Customer service is an integral part of an e-commerce business. Client-facing employees represent the spirit of your business while also solving issues for your clients. However, maintaining a high-quality customer service team is a costly endeavor. Outsourcing customer service is the solution to satisfying customers while trying to grow your business.
Outsourcing customer service is not only an easy solution to cutting costs. It can be a way to have the best team for your brand. Among these two benefits, there are other positive aspects of outsourcing e-commerce customer service. We’ll explore all of the benefits of outsourcing e-commerce customer service, including cost savings, quality of staff, and ease of scalability.
In this article:
- Why E-Commerce Companies Need Outsourced Customer Service
- Features of Outsourced E-Commerce Customer Service
- What Country is the Best for Outsourcing eCommerce Customer Service?
- How Do You Outsource E-Commerce Customer Service?
Why E-Commerce Companies Need Outsourced Customer Service
Without a client-facing location, a business is singularly represented by the employees who interact with customers. This means that customer service employees must be top-of-the-line and make a lasting, positive impression on clients. However, employing one’s own customer service team is an investment that many e-commerce businesses cannot fit into their budgets.
E-commerce companies are in need of dedicated customer service teams that have the capability to represent them positively. Outsourcing this need allows e-commerce companies to avoid spending time and money setting up infrastructure while having a customer service team to handle customer complaints, requests, and needs.
Call centers have the technology, staff, training, and capability to manage the client needs of other companies. By outsourcing customer service, e-commerce companies can reap the benefits of good customer service while avoiding the negatives.
Features of Outsourced E-Commerce Customer Service
Cost Savings
Outsourced customer service is cheaper than having in-house customer service for multiple reasons. First and foremost, companies don’t need to pay for office space, equipment, or overhead costs associated with having more employees.
Companies can also avoid directly paying for employee salaries and benefits by having a contract with a call center instead. Call centers manage the costs associated with management, benefits, and other employee-associated costs.
Technology costs, such as software and peripherals, are also saved by not having in-house customer service staff.
Saving money does more than just put more dollars in a company’s bank account—it allows a growing company the opportunity to invest money saved into other areas and stay competitive. If your competition is spending valuable dollars on subpar customer service, you can beat them by saving money on amazing outsourced customer service and investing in other areas.
Training Programs
People often underestimate just how much goes into training customer service staff to represent brands appropriately. Customer service is not an easy job and requires patience to deal with complex client issues.
Training customer service agents requires teaching them to embody brand voice, learn about the products, and be able to deal with issues according to company standards. These training programs are not only costly to set up, but they take significant time away from other business-related tasks.
Call centers train outsourced staff, including any necessary, updated training on new products, highlighting new issues, and finding better ways to address customer needs. Some call centers implement regular training programs to keep information fresh and ensure employees are adhering to company standards.
Quality of Staff
Hiring quality staff local to your area can be costly, especially in the United States. Companies located in high-cost states are at a disadvantage to their competitors when hiring local staff. However, outsourced customer service teams are trained and prepared to work for companies anywhere in the world and are vetted by the call center they work for.
Quality of staff is hugely important in customer service. Low-quality customer service staff can behave unprofessionally or forget to include important pieces of information in communication with clients.
When choosing between hiring cheaper, low-quality customer service staff in the United States or hiring cost-effective, high-quality staff in the Philippines, the choice should be clear. Call centers hire staff that is trained to provide your customers with the VIP experience, adding value to your company.
Ease of Scalability
Additionally, using call centers for customer service allows businesses to scale more easily than using in-house staff. Saving money in key areas helps businesses to scale, but so does working with established businesses that can capably handle expanding customer service needs.
As your business grows, call centers are equipped to scale with you and make it easier for you to address new customers’ needs. They can hire additional employees, train them, and ensure they are prepared for your company’s growth.
Access to New Technology
As experts in the industry of customer service, call centers are dedicated to using future-forward technology to make customer service as streamlined as possible for their outsourcing clients. Companies don’t need to worry about seeking out and vetting new software because call centers already take care of this responsibility.
Great call centers believe that staying up to date with new technology is what sets customer service apart. In the age of the internet, better technology means faster customer service responses and excellent call centers will research and implement new tactics so that you don’t have to.
Industry Knowledge
Finally, outsourcing e-commerce customer service gives you immediate access to expert industry knowledge. A call center that specializes in customer service has handled problems across varying industries, redirected policies and practices, and navigated pivots countless times.
A quality call center will also track customer service data to show you how they are helping your business. They will also provide regular reports to their clients, including feedback on strategies and call center team performance, to help companies see what’s working and what isn’t.
CEOs of e-commerce companies can spend more time running their business and less time worrying about the quality of their customer service, as their call center manages all operations in that department.
Provide 24/7 Support
Outsourcing customer service also allows your e-commerce company to address customer concerns on a 24/7 basis. Call centers frequently employ staff for a day shift and a night shift, regardless of time zone.
Replying to clients ASAP is essential for a growing e-commerce business to thrive. Local 24/7 support is expensive, as night shift employees typically expect higher pay for non-standard hours. Call centers absorb these costs and allow companies to use 24/7 real-person support to stay competitive.
What Country is the Best for Outsourcing E-Commerce Customer Service?
There are many countries that are known for outsourcing customer service to from English-speaking countries. However, there is one that stands out from the rest, especially where e-commerce is concerned. The Philippines is the best country to outsource e-commerce customer service to because Filipino call center employees are highly Americanized. The Philippines is home to some of the top call centers to outsource e-commerce customer service to, including Loop Contact Solutions.
Loop Contact Solutions is not only known for its top-tier customer service but also for its experience with e-commerce and sales. As one of the world’s top picks for outsourcing, the Philippines has grown very competitive. Call centers in the Philippines have developed expert-level customer service strategies because of their competition with one another.
How Do You Outsource E-Commerce Customer Service?
Outsourcing your customer service for e-commerce is as simple as finding a call center that meets the needs of your company. To effectively outsource, you will need to consider the following things when looking for a call center:
- Do they add value?
- What is their price range?
- Do they deliver high-quality customer service?
- Are they experienced with e-commerce?
- Do they provide 24/7 support?
- Are their employees vetted and trained?
Ask questions of the call center and make sure they understand your business needs. These needs may depend on what kind of product you sell. You can take advantage of free consultations to meet with call centers and figure out if they are the right fit for your company. Some call centers even offer free trial periods to see if you work well together.
Loop Contact Solutions is prepared to help you with e-commerce customer service. As the #1 call center in the Philippines, we employ top-of-the-line customer service employees and are prepared to help e-commerce businesses with their client-facing needs.
When you choose us for your outsourcing needs, they hire staff dedicated to the needs of your business, including a team manager to oversee new team members. After a rigorous interview process and training program, your new customer service team will answer client phone calls and emails and respond to comments.
Loop Contact Solutions offers a free one-hour consultation to meet with companies and answer all relevant questions pertaining to using their call center services. For more information regarding how a call center can help you outsource your e-commerce customer service, contact us here.
