With so many competing priorities in a brand’s early years, it can be hard to keep up with them all. Customer experience (CX) plays such a vital role in your company’s success, it can’t be overlooked – yet dedicating the necessary time and resources to the contact center can seem nearly impossible with so much else going on.
Partnering with a business process outsourcing (BPO) expert can help. Too often, brands hesitate to work with a BPO due to fear, uncertainty, or misconceptions. But finding the right BPO can be a great, cost-effective way to tap into resources, labor pools, technological expertise, and proven strategies you lack in-house.
Don’t let these five myths prevent you from taking your CX to the next level.
Myth #1: A BPO will want me to fire all my existing employees.
A BPO lets you tap into a global workforce of highly skilled, ready-to-ramp employees, but that doesn’t mean you’ll need to lose existing workers. A good partner will seamlessly blend new, outsourced workers with your existing in-house ones to form one cohesive contact center operation.
When companies (and startups in particular) try to hire their own associates, they typically have a limited pool from which to draw. A good BPO sources highly qualified candidates from competitive markets across various geographies. It can leverage its access to a broader and more-competitive labor pool to hire the best of the best.
Even better, a BPO has the expertise and proven solutions to improve employee experience for all workers, reducing attrition and bolstering employee satisfaction. It has systems and curriculum in place to upskill existing employees quickly and effectively, and it brings career development expertise and training tools that most brands lack in-house.
The results? Employees are happier and more engaged, helping you reduce turnover and hiring-related costs and achieve your business goals.
Myth #2: Working with a BPO is too pricey. We can’t afford it.
Yes, resources are tight in a brand’s early days, so investments need to be strategic and drive ROI. And yes, partnering with a BPO does require an upfront investment – but it’s one that’s likely to pay off significantly in the long run.
While they bring their own expenses, BPOs typically uncover sizable cost savings elsewhere in the contact center to strike a fiscal balance. A partner can help you save money on labor and operational expenses by identifying areas where automation, nearshoring, offshoring, back-office efficiencies, AI-enhanced tools, and other solutions can cut costs without sacrificing customer experience.
Significant cost savings can be uncovered, but companies need to be careful when it comes to BPO pricing – especially if you’re new to outsourcing. When negotiating contracts, make sure you clearly understand what’s built into the price a BPO quotes. Sometimes there are hidden fees (like bonuses, penalties, and leaderships costs), so look for a partner who is clear and upfront about all costs.
Myth #3: Outsourced associates will deliver sub-par CX.
It can be daunting for companies to put the hiring of contact center employees in the hands of an outside provider. But once you find the right partner, delegating associate hiring to a BPO frees you up to focus on what your brand does best.
A strong BPO will have hiring and onboarding procedures in place to ensure associates are highly skilled, familiar with your brand and customer base, and ready to hit the ground running. It also will put the information associates need at their fingertips, with tools like AI-enhanced knowledgebases that facilitate better, faster interactions.
An amazing customer experience is a BPO’s top priority; a good one will use cutting-edge technology like accent softening and noise cancellation to make interactions as easy as possible – for your customers and your associates.
Myth #4: A BPO won’t mesh well with our company culture.
Finding an outsourcing partner that understands and embraces your brand’s culture is key to a successful partnership. At their best, BPOs are an extension of your company and their associates become true ambassadors for your brand.
When done well, outsourced associates tend to forget they work for a BPO. They feel such a close connection to the brand they’re serving, they feel like a true part of that brand.
Defining and maintaining your brand’s identity is essential, especially in the early days. A good BPO will take the time to learn how your company works, explore your values and goals, understand what success looks like, and immerse itself in your customer journey and employee experience.
Nearshore employees, in particular, can really benefit brands. Since they’re based in neighboring countries, they often share time zones and even cultural values with your customers and in-house employees, making the integration of outsourced workers even more seamless.
Myth #5: Working with an outside partner is too much of a hassle
With so much on your plate already, coordinating the logistics of bringing in an outsourcing partner may seem like the last thing you have time for. But a BPO can make your day-to-day operations run more smoothly in many ways.
A good partner should feel like a natural extension of your brand, not a disjointed add-on. The right BPO will make sure systems integrate cleanly and employees are all up to speed and on the same page, whether they’re in-house or outsourced. It will also work with you to identify and eliminate roadblocks, silos, and inefficiencies – making your contact center more streamlined and cohesive.
A CX partner will stay on top of the latest technology and continually integrate it into your contact center operation where it makes sense; and implement proven workforce optimization strategies and other efficiencies. When a BPO keeps all these things top of mind, it means you don’t have to.
Working with a BPO, especially one that specializes in startups, gives growing companies access to the proven best practices, resources, and solutions. And with your CX in expert hands, you’ll be free to focus on your business’ core competencies and do what you do best.
