Many organizations hesitate to use outsourced customer support because they think it takes a long time to recognize value. So they keep handling support in-house while juggling a wide range of other priorities. This leads to poor customer support and impacts other parts of the business.
Believe it or not, getting started with outsourced customer support is easy, and recognizing value from the partnership can happen quickly. Here are five things to insist on from your customer service partner which will help them get to work thrilling your customers & freeing you to work on the rest of your business.
Fast Tracking Success with Outsourced Customer Support
Training
When you partner with an outsourced customer support team, they need to be properly trained on your products and services. This means providing clear documentation and step-by-step instructions for each representative. Make sure the training process is complete before the support team begins working with customers. The last thing you want is for them to provide inaccurate information.
Most reliable outsourced customer support organizations have a process that makes internal training easy. This framework gets support agents trained not only at the start of your relationship but also as your business grows. In most cases, it simply needs your team to fill in details about your business, products, and value proposition. Their internal training team can often take it from there.
Tip: Be wary of a support partner that leans on you for all of the training. Yes, your input is essential. But if you are managing all of the training then you are likely to be responsible for measuring success and training new support representatives over time.
Documentation
In addition to proper training, your outsourced customer support team needs access to up-to-date documentation. This will help them answer customer questions quickly and accurately. It can also help them troubleshoot issues that may come up. Update your documentation regularly and make sure it’s easily accessible to your support team.
Documentation and training differ in the fact that documentation can serve as a playbook after support has launched. Further, documentation evolves over time as new resources and ideas are added. While training sets your support partner on the path to success, having an extensive playbook keeps them on the right track.
Tip: Be wary of a customer support partner that does not see documentation as an evolving and collaborative effort. No, you do not want documentation that is sprawling and constantly changing. You DO want documentation that combines your current needs with your support partner’s best abilities.
Communication
Communication is key when working with an outsourced customer support team. You need to be able to easily reach out to them with questions or concerns. They should also have a point of contact (an Account Manager or Success Manager) that you can go to with any issues. A communication plan that includes regular and scheduled touch-points is essential. Further, these touch-points should have structure and even an agenda to make the best use of everyone’s time.
Tip: Be wary of a customer service partner unwilling to speak with you by phone or video conference. True, email creates an electronic paper trail for communication. It is also true that email’s asynchronous nature slows down some processes that require complex discussions.
Access to Metrics Data
Your outsourced customer support team needs regular and timely access to metrics. This will help them track the progress of their work and ensure they are meeting your expected KPIs. It will also help them identify any areas that may need improvement. Make sure the metrics are easy to understand and use regular reporting to keep your team updated on the progress of the project.
At the same time, insist on your customer support partner showing you how to access reports and metrics on your own. Waiting for a spreadsheet every week or two to track success is a recipe for disaster. The most common support platforms support near real-time reports and analytics. You should have access to this information
Tip: Be wary of a support partner that insists on filtering all reports and support data before sending it to you. You should have access to all of the data without anyone having a chance to modify – or in the worst case – delete tickets that were poorly handled.
A Project Calendar
A project calendar is a must for any outsourced customer support project. It will help both teams stay on track and ensure you are meeting all milestones and deliverables. The calendar should include specific dates and times for training, communication, and delivery of results.
Milestones in the plan are critical. At the same time, insist on a process for remediation issues if the process deviates from the project plan. Sometimes things do not go perfectly. That is no reason to panic or lose faith in your new partnership. An action plan to get back on track delivers peace of mind and confidence. Having a clear road map will help ensure a successful partnership.
Tip: The project calendar should be created and driven by your customer support partner. If they do not have a familiar structure or process to follow then it is unlikely that your support launch will go off without a hitch.
Outsourced Customer Support Partnerships Can Flourish Quickly
Getting started with outsourced customer support doesn’t have to be difficult. By implementing the above and aligning with your new partner, you can make sure the team has everything they need to provide excellent service to your customers. Recognizing value from the partnership can happen quickly – so you can focus on the rest of your business. That value is directly tied to helping your partner start off on the right path to success. To learn more about how wrrk approaches delivering value through customer support as quickly as possible, contact us here.
