The international marketplace is consistently evolving, merging globalization and technology to create new opportunities in innovation. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in the omni-channel era provides a way for companies to interact with customers across traditional channels such as email, live chat and telephone, with BPO partners expanding customer interaction with non-traditional channels.

What are these non-traditional channels?

Non-traditional channels include:

Social media

800 number support is becoming a last resort due to long hold times. Customers have taken things into their own hands, utilizing social media such as Twitter to @ a company to get their questions answered, or alert the company of an issue. Smart companies have their BPO partners respond in real time, mostly through traditional channels to solve problems offline. Due to the promptness in which issues are resolved, customers are incentivized to change or edit their complaint to a positive review.

In-app

BPO partners also engage directly with customers through in-app support. This increases the level of response time, and keeps transactions easily accessible. Major CRMs have an SDK integration that is compatible to effortlessly work with agents and customers.

App store/Google Play & retail reviews

When consumers are frustrated, they usually skip support and go leave a negative review. BPO partners now engage customers in their review sections to let the customer know their feedback has been seen and valued. BPO partners takes the interaction offline, resolving the issues and politely requesting a follow-up positive review. This works in improving the company’s brand image, increases sales and user acquisition. Good reviews are necessary, as most people do not engage with brands who have poor reviews.

Digitally transforming with BPO

Business Process Outsourcing must change with the times. Forward-thinking companies implement new digital transformation strategies that work to engage customer interaction through real time channels. This works to reduce the amount of concurrent agents staffed to handle inbound call volume and remain efficient in the handling of digital channel support. This can occur with less agents, as the need for direct call interaction is lessened.

Most companies consider BPO as a back office outsourcing function, with an emphasis on functions such as human resources, finance and customer service. These functions could also extend to telecom, healthcare, retail and more. A very lucrative platform, global outsourced services continues to rise, with revenues under $100 billion in 2012.

Now, BPO location is considered archaic, with a perceived notion that specific locations of the globe offer better BPO support. This is incorrect. We live in a global society where everyone has access, and agents in foreign countries are the norm, especially if they are smart, empathetic problem solvers. With digital channel support being at the forefront, customers do not know where their agent is handling their issues, whether it is local or overseas. There are a number of companies who have their reservations about having foreigners handling their accounts and critical business functions, but good providers in this area address these concerns and demonstrate their capabilities through innovative project management.

Advantages of BPO

BPO handles customer support, but also offers CX consulting to improve CSAT, KPIs and SLAs through their work with multiple clients and exposure to different customer experiences. Standard companies who have in-house support only know how to operate in their manner. Working with a BPO provides exposure to many different customer support strategies, and allows the company to choose the best solutions to implement with their BPO partner that can enhance and correctly represent the brand and customer journey strategy.

A good example of a BPO provider working with digitally disruptive companies, blue chip companies and unicorns to implement digital transformation strategies is Goodbay Technologies. They provide non-traditional support from Bangalore, working with high-growth companies with expensive labor markets like San Francisco, New York, Barcelona and Manchester. Goodbay also delivers a 30-50% cost savings on customer support labor while delivering support quality that is on par, or in most cases, better than in-house customer support.

How important is a strong BPO?

With customer service being one of the top priorities in organizations today, BPOs must pay attention to U.S. consumers and their dismay with service through international call centers. There must be an emphasis on delivering the best experience no matter where the agents are located, as the BPO model has shown no signs of regression, and is expected to continuously grow over the next few years.

With many companies switching to online models as the foundation of how they now do business, they are starting to realize how important it is to have a strong customer support platform in place that will get results. The BPO model must take into account the apprehensiveness of U.S. based companies, delivering well educated, articulate and knowledgeable customer service teams, regardless of their location.

The implementation of the BPO model reinforces how companies can utilize their in-house employees more effectively working on relevant projects that will increase revenues, leaving the other functions on the BPO to fulfill. In many instances, the human resources function will handle recruiting, resumes, interviews, onboarding and other protocols that would usually fall under the in-house staff. This process helps retain good talent while aligning with the company’s goals. As part of the strategic process, the individuals working in the customer service area undergo handle to training to ensure they are in step with the strategic goals and know enough about the products they represent to put customers at ease.

Establishing the right partnership with a BPO provider who has the experience and track record to make a difference in your organization is key for staying ahead of the curve in a digitally progressive space. With 17 years of CX consulting experience, Goodbay Technologies has earned their reputation of helping businesses in the retail and business space take their strategic goals to the next level through premium BPO services. They specialize in guiding high-growth companies through the consumer experience model, providing the protocols needed to deliver effective, high-level service from anywhere in the world.