customers. Offshore call centers being more cost effective provides companies the opportunity to hire 24 hour service. These service agents will not be restricted due to time zone differences and will have the ability to perform cold calling and outbound calling at appropriate hours to meet customer needs. They will also be more readily available to receive inbound calls and provide customer service and support.

Services call center outsourcing companies can offer:

1. 24 hour customer service availability
   Many call centers will offer 24 hour customer service. This is particularly important when offshore centers are placed in a different time zone than the company's country of origin.
   
   
2. Contact options
   These options may include telephone communication, live chat communication, social media customer service, or even bot chatting.
   
   
3. Bilingual services
   Offshore call center agents are likely to speak a different language than the businesses country of origin which can then allow the company to provide bilingual customer support and reach a large customer base.
   
   
4. Inbound and outbound telesales
   Some call centers may offer the option to hire telesales agents to spread awareness and increase sales of a businesses products and services.
   
   
5. Lead generation
   Call center companies may also offer various forms of lead generation. This may be from either an automatic chat program or through live agents.

How to choose the best call center location:

Determine what factors are most important to you and which ones are most beneficial to your business. Performing market research on various options is important when choosing the best location for your business. Customer service and customer support should be the main focus when making decisions that will directly impact the customer experience.

Cost

• Conduct reviews of each location in consideration and decide which provides the best services for the most appropriate price point. Review the cost of performing call center services internally versus various onshore or offshore options. The money saved from outsourcing to an offshore contact center could be utilized to grow your business and customer connection even further.

Language barriers and bilingual services

• Will there be a language barrier in the offshore center or can they offer bilingual services? The ability to offer bilingual services to clients is an important aspect of customer service. This can allow you to reach a greater customer base and provides the opportunity for higher customer sentiment towards your business.

Security

• Is the security offered up to the standard that you require to ensure the safety of your customer information? Customers and clients deserve a high degree of security when it comes to their personal information. It is important to evaluate the security of any third party that will obtain customer information.

24 hour service availability

• Do they offer 24 hour service and is the amount saved utilizing an offshore center enough to provide 24 hour service to customers? Only allowing customers to receive support within an eight hour, four day a week time clock and be extremely limiting and frustrating. The cost saved while utilizing offshore call centers can be used to expand customer services to less limited hours.

How will the customer experience be impacted if at all?

• Determine whether or not any cultural differences will impact the customer experience. It is important to evaluate customer sentiment regarding the country of origin for the potential offshore contact center and determine whether or not there are any cultural differences that could affect the customer experience.

How will the ability to perform disaster recovery be impacted?

• Consider your company's ability to connect and manage an offshore center and evaluate the communication abilities of the potential contact centers. Should an event happen within the call center that may affect their ability to perform services, what will their response be? The procedures they have in place for various situations is an important thing to consider when choosing a company to outsource to.

Will cloud based resources be available?

• Cloud based resources allow contact centers to maintain records and allow agents to view past interactions and obtain accurate data from customers. Technology is always advancing and choosing a company that keeps their services updated is imperative when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Is there quality technical support?

• Evaluate potential call center technical support availability and the procedure that is followed during technical issues. Call centers should provide quality and immediately available technical support in the event that any issues arise on either the customer or call center agent side.

Is offshore call center outsourcing right for your business?

Outsourcing to offshore call centers can be an effective way to lower business costs and allows for more time spent focusing on the growth and management of the business. It is important to evaluate the requirements of your business and find the right type of call center to fit those needs. Contact Callzilla to help you determine what type of call center outsourcing is right for you and your business needs.

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