Customer Experience Outsourcing

Outsourcing, in general, can be a great collaborative effort to not only help alleviate deficiencies in a particular area of your business but it can also help with growth and expansion.

Customer experience outsourcing is a viable option for anyone lacking the staffing or resources to properly tend to the customer's satisfaction. This article will explain what customer experience outsourcing is and the pros and cons of enlisting an agency's help, the pricing, and understanding of when to elicit support.

What Is Customer Experience Outsourcing?

Outsourcing customer experience happens when the management of customer-facing communication channels is entrusted to be carried out by a third-party provider. This usually means that a company's customer experience is outsourced to a call center, and these centers have agents at their disposal trained to handle a business's incoming calls.

The goal is to make every step of the journey pleasant for the customer, including promptly and adequately dealing with the customer's questions, problems, and complaints.

When to Use Customer Experience Outsourcing?

Here are some of the most prominent ways to recognize that it might be time for you to consider outsourcing your customer experience responsibilities.

Do You Trust Your Knowledge of Customer Experience?

The best customer experience comes from companies knowledgeable about the latest and best practices in customer acquisition, growth, success, growth, and trust. They're even knowledgeable about safety services that keep your customers and your communities satisfied. If you are not confident in your knowledge of customer experience, then you should consider hiring professionals.

Labor Shortage

Suppose your company is struggling to fulfill customer experience due to labor shortage, or you simply don't have the resources. In that case, you should consider outsourcing your customer experience.

Outsourcing your customer experience will grant you the freedom to work on the core demands of your business. Spreading yourself too thinly only results in the reduction of your business's quality in some way, shape, or form.

Do You Have a Call Center?

If you do not have space or resources to house a competent call center to handle your customers' day-to-day concerns, hiring a company that comes with space and resources may be the answer for you.

Can You Afford the Costs?

If you cannot reasonably pass the cost of providing a quality customer experience onto the customer, outsourcing is a viable option. This method is a lot cheaper than providing your own, and it won't significantly impact your products' cost.

Pros of Customer Experience Outsourcing

Outsourcing your customer experience has many benefits. Let's take a look at a few of the ways this can be helpful for your business:

Cost and Savings

Hiring call center employees to provide your customer experience does not require paying them a fixed salary or providing them with employee benefits. Furthermore, there is no need to furnish your customer service with equipment which only serves to save you even more money.

Decreased Workload

Small business owners usually have the burden of wearing many hats, which means that they have to channel their efforts into the most profitable activities. Outsourcing customer experience will give you more time to focus your efforts on more crucial business operations.

Multilingual Services & After-Hour Services

Customers expect to be able to reach companies during off-hours, and outsourcing to a call center grants you the ability to do so. And they come with multilingual agents who can service your customers no matter the language that they speak.

Cons of Customer Experience Outsourcing

Though there are many benefits of outsourcing customer service, there are a few things you may want to consider before doing so:

Lack of Knowledge Concerning Your Company

Since call centers are not always dealing with your company's day-to-day operations, they may not always be equipped to adequately address every inquiry that your customers may have.

You Risk Lower Customer Satisfaction

This is always a risk when you entrust your company to someone else. In the last few years, 40 percent of US Customers stopped doing business with a company because of poor customer service. That's why we recommend that you vet the company's success rate before hiring them.

Security Concerns

Since the nature of business requires the exchange of personal information, you have to be on the lookout for anyone who could possibly engage in fraudulent behaviors. Again vet your company about their safety protocols.

Your Business May Not Be Top Priority

Call centers juggle demand from many different businesses all at once. As such, a call center employee could be spread thinly and unable to give your business their best foot forward.

Pricing Models for Customer Experience Outsourcing

Pricing models for customer experience outsourcing can vary for a myriad of different reasons. Call centers consider many factors during price negotiations.

For starters, doing business in one's native language requires a higher pay rate for the employee at the call center who's providing the service. For example, a native English-speaking rep speaking English to English-speaking customers will require anywhere from $20-$30 per hour.

Furthermore, it would be best if you considered the volume of work as well. Businesses who negotiate a large number of work hours generally receive a discount of upwards of 30 percent.

The direction of the calls matter as well. A call center that receives calls on behalf of the client will be 15 to 20 percent cheaper than outgoing cold calls that have to be made on behalf of the client.

Finally, the duration of the calls is considered, with longer calls costing more. Additionally, the country of origin matters as well, with different countries having different pay rates for their employees. An outsourcing company stationed in South America will charge less than ones stationed in America because they have a lower living cost.

How to Choose a Service Provider

To choose a service provider, it's best to have clear goals, define an exact score of work, and avoid making vague demands to your outsourcing company. No one knows your business better than you, so don't expect the provider to understand what you need. Outline what your company needs; propose an actionable solution for the problem.

Take five potential providers and make expertise essential for the hiring process.

Here are some things to be considered:

• Do they have access to the latest technology?
• The company should possess skill sets and technical expertise.
• Make sure they are passionate about your project.
• Ensure that they have experience in solving complex challenges.
• Consider the company's market reputation: Are they prone to missing deadlines? Search on the internet to see reviews of the services that they have provided in the past
• Choose a company with a stellar reputation.
• Finally, determine how much money you're willing to spend: Higher quality of service will almost always require more money, so choose what you're ready to pay beforehand.

If you're ready for a company that can fulfill all of the above, IntelligentBee is the way to go. With email and chat support, 24/7 guidance, and flexible pricing models, you're hiring a team you can trust to know your customer's needs as well as you do.

by Costi

Ecommerce Support Outsourcing

When you're running an eCommerce store, especially one that's bringing in new clients or gaining traction too quickly to keep up, you need fast, reliable customer support - and the best way to do this is through outsourcing eCommerce support.

But what does eCommerce support outsourcing look like, and when should you make the switch to using a third-party provider? Here’s what you need to know.

What is eCommerce Support Outsourcing?

Successful eCommerce stores thrive on a robust, loyal customer base, but building this base is far from easy. More than just providing a great product or service, your eCommerce store needs to provide a personal experience if you want to create customer relationships. This often begins with the right customer service.

Special offers, personalized “thank you” notes, or even just quick and empathetic responses to customer questions can help keep your clients happy and your eCommerce operation running more smoothly.

Unfortunately, eCommerce businesses, especially high-growing ones, can't always keep up with the demand, and there comes a point when they need to consider outsourcing their customer support.

This is what eCommerce support outsourcing is - letting IntelligentBee keep your customers happy while you can focus on fine-tuning your product.

Types of eCommerce Support Outsourcing

At IntelligentBee, we understand that outsourcing your eCommerce support can look different for every company, so we help you choose an outsourcing plan that works best for your operation. Some of our services include:

• Chat Support Services: As they scroll through your site, customers may have questions or concerns about your product, but if they can't find an easy way to ask those questions, they may just move on. With our chat support services, accessibility is key. Potential customers can get the help they need without leaving your website, on any day of the week, at any time.
• Email Support Services: For more in-depth answers or concerns, we also provide email support services. Our reliable specialists can provide personalized and helpful email responses that will soothe any customer concerns and keep them coming back for more.

When to Outsource for eCommerce Support

For many eCommerce businesses, it's not a question of if they'll outsource their customer support, but when they should do it.

Every business is different, and there's not a specific timeline of when to outsource your support. But there are a few signs that indicate it may be time to outsource with IntelligentBee, such as when:

• You're trying to stand out from competitors: In a sea of people pitching similar products, you've got to separate yourself from the competition, and professional customer support is a great way to do that. Many eCommerce customers want a 24/7 shopping experience, and if your business can provide that, you'll already have an advantage over competitors.
• You're unable to keep up with your to-do list because you're handling customer support: if you're unable to finish the tasks you need to complete in order to handle customer service, it may be time to outsource. Business owners and management may try to handle customer service so they can save money or learn more about what customers expect, but this strategy can only last for so long as your eCommerce store continues to grow.
• The holidays are close by: One of the best times to outsource eCommerce support is during the holiday season. As more and more consumers flock to your business, it's more important than ever to provide a professional, personalized customer experience.
• It's taking too long for you to answer customer questions or emails: How long does it take for you to respond to emails from customers? If the answer is more than an hour, you may not be meeting customer expectations. Most consumers expect a response within an hour (or sometimes less), which can be a tall order for eCommerce management teams or owners to handle themselves.

While there's no one right answer as to when it's time to outsource, if you find that you're falling behind or unable to scale your business because you're too busy handling customer support, IntelligentBee can help get you back on track.

Pros of eCommerce Support Outsourcing

When it comes to eCommerce support outsourcing, there's plenty of pros, but some of the big benefits include:

Focusing on the Core of Your Product

When you outsource eCommerce support with IntelligentBee, you get back to what matters: focusing on the core of your product, and scaling your business.

More Inclusive Around-the-Clock Support

When you handle customer support in-house, you're limited to answering customer inquiries when you're on the clock, or hiring enough workers to stay online 24/7. Both options aren't great long-term solutions. At IntelligentBee, we offer around-the-clock support, and our goal is to reach customers whenever and wherever they may be.

Increased Productivity

Handling customer service in-house means disrupting your workflow to answer emails or questions. When you outsource with IntelligentBee, you'll be increasing your productivity and staying focused on what matters.

Cons of eCommerce Support Outsourcing

Outsourcing eCommerce support can come with a few downsides, especially if you end up with the wrong third-party provider.

Hidden Fees

Some third-party providers aren't always transparent, and while you think you're paying for one service, they've tacked on several hidden fees or tricked you into paying for a service you don't need.

At IntelligentBee, we value transparency, and we'll make sure you're paying for results, not overhead or pointless fees.

Unreliable Third-Party Providers

Professional customer service comes down to a complete understanding of your product, but not all third-party providers can promise this.

With IntelligentBee, our well-trained specialists aren't just experts in communication - they'll also become experts in your product.

Pricing Models for eCommerce Support Outsourcing

Our goal at IntelligentBee is to adjust our services to your business model, not the other way around. As a result, we tailor our flexible pricing models to meet the needs of your eCommerce business.

We collaborate with eCommerce businesses of all sizes - whether your budget is 10,000 Euro or 100,000 Euro, we've got you covered.

How to Choose a Service Provider

Handing your eCommerce support over to anyone outside your company is a big deal, and you don't want to end up with a service provider that takes this responsibility lightly.

Choosing a third-party service provider comes down to a couple of factors: you'll need a company that offers a plan within your budget, a team that's well-trained and experienced, and a service that's flexible enough to meet the needs of your business model.

That's not always easy, but fortunately, you don't need to look any further than IntelligentBee. Not only are we flexible enough to work within your budget, but our experienced support team can offer anything from email, chat, or even technical support.

Interested in starting a project with us? Fill out this form and we'll get back to you within 24 hours!

by Costi

Customer Care Outsourcing

Deciding whether to outsource your customer service duties to another company comes with a lot of uncharted territory. You might worry about whether they'll provide the quality customer service you expect and how much they'll charge you. We'll try to answer your question by looking at the following categories.

What is Customer Care Outsourcing?

Customer care outsourcing involves outsourcing customer service to a third-party company. Usually, companies are too busy with other tasks to manage all their customer inquiries, so they hand that duty off to another company altogether.

Customer care companies are usually call centers, which have on-call agents that handle a particular set of customers' needs.

When to Use Customer Care Outsourcing

You'll have to consider a few questions before you hire a customer care provider.

• Will your business require you to answer a lot of phone calls or emails daily?
• Do you have the staff to handle all those inquiries?
• How in-depth would you require the provider to know your company?
• How much money can you shell out for a customer care provider?

Depending on your answers to these questions, you may or may not require a customer care provider. The most significant deciding factors are how much money you're willing to pay for a service, how much you need the company to know your business, and whether you can handle sharing the customer care provider with another business.

Pros and Cons of Customer Care Outsourcing

Customer care outsourcing is a truly beneficial exercise, but it is not always perfect.

Pros

A few pros of customer care outsourcing might involve the following:

Better Organization and Less Work

Depending on your business's staff size, several members are sometimes required to perform more than one specific duty. While your staff might work quite hard, that can distract from focusing on essential aspects, like sales, that will keep your business growing.

Outsourcing customer care allows your staff to focus on specific duties and keeps your business growing without having to answer phone calls or emails at a moment's notice.

Multilingual Service

You might do business with customers that speak multiple languages. To expand your customer base and increase their confidence in working with you, you can outsource customer service with reps that speak all the necessary languages. Eliminating language barriers and improving communication quality can do wonders!

Saving Money on Equipment

When you outsource customer service, you don't need to worry about furnishing your employees with headsets, computers, and other such hardware. There is also no need to provide extra office space, a desk, chair, and extra computer monitor.

Third-party customer service companies already have that equipment, so you only need to pay for their service, not for their equipment.

Cons

Some cons of customer care outsourcing might involve the following points. You can feel free to discuss them with your customer care provider if you're at all concerned.

Security Concerns Between Companies

You might need to exchange sensitive information, like credit card numbers and addresses, between your company and your customer care provider. Luckily, many customer care providers have lots of protection to keep such sensitive information private. Feel free to interview your provider about those layers.

The Provider is Not as Familiar with Your Company as You

It's only natural that a third-party customer care provider is not as familiar with your business as your staff. However, that is why it is vastly important to keep them updated on what's happening in your industry. Let them know about changes in policies, if you launch new products, and more.

Depending on how quickly policies, prices, and other changes happen, you might need to hire a more in-depth customer care provider. That is, a provider whose sole responsibility is to learn how your company works.

You Might Share a Customer Care Provider With Another Company

You might only have the budget to hire a customer care provider with limited time for your company. In that case, you'll likely share that provider with other companies, which might not always be convenient for you.

Before hiring a customer care provider, you'll have to consider how many calls you might receive. The greater the quantity, the more budget you'll need to hire a company that can work solely with you. Otherwise, you'll have to settle for a customer care provider that splits its time between clients.

Pricing Models

Prices for outsourcing customer service vary depending on what services you require from that company. Some companies might ask for as little as 70 cents an hour, while a third-party company with more duties might require up to $25 an hour.

How to Choose a Service Provider

Plenty of quality customer care providers are U.S.-based. However, you'll need to select one based on a few factors.

How do They Hire and Train Their Agents?

It's usually best for a company to hire a customer care provider filled with experts or specialists. That's not to say that customer care providers don't have excellent training programs to help their agents adapt to different industries. It all depends on the needs of your business.

You can ask the service provider how they train their agents: whether they are truly experts in their field or trained to answer specific inquiries.

How Well Does the Service Provider Know Your Business or Industry?

Is the customer care provider familiar with your industry? That is, are they familiar with the typical questions and concerns customers might have? Even if the company is not as familiar with the goings-on in your particular business, they should at least have a working knowledge of your industry.

What are Their Security Measures and Protocol?

Protecting the personal information of customers is imperative to a customer service provider's quality. When selecting a customer care provider, feel free to ask them about their security protocol, who manages their inbound and outbound networks, and who else can access those networks.

Quality Control

Quality control refers to how well a customer care provider can deal with angry customers. Ask whether the company records all customer exchanges and whether you can listen to those calls from time to time. You should be able to have some visibility into this process every so often.

by Costi

Customer Service Outsourcing

Customer service is one of the least enjoyable tasks of running a business. However, it’s also one of the most crucial—turning an upset client into a happy one is a fine art that people skilled in customer service can achieve.

Because of its delicate nature, you might be hesitant to outsource your customer service tasks. In this article, we’ll cover the pros and cons of outsourcing, tips on pricing, and how to choose a quality provider.  

What is Customer Service Outsourcing?

Customer service outsourcing is the transfer of a business’ customer service tasks to a third-party service provider. Traditionally, customer service outsourcing involved a call center. Thanks to the boom with Amazon and other drop shipping companies, many outsource customer service agents also specialize in responding to customers in writing. 

When to Use Customer Service Outsourcing

Customer service outsourcing isn’t for every business, but it can be immensely beneficial. Below are some scenarios when seeking such support could be a good fit for you:

• You want to cut back on employee costs.
• You’d like to use your employee’s energy for more intensive tasks than the often repetitive nature of customer service.
• Your company is undergoing rapid growth, and you can’t keep up with your customers’ service needs. 
• You’d like your clients to have access to 24/7 support but are having trouble finding people locally to work off-hours.

Pros of Customer Service Outsourcing 

Time-saving benefits have likely attracted you to researching customer service outsourcing. Saving you and your employees time dealing with client questions and complaints is undoubtedly one of the most significant benefits of outsourcing your customer service. However, there are several other advantages, as shown below.

Save Money

If you’re currently using your full-time employees to manage your company’s customer service needs, you’ll be happy to know that you won’t need to pay outsourced customer service representatives a fixed salary or benefits. 

Furthermore, you don’t have to provide (and maintain) a laptop, headset, and customer service software. Simply pay your outsourced customer service representative by the job or by the hour and delegate larger tasks to your full-time employees.

Multilingual Support

If you offer services to clients who speak a different language than you, then customer service outsourcing using someone who speaks that language is a huge advantage. Fewer things will calm an upset customer or convince a potential buyer to purchase your product than connecting with someone who speaks their native language.

24/7 Coverage

Customers view having 24/7 access to customer service as a big plus when considering which business they want to choose. By outsourcing your customer service, your clients will have their questions answered and complaints managed at any time of day or night.

Cons of Customer Service Outsourcing

You may have heard stories of big banks like JP Morgan Chase closing all their U.S. call centers despite receiving a $25 billion bailout after the 2008 financial crisis. Some people frown upon moving jobs from their home country to overseas. Besides the social pressure you may experience, below are some other factors to consider before jumping on the outsourcing bandwagon.

Unhappy Customers

Your customers may have access to 24/7 support, but if that support is in the form of people without in-depth knowledge of your product, are challenging to understand, or are unfriendly, you could risk pushing customers away.

You’re Not the Top Priority

Outsourced customer service representatives often work for multiple clients. For this reason, they may be juggling supporting your clients between supporting another company’s customers. They may not show as much passion as you do towards your business, and they might not take the time to learn your business inside out.

Security Issues

Your outsourced customer service agent may need access to your client’s personal information to support customers properly. They may even have direct access to their credit card information. The good news is that many call centers have security protections in place to reduce the risk.

Pricing Models

Typically, pricing models for outsourcing customer service has one of two forms:

1. Pay per minute
2. Pay per hour

Pay per minute is most common for customer service phone calls and typically ranges from 70 cents to $1 per minute, while people on an hourly rate average of up to $25 per hour. Professional customer service agents are those who typically receive an hourly rate. 

Several factors impact pricing for outsourcing your customer service needs. Experience, the agent’s expenses (whether they operate from home or in an office), and the quality of their IT infrastructure all impact the price they charge.

Another item to consider is whether or not you need live messaging or phone answering services. These live services, especially if you want a dedicated agent instead of a rotating team of agents, are more expensive.

How to Choose a Service Provider

There are many customer service outsourcing providers available to you. But you might be wondering: what are signs to look for to know they’re a good fit?

Below are some of our top recommendations for picking out the best possible customer service outsourcing provider for your needs.

Understand Their Specialty

Some call centers may be experts in managing upset clients over the phone, while others might have loads of experience dealing with Amazon customer complaints. Make sure to check if the customer service center has experience working in your industry and the type of support you need.

Ask About Quality Control

Your customers may contact you about quality control, so first, you should understand the customer care center's quality control standards. Ask about the outsourced center’s strategy for managing upset clients and request examples so you can see them firsthand.

Security

Understanding the security software they use (and confirming that they have security software) is crucial before hiring an outsourced customer service company. They’ll likely be handling sensitive client information, so it’s essential you know that their inbound and outbound networks are secure.

Training Process

You don’t want someone working with your clients who only has a day of experience. Understanding how rigorous a training process customer service agents go through will help demonstrate the company’s quality of customer care.

At IntelligentBee, we specialize in offering outsourced customer service with our experienced team based in Eastern Europe. We provide both email and chat support services with 24/7 coverage, full transparency, a flexible pricing model, and no hidden costs—you pay for results and nothing more. 

by Costi

Data Cleansing Outsourcing

Does your business use data to find insights that will help grow your business? If you do, data cleansing is a vital part of making that happen. Data cleansing is also known as data cleaning or scrubbing. It refers to the act of removing duplicate, incorrect, or otherwise corrupted data.

If you find your data has duplicate or incorrect information, whatever analysis you get from that data will be incorrect. By cleansing your data, your business is more likely to have insights that better reflect reality. One way of cleansing your data is by outsourcing the job to a business that has experience in the field. 

What Is Data Cleansing Outsourcing?

Data cleansing outsourcing begins when a business sees that their data isn’t producing the insights they thought it would. The first step is finding a data cleansing service that works for you. After that, the cleansing service will collect the data. The next step entails running that data through cleansing software.

Data cleansing software works by first identifying duplicate or incorrect data in data sets. After identifying the corrupt or incorrect data, the software ‘cleanses’ the data. Data cleansing means deleting, appending, or modifying the data you no longer need.

Data cleansing outsourcing services duplicate your entire data set. By duplicating it, you’ll have a back-up to protect you from any errors that could occur during the cleansing process. That way, if you think the software deleted vital data, you’ll still have the original set.

After the software has cleansed your data, the data cleansing outsourcing service sends back your data. The data should now be free of any duplicate or incorrect data. 

When to Use Data Cleansing Outsourcing?

Your business should use data cleansing outsourcing when you notice issues in your business’s internal data practices. For example, if your business is analyzing hundreds of data sets, it may be hard to dig through all of it to weed out the duplicate or incorrect data.

Another example of when you should use a data cleansing outsourcing service is when you notice your data insights aren’t producing positive results for your business. If your data says the busiest day of the week is Monday, but all of your workers complain about Friday being the busiest, there may be duplicate or corrupt data skewing the results.   

When your business finds itself facing problems like these, data cleansing outsourcing is the best way to eliminate them. Data cleansing outsourcing ensures that your data analysis will lead to insights that can help grow your business. 

Pros of Data Cleansing Outsourcing

Data cleansing outsourcing has a ton of positive qualities! From reducing the amount of time spent on data entry and scaling to large industries easily, data cleansing can help any size business. People cite three common reasons why they needed data cleansing.

Data cleansing’s main job is to create the most accurate data sets possible. You and your team can only find so many mistakes in a data set before getting tired. Outsourcing achieves the most accurate data by using specially designed software. This software finds all the mistakes in your data without spending days upon days doing so.

Data cleansing outsourcing increases efficiency by introducing automation into data collection and cleaning. Automated cleansing software cleans corrupt or incorrect data in seconds. If you didn’t use the software, a person would have to sift through the data sets manually.

Data cleansing outsourcing can give your business a competitive edge by utilizing automation. By using automation, you help your company stay agile. Data cleansing also helps you stay competitive by making sure you only get correct insights that lead to increased business. 

Cons of Data Cleansing Outsourcing

Data cleansing outsourcing only has a couple of downsides, but they don’t affect all data cleansing outsourcing services. The first issue that sometimes arises is communication. 

Effective communication between you and the data cleansing outsourcing service is essential.  If there is any sort of miscommunication, the data cleansing process could be in jeopardy. 

If miscommunication becomes a problem, you run the risk of getting the wrong finished product. Let’s say you need a specific problem solved, like extracting a certain data set. If the data cleansing outsourcing service doesn’t have the software to handle such a request, they won’t be able to complete your order. Communication is essential to avoid these issues.

The other problem that can arise with data cleansing outsourcing has to do with security. If your business has data that includes customer or employee information, you need to make sure it stays secure.

Always make sure your data cleansing service provides adequate security for all the files you send them. Making sure they’re a secure organization will help you and your business gain data insights without having to worry about data leaks.  

Pricing Models

The price of data cleansing outsourcing can vary depending on a few factors. The primary factors that increase cost are:

• The number of data sets
• The number of errors in the data sets
• What sort of files need extraction
• The number of different files needing combining
• New code needed to help extract or combine data
• Manual work after all automated efforts have failed

The general pricing model includes a fixed rate for the service, plus an hourly rate for any manual work we may need to do on your data sets. 

How to Choose a Service Provider

Choosing a data cleansing service depends a lot on what your specific needs are. A quality data cleansing outsourcing service has standardized practices. A solid data cleansing service will keep you up to date on your data and the cleansing process, and the price structure. Relaying this information is vital in keeping both the customer and the service happy.

You should factor in a preferred return on investment, too. Only consider using a data cleansing outsourcing service if the return on investment meets your standards.

As an example, let’s say the mistakes in your data cost you about $10 annually in reduced efficiency. If cleansing your data will cost you $1,000, you should avoid cleaning your data. The return on investment isn’t worth the cost.

by Costi

Data Conversion Outsourcing

Data conversion is converting the format of data to another more appropriate format for the given need. This process may be manual format to electronic format when creating a paperless office or transferring information from one database to another that uses completely different character sets. 

What is Data Conversion Outsourcing?

The world of business is quick and ever-changing, moving from format to format as the customer demands. Data conversion outsourcing is simply outsourcing or hiring another company to manage the data conversion process for you. 

The company providing the data conversion is often employed by a business process outsourcer (BPO) who can create an automated process for data conversion or maintain a long-term relationship to work with the regular batches of updates. 

The companies who handle data conversion outsourcing are professionals in their field and can choose the most appropriate method to deliver the end data back to the contracted company. Outsourcing companies have streamlined the process to save you time and money.

When to Outsource Data Conversion?

The choice to outsource data conversion comes down to the time and cost of the job and the ability of the current workforce. 

Even a small conversion job will require in-house employees to complete the conversion work or hire additional employees with specialized skills. While the job is being performed, to ensure data accuracy, the employees' attention will be locked into data conversion and unable to perform other tasks. 

A data conversion job of any size could benefit from outsourcing, as outsourcing enables the job to be done by companies specializing in data management. 

Pros of Data Conversion Outsourcing

When considering whether to outsource your data conversion needs, these are some of the advantages. 

It Saves the Business Time

Businesses save time when the company's non-core functions are outsourced so employees can focus on the jobs that earn the business income. If a process isn't actively creating or supporting income or generating leads to create income, then that job may be taking time away from those areas. 

Data management tasks are necessary for any business. Data conversion outsourcing allows the focus to be on setting a schedule for data updates and automated or perfected. Outsourcing the foundation will allow the time required to reduce.

Cuts Down on Operating Costs

Outsourcing reduces overhead costs like salaries, rent, and monthly operating expenses. The data conversion being outsourced means those costs are either included in the contract's price as a percentage of operating expenses or taken as a typical business expense for the business contracted. 

The alternative to outsourcing may be overworking employees, which can cause a decrease in productivity, paying overtime, or hiring additional employees. 

Data conversion outsourcers can use specialized technology as part of their contract, eliminating the need to buy expensive programs or equipment that the business may only use infrequently.

Benefit From Experience

Data conversion is a job that requires attention to ensure accuracy, and outsourcers do this task on specialized equipment by employees with years of experience. 

The job is done efficiently and quickly, yet it is completed to the industry standards with an eye to privacy and data loss prevention. Data management will appreciate the data's cleanliness as the workflow is completed consistently and frees up supervisors for other critical tasks. 

Cons of Data Conversion Outsourcing

When outsourcing any task, it is essential to note the company's track record and work history. Data Conversion outsourcing is susceptible to some of the same issues all service providers may face.

Possible Data Loss

Although this is less likely with an experienced outsourcer, data loss or data inaccuracy can happen to any business converting data. 

A lack of understanding between the company and service provider may mean that the information received is outputted into the wrong format, leading to further errors in the resulting converted data.

Bad Communication

Communication issues can occur in any industry, and when errors occur, it costs time and money for both parties. Errors that are not immediately recognized may take time to be remedied or require another business to fix. 

As outsourcing partners can be found all over the world, time zones may make communication more difficult. However, email and outsourcers who specialize in particular parts of the world can reduce this issue. 

Scams and Data Security

Illegitimate businesses or those who are looking to scam rather than provide services do exist. It's up to the contracting company to either hire an outsourcing partner with a reliable track record or hire a BPO that can do so on your behalf. 

Data conversion outsourcers should follow a strict data security protocol to ensure all data is secure and protected while in their care. 

Pricing Models

Most outsourcing partners will have a variety of models available to suit companies and jobs of different sizes. 

Common models include: 

• The fixed price model includes contracts, where a price is set by the service provider, charged on a monthly or annual basis, and includes all the charges for working space and equipment. 
• The cost-reimbursable model is a model that allows the business completing the task to set limits to their consumable expenses and then add a percentage for profit. 
• A consumption-based pricing model is when a task provider charges the company based on the usage of their services within a month or year. 
• Incentive-based model in addition to their contract, the company requiring the outsourcing offers a bonus or commission to increase performance. 

These models can also differ with customization based on volume, the contract's term, complexity, level of talent required, workforce required, and other variables. 

How to Choose a Service Provider

Pick a service provider that has proven themselves to be reliable, accurate, good communicators, and can deliver on time. Choosing a company that has also worked with data in the same industry, especially if the relationship will be ongoing, can help minimize additional training required to specialize and reduce communication issues. 

Data conversion outsourcing can benefit any business that needs to convert data from one database to another or convert manual to digital information. 

by Costi

Email Support Outsourcing

Many companies emphasize providing excellent customer service. Your customers are everything to your business, so you should ensure their concerns are attended in a timely fashion. 

Email is among the most common type of customer communication. Yet, using email support to reply to customer queries is the most widely neglected medium. Some companies don’t reply fast enough. Others may not include accurate information. 

Enter email support. Email support is a tool for companies to provide better customer support online. No one wants to pick up the phone to call a busy hotline anymore. But who’s going to operate the email support line? How do you know email support is right for your business? 

Keep reading to find all the info you need to get started. 

What is Email Support Outsourcing?

To answer this question, let’s first talk about email support. Email support is a popular customer support service for most companies. Instead of online customers calling a number when they need help, an online email support associate answers their questions. 

When you're outsourcing your email support, you're using another company to reply to your clients in busy times or outside of operational hours. 

Customers reach out to a brand at their convenience via the email address on the company’s website or app. They could also reply directly to an email they receive from a brand. The company responds as quickly as possible, no matter the time or capacity. 

Email support outsourcing is a convenient way for customers to communicate without waiting on hold or talking on the phone. It’s easy to use, and emails don’t interrupt your day. 

When to Outsource Your Email Support

Do your customers email you often? Are you running an online business? Many companies have trouble staying on top of customer emails, and missing a chance to respond to customers hurts your brand. Email queries need a rapid and accurate response.  

If you’re a small business, have an online store, or receive many customer support emails, consider outsourcing email support. An experienced contact center provider helps to respond to high email volumes. They’re trained in high customer satisfaction and far more affordable than paying for an in-house team. 

Outsource your email support if you want to increase your customer satisfaction, engage with your customer base, or drive customer loyalty. Email is a trusted communication channel that allows you to get in touch with the people you need. With leading email support services, you could create more confidence in your brand.

Pros of Email Support Outsourcing

Let’s look at the benefits of outsourcing email support. 

Speedy Replies without Auto-generation

Because customers expect a relatively speedy reply, outsourcing this task is highly beneficial for nights and weekends. Email support is much more difficult to automate, so outsourcing provides your customers with a quick response after business hours.

Your customers want fast and personalized emails to help answer their questions. Sending an auto-generated response kills morale. It’s easy to outsource email support so that you can address customer issues appropriately. Remember, people look for fast response times over auto-generated emails. 

Easily Accessible

Email support is the most dependable method of communicating with customers. Anyone can access emails on-the-go because they can reply from their phones, tablets, or any other device. 

As the Microsoft Global Customer Report shows, 97% of people think customer service is critical for brand loyalty. A timely response through email increases customer satisfaction and keeps customers coming back for more. 

Detailed Information in Print

Companies love email support because it provides a paper trail for both parties to track or refer back to as needed. Your customers can describe the issues they’re having in detail, helping provide a more accurate picture of what’s going on so you can resolve the matter. They could even attach files if needed. 

Cost-Effective

Outsourcing is cost-effective for even small businesses. Email support is easily integrated with the voice or chat support services you already provide. Plus, the results are enough to outweigh the price. 

Cons of Outsourcing Your Email Support

There are also a few downsides to outsourcing support services. 

Brand Disconnect 

Allowing another company to provide your customer support means the outsourcers may not know your company brand as well. Sometimes this reflects when handling requests. According to a recent Gallup study, customer service is memorable when it feels friendly and knowledgeable. 

Long-Term Contracts

Outsourcing customer service is cost beneficial, but it could come with long-term contracts. Some companies may ask for minimum requirements as well. The contracts hamper flexibility and could become a headache if you pick the wrong outsourcer. 

Email Support Outsourcing Pricing Models

Each business comes with unique needs, so the level of support you require may determine how much you pay to outsource your email support. There are a few standard pricing models many companies follow, including:

• Pay per hour: Most companies charge for email support services by the hour. 
• Pay upfront: When you already know the volume of customer service requests your business receives each month, you can pay upfront for a set amount of time. 
• Pay per email: If you have a low or inconsistent volume of emails, the business may price its services by the number of calls.
• Pay per performance: A less common payment model, pay per performance takes place when you only pay for results like a sale due to the call. Some companies offer a hybrid option where they combine this model with an hourly rate.   

How to Choose an Email Support Service Provider

Before you hire an email support service provider, think about your needs. The right provider for you will have a payment plan that’s well-suited to your needs. Most companies charge by the hour, but the same option could cost you more if your business doesn’t get many emails. 

The right customer support service lineup has tons of benefits. But the best choice depends on you. Complete thorough research and read reviews about an outsourcing agency before you hire them. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages for your company. 

Ready to take the plunge? Check out our outsource email support services today. 

by Costi

Back-Office Support Outsourcing

If you are a business owner looking to learn more about back-office outsourcing, this article is for you. Below, we will discuss the ins and outs of back-office support outsourcing and how it could benefit you. 

What is Back Office Support Outsourcing?

Back office refers to the essential tasks required for a company itself to run. You pay another company to do the work for you with their trained employees, and you can focus your time and money on other, more critical tasks. 

Outsourcing back-office work is an excellent way for companies to save time and money by not creating new departments, hiring and training employees, and more.  Small and medium-sized businesses benefit highly from back-office outsourcing and avoid spending excess funds on developing new in-house departments.

When to Outsource Back Office Work

There are many types of back-office functions and services that you have the opportunity to outsource. Below are some examples of outsourceable work and why you might want to consider it. 

1. IT Support

Technical and post-sales support is a crucial part of any business and can increase your customer satisfaction directly. Professional technical experts can be outsourced to deal with troubleshooting issues and help customers with product warranty issues. 

2. Payroll Services

Outsourcing payroll services can save time and money for even small companies and start-ups.

3. Data Entry

Data entry is a critical yet tedious task for companies. Outsourcing it to a reliable and efficient data entry team will free up time for core business endeavors. 

4. Bookkeeping

Proper bookkeeping is necessary for the appropriate taxation of any organization. It requires 100% accuracy, and outsourcing it to professional vendors will ensure you are doing everything correctly and will save you the burden of hiring your own professional.

5. Data Extraction

Data extraction experts can handle your vast amounts of data and compile it for you. This is extremely helpful when you need to make significant, business-wide decisions but don’t have the time or talent to gather and analyze your data yourself. 

6. Document Imaging

Document imaging is the conversion of data from various sources, such as receipts and paper documents, into a single electronic format. With this, you can access all of your data on one, easy-to-understand platform.

7. Directory Organization

Storing and organizing your directory information for stakeholders is time-consuming yet essential. Outsourcing partners will compile contact information of team members, target industries, and more. 

8. Human Resources

You can outsource your HR team and save your company massive amounts of time and money. Outsourcing will help you develop the best HR strategies, including hiring, auditing, screening, employee retention, workflow procedures, compensation, and more.

Pros of Back Office Support Outsourcing

• Allows the company to focus more on core operations - You will save time on mundane tasks and focus your energy on more critical functions. 
• No training necessary - The jobs are carried out by professionals that have experience and domain expertise.
• Lowers cost, cheaper labor - Outsourcing is less expensive than doing all of your services in-house. They are also often done overseas, where labor is cheaper. 
• No training and hiring required - The outsourcing partner will take care of the hiring process, the training, and the supervising of all work, leaving all that time for your other endeavors. 
• No worries about staff retention - The outsourcing company manages their staff so you don't have to worry about their turnover. 
• Access to technology and infrastructure that is top of the line - Since your outsourcing partner takes care of the infrastructure, you will have access to equipment and technology that your company might not be able to acquire itself. 

Cons of Back Office Support Outsourcing

• Potential important information breaching - You are entrusting sensitive information about your company when you outsource your work. This opens up an opportunity for a security leak. Ensure that you have contingency measures to secure your companies data and choose an outsourcing partner with reliable security. 
• Time Zone differences - Often, outsourced work occurs in another state or country, and time zone differences can affect your service hours. This can be difficult and problematic to work around. Luckily, many companies provide 24/7 services, so take that into consideration.
• Language barriers - Outsourcing offshore is often cheaper, but cultural and language barriers may pose some problems. 
• Quality control - By outsourcing, you are turning over your control to another business. You rely on them for quality, and they may not meet your standards. 

Pricing Models

Different back-office outsourcing agencies have different pricing models. Most outsourcing partners will charge you an hourly rate for full-time equivalent. Other partners will charge you per transaction, depending on which services you are outsourcing. 

Another option is called staff leasing, and it is where you pay for each individual agent. You essentially hire the agents yourself, so it adds some more management and control onto your side of things, but it can be less expensive. 

How to Choose a Service Provider

To ensure that you get exactly what your company needs and you get a positive return on investment, it is crucial to research the outsourcing partner that directly meets your needs. Decide what processes you are managing in-house now that you would like to outsource instead and which services do you need to begin that could be outsourced. 

Spend time researching various outsourcing candidates and considering their cost, services, track record, and contract options. Consider looking at partners that offer diverse services so that they can perform each of the tasks you need. Look for a partner that is flexible and can supply labor with flexibility based on your changing needs. 

Other things to look for are partners that can take on more work as your company grows, someone who can match your communication needs, and someone with high security and a good track record.

Conclusion

From the information above, you should have a pretty good grasp of what back-office support outsourcing is and how it could benefit your company. 

With this knowledge, you can now assess your company's needs and decide whether hiring outsourcing help would benefit you in the long run.

by Costi