Does your business need expert communication with customers? You may have realized that finding a BPO partner will give you access to a specialist with extensive expertise in aspects that are not core to your business. Whatever the reason for your decision, your organizational success depends on choosing the right BPO service that can help you fulfill your business goals and targets. Prioritizing the cheapest or most convenient option may cost your business its money and, more importantly, its reputation. So it is important to consider these factors before deciding on a BPO partner:
1. Advanced technological capabilities:
A BPO partner with outdated or restricted technological resources will not be able to serve you to the full extent of call center services available today. This may cause your business to fall short in many aspects, making it challenging to keep up with competitors. Therefore, it would be wise for you to invest in a BPO partner adept in current technologies.
The BPO should provide multichannel support and have efficient hardware and software to support high-volume customer communications irrespective of the channel. Multichannel backing typically should consist of phone support, chatbots, social media, email, and messenger apps. Find a BPO partner engaged in AI and machine learning-powered IVR systems and intelligent chatbots to automate and quickly resolve simple queries and complaints. This could help filter out and reduce the call waiting volume.
AI chatbots can be trained to study customer data to provide customer profiles, predict customer moods, give personalized recommendations, and more. In addition, machine learning and data analytics is being used by good BPOs to forecast demand based on customer purchase behavior. These analytics can provide valuable insights that can help drive business growth.
2. Excellent customer experience:
Customer service quality must be of utmost priority for businesses when selecting the right BPO partner. Therefore, it is essential to check the track record of the shortlisted BPO partners to check their past and present performance in delivering great customer experiences. Also, another metric to be researched is the extent of support that the company can provide for customers. Hiring a BPO partner staffed with excellent agents, who are willing to go the extra mile for customer satisfaction, is something that will pay off for your business.
Above all, they must share the same values your business shares to fulfill your customer's needs. A perfect BPO partner must also provide 24/7 support for your clients, maintain high customer retention rates, and lower customer attrition rates.
3. Data Security:
Businesses should thoroughly check if the BPO partner is fully aware of all the legal implications of data leaks and other security breaches that may threaten their organization.Companies and their remote BPO partners usually share a consistent back and forth data exchange. Ensure you inquire with your outsourcing partner about their IT infrastructure and security systems for securely handling and transmitting client data. Choosing an insecure BPO can potentially lead to sensitive data leaks or theft of proprietary technology that can be detrimental to your business and beneficial to other industry players.
A report by Allianz states that the most prominent global risk for companies in 2022 is cyber incidents consisting of cybercrime, data breaches, and IT failures. Work with a BPO partner that has solid security designed to protect itself from any potential data threats.
4. Scalability:
An essential criterion in selecting the perfect BPO partner is if the BPO can scale proportionately to manage your business growth. If an outsourcing partner cannot grow its operations to match the increasing demands of your business, you may have to stop and switch BPO providers. However, this tedious process can cost you money and reputational damage due to the switch's interim lack of support. Therefore, when hiring a BPO partner, you must aim to form a long-term relationship with your BPO to scale and grow together to best achieve your business goals. So remember, cheaper is not always the best option and always factor in the potential growth of your customer base and business.
5. Partner experience:
Partner experience is an important metric to consider. It would help if you had a BPO with a proven reputation for providing experienced customer service agents who are proficient in the native languages of your target markets. Solving customer issues effectively with little to no repercussions on your business or customer brand loyalty should be the BPOs utmost priority. Picking an inexperienced BPO to save money could result in customer churn.
Another valuable tip to consider will be to dive deeper and research if the BPO partner has the industry-specific experience that's relevant to your business.
6. Average wait time (AWT):
AWT measures a customer's time to wait before getting connected to a call center representative. Usually, understaffed or inefficient BPOs have high AWTs, which poorly reflects your business. Additionally, BPOs with high turnaround times (TAT) often increase AWT. So ensure that you employ a BPO with a proven record of low average waiting time and turnaround time.
7. Cost-effective service:
When finding a BPO partner, you should not make a hire that you cannot afford. Instead, try finding a BPO service that caters to all your requirements and is cost-effective for your business. Several BPO providers offer quality services with competitive pricing worth considering for your business needs.
So take your time and research your shortlisted BPO providers. You don't want to be stuck with one that does not have your best interest at heart. Check from prior client testimonials and review message boards. It is your business, and you need to prioritize finding the best fit BPO partner to drive your growth.
Partner with Inflection to offer your customers the best BPO support
Inflection offers AI-powered smart BPO services for businesses to transform their engagement with stakeholders, internal and external. Our team of highly trained professionals utilizes Inflection’s AI software stack to deliver cost-effective[1] , superior experiences to businesses and their clients. Our agents are trained in voice and multichannel support to transform the customer experience. Contact us to explore how Inflection can help you deliver superior experiences whilst being cost-effective.
