Did you know that according to the research made by Deloitte, 70% of companies, big or small, outsource primarily because of cost reduction?

Outsourcing is indeed a great way to cut costs especially when it comes to manpower and infrastructure.

But not only that, outsourcing is also a great way to increase efficiency and productivity especially when it comes to customer service. 

In fact, from the same research, they found out that 24% of small businesses and startups outsource their customer support service because they find it more efficient and effective. 

Additionally, outsourcing customer support provides flexibility and scalability to small and medium companies especially during and after the pandemic. 

Outsourcing customer service really provides great opportunities and benefits to small organisations and startups. 

But finding the right outsourcing partner or company can be a challenge. With the growing demand for quality outsourcing services comes the continuous rise of providers here and there.

Thus it is now a challenge to find the right outsourcing provider in the sea of many companies offering the same services. 

So if you are a small company or startup looking for the right outsourcing provider for your customer support service, here are some of the things that you need to consider. 

1. Size

One of the things that you need to consider is the size of the outsourcing company. First, you need to ask yourself how many you need in your outsourced customer support team. Do you need 5 to 10? Or 500 to 1000? Depending on your need, look for a company that can accommodate the number of people or resources your company requires. 

If you are looking for a large number of resources, you might want to partner with an outsourcing company that has many years in the industry and that employs thousands of people in their team. 

On the other hand, if you only need a couple of people in your team, a small outsourcing support provider can offer a more closer and personalized service. 

2. Expertise

Specialisation or industry expertise is a very important factor when choosing an outsourcing provider. It is best to hire an outsourcing company that provides expertise in customer support outsourcing as you are assured that the company is well-known in the industry and knows the ins and outs of customer service outsourcing. They will surely have the right tools and infrastructures that your business need. 

3. Pricing

Outsourcing companies offer different pricing models. For customer service outsourcing, some companies charge by tickets or calls resolved while others charge per employee on a monthly basis.

Whilst hiring a provider that charges by calls may seem cost-efficient, it can actually affect service quality. In this case, the outsourced agents will try to work for more clients to get more bucks without really paying attention to the quality of the calls. This can be detrimental to your business as customer service is really important in keeping your customers happy. 

On the other hand, hiring employees on a monthly basis may mean more quality communications thus giving your business a great customer service image. 

With this, study the pricing of the providers you want to hire and see if it matches the business goals of your company. 

4. Infrastructure

Another critical thing that you need to consider when hiring an outsourcing provider for your customer support service is that they have the right tools and equipment to provide quality service. 

Office spaces and facilities should provide productivity and collaboration between teams. High-speed internet connectivity should be in place and backups should be set up. There should also be backup power in case of power interruption.

Communication tools, phones, computer units, as well as comfortable office desks, should be provided to make sure that your outsourced agents and employees can work well. 

Infrastructure is very important in outsourcing as it is one of the main reasons why you are outsourcing.

5. Training and development

One of the reasons why businesses outsource is that they don’t have time to hire, recruit, train and retain employees. Outsourcing providers should be well-equipped in providing these services. They should have enough pool of talent for selection, hiring and can manage training. 

Partner with an outsourcing company that has an automated training system to help your business be flexible and scale in the event that agents leave or you need to expand for additional resources. 

6. Systems

Outsourcing customer service means that you will be communicating remotely with people. You might be hiring people from the Philippines while your business is in Australia. In this case, you may want to look for an outsourcing provider that has efficient access to remote systems. This can help you have a smooth onboarding process. 

Moreover, they should also have access to customer support systems and tools for more efficient and productive service.

7. Human Resource

Outsourcing should give you more time to focus on growing your business. That is why your outsourcing provider should have a human resource team that will oversee your outsourced team. Time in and time out, leaves, payroll, benefits, taxes, and other employee concerns should be managed and communicated by the human resource team of your outsourcing provider. 

The last thing that you want to happen is to settle a dispute with an employee because of not filing tax or employee benefits. Things like this and lack of compliance can affect your business operations and growth. 

8. Quality Assurance

Another critical thing that you should not skip when hiring an outsourcing partner is asking if they have a quality assurance (QA) in place. So ask them the type of QA they have. Do they have QA for your team or for each employee or agent?

Having a QA in place will give you more assurance that quality work is being done. And quality service is good for any business. 

9. Security

Hiring an outsourcing provider means getting, receiving and sharing sensitive information whether from your business or from your clients. With these, your outsourcing partner should offer the highest level of information safety and security. You may also ask the company about disclosure agreements. Before partnering with any company, make sure there are appropriate and reliable security infrastructures to keep you and your company safe. 

10. Support

When hiring an outsourcing company, consider their support team. Are they provocative when you ask for certain issues or questions? Are they transparent and provide open communication with their services and how do they handle your team? Having a support team that you can contact any time as you onboard to an outsourcing company is very critical. So make sure to find a provider that has a good support team. 

Find the right outsourcing provider for your customer service

Hope the above tips and considerations help you find the right outsourcing provider. Specialising in customer support service, we, at SOS Global is always here to help. We can provide you with everything that you need to successfully outsource your customer service team in the Philippines.

Talk to us today and let’s discuss your options.