It used to be that when an organization was selecting a contact center in the Philippines, the decision was made based on two primary factors, cost savings, and scalability. While those do remain important factors when making a decision, the most critical factor for many organizations is that the call center can deliver a customer experience (CX) that is second to none. The ability to provide a customer experience that differentiates you from other competitors can be the difference between success and failure and is often the only differentiator between brands. Today’s customer expects a level of service much different than 20 years ago.
Below are four tips to consider when selecting an outsourced contact center in the Philippines.
- Clearly define the level of support your organization will need. For example, do you need coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or something less? Do you need support for email inquiries, or do you need online chat representatives? Clearly defining the expectations for your potential contact center in the Philippines will allow you and them to understand the level of support expected to deliver the customer experience you want for your customers.
- Ask for references and speak with them. Ideally, ask for references in the same or similar industries. Talking to existing customers provides you with the opportunity to find out if they have the ability to deploy or build a team that can deliver on your expectations. In addition, ask about their training and quality control programs, which will give you insight into their dedication to providing a high level of service.
- Verify they have a team that can deliver on your expectations. For example, does the team have the language skills, technology, experience, and other skills necessary to present your company in the best possible light? When feasible, talk to the actual team leaders, supervisors, and trainers who will work on your account and provide details on their background and management style. How they manage their teams will give you great insight into how they will work with and support your customers.
- Choose between a shared or dedicated team. Many call centers can provide dedicated or shared agents. Using dedicated agents who can be trained extensively and don’t have to worry about servicing multiple clients can provide a level of familiarity and consistency you want when delivering an exceptional customer experience is your priority.
To achieve long-term success, companies need to focus on CX, not just scalability and cost savings, especially if they are migrating mission-critical front and back-office processes to contact centers in the Philippines. Offshore contact center outsourcing to the Philippines works, but the partner you choose must focus on delivering quality services. Cost savings should be considered a welcome additional benefit of a well-planned and executed offshore outsourcing strategy.
