Internet

4 Outsourced Call Center Challenges & How to Solve Them

A lot depends on call centers. They help acquire customers and consolidate them for an extended period of time. They are the listeners, the problem solvers, and the helping hands for a user in need.

But what happens when they can’t be managed well? When you can’t physically interact with them and oversee their performance? Well, that’s one of the main concerns of outsourced call centers, and why I’m writing this article.

Outsourcing is the process of allocating tasks to a third party outside your organization for cost benefits, and when done with call centers, it can prove to be a bit of a challenge. In this article, I will talk about those problems and discuss some call center quality monitoring tips, so read on.

The Hidden Struggles of Outsourced Call Centers

Outsourced call centers look quite simple on the surface. I mean, it’s just a matter of picking up a phone, being polite, and sharing some information. That can be done from anywhere. What could go wrong? 

Well, as I’ve found out, a lot! Here’s a list of some of the issues an organization can face:

• Quality control issues: Lack of direct supervision can lead to your call center agents not adhering to your company’s standards, hampering customer experience (CX) in the process.
• Communication issues: Many a time, outsourcing is done to developing countries for cheap labor. As a result, a caller agent might not be fluent in the customer’s native language. Even if they are, nuances and different dialects can lead to misunderstandings.
• Reputational risks: Mistakes from your outsourcing partner, such as poor customer service or data breaches, fall to you and your brand. A customer can lose trust owing to this, which can damage the brand image.
• Security issues: In this digital age, data is all important. However, outsourced workplaces may not always have the same security requirements as traditional in-house centers, increasing the risk of compromised customer data.

A positive CX is of utmost importance for call centers and the brand they’re involved with. Therefore, an organization should consider managing these issues a priority.

Elevate Service Standards with the Right Approach

While prioritizing solving issues, it is also essential to focus on the right parameters on which to improve, so that productivity can be maximized. Here are some steps you can take to improve the performance level of your outsourced call center:

1. Ensure Service Quality.

The usage of key performance indicators (KPIs) is a must for ensuring service quality. Examples of KPIs are:

• First Call Resolution (FCR): FCR refers to the number of calls an agent can resolve without transferring, escalating, pausing, or returning a customer’s call.
• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): This user satisfaction score for the call center experience or your business as a whole, comes from surveys. It is calculated as the percentage of satisfied customers.
• Customer Retention Rate (CRR): CRR measures how long your customers typically stay with you over a specified timeframe. Various elements contribute to a good CRR, including customer service.
• Average waiting time: A low average waiting time before a caller can speak to an agent indicates better customer satisfaction.

  

These are some metrics you can use on a management level to ensure the efficiency of your call center, leading to a healthy CX.

2. Bridge Communication Gaps.

As I discussed with you earlier, language is a big communication issue with call centers. However, it is not the only way communication comes into play in these situations.

Having an active plan for communication is critical for the effectiveness of a conversation. For example, you can ask the customer if they are more comfortable talking on call or text. Or if they have any feedback for you and your brand.

Communication between points of contact is also essential for the smooth functioning of an outsourced call center. The point of contact should share regular reports and process updates, while your team should keep the contact center informed on any relevant changes, such as updates to your policies or internal processes. 

These methods improve communication between agents and callers or agents and their employers.

3. Gain Visibility Into Operations.

Operational visibility refers to monitoring of your system’s operations, readiness, availability, and performance. It allows you to identify fluctuations in metrics and act on anomalies quickly. 

Many businesses continue to act with little operational visibility. They are not always first-to-know and find out about problems from their customers. Gaining insight into its product or service’s performance can help a brand significantly increase customer satisfaction.

4. Manage High Turnover Rates.

Call center turnover, or agent attrition rate, is the rate at which employees leave and need to be replaced. Most of these workplaces have a high attrition rate for various reasons, including low salaries, lack of growth opportunities, and toxic work culture.

To tackle this problem, it is vital to give employee satisfaction the same value as customer satisfaction. Creating a good company culture, using the right training methods, and rewarding good behavior can help an organization lower its attrition rate.

DID YOU KNOW?
The average annual attrition rate for call centers is between 30-45%, which is nearly 3 times higher than the average for all other occupations.

Leverage Workforce Management Software

Workforce management includes all the tasks and processes needed in maintaining a productive and cost-effective workforce. These processes include efficiently staffing projects to ensure that the right labor mix is available, automating time tracking for all employees, and managing absences and leave.

An automated tool for these functions can help in managing an outsourced call center, even from a distance. With the right software, an efficient and smooth functioning workplace can be created, ultimately leading to an increase in performance level.

ADP, Zoho People, and Rippling are currently some of the leading workforce management software in the industry.

Final Words

An outsourced call center, though mostly profitable, has its own share of flaws and shortcomings. I hope this article educated you of the same and helped you tackle those problems in the most effective way!

Posted by

Priya Prakash

Internet Writer