Role of Contact Centers in the Growth of SMEs

Role_of_Contact_Centers_in_the_Growth_of_SMEs

Did you know that despite the rapid growth of online customer service tools, 79% of consumers would prefer to contact a customer service center over the telephone? Plus, reaching out to courteous and well-informed representatives and getting your issues resolved on the first call can enhance your business performance manifold, while adding to its credibility. A dedicated contact center is the need of the hour for any SME looking to create a differential advantage for itself.

Don’t Run a Call Center, Hire One

Unless you have the required resources, technology, and manpower to operate a call center successfully, it is best to seek the help of professional service providers. Here is why outsourcing is the most viable option for SMEs:

  1. Expensive equipment. If you plan to hire one or two employees to attend to all calls, then having your own set-up might work for you. However, once the business starts rolling and you start feeling the need for call routing, scripting, or integrated software, as well as a call distribution facility, the system becomes cumbersome.
  2. Hiring and retaining employees is a costly affair. Instead of focusing and investing in manpower for your core business, you will be investing in hiring employees that do not even relate to your business line. Plus, the additional expenses, such as training, incentives, and other benefits to retain the employees, will eat up your finances.
  3. The lack of skills to handle the contact center. You will have to brace yourself to handle call volumes, staffing needs, quality assurance, customer satisfaction, software customization and more, every day. This will take a toll on your money, time, and manpower.
  4. You lose focus. Instead of focusing your attention on R&D department, new product development or enhancement, and revenue generation, your focus will shift to managing a completely unrelated business vertical.

So, it’s wise to outsource the services from the best contact center for your business needs.

Customize Your Service Requirement

Once you have made up your mind to outsource customer care and have finalized the vendor, based on your budget and technical requirements, it is time to streamline the process for higher customer satisfaction.

  • Make your vendors a part of your system. Train them in-depth about your offerings. Handover a set of FAQs and explain each response for them. Let them have a clear understanding of your business and revenue model. Schedule training periodically.
  • Ask for a customized service. For instance, if you have a requirement for appointment scheduling, then ask the contact center to use a cloud calendar system to schedule appointments for your sales force or technical team, based on their availability. Similarly, if your customers place an order from your site and wish to track their consignment, there should be a provision to enquire about the same at your call center.

Listen and Refine

Outsourcing services doesn’t mean you no longer have the accountability of the particular service line. Since the customer service team directly impacts your brand value, customer engagement, and satisfaction rate, it is important to keep an eye on the process. Make sure you attend some of the calls, get first-hand feedback from the clients and then fine-tune your process based on your findings.