Outsourcing has become popular across businesses in Nigeria as organisations seek ways to streamline operations, enhance efficiency and improve customer satisfaction. Among the various business functions you can outsource, customer service is a crucial aspect that directly impacts your brand reputation and customer loyalty.
Customer service is the heartbeat of a successful business; thus, ensuring your clients have an excellent customer service experience is critical. According to Microsoft research, 90% of people decide whether or not to do business with an organisation based on their customer experience, while 58% will change organisations because of poor customer service.
However, setting up an efficient customer service team can be challenging in Nigeria. It requires experience, dedication, and ample resources, which many businesses cannot afford. In addition, given other priorities, you may be unable to hire, train, and manage the customer service support team.
This is where customer service outsourcing comes in. Many organisations now outsource their customer service needs to third-party service providers. This has become a strategic decision to enhance service quality, access expertise, and manage costs effectively.
This guide will examine outsourced customer service, how it can benefit your business, and the steps to doing it correctly.
What Is Outsourced Customer Service?
Outsourcing customer service involves hiring external or third-party agents or companies to handle your customer service functions.
While many organisations across the diverse economic sectors in Nigeria struggle to meet the demands for quality customer service, outsourcing customer service provides a viable solution by leveraging these specialised companies equipped with the infrastructure, technology, and expertise to deliver exceptional support.
Although outsourced call centre services used to be the primary support channel, modern services are now omnichannel, meaning they can help manage your customers’ needs through email, social media, live chat support, WhatsApp and phone calls.
How Does Outsourcing Customer Service Help You?
Leveraging top customer service outsourcing companies is beneficial when looking for a reliable and efficient customer service solution. Outsourced customer service helps you:
Better allocate resources and streamline operations
By outsourcing customer service, your in-house team can focus on core business processes such as marketing, product development and strategic planning. This allows you to allocate resources better and drive business growth.
Leaving your customer service needs to an outsourcing provider also helps streamline your operations, making you agile and responsive to market changes.
Improve the customer experience
Customer outsourcing partners adhere to strict quality standards and service level agreements (SLAs), ensuring consistent and high-quality customer interactions. This improves loyalty and increases customer satisfaction.
Also, reputable outsourcing providers offer omnichannel support, i.e. across various channels, including phone, email, chat, and social media, as well as multilingual support. This ensures a seamless and comprehensive customer experience.
Reduce operational costs and overhead expenses
Outsourcing customer service eliminates the need to maintain a full-time, in-house support team, thereby reducing salaries, benefits, recruitment, training, and infrastructure expenses. Outsourcing service partners typically have their own infrastructure and technology, further reducing your overhead costs.
Access expertise and state-of-the-art technology
Outsourced customer service providers like Workforce Group have extensive experience and expertise in managing customer interactions across various industries. Our experts are trained to handle various customer issues efficiently and effectively.
In addition, outsourcing providers invest in the latest customer service technologies, including customer relationship management (CRM) systems, omnichannel support platforms, and analytics tools. This ensures that your customers receive the best possible service using advanced technology that may be cost-prohibitive to implement in-house.
Adapt to demand fluctuations and remain flexible
Outsourcing allows you to scale your customer service operations up or down based on demand. Whether you experience seasonal spikes, product launches, or unexpected surges in customer inquiries, your outsourcing partner can adjust staffing levels accordingly without disrupting service quality.
Many outsourcing providers also offer round-the-clock customer support, ensuring customer problems are resolved whenever needed, regardless of time zones or business hours.
3 Signs It’s Time to Consider Outsourcing Customer Service
Customer service outsourcing can be a strategic decision that enhances efficiency and improves customer satisfaction. These are three (3) ways to know when it might be time to consider outsourcing customer support:
A. Inconsistent service quality and declining customer satisfaction
An increase in customer complaints indicating inconsistent service quality clearly indicates that your current customer service setup is not meeting expectations. In addition, if you notice a decline in customer satisfaction metrics, such as lower Net Promoter Scores (NPS), negative feedback, or increased churn rates, it may be time to consider outsourcing customer service.
Outsourced customer service providers like Workforce Group are equipped to maintain high standards and deliver consistent quality across all customer interactions. Our expertise and focus on customer service excellence ensure more reliable and satisfactory customer support.
B. High operational costs and resource allocation issues
Managing an in-house team can be resource-intensive and costly. As such, outsourcing can be a cost-effective solution if a significant portion of your budget is dedicated to maintaining customer service operations or having a lean in-house team.
By outsourcing, you can reduce overhead costs related to staffing, training, infrastructure, and technology, allowing you to channel resources to other business activities.
C. Difficulty in scaling operations
Rapid business growth can make it challenging to scale customer service operations to match the increasing volume of inquiries, complaints, and support requests. Outsourcing can provide the scalability you need if your team struggles to keep up.
Leading customer service outsourcing companies can quickly adjust to your business’s changing needs, ensuring that all customers receive timely and efficient support without compromising quality.
How to Outsource Customer Service in Nigeria
Outsourcing your customer service could transform your business when you get it right. Here are five (5) steps to help you decide when considering an outsourced customer service strategy.
5 Steps to Outsource Customer Service the Right Way
1. Clearly define your goals and expectations
Before you begin your customer service outsourcing endeavour, it is important to understand why you want to outsource. Is it to reduce costs, provide better customer service or increase efficiency? Clearly define your goal, key performance indicators and expectations.
Also, consider your requirements, such as whether you need 24/7 availability or a specific customer service tool. Doing these makes finding the right partner easier and ensures you work towards the same objectives.
2. Research and identify your outsourcing provider
This step is fundamental to the success of your outsourcing endeavour. With several customer support outsourcing companies in Nigeria, selecting the right one can be tricky. You must ensure your chosen provider has a proven track record in your industry, a commitment to quality and a robust technology platform. You can check out the non-negotiable considerations to help you decide before choosing an outsourcing partner here.
At Workforce Group, we position ourselves as your partners rather than simply vendors because we are invested in your success and are motivated to help you reach your goals. We do this by:
- Taking time to get to know your organisation
- Prioritise transparency in our processes
- Ensure excellent and proactive communication
- Celebrate your success publicly.
3. Establish communication channels and maintain open communication
Establish effective communication channels for seamless interaction between your organisation and the outsourcing provider. Open and transparent communication is also essential for success. In addition, regular meetings, progress reports, and feedback sessions should be set up to ensure accountability and alignment on strategy.
4. Monitor and optimise performance
Continuous monitoring and optimisation are vital to the long-term success of your customer service outsourcing strategy. As a result, regularly review performance against agreed-upon KPIs and consider adjusting your strategy as business and customer needs evolve.
Furthermore, occasionally brainstorm with your outsourcing partner on new ideas and innovations to continuously improve your customer experience.
5. Consider legal and compliance factors
Navigating legal and compliance requirements is essential when outsourcing customer service. As such, ensure your outsourcing provider adheres to your industry-specific data protection and privacy regulations and establishes contracts that clearly define the scope of services, confidentiality, and data security measures.
How to Measure the Success of Your Customer Service Outsourcing Strategy
As mentioned earlier, it’s important to track the progress of your outsourced customer support strategy to ensure its success. But what metrics do you track to check your performance, and identify improvement areas?
First response time (FRT)
The FRT is the average time it takes a customer to receive the first response from your support team after raising a ticket or inquiry. A quick first response reassures customers that their issue is being addressed, improving their overall satisfaction.
Average resolution time (ART)
ART is the average time it takes to resolve a customer’s issue from when they contact support until the problem is fully resolved. Shorter resolution times generally lead to higher customer satisfaction and demonstrate the efficiency of your support team.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
The CSTA measures a customer’s satisfaction with a specific interaction or the overall support experience. It is typically gathered through post-interaction surveys. Customer feedback helps measure your service quality and identify areas for improvement.
Net promoter score (NPS)
The NPS measures customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend your company to others on a scale of 0 to 10. It strongly indicates customer loyalty and satisfaction, providing insight into the likelihood of customers advocating for your brand.
First contact resolution (FCR)
Sometimes, you may need to ascertain the percentage of issues resolved during the first interaction without requiring follow-ups. High FCR rates indicate effective support processes and contribute to higher customer satisfaction and lower operational costs.
Abandonment rate
This refers to the percentage of customers who abandon a call, chat, or ticket before being served. High abandonment rates can indicate long wait times or poor customer service processes, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction.
Maximise the Value of Customer Service Outsourcing with Workforce Group
Outsourcing customer service in Nigeria offers significant opportunities for organisations looking to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. By understanding your business needs, selecting the right outsourcing partner, and implementing effective strategies, you can leverage outsourcing as a strategic tool to gain a competitive edge.
At Workforce Group, we partner with you to achieve customer service excellence. With nearly 20 years of experience, in-house experts and commitment to quality, we’ve helped organisations transform their customer service.
Talk to us today about how we can meet your specific needs through our customised solutions. Send us an email to hello@workforcegroup.com
