Providing exceptional customer service is no longer a business choice, but a requirement of any successful business strategy. In the world of e-Commerce, customer satisfaction also reigns supreme – an awesome product is one thing, but it’s still not enough to thrive in a competitive marketplace. This article explores not only how optimising customer experience for eCommerce companies is vital; but also the benefits to outsourcing support from companies who make great CX their business.
When it comes to eCommerce businesses, customer service must align with the factors that define the digital realm. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores with fixed operating hours, eCommerce operates round the clock, 24/7. What it means is that customers expect uninterrupted access to customer service at all times. Establishing a 24/7 customer support team with comprehensive service capabilities, therefore, is imperative.
eCommerce customers also expect a digital-first approach – it’s how they’ve chosen to engage with your brand in the first place. So, while traditional phone support should never be neglected, offering an omni-channel solution is probably one of the most important things an eCommerce business should deliver. It might include live chat, email support, and chatbot technology, but in a nutshell it’s all about giving the customer choice and the ability to resolve their problems or have their questions answered immediately.
As businesses strive to tackle customer expectations and tech evolution simultaneously, it’s becoming increasingly popular for eCommerce companies to outsource CX. There’s several benefits that include cost savings, improved efficiency, and access to specialised expertise that spans from strategy and planning through to delivery.
Why outsourcing saves
When businesses opt for an in-house contact centre team, they bear the burden of supporting overhead costs such as physical facilities, recruitment, and training, which, is not only financially demanding but inefficient across peaks and troughs. Conversely, outsourcing CX empowers businesses to pay solely for the services they require – customising specific service needs, as well as adding and reducing customer service personnel to meet demand.
Another avenue of cost reduction lies in the decreased necessity for businesses to invest in their own customer service technology. Outsourced teams have access to cutting-edge CX technologies, including AI-powered chatbots, which significantly enhance the customer experience. By leveraging these resources through outsourcing, businesses alleviate the need to make substantial investments in these technologies themselves, resulting in considerable cost savings.
Access to the latest in CX tech offers value
Outsourced CX teams have extensive and specialist knowledge of modern omnichannel CX tech and delivery; and experience working with diverse clients across a range of industries.
With a deep understanding of best-practices, and the full spectrum of CX tools available, they’re better equipped to both tailor and deliver a solution that increases overall customer satisfaction, while leveraging the latest technology to increase efficiency.
Unleashing efficiency
Outsourced CX teams possess extensive training and expertise in managing customer interactions, allowing them to deliver faster and more efficient service compared to in-house teams.
With customer service as their core competency, outsourced teams are dedicated to providing exceptional customer support. Equipped with the right technology, people, and processes, they can promptly address customer queries and resolve complaints.
Furthermore, outsourced CX teams often operate round the clock. This enables customers to receive assistance at any time, particularly beneficial for businesses operating across different time zones or catering to a global customer base. Additionally, this continuous operation ensures businesses can handle a higher volume of customer interactions and promptly respond to customer needs.
Flexibility is key
The advantage of flexibility is immense. Outsourced CX is designed to be able to be scaled up or down based on the ever-changing needs of a business. Experiencing a surge? A specialist CX company has both the staff and the processes to be able to respond swiftly, adding additional people to the job. This seamless scalability ensures uninterrupted delivery of excellent customer service, without compromising on quality. And, considering a recent article by VentureBeat suggests 76% of people will break up with a business after one bad experience, it’s easy to see why being flexible to adapt to circumstance is important.
And it goes both ways – if a business faces a decline in customer demand, an outsourced team can quickly reduce the number of service representatives, helping the business optimise costs without sacrificing service standards.
Omnichannel is EVERYTHING
Outsourced CX teams are adept at handling a wide range of customer interactions spanning phone calls, emails, and social media channels. With the ability of omnichannel systems to provide data-driven insights, businesses can align with ever-changing customer preferences, drive higher customer satisfaction metrics, and enhance overall CX performance.
Wrapping up
Customer experience in 2023 extends beyond issue resolution: it holds the power to propel your brand’s growth, foster customer loyalty, drive product upsells, and enhance market share. Customer experience continues to shape consumer preferences and brand differentiation, and as a result, more eCommerce businesses are opting to outsource. Outsourcing CX is a strategic and efficient choice with significant advantages for eCommerce businesses of all sizes. By delegating CX responsibilities to specialised teams, businesses can direct their focus towards their core competencies while still ensuring the delivery of exceptional customer service.
TSA are Australia’s market leading specialists in CX consultancy and contact centre services. We are passionate about revolutionising the way brands connect with Australians. How? By combining our local expertise with the most sophisticated customer experience technology on earth, and delivering with an expert team of customer service consultants who know exactly how to help brands care for their customers.