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Customer Service and Outsourcing

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5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of May 23, 2016. Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online resources.

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of May 23, 2016

Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too. G by Jaclyn Fu (Conversocial) To deliver a socially mature customer care strategy, there must be both Investment and Innovation. How Does Technology Impact the Customer Experience? At a recent Opticon conference, Mary Hamilton, Managing Director of Accenture Technology Labs, described the near future where our offerings could be enhanced by sensors, supported by data, and automated to deliver an ever more personalized, innovative customer experience.

How Does Technology Impact the Customer Experience?

Technology not only enables personalization, but also enhances accessibility and consistency of customer experiences. Technology has become an indispensable part of modern living. From mobile devices to smart phones to personal computers, all the way up to ads on LED screens and social media. The team at Merlin recently shared their insight on the role of technology in the customer service experience. They add some unique ways that technology is changing the way we connect with and serve customers today. 7 Things to Consider When Deciding to Outsource Technical Support - Merlin. Outsourcing services have been in use for a long time due to their numerous benefits, regardless of the particular organization’s size, industry and job requirements.

7 Things to Consider When Deciding to Outsource Technical Support - Merlin

Before, the decision to outsource was primarily to save on operational expenses. But, today, it is in high demand because it helps businesses function more effectively without the need to source new talent. Outsourced services such as technical support have the skills needed to fulfill associated business needs without the complexities of building your own in-house technical support team. However, before you outsource your technical support, remember that it is a critical decision that needs plenty of time and research for proper consideration. Here are some important things to keep in mind: 1. Outsourcing will work if there is no need to have people physically present on-site. 2. There are some areas where there are insufficient programmers or web developers, which is completely understandable and relatively common. 3. 5 Factors to Consider in Assessing your Inbound Call Center Software.

Is your inbound call center relying heavily on your software solution?

5 Factors to Consider in Assessing your Inbound Call Center Software

Have you encountered instances where your software failed and caused inconveniences to your business operation? If you’ve answered yes, then it’s time to evaluate your current software’s capabilities and maybe consider making an upgrade too. 7 Tips to Personalize Customer Support. 6 DIY Market Research Methods For The Budget Conscious. Any business owner worth his salt knows that market research is an important component of achieving long-term success and winning loyal customers.

6 DIY Market Research Methods For The Budget Conscious

Regardless of whether you operate a large business spanning across several continents, a small mom and pop store down the road, or an e-commerce website, conducting market research is one of the best ways for you to gain insight into consumer behavior, which in turn will help determine your next strategic business move. A limited budget is no excuse not to do market research. If you’re unable to hire a team of experts right now, there are a number of ways and methods you can still use to get the benefits of a good market research effort. It doesn't have to make a dent in the bottom line. Here are a few methods those with tight purse strings can try now. 1. Customer Service: How Important is Tech Support to Your Growing Business? Whenever we acquire a new gadget or an appliance, we are eager to use it, most of the time skipping the operation manual.

Customer Service: How Important is Tech Support to Your Growing Business?

When a problem occurs, first thing that we usually do is to contact customer service for assistance. The customer gets frustrated when they are not assisted properly, which most of the time leads to sour remarks against the company. 5 Must-Have Call Center Software to Improve Customer Service. If you’re a call center company, customer service is the heart of your business.

5 Must-Have Call Center Software to Improve Customer Service

Good customer service makes way to customer satisfaction. If customers experience long wait times or ineffective agents, they may get frustrated and unhappy with your service and may start looking for other solutions; that’s why it’s always important to focus on improving your call center operations. This is where call center software products come in. Software products can make complicated processes in your everyday customer interactions way easier. Social Media Customer Service Guidelines for the Holiday Season. 4 Ways to Level up Your Social Customer Service This Holiday Season.

Outsourcing Medical Claims Processing. There was a time in the past when the tedious and complicated task of medical claims processing was a hands-on responsibility for physicians and doctors.

Outsourcing Medical Claims Processing

Healthcare providers had to manually code and submit claims to a patient's insurance company in order to get paid, but those were the days. Now with the help of medical claims processing outsourcing, our healthcare professionals are finally getting the fruits of their labor in a quick and efficient way. Outsourced medical claims services provide a full process deal for many healthcare organizations including insurance claims, accident claims and injury claims. They allow doctors to focus on patient care, without having to worry about the hassle of billing and accounting. How medical claims processing works. Finance and Accounting Outsourcing Reduce Stress from Back-End Processes. An outsourcing company can allow small and medium-sized financial services to incorporate improved risk management solutions into their business models.

Finance and Accounting Outsourcing Reduce Stress from Back-End Processes

It takes a lot of work for any business to be able to offer a high-quality service. What customers see from their vantage point often represents only a small fraction of the energy commitment that ultimately went into making sure the company’s offerings are in fact fully up to speed and compliant with existing rules and regulations. Customer Service: 4 Myths You Shouldn’t Believe. It was Bill Gates who mentioned, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

Customer Service: 4 Myths You Shouldn’t Believe

While companies need to know the difference between dissatisfied and a satisfied customers, both can either make or break you. We often think customers are dependent on the company when it’s the other way around. Customer service is the only topic that has been up for debate for as long as anyone can remember. There are heaps of misconceptions about customer service out there. To break the chain, here are the top 5 myths you shouldn’t believe at all.

Your Guide to Digital Customer Experience Strategy for 2016. Guest Blog: 5 Reasons Why Outsourcing Your Customer Service Can Be A Smart Move. This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Alleli Aspili talks about the challenge of companies providing excellent customer service and explores the option of outsourcing. – Shep Hyken You’re a growing business and painting the best vision for your company. One of the things you want to achieve is to provide satisfying and convenient customer service to your consumers while keeping your costs low. Whether online or via the telephone line, you want your customers to have the flexibility to contact you. You swear to yourself that there’s no way you would have the old ringy-dingy call center that answers unattended phones. Guest Post: Expanding your business globally.

Expanding one’s business globally used to be something only large enterprises can do. However, technological advances have enabled smaller businesses to grow globally with the help of outsourcing companies. Outsourcing has enabled people to work from anywhere and with anyone in the world, making it an accessible strategy even for small businesses. With access to a global pool of human capital, small businesses are now able to compete directly with bigger players.

Outsourcing, though, is an undertaking that must be planned carefully. Guest Blog: 5 Reasons Why Outsourcing Your Customer Service Can Be A Smart Move. Customer Service vs Customer Experience: How They Differ and Why They Matter. How to Take Advantage of Accounts Payable Outsourcin. In the finance industry, accounting outsourcing is seen as a way to optimize and improve overall business performance. A survey report by Canon Business Process Services entitled “The Case of Outsourcing Accounts Payable” reaffirms this belief as it notes that the accounts payable (AP) function is the most frequently outsourced process within Finance & Accounting. Outsourcing your accounts payable (AP) processes, when done right and with the right outsourcing partner, is a strategic move to aims to improve the overall efficiency and performance of your organization. Service level agreements (SLAs) between business process outsourcing providers (BPOs) and financial institutions keep both parties on track as well as in clear understanding and agreement on services, priorities and responsibilities.

5 Classic Examples of Great Customer Service Across the UK. Checklist for Writing an Excellent Customer Service Email. The Benefits of Outsourcing: A Guide for SMEs. Being a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) in any industry is a tough feat to pull off, especially if the most lacking commodity you have is time.

Most start-ups face this dilemma, and it could be very frustrating when you’ve got all the ability and commitment to move your business forward, but certain areas can’t be given enough attention because of time constraints. Outsourcing, or the practice of employing the help of outside firms to handle important work a business does not have certain resources for, is now becoming popular among many entrepreneurs. Various business transactions and processes can now be easily outsourced to outsourcing companies at reasonable cost, without compromising quality and even enhancing the business’s overall performance.

While it’s true that outsourcing can save on time and money, not many businesses fully grasp all of its long term benefits. 6 Reasons You Need a Multilingual Customer Support - Merlin. The world has become a lot smaller because of the advances in technology such that it might make more sense for companies with a global reach to invest in a multilingual customer support. However, even smaller businesses can also take advantage of this because you never really know how far your products can reach. Below are six reasons why you need multilingual customer support. The Latest in Outsourcing: July 2015. July has been an eventful month in the outsourcing industry.

Here’s a rundown of the significant events that took place in BPO companies this month. Global outsourcing breaks all-time records in first half of 2015 ISG’s latest global Outsourcing Index has announced a surge in worldwide outsourcing records in the second quarter of 2015—a milestone reached despite the 7% year-on-year decline in the annual contract value (ACV) for the first half of this year ($6.2 billion). The following breakthroughs occurred despite the first quarter of 2015 being considered as one of the slowest quarters of the last decade: a record of 451 signed contracts amounting to $5 million, and a high of 754 agreements in the first half of the year.

According to ISG, this significant increase in activity was prompted by the growing trend among buyers who steadily negotiate a higher number of deals at a lower value. 4 Signs Your Company Needs to Outsource Project Management. Project management is a vital component in every company today. 4 Key Factors for Outsourcing Success. Many organizations all over the world have already embraced outsourcing as a strategy to decrease cost and improve efficiency.

Clearly, outsourcing certain parts of one’s business can provide the firm with many benefits. However, not all those who venture into outsourcing are successful. In order to develop and sustain successful outsourcing partnerships, companies must not only understand but also embrace the following four key success factors. 1. Goals and Objectives. 9 Tips to Achieve Successful Online Customer Service. Qualities of the Perfect Customer Service Representative. Business and Social Media Strategies to Boost Customer Service Quality. Top 10 Customer Experience Influencers to Follow. Top Customer Service Groups to Join on LinkedIn. Starting a Business? 5 Things You Can Outsource. Nowadays, just about any operational or internal business function can be outsourced to another organization. Such firms typically possess the expertise, resources and capability to provide the services your company requires.

Philippines VS India: Which is the Better Outsourcing Destination? [Infographic] In recent years, the Philippines and India have been head-to-head in dominating the global BPO arena. While India’s still considered as the undisputed leader, the Philippines is fast gaining ground with its literate English-speaking populace, widespread government support, and concerted efforts for infrastructure improvements. With relation to this, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India (ASSOCHAM), revealed that India’s international voice center industry arisen an approximately 50% loss in 2013, due to the increasing number of outsourced voice-support accounts preferring Filipino employees’ neutral accents. However, several major BPOs such as Aegis and companies such as Telstra and Bestbuy, attest to the superior selling skills of Indian employees. As such, call centers are not just cost centers, but rather units that can drive some revenue as well.