The term “Outsourcing “is in vogue within the business world. Everyone is mesmerized by the benefits of outsourcing support services and hence hiring the services of outsource support service providers. But everything in this world is associated with advantages and disadvantages. So is the outsource support services.
First of all, let us know what is outsourcing service? Outsourcing means assigning any non-core business activities, on a contractual basis, to a third party company. These companies are well equipped with equipments, computers, phones, internet and professionals trained for required services. One of the business processes fully being outsourced is customer care services. All companies, including established multinational companies, are outsourcing their customer support services to these third party companies. Why? To know, we should know its benefits.
As the outsource support service providers are well equipped with every required things and trained professional, the parent company does not have to arrange for anything. Otherwise, recruitment, training, infrastructure and equipments can spend several lakhs. Besides, appointing project management team, leaders, documentation, records maintaining, etc. accounts for lots of other work. Outsourcing helps you not to worry about these things and saves a lot of money. Outsource service provider train its professional according to the required skills. Also, they are trained with every latest media of communication. They can easily attend all the customers contacting through phone, email, chat and remote support.
A number of support services can be outsourced like IT support and customer support. Customer support services include order taking, maintain e-commercial activities, help desk services, live receptionist and customer care service. They take orders for products and services of the company, response to and solve customer’s complaints and answer to the queries made. A report is documented mentioning the queries and complaints made, attended, and solved. This report is sent to the parent company which use it for analyzing its product’s and service’s market value. Also, they provide a complete 24×7 support services which, eventually, creates brand loyalty among the customers.
Outsourcing support services takes off the burden from management authorities that give them more time and concentration to pay on creative planning and strategies. Along with the benefits of outsourcing support services, there are some disadvantages also. Some of the disadvantages are mentioned below:
Risk to confidential data: While any company requires any third party to support its customers, it has to provide the latter one data regarding to its products and services. This data may contain some confidential things. The labor their can be mislead or can mistake to leak this confidential data. Hence a risk is always associated with outsourcing services.
Hidden costs: Outsourcing support services to a company from a different country are preferred to reduce the cost. But this sometimes proves to be ironical. Means, sometimes non professional outsource service providers show a low cost while attracting for contract, but once contract is signed they start to add additional costs to it. Now you have to spend more time in searching for a genuine service provider.
Lack of focus and dedication: As the outsource support service providers are in contract with many companies, they do not focus and provide dedicated services to the customers of anyone. This can leave your customers with dissatisfaction and unhappy which is not at all good for your company’s reputation.
Lack of expertise and professionalism: Outsource service providers boast of having a staff trained and expert in handling every type of customer and queries. But it has been noticed that the staff not only avoid the customer but also treat badly. Also sometimes, they don’t have enough knowledge about the product or service to answer the queries of customer.
Not all of the outsource service providers are bad but one or two drawbacks are associated with every one of them. But a company, before contracting, should do some research over the outsource service provider companies and their services and then move further.