Outsourcing Alternatives for Customer Service

The Iconic, an online clothing retailer in Australia, is outsourcing their customer service overseas. The decision allows more spending for the company to ramp up its technology. Likewise, SMEs can enhance customer service through offshoring.

In the younger days of outsourcing, offshore call centres dominated the market. Indian customer service representatives were so well-known that it inspired sitcoms. Unfortunately, Westerners weren't comfortable with their accent. The Philippines, with its neutral accent workforce, became the offshoring destination for voiced-based services.

For SMEs though, they may not have the resources yet to sustain an offshore operation. Moreover, outsourcing has received a lot of negative press that the mere sound of a non-Aussie representative may turn customers away.

Outsourcing Alternatives

SMEs can outsource email and chat customer service. Apart from cost savings, it can also provide other benefits:

Less complaints

SMEs can focus on feedback instead of getting hammered by complaints about hold time and personal issues of customers. Email is much faster, and there's no way to tell who is exactly at the other end of the computer.

With preconceived notions out of the equation, both the customer and customer service rep can focus on the issue at hand. As long as the customer receives assistance in a timely manner, there won't be any problems.

Flexible options

SMEs can rely on offshore staffing. SMEs that are still building their customer base or have fewer queries can lease staff and grow incrementally. They can also choose to have small offshore staff to augment their in-house team.

Drive growth

Partnering with a service provider enables SMEs to focus their strategies on business growth. Australians can also explore business opportunities in Asia and have an offshore team in the region.

Drive traffic and add to online marketing efforts

A chat customer service within the website is convenient for both new visitors and customers. Businesses can drive traffic and hold the customer's attention. In turn, website activity can increase search result rankings and provide feedback for online marketing efforts.