3 Myths about outsourcing to call centers in the Philippines debunked

Tuesday, April 8, 2014


Many businesses outsource services to call centers in the Philippines, especially since the demand for effective and timely customer service and technical support increases as business operations expand.

However, the idea of transferring the responsibility of providing customer care to an offshore partner can admittedly be overwhelming and scary for some businesses. Since the outsourced call center will carry the frontline responsibility of interacting with your customers, you may feel apprehensive about a lot of things you hear about outsourcing.

Here are some misconceptions about call center outsourcing that usually prevent clients from benefiting from improved customer service delivery:

1. I will lose control over my customers.

This is false. If you are partners with the right call center, the outsourcing campaign or project initiate should systematically be constructed based on your company's goals and initiatives. The customer service delivery methods that the agents follow depend heavily on your instructions. Hence, call centers usually involve the clients in several phases of the project including recruitment, training, and actual call operations.

You also have the opportunity to evaluate the performance of your agents regularly through management practices such as call calibration, monitoring, and coaching. In this practice, your expectations are matched with the desired outcome through your direct supervision and management of human resources.

2. Call center agents may not speak my language well.

Effective communication has been the priority of call centers when it comes to developing skills of agents.

Whether it is multilingual support or English voice solutions you need, a dedicated group of highly proficient agents can be built to meet your expectations. The neutral English accent of Filipinos is what sets them apart from other competitors such as India. Since English is the secondary language in the country, agents will not have a hard time communicating with Western customers.

Providing multilingual services is also a strength of call centers in the Philippines. Most multilingual agents have undergone special language courses from accredited institutions and universities. On top of this, Filipino call center agents also show cultural compatibility with many foreign cultures, manifesting ease in relating with customers from any part of the world.

3. Outsourcing only means additional costs and not income generation.

It does not necessarily have to be this way. Simply put, the added operational cost is offset by the consequential gains such as customer experience improvement and increased company savings.

When customers are satisfied with the quality of service you provide them, customer loyalty, which sets the longevity of your business, is ensured. In a market where businesses with highly similar products or services compete for stronger customer base, customer satisfaction is crucial.

Additionally, Philippines is a low-cost region. Partnering with a call center in the country will make a significant cost saving on your part since you do not have to spend on infrastructure and equipment. With undivided attention, you can now focus on your own core competencies and work on more important matters such as expansion and marketing.

An effective outsourcing partner can help boost customer satisfaction through efficient interaction with customers. This can be promising to small businesses that are on their way to expanding operations. But for this to be realized, one must be aware of the fallacies about outsourcing. After knowing the facts, you can now plan your outsourcing project that will help you meet your customers' needs.

Open Access BPO is an outsourcing firm in the Philippines that provides quality customer service and technical support solutions to clients worldwide. We help our partners build stronger ties with their customer base. Know more about our company by visiting our website and Google+ page.