If you run a business, and avail of an outsourced service that costs $18, but find another vendor selling the same at $12, your natural reaction would be to go for the cheaper option, correct? After all, that still amounts to $6 worth of savings—and in times like these, cost savings mean everything to businesses, whether big or small.
However, when it comes to call centre outsourcing to the Philippines, it’s important to note that cheaper isn’t always better, says Ralf Ellspermann, CEO of award-winning BPO provider PITON-Global in Manila.
“Companies migrate their call centre requirements to the Philippines to achieve cost savings. It’s the main driver for going offshore in the first place,” acknowledging one of the strong traits of the Philippine call centre industry— low costs, which are around 60 per cent lower than in Australia.
“Comparing an hourly rate of $12 with one that’s $18 would only make sense if all call centres in the Philippines were created equal—meaning they employ agents with the same level of English proficiency, and have identical processes, technologies, and facilities,” Ellspermann explains. “Needless to say, this is not the case.”
Companies need to pay particular attention, Ellspermann continues, to the kind of technologies that different call centres in the Philippines offer. He even compares call centre technology to a car’s engine: There are vendors that run on the engine of a 20-year-old Kia, while there are others powered by a brand-new one from Porsche. Expectations on their respective performances, of course, would differ greatly, and Ellspermann the same is true for technologies in call centre companies in the Philippines.
“A lot of small and medium enterprises, particularly, don’t focus on technology simply because they don’t understand them and how these can benefit their businesses,” says Ellspermann.
One such Technology is artificial intelligence, or AI, which, for call centre companies, has led to the development of speech recognition programs. Such software can enable call centre agents to become better service providers because AI helps detect customer sentiment, which in turn, gives agents more pertinent information that they can work with in real-time.
Well-informed agents would also lead to fewer mistakes at work, and even the improvement of operational efficiencies by up to 20 per cent, since AI can also help shorten the average call handling time.
Most importantly, better call centre agents equate, ultimately, to an enhanced customer experience.
“Technology can not only enhance the productivity of the agent, but also the customer experience. This is an important fact that should be considered before selecting a call centre outsourcing provider in the Philippines,” says Ellspermann. “Technology, when used correctly, can significantly decrease the cost to the client. If you need fewer agents than a low-cost call centre, then the higher hourly rate becomes less relevant.”
So, before you bite into that cheaper deal offered by a call centre company, take a good look at that vendor’s capabilities first. Choosing a call centre based solely on its low rates may just be putting your company at risk—one that could be avoided, if you also take into consideration their technological capabilities.
“Remember: In a tech-driven world, a more affordable call centre isn’t always better,” Ellspermann says.