Small businesses need every edge they can get to achieve big business aspirations. That is why setting up a call center can be an important step for success. For some small businesses, call centers may be one of the last considerations, certainly not a good business decision, because all centers perform many vital functions. In fact, a call center for a small business can level the playing field with bigger, established companies and outsourcing it opens a lot of opportunities. The single most important opportunity is to increase your sales. The call center employee can listen to issues that a client is facing and while suggesting solutions can share information on other more effective products you offer, thus sowing the seeds of cross-selling.
This turns your customer service operation from a cost center into a revenue-generating center!
Since customers want short response times and quick resolutions to their requests, having an outsourced call center support service can provide 24/7 operations to help sort customer problems quickly. Outsourced customer service also has dedicated agents who are well trained and already have the necessary experience that can easily help establish stronger relationships with your customers. This means that more and more customers will be satisfied with your service and will share their experience with their colleagues. With this unexpected growth opportunity, you will have the power to convert your prospects into loyal customers and boost your ROI.
According to Superstaff.com, 43% of small businesses believe that providing a good customer experience helps in boosting customer retention and is their top growth strategy. While only 24% of small businesses are outsourcing call center support services, more and more small business owners are beginning to shift their priorities to provide the best customer support service for their prospects and existing customers.
Benefits of Outsourcing Call Center Services for Small Businesses
Listed below are some of the great reasons why small businesses should outsource their call center services:
Saves time and money
Small business owners and their employees typically have an extensive range of duties and responsibilities. Customer service is very time-consuming and can definitely get employees with responsibilities of their own caught up answering calls and responding to customer emails. By outsourcing call center support services, employees can utilize their time on their core tasks.
Hiring a new employee is a big expense. Not only do you have to pay for salary, but you may also need to cover benefits, training material, and associated costs that can quickly add up for a small business. Using a call center is typically a more cost-effective option. Call centers can be obtained at a fraction of the cost of hiring employees. And when you can scale up or down without any issues that employers face.
Furthermore, call centers have technology and services which would be prohibitive for any small business to purchase on their own. Using a call center lets small businesses operate at a higher level than they could otherwise.
A dedicated team
Some small business owners may cringe at the idea of allowing somebody else to answer their calls. Trusting the quality of your customer support service to strangers is daunting. If your clients are used to hearing you answer the phone, they may find the change off-putting. However, if as you grow, you will be too busy to talk and hitting your voice mail will not be fun for our clients. When it gets to the point where you can no take calls or remember to return calls, then it’s time for you to make the change.
Outsourcing customer service will guarantee that somebody is available to answer incoming calls at your business. After all, outsourcing companies have a redundancy procedure in place, so you will not have to worry about absences and breaks.
Professional Service
For small businesses, reputation is vital. Unless an enterprise belongs to a very small niche, it is competing directly with companies much bigger and more established. This is why projecting professionalism is of the utmost importance for small businesses. If your employees handling the customer service calls were not hired and trained in this field, they might not have the knowledge and skills to perform the job efficiently.
Call center outsourcing services allow you to work with people who are experts in the field. Moreover, they have the training and experience in this area and are capable of handling different situations that may arise. Outsource companies also have quality assurance and performance metrics in place to ensure that customers are receiving the best service possible.
Grow Your Business
Call centers are no longer just about answering calls from angry customers. Many call centers are now offering outbound services, follow-up customer calls, and even sales, meaning they can offer an active service that helps grow your business. For instance, sales services can be used for placing orders, setting up appointments, or connecting with advertisers and clients. Call center outsourcing services can cover a wide range of tasks and services.
Markable Solutions provides scalable 360° customer support services that improve engagement and drive sales for small businesses. Talk to us now!