What differentiates you from your main competitors? The market is so competitive today, that innovation no longer provides much of an edge. You might design the perfect app today, only to have a competitor knock it off tomorrow.
Therefore, you must find other ways to maintain your competitive advantage. One of the best methods is to offer a service that’s so good, that your clients don’t want to leave.
However, that’s easier than done. There’s no simple “Find here” button you can press to get the ultimate solution.
However, in this article, we’ll go through ways in which you can improve your service through outsourcing and, more importantly, move from a reactive model to a proactive one.
What’s Proactive Service?
Have you ever bought a product software for the many features it has, only to find that you use very few of them?
Is this because you didn’t know how to access everything, or because didn’t need everything? Were there features you were unaware of?
If so, you might have felt that the product wasn’t quite right for you. You may then have opted for a competitor’s product instead.
Now, if the first company had reached out to you proactively to see how things were going, you might have explained your concerns and seen the product’s full potential.
Companies today can’t afford to react only when a customer complains or phones in for support. By that time, they’re frustrated and may not even want to call in at all. If you can reach out before they reach this stage, you can improve customer satisfaction greatly.
However, not all companies have the capacity for this level of support. What’s more, it takes specialized training to be able to deal with all types of clients, especially because you’re reaching out to them.
Outsourcing gives you access to expertise when you choose the right partner. Here are the advantages of farming out this function.
Specialist Expertise
Outsourcing lets you leverage the expertise of customer service professionals. These external teams are well-trained, experienced, and up-to-date with the latest industry trends and best practices.
By drawing on this expertise, you can ensure that your customers receive high-quality and efficient support, improving service delivery.
24/7 Availability
Whether you operate across several time zones or not, your customers might not keep the same business hours that you do.
Many companies today offer round-the-clock support to allow their clients to contact them when convenient. This access to assistance at any time of the day improves customer satisfaction.
Scalability for Demand Fluctuations
Are you in an industry that experiences fluctuations in support demand? For example, a retailer will be busier leading up to the festive season. A game developer is usually busier during a launch.
When you outsource, you pay for the capacity you need, allowing you to expand and contract your team as necessary.
You will need to speak to your provider about what notice you need to give them, but it should be relatively easy to predict high-demand periods.
Technology Integration
Do you require specialist technology or software in your industry? If so, you may spend a significant amount of money on these items.
Customer service firms do the same thing, so outsourcing allows you to access better CRM technology and software without incurring extra expense.
Focus On Core Competencies
You need to focus on the things that will bring in more money, like sales and product development. This becomes difficult if your sales team or developers have to field mundane calls about operating hours or how to use a particular feature.
By removing this function from your core personnel, you allow them to work without meaningless distractions. This should not only improve efficiency but also improve their satisfaction.
Data-Driven Decision-Making
Outsourcing provides access to valuable customer data and insights. By analyzing customer interactions, feedback, and trends, you can make informed, data-driven decisions to proactively address potential issues and improve service quality.
This proactive use of data is instrumental in identifying patterns, refining processes, and implementing strategic changes to enhance the overall customer experience.
Continuous Improvement Culture
Outsourcing fosters a culture of continuous improvement. External support teams, driven by service-level agreements and performance metrics, are motivated to consistently enhance their processes.
This commitment to improvement aligns with a proactive service approach, where you and your partner work collaboratively to identify areas for optimization and implement changes that positively impact customer satisfaction.
Multichannel Support
Customers today expect support across various channels, including email, chat, social media, and phone. Outsourcing support allows you to provide seamless multichannel support, meeting customers where they are.
This proactive approach ensures that customers can choose the communication channel that suits them best, contributing to a more personalized and responsive service experience.
Employee Satisfaction
A proactive service approach involves recognizing the role of your employees in delivering exceptional customer support.
Outsourcing contributes to employee satisfaction by relieving internal teams of repetitive and often stressful tasks.
This allows them to focus on more challenging and fulfilling aspects of their roles, fostering a positive work environment and contributing to a proactive service culture.
Rapid Response to Market Changes
Outsourcing enables you to adapt to changes in the market quickly. Whether it’s addressing customer concerns related to new product launches or adjusting support strategies based on market trends, you can be more flexible and agile.
Conclusion
Taking a proactive approach to service improvement by outsourcing support desk operations is a strategic move that goes beyond merely addressing customer issues. It allows you to leverage specialist knowledge, ensure consistent support, and make your operations easy to scale.
Outsourcing can go a step further with consultants reaching out to clients before they realize they need help. This can improve product usage and customer satisfaction, reducing the chances that clients will look to your competitors.
