News: Customer Service/Care
Customer service outsourcing 'could harm companies' reputations'
22 April 2009
Companies should retain their customer service facilities in-house if they want to protect their brand's reputation, an expert asserts.
Jim Boring, a marketing communications consultant, tells Manage Smarter that this is one of the main risks of outsourcing these processes.
There are potential losses in sales and goodwill where customer service provision is poor, he suggests.
He says that training must take into account the value of brand and the ability of outside teams to represent this.
Mr Boring tells the news provider: "The customer experience is not only with the branded products or services but also in every contact with brand representatives."
He says potential contact centre workers should be vetted according to the training they have received.
Wendy Ferguson, client services director at Scottish Widows, recently told the Guardian that customer service training has a significant impact on business success.
She claimed that one of its courses led to consumer satisfaction rising to nearly 70 per cent.
