First call resolution definition
First call resolution definitionFirst Call Resolution is one essential element of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and is one of the crucial metrics of a call center. It measures the way the customer service representative addresses issues, problems, and queries on the first point of contact.
This exhibits how the recipient of the call gives quality resolutions to customers being catered first hand.
Regardless of the level of difficulty, as long as it was appropriately handled on the initial call, it would still be tagged as First Call Resolution, improving the representatives’ metric scorecard.
First call resolution benefitsMonitoring first call resolution allows a company to identify issues in their customer support process and quickly resolve them. Fewer client complaints mean better first call resolution rates and happier customers.
If your business strives to deliver quality customer service, then you should on your first call resolution. Improving it is crucial gives your company benefits such as the following:
It helps retain customers. Solving pain points at the first customer interaction can be the difference between whether customers stay or go. If a customer is satisfied with their experience, then they will stick to your brand.
You can earn brand promoters. If you have a good FCR, you can turn your customers into brand promoters — provided, of course, that you can effectively solve their requests.
It maximizes your team’s productivity. Figuring out an issue during the first interaction means that your team will deal with fewer repeat requests and could focus on more to more complex issues. First call resolution call centerIn Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, First Call Resolution (FCR) is a standard. With their in-house team players, it is easier for them to find immediate resolutions despite who or what the concern is all about.
They should be equipped with extensive training and more exceptional experience in BPO. It is essential to know that the blueprint of First Call Resolution is being alerted.
However, not all concerns can be resolved immediately with just one call; there are specific issues that need to be escalated. Therefore, it is imperative to get professionals to improve their First Call Resolution by evaluating their calls with the help of a quality assurance team.
Outsource Accelerator has over 5,000 articles, 350+ podcast episodes, and a comprehensive directory with 2500 BPOs… all designed to make it easier for clients to learn more about managing an outsourcing team and ensuring that FCRs are consistently high.
What is Customer Experience?
What is customer experience?Customer experience (CX) is often defined as the overall interaction of the customer and organization for a certain period of time. This interaction constitutes the following: customer involvement, customer journey, and the environment.
Having a positive review on each point of contact means that the customer experience is pleasant.
Customers’ involvement may range from emotions, whether rational or irrational, to physical needs, or psychological needs. Moreover, it can extend from the simple act of talking with customers up to the product packaging, features, reliability, and affordability.
Overall, a positive customer experience is an excellent competitive edge that your company should provide in order to stay competent and successful in the market.
Why is customer experience important?Providing an excellent customer experience is important for any business. The better CX you deliver, the more customers you will gain and retain.
Additionally, service representatives would have to deal with lesser customer complaints and product returns.
A company with a great CX is projected to earn:
More loyal customers
Increased customer satisfaction Positive reviews and recommendations Customer experience outsourcingOutsource Accelerator provides you with information about what to look for in outsourcing companies that can help you create a platform that encourages a positive customer experience.
It is important to work with someone who can help your customers have a memorable journey with you, which is essential in achieving customer loyalty. After all, customer loyalty is the foundation of brand recognition and credibility in the market.
Outsourcing helps you work with professionals who are well-versed with the right skills and experience to implement customer service strategies that work.
What is Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)?
What is a Standard Operating Procedure?Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a set of instructions that explains how to do a critical process or workflow. Its purpose is to follow processes according to the standards of a company, organization, or industry. This helps to protect the employees, processes, and customers from errors throughout a normal workflow and create a safe work environment for the company.
SOPs are sometimes required for compliance with the industry regulations while some institutions suggest them as a company’s best practice. This is mostly used to maintain safety and efficiency in different departments such as production, sales and marketing, customer support, finance, and legal.
Standard Operating Procedure templateFor small teams and solopreneurs, SOPs are made through writing a checklist of routines that should be done. For bigger enterprises, thorough planning and taking note of processes are needed to ensure proper carrying of procedures. The integral parts of an SOP are the roles that will do the task, the frequency or how often will they do it, and the expected outcome or the deliverables in finishing the task.
SOPs in BPO companies have different standards. Their SOPs need to include compliance with administrative policies, metrics on performance management, and training and coaching sessions.
Outsource Accelerator provides you the best outsourcing companies in the Philippines, where you can save up-to 70% on staffing cost. We have over 3,000 articles, 200+ podcast episodes, and a comprehensive directory with 700+ BPOs… all designed to make it easier for clients to learn about, and engage with, outsourcing.
What is What is business process outsourcing?
What is Business Process Outsourcing BPO?Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is the delegation of business processes to an external service provider to a nearby or farther location. BPO uses various technology-enabled services to optimize the delivery of services.
Some of the usual outsourced business functions are the following.
Payroll
Accounting
Human resources
Customer service
Sales
MarketingIn the case of content providers, these could mean hiring writers, remote editors, or virtual assistants.
BPO speeds up processes and enhances efficiency. Companies that outsource some of their business processes use their time on core services and competencies.
With this shift in focus, companies improve their current processes which may result in improved customer satisfaction. BPO helps companies divert their resources to more critical business strategies.
Often, companies find it impractical to hire a full-time position in-house because of the cost associated with doing so. Outsourcing services can also help them save costs and resources in hiring suitable employees.
How does Business Process Outsourcing work?Business process outsourcing happens when a business taps a third-party service provider to operate some of its internal processes. Such ‘processes’ include customer service, accounting and finance, or sales.
It is different from hiring an agency to do specific tasks, as the outsourcing provider (BPO) is more concerned with the ongoing production of labour-intensive tasks, instead of the higher-level strategy and guidance.
Now, business process outsourcing has broadened and is more akin to staff augmentation, or staff leasing.
What are the benefits of business process outsourcing?There are many benefits to outsourcing, as well as some downsides and risks. The common benefits include:
Cost savingsCompanies can enjoy savings of up to 70% by leveraging the salaries and costs in countries such as the Philippines and India.
Global marketBusinesses get to access a bigger pool of talent that can fit their requirements. They can have better options in hiring employees since they are not limited to what is available in their home countries.
Global presenceAt the same time, business process outsourcing opens clients to global trade opportunities. They can establish their global presence and expand more easily to other locations since they already have operations in the area.
Flexible workforceBPO reduces internal local compliance obligations including providing additional office spaces to employees. Instead, organizations can hold their business operations on a remote setup, most usually having their teams in an office provided by the BPO firm.
Leverage skillCompanies cannot always do everything on their own. BPO enables them to leverage the skills of other specialist companies on more complex tasks such as accounting and IT.
FocusLastly, BPO enables organizations to focus on their core business functions. This is since most of their non-core business operations are done with the help of a reliable service provider.
Business process outsourcing examplesThe business process outsourcing sector is a vast industry, generating over $200bn annually, and employing millions of people worldwide.
BPO can be seen in different forms and contexts, from hiring single staff to getting an offshore team. Some examples of BPO include:
Big enterpriseFacebook and Uber outsource many of their operational functions, including content moderation for Facebook, and customer service for Uber
Medium-size businessesA medium business with 50-500 staff might outsource the labour-intensive accounting and finance functions to a team in the Philippines.
Small business and entrepreneurIt is common for small business owners to have a Virtual Assistant (VA) working for them full time and remotely from the Philippines.
What are the different types of BPO?The type of business process outsourcing can be characterised by their specialisation, location, and size.
Generalist or specialist BPOsBusiness process outsourcing is in the human resources and professional services sector. However, their services extend across all industries. The majority of BPOs are generalists, in that they offer a full range of professional services.
Meanwhile, some specialise in certain verticals such as the following.
Legal process outsourcingLegal process outsourcing deals more with delegating legal processes and compliances to legal firms in another area.
Knowledge process outsourcing
Meanwhile, knowledge process outsourcing enables companies to outsource knowledge-related work including research and development, innovation, and creatives.
LocationBusiness process outsourcing typically operates from developing nations such as the Philippines, India, and Colombia. They typically have cheaper cost-of-living and bigger populations. Different locations offer different advantages.
Size of BPOThe bigger BPOs employ more than 250,000 people. They are huge, global operations. Medium-sized BPOs range from 500-5,000 staff and offer a full range of services. The smaller BPOs might have 1-500 people.
Functions of business process outsourcingCollectively, business process outsourcing provides any kind of staffing solution. Common functions of BPO include:
Finance and accountingOutsourced finance and accounting services help businesses manage their books, monitor cash flow, and keep up with corporate income tax compliances without fuss.
HealthcareHealthcare outsourcing, meanwhile, organizes various back- and front-end functions done for the healthcare and insurance industries.
Creative and contentCreative services outsourcing covers everything from post-production of Hollywood movies to newspaper and website content.
Tech, IT and developmentIT outsourcing involves delegating network management, web and app development, and cybersecurity protection to IT firms in different countries.
Sales & customer supportSome BPO providers specialize in sales and customer support for pre- and post-sales transactions. This helps companies meet the expectations and demands of their customers, keeping them satisfied even after their purchase.
MarketingBPOs and marketing firms can help in ongoing marketing, communication and branding activities for their clients. This helps them attract more suitable leads in a cost-efficient way.
Talent and HRBusinesses can delegate HR, recruitment and compliance to professional employer organizations to maximize recruitment and workforce management.
AdministrationGeneralist BPOs help organizations accomplish general business administration and operational activities. This includes data entry, appointment setting, and other related functions.
Supply chain managementLastly, e-commerce stores benefit from outsourcing supply chain management to manage warehouse and delivery processes.
Top BPO companies in the world’s top outsourcing hubsA wide range of business process outsourcing companies in different parts of the world provide utmost services to their Western and local clients. Many of them even earned recognition by award-giving bodies due to their performance in both their roles and their level of care for the employees.
Check out the top BPO companies in several outsourcing destinations below.
Top BPO companies in the Philippines Top Indian BPO companies Top South African BPO companies Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) servicesWith the rise of new offshore outsourcing locations, companies can have better options in terms of location and services they can delegate. However, finding a suitable BPO company can be a daunting task to be done on their own.
Good thing advisory services such as Outsource Accelerator is there to help them.
Outsource Accelerator is the most trusted source for independent information & advisory for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). We have over 5,000 articles, 350+ podcast episodes, and a comprehensive directory with 2,500+ BPOs from different locations.
Outsource Accelerator's offerings make it easier for clients to learn about, and engage with, business process outsourcing companies worldwide.
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