Why E-commerce Businesses Should Outsource Call Center Services and Virtual Assistants

E-commerce is highly competitive world, it’s like an online sea full of sharks. Therefore, businesses must seriously consider their needs for outstanding customer service and for operational efficiency. More and more companies are realizing that outsourcing key operations, such as call center services and virtual assistants gives them with a strategic advantage they can’t afford missing. 

The Deloitte Global Outsourcing Survey 2022 shows that 87% of organizations consider external workers a part of their workforce strategy. This highlights the integration of external talent through business service outsourcing to meet skill demands.  In this occasion, we will see how outsourcing can enhance customer satisfaction, streamline processes, and save you money.

Improve Your Customer Satisfaction Through Call Center Outsourcing

One of the most critical facets of e-commerce business is achieving customer satisfaction. For that you need to give your customers solutions, on real-time, and showing them empathy. You need to understand your clients pain points and solve them professionally and showing understanding. In this aspect, counting on experienced and trained representatives is crucial.  Besides, ensuring that your customers have access to 24/7 contact center support, order tracking, and issue resolution can make the difference between a one-time buyer and a loyal, returning customer. 

Here is where call center outsourcing companies, such as Virtudesk have played a crucial role helping e-commerce companies provide a constant top-tier customer support. This way businesses can have their own dedicated team of trained and experienced call center agents. They can manage incoming calls, handle telemarketing tasks, follow-up calls, and provide after-hours support. In summary, they ensure seamless communication and quick problem resolution while making sure the values and voice of your brand is totally and professionally reflected. 

How Outsourcing Works

Outsourcing call center operations is when businesses hire trained and experienced call center representatives who handle the tasks for both inbound call centers and outbound call centers. These agents are trained in customer interaction, and all the soft and hard skills required to perform the many daily tasks related to the e-commerce field such as order processing, product inquiries, and complaint handling to mention just a few. Call center outsourcing services offer e-commerce around the clock support, thus ensuring that the e-commerce customer service works smoothly and is always available.  

Oftentimes, call center outsourcing is delegated to call center companies located in regions where labor costs are much lower, such as the Philippines. This lets e-commerce businesses to keep high service standards without emptying their bank accounts. 

Another important feature about outsourcing is that it offers flexibility and scalability. In simple words, your service provider will be the one that will adapt to the fluctuation of demand, for example as it happens during seasonal spikes. You will have the services you need, and pay only for that. 

Call Center Benefits for E-commerce

If you have an e-commerce company you might not be fully aware of how a call center will improve your business. A call center with trained representatives will ensure that your customers will get quick and easy help with their problems or questions.

Common tasks such like tracking orders, receiving claims about product issues, queries about the product, or returns will be tackled over a simple phone call. 

When buying anything online, customers are anxious about receiving their products on time and in good conditions and if an issue arises, they will want a prompt answer or resolution. Call center services will avoid them the frustration of having to fill long forms or send emails and hope to get a quite prompt response. 

Now, you might still have doubts about why outsourcing instead of having your in-house team. 

Let’s facts talk. A  research about Impact of Outsourcing on Effectiveness of Call Center Services concluded that customers usually have the perception that outsourced call centers are more effective when it comes to solving any kind of issues right on the first call, compared to in-house call centers. 

Additionally, outsourcing call center services translates into higher customer satisfaction and higher chances of the customers calling again. The study revealed that one reason is that the outsourced trained call center representatives were more understanding and empathic with the customers than those of in-house call centers. Other findings of this study include the following advantages of outsourcing call center and customer support:

• Outsourced call center agents received higher rates in soft skills such as effort, attentiveness, and understand. 
• Call transfers are more frequent in outsourced call center as this seems to be beneficial, as customers feel they will receive a further specialized service after they are transferred. 
• Outsourced call centers shown to be more effective solving customers issues during the first call, which means instant customer satisfaction. 

What Your Customers Will Value

So, in businesses, growth and success are linked to customer satisfaction. Some of the reasons why your customers will have a happy experience buying from your e-commerce business is that they know they will get: 

• Round-the-Clock Support: 24/7 call center services ensure that e-commerce businesses are always available to address your customers needs.
• Improved Customer Care: Outsourcing customer care call centers enable businesses to provide timely solutions to their customer.
• Order Tracking & Issue Resolution: Customers want and value quick responses, and outsourcing ensures the get a resolution without delays.

Enhance Operational Efficiency Hiring Virtual Assistants

In addition to customer service, e-commerce businesses always have operational challenges that need to be addressed promptly, such as inventory management, product listing updates, and administrative tasks.

Virtual assistants for e-commerce businesses offer a cost-effective solution by taking over these routine tasks, freeing businesses to focus on core operations. E-commerce virtual assistants can handle every business-related tasks. 

The advantages of virtual assistants for e-commerce include:

Inventory Management: Virtual assistants (VAs) can track inventory levels, update product listings, and handle returns.

Administrative Tasks: They perform a myriad of administrative tasks, such as handling emails, coordinating with suppliers, making logistics arrangements, and managing online stores.

Cost Efficiency: Hiring e-commerce virtual assistants gives businesses the flexibility to scale their operations without having to hire full-time employees. Likewise, businesses save the time, costs, and efforts involved in the recruiting and training of new employees. 

Cost Savings Through Outsourcing

Besides improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, outsourcing saves businesses significant amounts of money. By outsourcing to call center companies or hiring virtual assistants, e-commerce businesses can lower their costs without compromising service quality. An increasing number of e-commerce businesses are choosing to outsource to regions with lower labor costs, such as call center outsourcing companies in the Philippines. 

Actually, Deloitte’s Global Outsourcing Survey (2022) revealed that 57% of executives cited cost reduction as their primary driver of traditional outsourcing. This is particularly advantageous for e-commerce companies who want to reduce expenses without compromising the quality of their services. The survey also showed that 65% of businesses outsource to be able to focus on their core functions. 

Business processes outsourcing is an increasing trend that is taking place worldwide. 

For example, the case study of Shoppaamaan.fi highlights the benefits  that small and medium enterprises experienced from outsourcing their e-commerce operations. The services they outsourced ranged from IT infrastructure, logistics, customer support, to after-sales services, which allowed these companies to focus on their core business. The key benefits they obtained were cost reductions in human capital, technical expenses, and augmented sales.

Further Financial Benefits of Outsourcing for E-commerce

Lower Labor Costs: Outsourcing to countries like the Philippines lets businesses to diminish labor expenses while maintaining their high service standards.

Scalability: Outsourcing services makes it possible for businesses to scale their operations based on demand without having to hire full-time staff or invest in expensive infrastructure and technology.

Call Center Pricing Models: With flexible pricing models, e-commerce businesses can choose the level of service they need, ensuring they only pay for the services they use. 

Call center services for e-commerce often come in diverse pricing packages. You may find per-call models, per-agent pricing, and even subscription based models. 

At Virtudesk, we count on different call center pricing packages to ensure that small or big companies can enjoy premium services according to their needs and fitting their budgets. 

Choose the Right Outsourcing Partner for E-commerce Success

Selecting the right outsourcing company is basic to maximize the benefits of outsourcing. Therefore, you need to do some search and seek service providers that offer:

• Proven track of business process outsourcing (BPO) in the e-commerce field
• Customer service call centers that provide round-the-clock support
• Call center pricing models that can fit their budget and scalability needs

Outsourcing call center services and virtual assistants give e-commerce businesses the chance to enhance customer satisfaction, rationalize operations, and cut costs. Whether you need a 24/7 contact center or administrative support, outsourcing companies like Virtudesk can provide the expertise and flexibility you need to grow your business.

Are You Willing and Ready to Grow Your E-commerce Business? Contact us! Reach out Virtudesk and discover how our outsourcing services (including e-commerce virtual assistants and e-commerce customer service outsourcing) can boost your online success and gains. 

At Virtudesk you will find trained call center agents and virtual assistants to reshuffle your processes and improve customer satisfaction. Yes, you’ll have a team fully dedicated to enhance the quality of your services and the reputation of your brand. 

Let’s talk about how we can take you e-commerce business to the next level. Just call us at +1 (800) 470-8136 or schedule a Free Discovery Call to learn how our e-commerce outsourcing solutions can help your business grow and thrive!