{"id":1436,"date":"2021-04-16T19:57:25","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T19:57:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.replicant.ai\/replicant-ai-call-center-outsourcing-and-bpo-pros-and-cons\/"},"modified":"2023-01-31T18:25:51","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T18:25:51","slug":"replicant-ai-call-center-outsourcing-and-bpo-pros-and-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.replicant.com\/blog\/replicant-ai-call-center-outsourcing-and-bpo-pros-and-cons\/","title":{"rendered":"Call Center Outsourcing: Pros and Cons of Using a BPO for Your Call Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the frontline for handling customer issues, customer service departments still rely on the phone as their main point of contact with customers. This has become even more important as the mass <\/span>adoption of smartphones<\/span><\/a> has dramatically increased consumer expectations for fast, effortless customer service over the phone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A <\/span>recent study<\/span><\/a> found that 76% of all consumers prefer to reach customer service over the phone as their preferred channel of communication. And this trend isn\u2019t going anywhere, with 92% of American millennials <\/span>owning a smartphone<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But delivering high quality customer experiences can be costly. That\u2019s why many call center leaders are looking to call center outsourcing services through business process outsourcing, or BPOs, to lower their call center costs and scale customer service operations\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

However, there are often hidden costs associated with outsourcing your call center and emerging technologies offer better alternatives. Let\u2019s take a look at what business processing outsourcing is and whether it might be the right solution for you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

What is business process outsourcing?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Business process outsourcing (BPO) is the outsourcing of roles and responsibilities to a third-party service provider. It\u2019s typically done as an attempt to reduce costs and increase efficiency or productivity.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Call center outsourcing is a type of business process outsourcing, and the most typical outsourced service is customer service over the phone. Most outsourced call centers handle inbound phone calls, often leveraging a low-wage workforce that allows them to reduce expenses.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Types of call center outsourcing services<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There\u2019s many different ways to categorize outsourced call centers. One way to look at them is whether they handle inbound or outbound calls. Another way is the type of service these BPOs and offshore call centers perform.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Inbound vs. outbound call center outsourcing<\/h3>\r\n\r\n

Inbound call center service providers answer incoming calls from customers. They can handle a variety of requests, such as updating account information, placing an order, or providing tech support.<\/p>\r\n

Outbound call center service providers make outgoing calls. Outbound calls are typically used either to sell a product or service to consumers or conduct market research. Outbound agents can also qualify leads, proactively provide reminders, or place orders with third-parties.<\/p>\r\n

BPO services offered<\/h3>\r\n\r\n

Classifying BPO providers by the type of service they offer is more specific than whether they handle inbound or outbound calls. Call center BPO companies offer a variety of services across many different industries. Here are just some of them:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n