Making the Same Mistake Over and Over? How to Absorb Outsourcing Lessons into Process
May 21st, 2012
By Jagdish Dalal
George Santayana once wrote: “Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.” I also like what Albert Einstein wrote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
So it is for many providers who do not have a structured process for learning from their past performance. Customers expect their providers to continuously improve their performance. In a competitive world of outsourcing, providers benefit by reducing service defects, thereby improving customer satisfaction and their bottom line. After all, failure to meet performance levels ends up costing them in their margin – directly or indirectly.
By Michael Blankman
In my recent article, we concluded that the most important aspect of managing remotely is building a strong and trusting relationship. Creating a partnership that doesn’t rely solely on the contract for the outsourcer to get performance security. The partnership is critical because once operations are outsourced, real influence over daily management will and should be limited, or why outsource at all? The partnership needs to be based on respecting each other’s expertise, ensuring roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and that the underlying business model justifying the decision to outsource is protected.
By Rosanne D’Ausilio PhD
Average turnover, reported at 40% to 50%, has always been, and continues to be, a chronically costly problem for call centers, a problem that seems to be tolerated rather than solved. Respondents to a FurstPerson survey reported an average monthly attrition rate of 7.18%. Annualized, a 40% annual turnover estimate becomes an actual turnover rate of 87%. As you read further, you’ll see what that costs!
By James Bargent
When consultancy firm Everest Group last year asked offshore service providers around the world where they planned to expand their global footprint, South Africa ranked firmly in the top three answers with only China and Brazil offering serious competition. We decided to examine what is so appealing about South Africa – and more importantly – what strategies investment agencies are executing to win a surprising amount of global attention.
What Latin America Can Really Learn from India’s Outsourcing Journey
March 21st, 2012By James Bargent
There are not many people in the world of outsourcing that can match Gokul Agarwalla for experience. The Indian-born 65-year-old has travelled the world several times over in a 40-year career that has seen him represent some of the industry’s biggest names and advise governments from India to Taiwan on how to tap into the outsourcing revolution. (He started working with Wipro when there were less than ten people in the firm.)
Take C.A.R.E. of Your Customers
March 5th, 2012
By Rosanne D’Ausilio
Last year CBS Sunday Morning had a segment on customer service. Presented was a typical actual scenario where an older woman went to the office of the company that had screwed up her phone service. She asked for a manager or supervisor, was told to sit down, and then two hours later was told that that person had left the office.
Does that sound familiar?
BPO Brief: Expect Aggressive Growth in the Dominican Republic
February 29th, 2012By Luke Bujarski
Martinez: More than just a job.
The contact center industry in the Dominican Republic is poised to double in size from 10,000 to 20,000 bilingual agents by 2017. This is the message passed on by Eddy Martinez, president of the export and foreign investment agency CEI-RD, as well as key industry insiders during detailed discussions with Nearshore Americas. However, concerns about the availability of high-tech talent suggests that the DR still has some way to go before moving into higher-end software and application development services.
Call-Center Heresy: Treat the Customer as Priority #2
February 8th, 2012
By Dan Berthiaume
Everyone seems to have at least one story about a nightmare experience dealing with telephone customer service. The fact that many call center providers are located in countries where language and customs are significantly different from US norms only exacerbates the problem. Some experts recommend that companies outsourcing call center functions attack the problem of poor customer service by focusing more attention on serving the needs of customers. But is that always the best strategy?
Can Latin American Providers Meet the Demand?
February 2nd, 2012
By Bill Huber, Partner, ISG, and Kristen Elvinger, Research Associate
Concerns exist over the capacity of Latin American service providers to absorb rapid growth. Several global providers currently have a presence in Latin America, and tax and other trade incentives will help attract more outsourcers to the region. And, many Latin American countries are positioned to further develop emerging areas of specialization. Indeed, lessons learned from India, China, and some Eastern European countries suggest that specialization and quality-focused differentiation will be the keys to success, especially for countries with small populations.
Want Better Customer Service? Take the Pulse of Your Company
February 1st, 2012
By Rosanne D’Ausilio PhD
There is what we call a moment of truth when a customer makes a decision about you, your company, maybe even all companies in your industry, based on their interaction with anyone from the front lines up to and including your CEO. In those first three sentences, a customer determines whether their interaction will be a good experience, a bad experience, or a waste of their time.
When talking about customer service, customer satisfaction, and customer retention, you often hear that the best way to determine how you’re doing is to ask your customer. And that’s absolutely true. However, if you really want to know how your company is doing, ask your internal customer.
