Outsource customer service – What is the role of education and knowledge?

Are you considering outsourcing your customer service? Increased knowledge or knowledge gap? This is our approach

More knowledge is a long-term investment and something we prioritize. This is despite the fact that it initially means an increased cost to hold education and training for an extra 1-2 weeks. Succeeding in outsourcing its customer service often depends on how well the outsourcing company learns its new client’s product or service, its challenges and the company culture.

Introductory training is not enough, however

We have a system where we continuously collect feedback from our employees regarding challenging questions, technology and difficult customer situations. According to the priority of the questions, we then have a workshop together. Usually weekly, or more often, to always be on your toes – and a little better prepared.

What do the statistics say?

According to PwC’s survey Future of CX as of 2018, 46% of customers are prepared to leave the company if the agent lacks knowledge. This is therefore too important to be overlooked. Furthermore, 71% of customers indicate that the company representative, or customer service representative, has a decisive impact on the customer experience as a whole. However, this is not at all surprising, as the contact with the customer service agent is often the only contact the customer has with a company. Important to add is that customers who are satisfied because everything works well in many cases have no contact at all with a live agent. This means that the relationship and loyalty the customer has to the company is often based on how smooth the experience was – when something does not work.

Outsource customer service to a partner who values education

Our method to ensure a high level of knowledge naturally differs depending on which partner we help and their unique circumstances. But basically, our efforts can be summarized in the following points:

• Solid introductory training
• In-depth analysis of our partners’ services and products
• Requirement to have completed a knowledge test about customer care and about the companies represented
• Continuous updating of knowledge through workshops, role plays and training in e-learning systems
• Internal knowledge database or FAQ that is continuously updated
• Continuous feedback from agents regarding where knowledge should be improved

Are you considering outsourcing your customer service? Do not hesitate to contact us for more information!

Nordicom is a center for all needs in customer relations and we help Nordic brands with customer service, telemarketing and back-office solutions. Our services enable companies to meet their customers and create new value through the best possible customer experience.