What are some tips for smoothly transitioning customer support from one BPO to another?

Outsourcing your customer support is a big strategic move with huge rewards. While you may have chosen your provider after much go through

smoothly transitioning

Outsourcing your customer support is a big strategic move with huge rewards. While you may have chosen your provider after much go through, the current outsourcing relationship isn’t outputting what you’ve expected. And now you want to shift!

There may be a variety of reasons shaping your decision to switch to a new BPO partner. Some of the most common are:

1. Poor performance: If the current BPO provider is not meeting the agreed-upon service level agreements (SLAs) or if the work quality is consistently substandard, the business may look for a new BPO provider.

2. Contract expiration: If the BPO contract is ending, the business may want to explore other options to ensure they are getting the best deal value.

3. Cost reduction: With the changing market conditions or your financial standing, you may want to switch to a BPO provider that offers a more cost-effective solution.

4. Revised business needs: You may want to switch to a BPO provider that can adapt to your business’s evolving needs, such as if you plan to expand into new markets.

5. Better technology: If the current service provider is using outdated technology or is unable to keep up with the latest technological advancements, the business may look for a provider that can offer better technology solutions.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with seeking a new service provider, especially if you aren’t getting the best value for your money with the current hires.

But remember transitioning is a complex process. While your current service provider is getting ready to split ways with you, it will undoubtedly take some time for your new BPO partner to become familiar with your business model and deliver their best results.

At this point, there is a chance that your regular business operations will experience disruptions that will affect your business KPIs like CSat, resolution time, etc.

CSAT: Before deciding to switch service providers, you had been maintaining a good CSAT score. To surpass that is a second thing; it could be difficult to sustain that standard following some time your new team is hired. They may not be adequately trained or don’t have the right resources at that time.

Queue Management: While the new team is trying its best, it may take some time for them to set the right processes. This may result in piling up of requests, and therefore in longer wait times and increased handle times.

Resolution Time: It can take longer for your new team to address customer issues since they are unfamiliar with your systems or processes. This can result in more escalations and slower resolution times.

While a transition process can be risky, however, if you are prepared in advance it will be easier to pull off.

Here are some tips to smoothen the transition of customer support from one BPO to another:

Ramp up the new team :

Ramp-up time refers to the amount of time it takes for a new team to become fully operational and effectively manage customer inquiries. Your new team is ready to give their best, but it may take some time for them to understand how to get things done in the new working environment.

To minimize disruptions in daily operations, ramp up the replacement team before sunsetting the existing one. Distribute first a small percentage of cases to the new team, allow them to tackle them in their own way, and track their effectiveness.

Give them your feedback and suggestions, if any, and slowly increase the number of cases assigned to them.

Incentivization :

Companies that use incentive programs report that when the right incentive was provided, 79% of employees were successful in reaching their established goals. Offering incentives to both the outgoing and incoming providers can help to encourage cooperation and improve the pace of transition.

The business can offer incentives for the incoming provider to maintain or improve the quality of work and encourage timely delivery.

While you may be parting ways, it doesn’t mean you can’t reward your old team for their efforts. You can start an incentive program for them as well for proper knowledge transfer and smooth handover.

Exit Policy :

It is always recommended to add a clause of “exit policy” in your outsourcing contract. Consider this: The goal of an Exit Policy clause is to establish a set of guidelines that are acceptable to both parties, and the ideal time to accomplish this is when the partnership is just getting started.

The replacement vendor may have certain information and resource dependencies on the outgoing vendor. Make sure to clause the data handing over procedure & duration and cost of exit.

Clear Communication :

For both the new and old vendors, the buyer will be the point of contact. So, it’s your job to ascertain that you get all the relevant information (such as customer feedback, ongoing issues, and account history) from the outgoing vendor and pass it on to the incoming vendor.

For this, you can set a schedule of multiple meetings with both vendors and the process for information handover.

Adequate training :

” A common error that hampers BPO projects is a failure to train vendor side employees, probably because of the erroneous assumption that the vendor is expert in the business process and therefore does not need training. “

~ Business Process Outsourcing: The Competitive Advantage

By Rick L. Click, Thomas N. Duening

Regardless of the type of service being provided, training is still required for the vendor staff for reasons like:

To get familiarized with the client’s system and processes
To understand and follow client’s service standards
To learn about the offered product/service
To overcome cultural differences

Make sure the new BPO team is well-trained in the products or services, processes, and technologies utilized. The training should also cover the company’s culture and values.

Quality monitoring :

During the transition time, pay special attention to the quality of support the new BPO team is providing. This will help identify any areas where additional training is needed and ensure that customer satisfaction levels are maintained.

Conclusion :

Switching customer support from one BPO provider to another requires a thought-out strategy that takes into account the needs of the company and its customers. By following these tips, businesses can ensure a seamless transition that has little impact on the quality of support offered to customers.