{"id":561,"date":"2019-10-14T18:27:51","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T15:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chatra.io\/blog\/?p=561"},"modified":"2019-10-15T22:05:46","modified_gmt":"2019-10-15T19:05:46","slug":"how-support-as-a-service-vendors-are-changing-the-perception-of-outsourcing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chatra.com\/blog\/how-support-as-a-service-vendors-are-changing-the-perception-of-outsourcing\/","title":{"rendered":"How Support-as-a-Service Vendors are Changing the Perception of Outsourcing"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a guest post from\u00a0Richard Moy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Over the last three decades, traditional outsourcing has earned a reputation for being a low-quality, cost-cutting measure. In that time, business leaders have discovered that any potential savings from outsourcing can evaporate instantly thanks to a poor customer experience. One <\/span>defamation case<\/span><\/a> in 2012 argued that the company lost out on revenue worth upwards of $750,000 thanks to just a few negative reviews online. While this is an extreme (and admittedly, rare) example, <\/span>a study by KPMG<\/span><\/a> found that there\u2019s a clear correlation between a negative customer experience and lost revenue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In response, we\u2019ve seen many organizations dismiss traditional outsourcing as a viable option to scale their support operations. But in recent years, a handful of new vendors have entered the marketplace, all of which offer a more compelling suite of products known as Support-as-a-Service. Much like <\/span>Software<\/span><\/i>-as-a-Service, Support-as-a-Service offers <\/span>on-demand customer support teams<\/span><\/a> that can be scaled up or down as needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although this might sound very similar to traditional outsourcing, some key differences make Support-as-a-Service a much more appealing option. Here are a few ways that Support-as-a-Service vendors are working to change the perception of outsourcing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating Shared Goals and KPIs With Clients<\/b><\/h2>\n

Marketing expert Neil Patel once wrote that <\/span>outsourcing<\/span><\/a> should help you achieve at least three of the following five goals: hire new employees, increase profit, improve employee healthcare, grow revenue, or increase cash flow. You\u2019d be hard-pressed to find an executive who isn\u2019t interested in improving in these areas. But when it comes to outsourcing, each company has unique needs and goals, which is why Support-as-a-Service vendors work <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> hard to <\/span>create shared KPIs with their clients<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, Boldr collaborates with customers to understand their requirements and create mutually agreed upon KPIs to ensure success. In a <\/span>case study<\/span><\/a>, Boldr\u2019s Majorie Yoro wrote that the team analyzed one client\u2019s previous Valentine\u2019s Day volume to determine how to measure success for the same holiday in 2018.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why do Support-as-a-Service vendors consider this such a critical component of their model? Danielle Poleski of Klipfolio explains that <\/span>KPIs keep objectives at the forefront of decision making<\/span><\/a> for an organization. Michael Scrage of MIT’s Sloan Review adds that <\/span>KPI alignment<\/span><\/a> ultimately leads to better corporate performance. \u201cOrganizations should not invest in smarter and more predictive KPI dashboards only to have them ignored,\u201d says Schrage. \u201cTo the contrary, KPI dashboards should ensure that everyone focuses on key performance. Everyone!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you partner with a Support-as-a-Service vendor, your offshore teams don\u2019t operate in a silo. They work hard to <\/span>integrate with your current systems<\/span><\/a>\u2014and KPI alignment across teams enables them to do so more seamlessly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Constant Communication and Process Optimization<\/b><\/h2>\n

One of the biggest attractions of traditional outsourcing was that you didn\u2019t have to think about it too much. You\u2019d sign a contract, determine how much bandwidth you needed the offshore call centers to add, and that was about it. If an outsourcing vendor helped a client hit some overall business goals, it was deemed a worthwhile investment. Of course, this came at the expense of the customer. Not only was the customer experience often negative, but organizations didn\u2019t understand <\/span>why<\/span><\/em> their outsourced support team was delivering such a poor experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many Support-as-a-Service vendors feel that this problem can be solved with open communication about the performance of offshore call centers. Building communication into the plan from the beginning can help keeps that dialogue front and center.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n