4 Trends That Will Dominate the Future of Customer Service Outsourcing Solutions
As we step into 2021, the scope of business relations is expanding faster than ever before. Unlike in the past, when business outsourcing was considered to be a passing fad, it has become an indispensable organ of the entire body. Every entrepreneur wants to be one step ahead, every employee is pushed to the limit and customers are making merry due to the existing competition in the market. Customer service outsourcing has been touted as a game changer by many industry experts and for good reasons too. Whether or not you are outsourcing other parts of your business operations, it is essential that you outsource customer service if your in-house department is not up to scratch. Even more important, outsource those companies that stay abreast with these 4 emerging trends.
Emerging Customer Support Outsourcing Services Trends in 2021
Expanding role of AI
In 2021, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to dominate almost every business function that generates a lot of data. Call centers are pivotal departments for a business, which is why; competent customer support outsourcing services implement AI via their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool and other dynamic databases that are updated with customers’ data.
Innovation in IVR technology
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) lays down a strong foundation for a call center. Self-care, branding, secure information gathering and improved call routing are some essential features that need to be incorporated into a call center process. Trendy call center companies constantly update their IVR solutions, so as to provide a better experience to the customers.
Use of chat bots as the first line of customer care
Chat bots can answer basic queries and solve many issues. More and more companies are switching to the use of chat bots to cut down on the call volume reaching their voice-based call centers. In 2021, we will see chat bots becoming more important than ever before as technology fine tunes their functionality and make them more relevant.
The role of outsourcing vendor as a business partner
This is not a tech trend, but all the more important in today’s time. Having a trustworthy partner eliminates the risk of security breaches. Most companies implement DPA (Data Protection Act), but only the most careful ones are able to thwart hack attempts. A vendor that is emotionally connected to you and believes in maintaining a long relationship would be needed for achieving the desired results in 2021.
When you outsource you work to a company located far away, travelling to and fro is not really feasible. The cost of travel may alone offset the cost benefits that you will receive through the outsourcing venture. Instead hire a liaison manager who will serve as your eyes and ears and provide you complete information about how the process is handled by the outsourcing vendor.
Always think long-term when it comes to customer service outsourcing. There is a very good chance that you may need additional manpower to support the customers, once your business grows. Hence, always partner with a vendor that can allocate additional agents or back office operators to your particular process, whenever there is a need for it.