There are many reasons brands are outsourcing their customer service to countries such as the Philippines. One of these is to enhance the quality of their call center operations and increase customer satisfaction. This encourages positive word-of-mouth, which is essential in boosting a company’s marketing efforts.
How valuable is word-of-mouth
It is often said that word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. According to McKinsey, it is the primary factor behind 20-50% of purchasing decisions.
The same global management consulting firm reported how customer service drives word-of-mouth. Accordingly, customers who have their issues successfully resolved will share their experience to four to six people. These numbers double for dissatisfied customers, who on average are likely to tell nine to 15 people about their experience.
This goes to show that customer service, no matter its quality, is going to generate word-of-mouth, and this may be positive or negative depending on the experience of customers.
Outsourcing customer service to improve quality
Outsourcing improves the quality of customer service, which leads to a higher rate of customer satisfaction. This is done in a variety of ways.
First, the outsourcing firm ensures that all of its customer service representatives are well-adept at communication and resolving issues and that they remain professional in dealing even with irate customers. Some outsourcing firms also empower their agents to make decisions without prior consultation to supervisors and encourage them to think outside the box when helping customers.
Second, it offers a cost-effective method for a company to expand its presence on various channels, particularly on web-based platforms such as email, live chat, and social media.
Third, it enables a company to provide 24/7 support to customers, so customers can get assistance exactly when they need it.
In essence, outsourcing helps companies build great customer experience through a consistent, high-quality support system. It ensures that customers remain satisfied with how a company takes care of them and that every interaction ends on a positive note. Customers can share their personal stories and may even recommend a specific brand to their friends and families.
This helps a business grow its customer base and increase brand awareness without the additional marketing expense.