Every business leader is running one of two businesses, whether they know it or not: their business as it existed before 2020 or their business as it will exist in 2021 and beyond.
If you’re in the former category, then you really should keep reading.
That’s because the pandemic has created a historic sea change for how businesses operate, the impact of which will be felt for more than a generation. As a result, every savvy business leader is building strategies for maximizing the “next normal” to help their businesses thrive.
That means taking advantage of unique opportunities as they emerge — and before they disappear.
One of the biggest opportunities to emerge in 2021 is outsourcing specific business processes to trusted and skilled contact center providers. It is one of the quickest ways for leaders to add huge value without drastically changing their day-to-day priorities.
Why Is It Perfect Timing for Outsourcing?
There are many reasons to be bullish on the ROI implications for shifting some (perhaps many) of your core services to a contact center vendor. Outsourcing with the right partner has traditionally empowered organizations with an extension of their brand that can deliver stable, expert, and cost-effective service.
But there are specific reasons why 2021 is an even better time to take action, such as:
- Consumer rebound: More travel, leisure, purchasing, and general consumer activity will emerge as the public sector re-opens. How will you handle that increase in volume?
- Consumer flight: Maybe your business benefited from some of the ancillary effects of COVID-19, so “back to normal” may be a shakeup to a particularly strong 12 months for you. How will you retain business now that competition is set to increase?
- Technology supercharged: Increases in remote work and services are only accelerating technology innovation. And that means the gap between early adopters and laggards will get exponentially wider. How will you catch up if your support and service technology is woefully behind your competitors’ tech stack?
The Top Services to Outsource in 2021
So, maybe you’re open to the idea that 2021 is the perfect time to explore outsourcing, but you’re still unsure of which specific tasks offer your organization the most ROI value.
Here’s where our expert advisors see the most opportunity in the next 12 months:
Customer Service
Depending on your post-pandemic priorities (whether building back or expanding your business), customer experience remains one of the biggest factors impacting customer retention and creating brand loyalty.
If you’re focused on the technical aspects of your business, an expert contact center provider supporting your customer service can help you solve problems, answer questions, and create personalized customer experiences. And all the time you’ve saved can be directed toward more business-specific priorities.
Lead Generation and Qualification
The increasing activity from the consumer rebound will find an influx of returning and new spending from key consumer groups. With higher volume comes a need for greater coverage, such as 24/7 inbound and outbound engagement, where outsource call center providers excel.
Creating leads is about having quality engagements at every stage of the customer journey— and if you want to capitalize on the near-term spike, make sure you’re properly staffed to create elevated consumer engagements.
Collections
Let’s be honest, the last year left everyone preoccupied with bigger priorities, and in some cases that means lapsed payments or late dues from your customers.
As a business leader, you can likely sympathize with a customer who fell behind or simply forgot to submit payments — so how can you proceed?
1st-party contact center collection services are a great way to connect with your customers in a non-threatening, affable way while recouping lost or backlogged dues.
It’s also a great way to maintain brand continuity and customer satisfaction, as 1st-party collection services serve as an extension of your business, with agents who are in your customer’s corner.
Technical Support & Help Desk
Instead of building an internal, tech-first customer support team, you can outsource your technical support to providers with direct industry experience, creating rapid responses from agents that specialize in serving customers just like yours.
Getting Started: Outsourcing Top Services with Expert Help
The team at Outsource Consultants has over 150 combined years of BPO industry experience, and we speak regularly with CX executives and outsource call center leaders. We have our finger on the pulse of the outsourcing industry and can offer guidance on new outsourcing strategies – or affirmation of your existing ones.
To get started, request your no-risk, no-cost consultation today.
