Delegating tasks is challenging enough. Handing off the responsibility of an entire department, that can be an extremely scary thing to do. Traditionally, keeping everything in-house emits a sense of quality assurance and control. This is partially because of proximity, but also because of responsibility. When something goes wrong, you know that it came from the inside.
Those businesses that have never developed a sense of trust with outsourcing, or have been burned before are often the ones that need it the most. Overworking or handing off key responsibilities to individuals or departments that are not equipped with enough man-power or time can be devastating in the long run. You may save money at first, but down the road more expensive problems can arise.
Keeping everything in-house seems like the safest and smartest bet.
But you may be missing out on better quality, bleeding in productivity, and jeopardizing employee happiness.
Here are some quick ways to know if it’s time to outsource your call center:
High turnover If you are losing employees left and right, there is a problem somewhere. If this is an issue, you should be investigating every possible reason why employees are leaving. If they are overworked or spread too thin, their department may not be big enough to handle the scale of your company.
Poor reviews If your call center service is getting poor reviews or customer satisfaction rates are plummeting — it could be an issue of experience or professionalism. It could be that your employees are overworked, or they simply lack the structure and processes necessary to get the job done correctly. Call center outsource services exist for a sole purpose — and their mission is to deliver excellent satisfaction for your customers…and you.
40+ work weeks This is a tough one, because startup culture and general growth trends for companies may mean that you may have to work more than the average 40 hour work week. But keeping happy employees around will inevitably lead to customer retention and loyalty. This will save you money — and the time it takes to train new employees.
Handing off projects the person with least on their plate This seems like a great ideat. John doesn’t have much to do this week, so he can help create this process. Or Karen’s work load looks light, she can handle this report. Just because an individual in your organization has time, doesn’t mean they have the expertise to get it done the right way.
Tasks without strategy It can be fairly easy to fall into this routine. You need things to get done, so you assign them. You need to hit deadlines, so you throw all the manpower you can at them without any tactics. Without a well thought strategy, your growth is limited. If you do decide to outsource your call center services, make sure they have a well rounded customer experience strategy.
Exhausted employees Are your employees are regularly missing out on family events (birthdays, graduations, weddings, etc.)? Are they coming in late? Do you see them becoming distant from their work, or are emotionally unpleasant while doing their job? Dismissing these symptoms as a result of bad employees may not be the best mood. They may be overburdened by their workload or learning curve, and it may be time to outsource certain aspects of their workload — or the entire department.
Outsourcing your call center service is never an easy choice. Getting ahead of the problem by identifying any of the issues you may be experience above is the first step in the right direction.
Increasing efficiency, improving quality and reducing employee turnover are just a few of the reason to outsource your call center service. But getting expert service from a company that understands the entire customer experience and acts as an extension of your team and goals — that is worth investing in.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of outsourcing your call center service, feel free to contact us! We’d love to talk.
