Companies have been outsourcing their call centers for decades to lower costs, increase productivity, and enable scaled-up customer support during peak times. It is so prevalent in the call center space that the term “Business process outsourcing” (BPO) is often used interchangeably with “outsourced call center.” In the last few years, the call center outsourcing industry has seen revenues crossing $140 billion. This growth is expected to continue, with Cushman Wakefield predicting 6% yearly growth up to 2020.
At the same time, major changes are impacting BPOs. Firstly, the impact of artificial intelligence is predicted to be extremely disruptive. For example, the outsourcing industry in the Philippines (the country with the most call centers in the world) is worried that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will eat into the 23 billion-dollar sector. Secondly, in recent years there has been a growth in “reshoring”: Call centers are returning to North America, a trend driven by several factors including low wage inflation and an increased focus on customer experience. Finally, BPOs are weighing up the benefits of adopting a multichannel approach as siloing the different customer service channels becomes taboo.
While BPOs are no strangers to challenging times, the next few years promise to be particularly interesting for outsourced call centers.
Outsourcing work is appealing for many reasons: It can save your business money, resources, and under the right circumstances, a serious headache. Almost any element of a company can be outsourced, anything from data entry to graphic design. However, the decision becomes more complicated when outsourcing means that another company will be in interacting with your customers. This is certainly the case with call centers.
Many organizations now ![[Video] 3 Takeaways from Our Google Hangout on BPO Automation](https://fonolo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Video-4-Takeaways-from-Our-Google-Hangout-on-Chatbots.jpg "[Video] 3 Takeaways from Our Google Hangout on BPO Automation")
Last week, Fonolo hosted yet another insightful Google Hangout discussing BPO automation. This fabulous panel of BPO experts discussed the growing demand for automation and the new role of humans on the front line. To save you some time, we’ve extracted video snippets showcasing highlights from the discussion.
So, your customer base is constantly growing but your call center is at max capacity. You’re now looking for an affordable solution to begin ramping up customer support. Your next logical step is to contract a third party provider, otherwise known as a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing). BPOs can provide tremendous benefits to your business, such as cost savings, and better quality and efficiency. But don’t get too ahead of yourself. Although this option could be the answer to all your problems, it could also be the biggest headache you’ve ever had, if not researched properly. It’s important to note that not every BPO is created equally, and there are certain factors to keep in mind when picking the right one for your business.![[Google Hangout] BPO Automation: Where Do Humans Fit In?](https://fonolo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Google-Hangout-BPO-Automation-Where-Do-Humans-Fit-In.jpg "[Google Hangout] BPO Automation: Where Do Humans Fit In?")
Last week, Fonolo hosted yet another insightful Google Hangout, discussing the true challenges of outsourcing your call center. This fabulous panel of BPO experts shared their thoughts and comments on critical issues that your contact center should keep in mind. To save you some time, we’ve extracted video snippets showcasing highlights from the discussion.
