For many businesses, offshore support teams may seem like a cost-effective solution to customer service needs. After all, labor costs are lower in countries like India and the Philippines, and the availability of workers is significantly higher. However, the reality is that choosing an offshore support team may be costing businesses more than they realize. In this blog post, we’ll delve into some of the most significant risks of offshore support teams and provide you with insights on how to avoid them.
Language Barrier: One of the most significant risks of choosing an offshore support team is the language barrier that can get in the way of effective communication. Even if the team is trained in American English, there can still be a significant gap in communication due to varying language customs and communication styles. This, in turn, can lead to long and frustrating conversations that are not productive for a customer or for the offshore support team.
Lower Skill Sets: Offshore support teams may have lower skill sets in comparison to onshore teams. While they may be capable of handling simple queries, handling complex customer support issues, formulating reasonable solutions to saved data, can be hard to handle for them. Companies that are evolving significantly and experiencing customer growth should reconsider offshore support teams.
Lack of Urgency: In offshore support, due to less or no investment in success, business support partners often lack a sense of urgency in resolving customer problems. Offshore support services providing companies end up attending to customer issues as per their convenience, keeping customers waiting in long queues for unresolved queries. This non- committal attitude towards time sensitivity can impact customer satisfaction.
Customers Prefer American Support: In the rapid-paced digital world that we live in, customers expect instantaneous interactions with attentive and appreciative support teams. Your customers are paying for your services and expect professional and relatable support by American agents. When the person on the other side of the conversation seems indifferent and scripted, it can make them even more frustrated and angry. American Customers expect American support.
Negative Impact on Customer Retention: The language barrier, lower skills, lack of urgency, and cultural differences can have immediate long-term effects on customer retention rates. Switching to onshore teams, will improve customer experience, satisfaction, loyalty, and the will to return. Customers prefer quality above concessions in price, and they will quickly go to a company that offers excellent customer service with no-tolerance for off-culture support who may appear indifferent.
Conclusion:
While choosing an offshore support team may seem like a cost-effective solution, it may be costing more for your business than you can imagine. The risks of a language barrier, lower skill sets, and lack of urgency, combined with difficulty relating to an American culture, can negatively impact customer retention. It’s vital that businesses understand the consequences of choosing offshore support teams and opt for onshore support teams for improved customer satisfaction and retention rates. The American public demands American support and will only accept substitutes for a limited period. Choose wisely!