A positive customer service experience does not happen by accident, but through a deliberate synchronization of forefront and background activities. The cornerstone of this synergy is organizational leadership driving the factors that contribute to a professional workplace climate and, in turn, top-tier customer care. For companies to stay focused on their core competencies while improving brand loyalty through Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) call center services, they should consider how the vendor manages four critical areas:
Prioritized KPIs
Cultural Compatibility & Trust
On-Going Adaptive and Realistic Training
Protection from Government Scrutiny
Prioritizing the right KPIs
The call center industry is flooded with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). For instance, Nextiva, a provider of comprehensive communication, collaboration, and customer management software, has a list of over 30 KPIs solely for measuring performance. Zendesk, a cloud-based virtual contact center platform, also has a similar extensive list. However, just like in the movie The Incredibles, where Mrs. Helen Incredible, or Elastigirl, tells her son Dash, “Everyone is special Dash…” and he replies “Which is another way of saying that no one is,” when every KPI is considered special, none of them truly stand out. Instead, call center managers should prioritize a specific set of KPIs that align with the client's desired customer experience across omnichannel mediums. SQM, a call center quality assurance platform, provides a list of ten top KPIs along with corresponding industry standards. While managers should certainly monitor as many KPIs as possible at a macro level, they should also establish a customized list of five industry-focused metrics for their agents to prioritize at the micro level. Furthermore, they should constantly evaluate, adjust, and alternate these focused metrics as necessary.
Cultural Compatibility & Trust
"Customers feel more at risk when dealing with overseas agents, particularly when it comes to communication, security, and reliability issues."
Outsource selection decisions are generally driven by financial and strategic considerations, yet many offshore BPO alliances fail to meet expectations because the cultures of the partners are incompatible. Domestic Outsourcing, generally, is a better and more reliable fit for most firms seeking call center solutions. Some studies suggest that consumers are not satisfied with offshored services, leading to decreased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and perceived service quality for companies. This negative sentiment towards Call Center Offshoring (CCO) is because customers have a hierarchy of customer satisfaction and country of origin (CoSO) based on their perception of service quality from agents. Customers feel more at risk when dealing with overseas agents, particularly when it comes to communication, security, and reliability issues. This affects the level of trust between customers and agents, especially when personal data is involved. Past experiences of poor customer service further increase the perceived risk of miscommunication and mistrust. As a result, customers see CCO as a practice that lowers overall service levels, and the quality of service provided by agents varies based on the CoSO. Therefore, communication, culture, language, and trust are important in customer-agent interactions. (Jeong et al 2012; Khan et al. 2011; Thelen et al. 2010)
"65% of American consumers would change their purchasing behavior towards a company if they were aware or had the impression that the business was using an offshore call center, regardless of their satisfaction level with the call center experience."
American customers highly value an authentic experience, as evidenced by a study conducted by Dr. Jon Anton, the Director of Benchmark Research and sponsored by Kelly Services. The study revealed that 65% of American consumers would change their purchasing behavior towards a company if they were aware or had the impression that the business was using an offshore call center, regardless of their satisfaction level with the call center experience. At Genesis, we have developed a model for affordable homeshore customer care that capitalizes on these findings. By employing only US citizens in our service providing team, we ensure that they possess a deep understanding of American culture, products, and services. This enables them to be more empathetic and effective in resolving customer issues promptly and accurately. Additionally, we prioritize the implementation of cutting-edge technology and maintain the highest industry standards for security and privacy practices to safeguard customer information. This comprehensive approach not only enhances brand loyalty for our clients but also guarantees a return on investment (ROI).
On-Going Adaptive and Realistic Training
Call Centers rely on the effectiveness of their agents to provide quality customer service. The agents' effectiveness, in turn, depends on the quality of training they receive. Successful call centers prioritize the development, implementation, and maintenance of customized training programs that contribute to exceptional customer care for each client. By training agents to meet established standards and aligning their performance with benchmark quality assurance protocols, call centers ensure that agents accurately represent the client and establish a solid foundation for effective business models. According to SQM, leading quality assurance programs in the industry utilize advanced technology to incorporate call reviews, text analysis, speech analysis, artificial intelligence (A.I.) analytics, and post-contact surveys. These programs also continuously evaluate these data points to update training curriculums and contact procedures, aiming to enhance performance and improve customer experiences.
"Realistic Training involves practicing protocols through simulated scenarios that closely resemble real-life situations."
After implementing a training program, call centers should consider using realistic mediums to facilitate adaptive learning modules. Realistic Training involves practicing protocols through simulated scenarios that closely resemble real-life situations. In the call center environment, this means ensuring agents have access to the actual contact center resources during training, using databases that replicate productive engagements instead of relying solely on slide presentations and talk-throughs. This is because the brain cannot distinguish between realistic simulation and actual contact engagement. Research by Glenn Sparks, a professor and media effects expert at Purdue University, supports this idea, using a scary movie as an example: "Even though you are not experiencing the events in the movie, your brain believes that you are." Similarly, call center agents become better prepared and more effective when they undergo realistic training that closely mimics the engagement experience and various scenarios.
Protection from Government Scrutiny
"On September 7, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proposed a new Joint Employer rule, which could hold companies accountable for any labor law violations committed by their contractors or franchisees."
When considering outsourcing options, companies must be aware of the potential risks and expenses associated with their partner not complying with state and federal labor regulations. On September 7, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proposed a new Joint Employer rule, which could hold companies accountable for any labor law violations committed by their contractors or franchisees. According to this proposed rule, joint employment would be established if the firm and the outsourcing partner have shared control over important employment terms and conditions. This includes the authority to determine wages, benefits, working hours, hiring and firing, workplace safety, supervision, task assignment, and work rules. Even control exercised indirectly or through an intermediary would be considered sufficient. In February 2022, the US Department of Labor (Wage and Hour Division/WHD) and the NLRB signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance their collaboration by sharing information, conducting joint investigations and enforcement activities, providing training and education, and engaging in outreach efforts.
Additionally, the WHD has reported the seizure of more than $115 million in unpaid wages for the year 2022, excluding any penalties. These combined circumstances create a heightened operational environment that requires careful scrutiny, as businesses can be exposed to costly penalties resulting from compliance mistakes made by their BPO. Organic call centers already come with significant expenses, and on top of that, businesses must also consider worker's compensation, employer taxes, record-keeping standards, and various other regulatory factors to avoid unnecessary complaints, citations, and frivolous lawsuits that divert attention from core competencies and damage the brand. Responsible BPOs are aware of these potential consequences and take strict measures to minimize and eliminate risks for their clients. Their contracts and HR practices should provide protection against government scrutiny at all levels.
Why Genesis?
Genesis offers scalable, affordable, alternative solutions to overseas call centers – which decrease customer satisfaction rates – so that renowned American brands can rely on natively sensitive contact center experiences for their consumers. We have been able to deliver consistent, quality, omnichannel call center services because we prioritize KPIs, are innately culturally compatible and trusted, conduct on-going adaptive and realistic training, and ensure protection from government scrutiny for our clients. Many leading brands already rely on our BPO call center services for these reasons and we will continue to deliver them A Better Customer Experience, as promised.
