.jpg)
As we gear up for the busy season, the need for efficient and scalable customer support becomes crucial.
Outsourcing has become a key strategy for many companies, offering the ability to quickly scale teams, control costs, and tap into specialized expertise that may not be available in-house.
Let’s explore the benefits of outsourcing, guide you through selecting the right outsourcing partners, and help you integrate outsourced services seamlessly into your existing operations.
A great BPO partner can quickly increase headcount, keeping things running smoothly when volumes increase—no more scrambling to hire or train new staff.
Not only that, it’s incredibly cost-effective. With outsourcing, you pay for what you need, when you need it. It’s a smart way to scale when you have budget constraints.
If you’re a CX leader who hasn’t outsourced, it might feel uncomfortable allowing a stranger to run your customer support. But these aren’t strangers—they’re experts and professionals.
BPOs are equipped with all the knowledge, the latest tools, and tech that can really level up your service. They know solutions that will get you faster response times, smoother processes, and happier customers.
Finally, flexibility. Outsourcing lets you adapt to unexpected spikes quickly. Need more agents during a busy holiday rush? Done. Want to dial it back in the off-season? Easy.
You’re not locked into anything, giving you the freedom to scale up or down as your business needs change.
When it comes to picking a BPO, it’s all about finding the right match for what matters to you, whether that's price, offerings, or how well they get your brand.
It’s important to take the time to explore your options and choose the BPO that will meet all your needs.
The best way to ensure you match with the right BPO is by asking the right questions and sharing all your relevant information through a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP).
If you’ve never done one, don’t worry—we’re about to walk you through the process.
Before you start reaching out to outsourcing companies, you’ll want to do some research. Look for ones that have experience in your industry and check out their online reviews, case studies, and get referrals from other businesses.
I suggest filling out an interest form to set up a meeting. In the request, give a quick overview of your business, mention that you’re planning to send RFPs to a few BPOs, and outline what you need—like which channels you want covered and any other key details.
Think of this meeting as your “get-to-know” session. It’s your chance to share a little about your business, your customer service goals, and why you’re considering outsourcing.
You’ll chat with someone from their solutions team, who will tell you a little more about the BPO. Expect them to ask some follow-up questions to get a better grasp of your needs, details like:
Besides the technical details, this is also about getting a feel for their vibe and seeing if it clicks with your own.
The initial call is great for filtering out BPOs that might not be a good fit, either because they lack experience in your industry or their culture doesn’t mesh with yours.
The RFP will dive deeper with more detailed questions, helping you get a clearer picture of the BPO’s capabilities and whether they’re the right match.
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, it’s time to send out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to your top candidates.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of questions and a basic outline for crafting your RFP, especially if you’re new to this.
The more detailed your RFP, the better your future BPO can tailor their proposal to fit your needs.
Included in your RFP should be a list of questions you’d like addressed.
We’ve been focusing on handling peak seasonality, so you’ll want to know if they can handle that. Ask:
"How do you handle scalability during peak seasons? Can you provide examples of past experiences where you successfully scaled operations?"
You can also ask questions about how they intend on meeting your standards, like:
"What measures do you have in place for quality control? How do you ensure consistent service quality across all channels?"
Ease your mind that their associates can match the voice of your customer by asking:
"How do you ensure alignment with our brand culture and values? Can you describe your approach to integrating with our brand identity?"
References are always great to ask for, but make sure they’re relevant to you. Be specific, and ask:
"Can you provide case studies or references from clients in similar industries?"
And share that you are particularly interested in experiences related to e-commerce and retail.
I also recommend asking about data security to make sure you and your customers are protected. You can ask:
"What is your approach to data security and compliance? How do you ensure that customer data is protected in accordance with relevant regulations?"
Once you’ve received all proposals, it’s time to evaluate them. Here are some important things to consider when evaluating:
Cost: compare the pricing structures from each BPO. Make sure costs are competitive and fit within your budget. For example, look at the cost per contact and any additional fees for scaling operations.
Expertise: check the BPO’s experience and capabilities. Review their case studies and client references to assess their experience with high-volume customer support.
Cultural fit: determine how well the BPO’s values and culture align with your company’s. For instance: “Does your approach to customer service match your commitment to customer satisfaction?”
Service quality: evaluate the proposed service levels and quality assurance measures. For example, look at their proposed SLAs and quality monitoring practices to ensure they meet your standards.
Flexibility: assess the BPO’s ability to adapt to changing needs and handle peak seasons. For instance, check their strategies for managing high-volume periods and their flexibility in scaling resources.
By focusing on these key components, questions, and evaluation criteria, you can create a thorough and effective RFP that helps you find a BPO partner well-suited to meet your needs.
Once you’ve selected your BPO, you’ll want to ensure a smooth integration. A good outsourcing company will walk you through it, being with you every step of the way.
To ensure high-quality customer service, start by setting some clear KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and SLAs (Service Level Agreements).
SLAs outline what you expect, such as a maximum wait time for calls or a resolution timeframe for support tickets.
Make sure you’ve established a way for your BPO to have visibility into their performance. Regularly monitoring these metrics helps keep everything on track and makes sure your customers are always getting the best service.
Make sure to equip your BPO with all your knowledge and resources. Start by sharing your training materials—this could be anything from your customer service scripts to your brand guidelines.
Also, provide a list of what you’re looking for in new hires, such as specific skills or experience levels. Once the associates are hired, it will be your responsibility to make sure they have logins and access to any systems and tools they’ll need to start their work.
Once your program is ready for launch, set up regular check-ins with the BPO’s Operations Managers and Team Leads. Meeting with them at least weekly keeps the communication lines open and helps address any issues before they become big problems.
Ask them for weekly, monthly, and quarterly recaps. For example, a weekly recap might cover any immediate issues or performance highlights, while a monthly recap could look at trends and ongoing improvements. The quarterly recap should provide a broader view, evaluating overall performance and planning for future needs.
Working with a BPO should be a partnership—a friend once referred to outsourcing as co-sourcing, and I loved that. So, once your program is launched, keep your BPO in the loop of all your business’s ongoings.
Regularly updating training material is crucial for aligning the outsourced team with your service standards. Schedule regular training sessions to keep the team updated on new products, services, or changes in procedures.
For instance, if you launch a new product, ensure the BPO team gets up-to-speed with training materials and FAQs. Implement feedback loops where both you and the BPO can share insights and make adjustments.
Regular feedback helps everyone stay aligned with your expectations and keeps service quality high.
If you notice a dip in customer satisfaction scores, provide constructive feedback and work with the BPO to address the issues promptly. A good BPO will notice these things before you and provide an action plan as they come up.
By setting clear KPIs, maintaining regular communication, sharing comprehensive training materials, and implementing ongoing feedback, you ensure a smooth and successful integration with your BPO partner.
This collaborative approach helps keep everyone on the same page and drives high performance and customer satisfaction.
As a Partner Success Manager for a BPO, I would be remiss if I didn’t quickly talk about co-employment.
When working with a BPO, you will be asked to avoid violating co-employment. This might include things like hiring or firing associates, directly providing any sort of pay, disciplining associates directly, and providing direct performance reviews.
That might feel a little scary, but understand that this isn’t to protect the BPO—it’s to protect you and your business.
Co-employment is essentially a partnership where both a BPO and a company share responsibilities related to managing the customer service team.
But here's the key part—it protects you from a lot of the legal and compliance headaches that come with directly hiring and managing employees.
At PartnerHero, we handle all the HR duties, like payroll, benefits, and compliance with labor laws, so you’re not on the hook for employment liabilities.
This setup shields you from risks such as wrongful termination claims, compliance violations, and other legal issues because the BPO is the one managing those aspects of the workforce.
Plus, it allows you to focus on what you do best—running your business—while we handle the behind-the-scenes HR complexities.
Remember: co-employment isn't just about splitting responsibilities—it's about giving you peace of mind and protecting your company from potential risks.
