Creating a top-notch customer experience requires a strong team equipped with customer service skills and advanced technologies. It involves a lot of work – anticipating customer needs, setting expectations, forecasting, and more. 

So, what works better to create the best customer experience – customer service outsourcing or building in-house support operations?  Let’s find out.

This blog details the pros and cons of customer service outsourcing, includes a list of the top 10 outsourcing companies, and analyses customer support outsourcing vs. in-house support.

What is customer service outsourcing?

Customer service outsourcing is when a company hires another company to handle customer support. Instead of the company’s in-house employees answering questions and solving problems, the outsourcing company takes care of it. 

Outsourcing customer support can be risky as it introduces a triadic dynamic. If customers don’t like the help they get, they might think poorly of the company that hired the help. This dissatisfaction might also result in negative word-of-mouth and even customer churn. 

However, adopting a strategic approach to executing the operations can help make the most of customer support outsourcing. The following image illustrates this strategic approach in detail.

What are the benefits of customer support outsourcing?

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the benefits of customer support outsourcing:

1. Cost-effective

One of the primary motivations for outsourcing is cost reduction. Outsourcing customer support can be more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house support team. Businesses can save on hiring, training, salaries, benefits, office space, and technology infrastructure expenses. Moreover, as outsourcing providers often operate in regions with lower labour costs, it contributes to overall savings.

2. 24/7 availability

Outsourcing enables businesses to provide round-the-clock customer support without incurring significant overtime costs for in-house teams. This extended availability can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, especially for companies with different time zones operating in global markets.

3. Scalability

Outsourcing offers the flexibility to scale your customer support operations up or down based on demand. The outsourced team can quickly accommodate increased customer demands during peak seasons or promotional campaigns. This scalability is challenging to achieve with an in-house team, which might require frequent temporary hiring and training.

4. Expertise 

Customer support outsourcing providers are experienced professionals. They handle various customer enquiries, complaints, and technical issues across industries. These providers often invest in continuous training for their teams to ensure that agents (or surfers, as we call them) are up-to-date with the latest industry trends and customer service best practices.

5. Focus on core activities

Outsourcing customer support lets your internal teams focus on core business activities like product development, marketing, and strategic planning. By delegating support tasks to external experts, you can allocate more resources to initiatives that directly contribute to your company’s growth and innovation.

6. Training costs

Employee turnover in internal customer support teams can lead to high recruitment and training expenses. Outsourcing support services can lower training expenses and handle the responsibility of training new surfers, saving your company time and money.

7. Quick implementation

Setting up an in-house customer support team can be time-consuming. It involves recruitment, training, and infrastructure setup. Outsourcing allows you to quickly establish a support system, especially if time is a critical factor for you.

List of 10 customer service outsourcing companies

Here is the list of 10 customer service outsourcing companies to consider for your business.  

1. Helpware

Helpware is a customer service outsourcing company that empowers brands to take control of customer interactions, manage complex tasks, and enhance their market presence. Their vision is to deliver relentless consumer experiences through API-enabled human task services. 

Their services encompass;

• Digital customer experience 
• Content control and verification
• AI operations
• Back-office support 

2. Foundever

Foundever simplifies and enhances customer interactions. With a global network of over 170,000 associates across 45 delivery countries and proficiency in 60 languages, Foundever offers customer support that fosters loyalty. 

The company offers solutions from customer care and sales to technical support and back-office efficiency. Multilingual support, trust, safety, and innovative rightshoring ensure global connectivity and seamless interactions. 

3. Upwork

Upwork is a customer service outsourcing company best suited for freelance customer service solutions. It offers services encompassing talent recruitment, hybrid workforce management, and end-to-end support. Upwork empowers businesses to access top-tier professionals, streamline workflows, and ensure project outcomes. 

4. Ascensos

Ascensos is a customer service outsourcing company that provides tailored solutions. The company has consumer retail expertise and is dedicated to recruiting experts to ensure smooth customer experiences. The platform offers multilingual support, peak assistance, and insightful analytics to elevate customer experiences. 

5. Working Solutions

Working Solutions provides customised, multichannel support solutions and a professional support service workforce to manage fluctuating customer service needs. Their services include:

• Customer care
• Sales support
• Back-office support
• Analytics
• Technology

6. Odondo

Odondo is a customer service solution provider offering personalised experiences. Their agile model adapts to varying demands, ensuring support service at a reduced cost. 

The company’s pay-as-you-use approach scales seamlessly and frees you from fixed contracts. Their virtual workforce guarantees a personalised, flexible, and effective customer experience.

7. Influx

Influx’s customer support solutions focus on multichannel support. The company’s teams handle emails, chats, voice, and social media channels, contributing to a scalable omnichannel experience. With a pay-as-you-use model, Influx accommodates changing business needs without long-term commitments. 

8. PartnerHero

PartnerHero offers customer support teams tailored to align with the company’s culture and customer base. They are equipped with customer support training and tools for delivering quality services. They cater to industries like SaaS, eCommerce, EdTech, FinTech, and more. Also, PartnerHero offers global teams available 24/7 through offshore, nearshore, and onshore options, catering to various communication channels. 

9. Upcall

This customer service outsourcing company offers a real-time dashboard, a support service team comprising of Upcallers and intuitive software to track outcomes without the need for direct involvement. Upcall’s service covers lead generation, market research, lead qualification, and customer engagement, all supported by a network of screened and vetted Upcallers.

10. Skycom

SkyCom is a contact centre and BPO outsourcing provider that offers customer service solutions at competitive prices. They are certified in-house call centre agents, proficient in native English, and cater to various industries. As SkyCom eliminates training and setup fees, it is one of the cost-effective nearshore solutions. 

Why choose in-house customer support over outsourcing?

Customer service has several limitations. These include:

• Communication barriers – Outsourcing often involves working with teams in different countries or regions. This can result in language barriers, cultural differences, and time zone challenges. Further, miscommunication due to language proficiency or cultural nuances might lead to misunderstandings and frustrated customers.
• Loss of company knowledge – Customer service representatives not directly employed by your company may struggle to understand your products, services, or internal processes fully. This lack of in-depth knowledge can lead to inaccurate information being provided to customers.
• Limited control – Outsourcing limits control over the processes and decisions related to customer interactions. You may have limited influence over hiring, training, and operational changes. This lack of control can make adapting to changing customer needs or market dynamics challenging.
• Data security and privacy concerns – Sharing customer data and sensitive information with a third-party service provider increases the risk of data breaches and privacy violations. Outsourcing companies may have different data security standards and practices, potentially exposing your customers’ information to vulnerabilities and regulatory compliance issues.

However, with in-house customer support, you can get:

➡️Direct control and quality assurance

➡️Deeper company knowledge and better solutions

➡️Cultural alignment 

➡️Better flexibility and adaptability

➡️Security and privacy control

Furthermore, by implementing customer support scheduling software like Surfboard, you can make customer support operations smoother, achieving your company goals and standardising support with relevant solutions.

Our software simplifies the scheduling process, supporting more flexible working patterns, providing scheduling software ROI calculator and allowing you to easily plan shifts and rotations across different time zones.

Here’s what Surfboard can do for you👇

• Accurately forecast call inflows and plan staffing requirements based on historical data.
• Simplify activity scheduling and delegation, allowing you to assign tasks and responsibilities to your surfers easily.
• Seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, eliminating compatibility issues and ensuring a smooth transition.
• Help you coordinate schedules and optimise global operations with the comprehensive time zone management feature.

Implement shift management software to automate the scheduling process, eliminating potential human errors and biases that may result in unfair scheduling practices.

Want more reasons?

Learn how Surfboard helped Lick, a home decor provider, reduce planning time by 75%. The company managed part-time and full-time staff schedules with Surfboard’s forecasting and provided heatmaps for manual adjustments.

Book a demo to find out if Surfboard is the workforce scheduling software you need.

FAQs

Why is customer service outsourced to India?

Customer service is often outsourced to India due to its large, English-speaking workforce, cost-effectiveness, and skilled professionals. The country’s time zone allows for extended support hours, making it attractive for businesses looking to provide 24/7 service. 

What is the purpose of outsourcing?

The purpose of outsourcing is to delegate specific business functions to external third-party providers. This can lead to cost savings, access to specialised expertise, and increased flexibility. Outsourcing allows companies to focus on core competencies while relying on experts for non-core tasks, ultimately enhancing efficiency and competitiveness.

Why not outsource customer service?

Outsourcing customer support services restrict direct control over customer interactions. Maintaining consistency with company values and retaining in-depth product knowledge becomes challenging. Companies with unique service needs or concerns about data security or communication barriers might opt for in-house customer service to offer personalised support.

Looking forward to building a strong in-house customer support? Try out Surfboard to take your customer service to the next level.