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When you’re in the role of an Operations Manager, it can feel like you have responsibilities coming out of your ears. So when the time comes to begin outsourcing some of your business processes to a business process outsourcing (BPO) partner like Conectys, you might feel a sense of relief.
But on the heels of that, many of the Operations Managers we work with also tell us that beginning an outsourcing engagement can make them nervous too. After all, they care so deeply about the quality of their organization and want to make sure it will remain top-notch as they start handing off pieces of the operations to someone else.
If you’re feeling some of the same pre-engagement jitters and aren’t sure about taking this next step, we wrote this blog for you. We work daily – and closely – with countless people in your exact position, and have enjoyed watching these relationships blossom and flourish. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know in order to navigate your way to a rewarding relationship with a BPO partner like us.
What a Successful Relationship Looks Like
First, it’s important to know what you’re aiming toward. The best gauge of a great relationship, from the perspective of others in your shoes, is how seamless the service is. If you’re outsourcing your customer service to your BPO partner, for example, the callers on the other end of the line should never have any idea that someone from an external company is answering the phone.
Second, an ideal partnership is one in which you speak the same language of success as your outsourcing partner. Specifically, both of you need to be on the same page about what KPIs are most important to you. Maybe you care most about your CSAT score and your first-call resolution percentages, or maybe it’s more about average handling time in your industry. Whichever metrics matter most, a great BPO partnership is one in which you’ll have full visibility into how (and if) your business is improving in the ways you want it to so you can keep your finger on the pulse of how the relationship is contributing to your company’s success.
Your Concerns
So now that you have an idea of what a solid BPO relationship looks like, you might be envisioning how it might change your role on a daily basis… which could bring up some questions for you. This is completely normal, and we want to address some common concerns that other Operations Managers have had in case you share them.
1. Will my quality stay the same?
We know that Operations Managers are passionate about quality. You need to know that your customers are receiving stellar service and are getting the best image of your company every time they interact with someone from your team. So it can be a little uncomfortable to hand off some of your business processes to a company that isn’t part of your own.
This is why it’s so important you choose a qualified, credible BPO partner that trains its people extensively and ensures a flawless experience for any of your customers who interact with them. It’s also why topics such as certifications, data security, and tech-savviness are all important if you’re selecting a provider to help with technical needs.
When you start a BPO relationship, you need to feel confident in your partner – so ask them questions about their training processes, technical proficiency, customer track record, etc. At Conectys, we’d proudly share any of this with you so you can feel comfortable about the level of quality improvement we’ll be adding to the high service levels you already offer your customers.
2. How can I trust the aptitude and attitude of the people you supply me with?
Another big concern for Operations Managers goes hand-in-hand with the one above and relates to people. Oftentimes, others in your role will ask us for our attrition numbers – and we’re happy to tell you those. In fact, our attrition numbers are much lower than others in the outsourcing industry because we invest heavily in our team members and work hard to retain them. We know the better we treat them and train them, and the more experienced they are, the better the quality you’ll get when working with them.
If you work with a BPO partner like us, you won’t have to worry about employee tenure or about having downtime if we have to hire and train new staff at some point. We have committed, highly trained personnel – many of whom have been with the company for years – and we will always be ready to supply you with the right people for your specific needs.
3. How quickly can you meet my needs – and adapt to business changes?
Even though you’re in a position we work with frequently, every Operations Manager has different nuances within their job based on the company they’re with and the industry they’re within. We get this. You probably have very particular needs, and your timeframe might be tight. But no matter your business or industry, we can get you up to speed with our services in a snap. In fact, we built our own in-house technology, ConectysOS, to help you get your technology up to speed faster and more efficiently. If you’re scaling quickly, you don’t have time to lose, so we’ll dive right in.
You also might worry about unexpected changes to our working arrangement. What if, for example, your team runs a marketing campaign that is going to trigger an influx of calls later that day – and you just found out about it yourself? No problem. You just let your Conectys point of contact know, and we’ll be ready to handle the change on the fly and make sure we get you appropriately staffed in time.
Your Role, Our Role
Finally, we want to give you a few tips that we’ve learned over the years about what each of us can do to make our relationship thrive. If you can remember one thing, it’s that we want to showcase you as the leader you are. We want you to get the glory, and want to take a load off of you so you can focus on running operations and putting all your core strengths to great use.
This means trusting us to do what we’ve committed to doing, and not getting caught up in the weeds of it all. Let us know what you need, help us define the KPIs we need to be measuring, let us know what type of reporting you need… and then release the reins.
We’ll be busy delivering your services, adding to your quality, and giving you value-added insight whenever we can. As long as you trust us to do that, we’ll have a thriving, booming relationship that adds up to success for all of us.
Check out our related blog on building trust in business relationships.
