Outsourcing can always be a difficult decision to make, especially with economic prospects looking bleak -- why would a company or brand appoint a provider with external costs when purse strings are being tightened, redundancies are being made and policies freezing recruitment are being implemented?
The answer is very simple. Many businesses have certain days or periods of extreme activity that can, in certain instances, possibly equate to more revenue than for the rest of the year combined.
For some businesses -- for example those providing chocolates, flowers or other such gifts associated with Valentine's Day or Mother's Day -- there is no need to have an outsourced call centre provider all year round.
It would be a wasted expense during quieter times but during key peak periods, and in the lead up to them, an outsourced provider is arguably the best way to handle this trade without spending a large amount of money.
In the current economic climate, businesses, especially the smaller operations, must ensure that their customer service is of the highest order, and that all requests and purchases are satisfied without error.
An experienced outsourced provider can assist with this and let the business focus on what it does best.
Outsourced providers can be utilised in temporary or seasonal shifts. They will only need a short period of time to set up with a new client and can also offer the key asset of flexibility.
Initial training is a quick process and outsourced call centres can commence work with both speed and ease.
Repeat activity can be switched on or off during the required cycles of activity and companies pay just for what they use, when they use it.
Low turnover of staff at companies offering attractive employment schemes means that account handling teams will often remain in place for repeat cycles of activity and can work with the brand again.
Extra capacity can be offered to help a business during these growth periods meaning there is no need to invest in permanent staff to cover busier times.
The hiring of staff is both time consuming and inefficient for what could potentially be just week-long periods.
Short contracts with external providers can therefore ensure a very cost-effective way of meeting demand and ensuring quality service is delivered.
The opportunity is also prevalent for a company or brand to take advantage of other outsourced services if the provider has additional capabilities, for example warehousing or fulfilment.
These services could become more cost effective if taken in conjunction with other services, producing economies of scale that would not be achievable internally to a business.
If the outsourced provider possesses the latest technology systems then this is of great benefit to companies looking to outsource.
These systems would be expensive for a company to invest in should they need extra hands on deck during peak periods.
The service provider can integrate the business requirements from its clients quickly into existing systems to ensure greater efficiency.
Outsourcing marketing support services such as a call centre function can look daunting on paper but in actual fact can be a cost-effective and profitable business decision.
It allows organisations to focus on their core functions, safe in the knowledge that the outsourced provider will deliver quality of service at affordable prices.
Sue Randall, business development manager, Orbital Response and Fulfillment.