If you have already outsourced your customer support or are looking to do so in the future, you need to understand how to integrate the outsourced customer care team into your own processes and customer lifecycle. That’s where this checklist will come in handy. This list of best practices is based on GlowTouch’s 15+ years of experience in providing outsourced support to midsized and large businesses.
Many executives think that finding a good outsourcing partner is all you need to successfully outsource support. In reality, signing the outsourcing agreement is the start of a journey. Both you and your customer care outsourcing partner need to work collaboratively to make it work. A big driver of success is ensuring your outsourced customer support team feels and acts like an extended arm of your internal team.
Ready to discover the important steps you need to take to ensure your internal and outsourced teams are on the same side and playing by the same playbook? Let’s get started!
Your Easy Checklist for Integrating Your Outsourced Customer Support Team
- Instill your company culture in the outsourced team.
- Define for the outsourced customer support team members what your company culture is comprised of; cover your core values.
- Tell the stories behind your company culture.
- Continue to reinforce that culture throughout the life of your engagement with the outsourced customer support team.
- Make the outsourced team feel like part of your company. For example, pass along “swag,” like company t-shirts, banners, and mugs.
- Pro cost-saving tip: If you can, have the swag made in your outsourced partner’s country. For example, if your team is in India, have the items produced and shipped from a local supplier.
- Ask your outsourced teams what they want. For instance, winter hats are relevant in Canada; umbrellas are great in India during the wet season.
- Treat your outsourced team the same as you treat your in-house team(s).
- If you make the outsourced customer service team feel like members of your internal team, they’ll treat you and your customers better.
- If you make them feel like second-class citizens, that will show up in the way they serve your customers.
- Visit your outsourced contact center in person and introduce yourself.
- This step is a demonstration of commitment and engagement.
- Make sure to follow up with regular trips.
- Participate in training.
- Your role in training your team will vary by engagement, but make sure training isn’t left just to the outsourcer.
- The better the training is, the more likely it is that your team will have the key skills to support your customers.
- Select a great CRM that puts all relevant customer information at your support teams’ fingertips.
- Set up a strong internal communications channel and make it different from what you use with customers.
- At GlowTouch, we love Slack, but there many other ways to communicate with distance workers.
- Also, try to use video chat when you can’t visit in person. Seeing your face will go a long way towards keeping communications personal and meaningful.
- Create an internal management structure.
- If you have an experienced in-house team, empower them manage your outsourced team.
- Invite your outsourcing partner to manage the team if you don’t have the in-house expertise.
Ready, Set, Go!
Integrating your outsourced team with your internal team is a key driver of success. With this easy-to-use checklist, you’ll be able to easily ensure that your outsourced customer service team acts as a seamless extension of your internal customer care team. For more information, email us at info@glowtouch.com
