Outsourcing comes with a lot of qualms for business owners. Contracting your support team to a third party would sound risky, but the reality is entirely different. Businesses only receive experts to handle their customer support tasks; however, only when you have the right partner. Similarly, live chat support outsourcing is gaining a lot of momentum given the dramatic shift to this channel.
Nothing in this world comes without perks and drawbacks, but if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, then why not consider that option? Are you looking to boost your bottom line with an expanded customer base? You are at the right spot! Read on to find the uses, risks, costs, and benefits it brings to your business growth.
The Perks of Outsourcing Chat Support:
Turn your support team into a 24/7 reality with outsourced agents. Brands contract professionals who have experience in handling different situations. Whether with some order inquiry or product-related issue, your customers would find answers quickly and within the same conversation. These agents are well trained and carry out practices that boost your retention rate. Let’s take a look at some of its key benefits:
- Optimizes Budget
- Boosts Productivity
- Improves Conversions
Optimizes Budget:
The total expenditure of the helpdesk team is more than most people realize. It eats a lot of budgets and still does not guarantee quality. Therefore, live chat support outsourcing is a winner for those with a budget or looking to manage it. It is a considerably more affordable option than in-house agents. In addition, outsourcing performs the job without affecting your quality.
Boosts Productivity:
Chat concurrency is the best feature of outsourced agents who handle multiple conversations at once. Not only that, but a quick response is what you also receive with your chat outsourcing team. Studies have shown that more than 58% of people prefer the chat option to any other channel. So outsourcing takes the burden off your in-house team, and they can spend time on core operations. Your profitability and CSAT are the ones that benefit from it. You only experience improved performance and increased conversions.
Improves Conversions:
Chat experts are known for great management and customer interaction skills but can also give a boost to your conversion rates. With an outsourcing partner, your team is filled with dedicated specialists who understand communication’s know-how and turn it into profit. Outsourcing live chat support will have live agents handling your business round the clock. So you do not face lost business and convert more prospects.
The Risks Live Chat Support Outsourcing Bring:
There is always a possibility of some risks when it comes to business. However, we will break down all the threats and provide a potential solution so you are in the safe zone.
No Safety without Certified Providers – Your work might contain sensitive information, such as legal documents or medical records. You can’t trust anyone with your data. That is why you should always partner up with licensed providers who take care of business confidentiality. Make sure to check the security measures are in place, the data is encrypted, and a security clause is added to the agreement.
Untrained Agents – Do you want inexpert reps handling your chats without adhering to your brand tone? When you go with cheaper options, you get a team that is unfamiliar with your brand and does not follow the service protocols. That is why go with a reputed agency with agents who represent your brand while staying consistent.
Not Easy to Manage – This is a concern at your end as your leadership qualities play a role in this regard. However, agents work from a remote location, which causes obstructions in many things. A well-integrated system is what can resolve this issue. This requires complex thinking to cover all the loopholes and design a method to stay in harmony with your outsourced teams.
Nothing is irresolvable; outsourcing with a reliable partner is the only way to avoid all these risks. Even if you have to pay a little more, do it without thinking. A little money now can open doors to success for your company in the future.
Challenges to Consider Before Outsourcing Chat Support:
Businesses face a lot of challenges, and outsourcing is the ultimate solution. For instance, a small company does not have the proper infrastructure to handle support agents. So lacking workspace, tools, and even enough budget are common challenges mostly among startups. Live chat support outsourcing overcome these problems, but you need to consider a few things before signing up:
- Having Shared Cultural Values
- Proper Training Procedure
- Customer Support Process Control
1. Having Shared Cultural Values:
The first thing you should check is if your cultures align, which includes the working environment, communication between colleagues, how problems are tackled, relationship building, etc. It is intangible but can have a significant tangible effect on your success. Further, your work culture contains your team’s attitude and action. So discuss your outsourcer’s work values and go for one with mutual ideals.
Following is the list you need to inquire about your service provider:
- Ask about their view on tools and technology to find their focus.
- Learn about the ways their team communicates to determine how info is given out.
- Inquire how their training takes place.
- Examine how your provider tackles complex issues to find out their skills.
2. Proper Training Procedure:
Training is one of the key aspects you need to consider. You need your team up-to-date and increased confidence to handle any possible issue. To determine the training process of your outsourcing partner. Check whether they have a full-time trainer, which reflects their training culture. Not only that, but also inquire about the trainer’s duties. They should have training material and a coach that covers all the aspects for complete satisfaction.
The next thing to ensure in line is the QA team that takes care of each conversation and crafts a memorable customer experience. Those who strengthen their chat agents’ skills will also care for your business with extensive training. So, learn about your outsourcer’s practicum before getting them on board.
3. Customer Support Process Control:
Determine the responsibilities of both teams – yours and the outsourced – to know where the work will juggle and who has more control. For example, sometimes, your support agents do not have the answer and seek your assistance. They should define a pathway through which it will be handled. Moreover, businesses should also specify the way outsourced chat agents should talk to customers.
Companies should give proper time to build rapport with the remote team and set parameters. Working towards the goal together is what will serve success on a platter. Furthermore, designate a team lead that will correspond with the outsourcing team to ensure a long-term relationship. Seamless communication is the way to go.
Live Chat Support Outsourcing: Your Dream Partner
After weighing all the challenges, advantages, and drawbacks, we can clearly see that the benefits of outsourcing are far more than its risk. Also, all the risks are manageable and would require a little effort on your end. However, you can avoid all these pitfalls by hiring a well-known service provider, like Outsource Live Chats (OLC).
We bring a team of highly-trained chat agents that understand the essence of communication and turn your prospects into leads. Not only that, but your company will now stay active 24/7 with us. What is better than a personalized chat support solution? An affordable one! We offer both while assessing your requirements for the best results. We highly encourage you to try our trial service to see what we are talking about.
