Description

Outsourcing, No, definitely no. I do not want to leave my customers at mercy of some call center.

If this is what you think when you hear the word outsourcing, please go ahead and read the rest of the article. This article should change your thoughts about Business Process Outsourcing. And would definitely guide you how to set up a successful and beneficial outsourcing model. Many corporates have already discovered the path of success called outsourcing. Now you must be wondering I have always heard my customers complain about outsourcing. Even when I call some companies, the support I get, makes me highly dissatisfied, then how can I outsource my services yet make my customers happy. Well, I would say it is possible, if done correctly.

It is not that your customers hate outsourcing; People don't like outsourcing, when they have to suffer.

What does that mean? The customer would love outsourcing, if it is a pleasant experience for them. Now, you must be thinking, how to outsource, yet make your customers love it. This article will guide you on beneficial outsourcing and how to keep your customers happy. Let us get familiar with the basics of Outsourcing.

Business process outsourcing (BPO) contains the transmission of processes along with the associated operational activities and responsibilities, to a third party with at least a guaranteed equal service level and where the client contains a firm grip over the (activities of the) vendor for mutual long term success. This generally involves an organizations non-core processes. Outsourcing: Contracting some or all call center services to an outside company. OnShore: Onshore outsourcing is outsourcing within nearby region or the same country. Offshore: Offshore outsourcing is outsourcing beyond your country. Call Center: A term that generally refers to inbound centers, outbound centers, help desks, information lines or customer service centers, regardless of how they are organized or what types of transactions they handle. Help Desk: An inbound call center primarily utilized for support on product installation and troubleshooting. The same can be offered through Voice support, chat or email support.

Now that you understand few terms related to outsourcing, let us try to understand why it is important for your business.

Why is outsourcing necessary?

I am sure; you must have read about the term Opportunity Cost. An Opportunity Cost is the value of a product that is forgone when pursuing another product. Let us take an example: If the CEO of a company spends 2 hours everyday on sales, which could have been easily outsourced, the opportunity cost is the time lost in generating sales. That time could have been used to take important strategic decisions about your company, or it could have been time well spent playing baseball with your kids. Either way, the time represents an opportunity cost, or you may call it an opportunity lost. Now let us try to understand how to make outsourcing a beneficial experience for both you and your customer. Cutting cost is the first thing most of the companies think about while outsourcing their business needs. Now this is the problem. As a company planning to outsource your services you should focus on these 3 things:

Quality of work desired. Customer satisfaction. Reduction in cost.

Most of the times, people forget about the first 2 and focus only on the 3rd point. Such a strategy leads to drop in the quality of service leading to dissatisfaction of customers. A detailed business plan would definitely lead to beneficial outsourcing. Let us take an example. If your company sells a DVD player and you plan to outsource your technical support, this is what i would suggest to keep in mind while making your Outsourcing Business plan.

A document detailing the required infrastructure for the call center. Qualification requirements of the staff. VNA (Voice & Accent) round of the TSRs (technical support reps). Quality guidelines fo