If Covid-19 taught Customer Experience executives anything, it was the value of customer loyalty. The sense is that brands that made their customers feel cherished came out ahead while those that struggled in that area suffered. With COVID-19 concerns fading, talk of a coming recession presents yet another challenge for CX leaders. Despite the potential for budget cuts, customers want personal attention, yet 54% say CX seems like an afterthought for most brands. In addition, 90% of customers say an “immediate” response is important when they have a customer service question (HubSpot Research).
US Labor Costs Rising
CX leaders must ask themselves if they will be able to meet or exceed customer expectations in 2023 and beyond given the challenges ahead. A job board search for experienced Call Center agents illustrates the conundrum brands face while trying to deliver quality Customer Experience at scale:
- $23 an hour for a medical emergency response agent
- $25 an hour for an agent supporting a national retail clothing store
- $36 an hour for a sales agent at an eCommerce plumbing store
Yes, the cost of sourcing talent for your CX team is escalating fast. The Great Resignation saw over 40 million people quit a job in 2022. All told, 63% of workers cited low pay as a reason. And the anti-work sentiment isn’t letting up, with disgruntled workers posting scathing accounts of perceived injustices in corporate America.
Customer Expectations Rising Too
On the other side of the CX equation are higher customer expectations following COVID-19:
- 93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies that offer excellent customer service. (HubSpot Research)
- 90% of Americans use customer service to decide whether to do business with a company. (Microsoft)
- 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience. (Salesforce Research)
A BPO to the Rescue!
So how can the right BPO partnership help you and your customers? Business Processing Outsourcers are experts at perfecting the customer journey. The right partner will design a solution that increases CSAT and offers great value to your customers by:
- Offering customers effective self-help options
- Eliminating the need for customers to repeat information
- Seamlessly adjusting staffing to meet volume fluctuations
- Reducing costs for frontline agents, training, quality, and operations managers
A BPO like ClearSource, with 15 years of experience, has nearshore, offshore and domestic service options, each of which offer excellent Customer Satisfaction and value. Imagine beginning 2023 without having to worry about extended hold times, high abandonment rates, or the need to recruit frontline agents. Forming a partnership with the right BPO partner frees up your team to focus on high-level conversations that drive customer loyalty. ClearSource often supplies Tier 1 agents that handle 80-85% of total volume, while a brand’s internal team supports escalations and concierge service for loyalty programs. As the program matures, a BPO partner typically adds tiers of complexity or new service locations to meet the expanding needs of its partners.
ClearSource thrives while working with collaborative brands that place high value on Customer Experience. In the next installment of this series, we will explore how partnering with a BPO will strengthen your internal team and brand.
Larry Ruehlen is Vice President of Marketing for ClearSource BPO.
