Outcourced customer service has an easier setup than you think and can even make you save money!
Over the last few years, customer service has become one of the most important aspects of any business. It helps you create customer loyalty, brand awareness and can even help you convert consumers into clients by upselling some of your products.
In this article, we will take a look at the different benefits outsourced customer service can bring to your business. Not only are outsourced customer service specialist experts in their field, they also possess the necessary customer support skills, like empathy and active listening, that can make your clientele feel like they are talking to someone they care about.
Outsourcing Customer Service
Before you read on about the different benefits outsourcing offers for your company there is one point we need to make clear. Outsourcing means that you are hiring another company or worker to perform certain tasks for you. It is important not to confuse it with offshoring. Offshoring has a very similar meaning, except that it refers to delegating your tasks to other companies in different countries, which is what most big enterprises do by offshoring their customer service lines to contact centers located world wide.
You do not have to spend a big part of your budget to open up a contact center cell in another country. There are professionals out there that can perform the same tasks for just 5% of the cost of offshoring. Furthermore, if you are starting your own business, or you own a small company, outsourcing is recommended over offshoring.
One of the most efficient ways to outsource is by hiring virtual assistants, which you will know more about in the benefits below. If you want to know more about these experts, you can read this article to understand what they do and how they do it. Without further ado, let's move on to the benefits of outsources customer service.
Recruitment
The most straightforward way to explain how outsourced customer service can save you money is through recruitment budgets. When you require an employee, you must inform your talent acquisition team to set part of the budget apart to inform how the company is looking for new workers. After the initial announcement, your recruitment team will interview the potential candidates and inform you about the prospects. This process is very time-consuming.
In contrast, hiring virtual representatives does not require a lengthy process. You only need to contact a virtual agency, and they will do the process for you. Most virtual agencies you can find online already have experts waiting to help the next business that requires their expertise. All of this for a similar amount you are investing in the recruitment process.
Training Resources
After hiring an employee, there is usually a two-week training process for the new worker to adapt to the company. This process means you pay an employee to learn before they have work done for your business, effectively paying them for learning the ropes of your company.
Outsourced customer service representatives, also known as virtual representatives, are paid only to do a particular job, and as we mentioned before, most of them are already experts in their fields. They can take on tasks such as shipping problems, client nurturing, personal shopping, process complaints, and so much more. You don't need to worry about them learning an inevitable process while paying them. Also, if your line of business is project-based, you can hire a VCSR only for a specific project. A Virtual Assistant will be ready to start a new task from the get-go.
Space and Equipment
When hiring a new employee, you always need to consider your office space and the equipment you must purchase for the new worker. These expenses may vary between buying a desk, a chair, a computer, peripherals and paying for all the licenses and software the new employee will use.
This issue will never happen with a VCSR. Since they all work remotely, you won't have to consider office space, equipment, or software within your budget. Reps already have access to the tools to execute their work properly. You will also be free from updating and maintaining the equipment as well.
Employee Benefits
All in-house employees have the right to benefits. These benefits include health insurance, sick leaves, and vacations. As a business owner, you must pay all these benefits when hiring a new employee.
You do not have to worry about paying benefits with a virtual customer service representative. Some of them are freelance and have their insurance and excellent time management. The other half of the reps work for virtual agencies, which pay their benefits without you spending a dime.
Project Success
After training your employees and introducing them to the team, it is time to prove themselves. Studies show that 45% of the time, a new employee will make a mistake within their first month in a new company. Most of these mistakes come from the new worker not performing up to the company's standards, which, in case, will make you lose money.
By hiring a virtual customer service representative, you can avoid these types of mistakes. Virtual assistants are experts in their fields. They have years of experience behind them and resolve most problems that come to their attention. Although there is always a risk, the percentage is at its lowest.
Working Hours
When working for a company, it is impossible to keep focus all the time. Employees are entitled to short and lunch breaks by law. Still, they can take a few minutes when standing up for coffee, talking to co-workers, and having a little time to themselves between tasks. It is excellent to keep your team happy, but also, they need to get work done.
Virtual assistants only work for the number of hours you assign them. They will put their whole focus on a specific task and will produce optimal results for your business. And, most importantly, they will not charge you for extra hours because they will complete the projects you assign them in time.
Management Costs
Suppose you consider hiring a team of workers. In that case, you will also need to ascend one of your current employees to a management position or hire a manager to supervise the new unit you are building. You will need to invest in training your new manager and present them with tasks they might have never done before.
The virtual customer service representative you hire will work directly with you or any other management position as an intermediary. A team of VAs will be able to handle themselves due to their experience as remote workers. A virtual agency will also manage them if you hire a company instead of different persons.
Hiring an Outsourced Customer Service Representative
As you can see from the text above, virtual assistants can help you with your customer service from anywhere in the world. They cost a lot less than setting up a personalized customer service department, and can even do other tasks apart from tending to your clients for the same price. There are many virtual assistants over the web, but here at New Age Cubicle, we have one of the fastest processes that will ensure you a virtual assistant in no more than two weeks.
If you would like to know more about our services do not hesitate to contact us here. We only need to know your specific business needs and we will be able to match you with one of our outstanding virtual assistants. If you want to get ready for the holidays, this is how.