iContact BPO has tips for leaders seeking to outsource to the ideal BPO partner for their business:

1. Turn to a Specialist BPO Broker: An experienced partner can align the objectives and CX needs of the client with the right BPO partner. This is invaluable, especially for businesses entering into outsourcing for the first time and for those with complex, multinational outsourcing strategies. A trusted outsourcing facilitator will have extensive experience of different markets, diverse geographies, and a range of BPO providers. Therefore, they can provide referrals and partner selection options that integrate with your technology, sales, and transformation strategies.
2. Prioritize Channel Competency: Your ideal BPO provider should have proven expertise in the specific channels your business relies on. For example, if you need WhatsApp and chat support, choose a partner with a strong and proven track record in these areas.

3. Emphasize Industry Vertical Expertise: Certain industries require niche skills. Whether it’s medical record screening, insurance claims processing or research surveys, a BPO provider with industry experience in your sector will bring hard-earned insights and specialized skills to the table. Seek out a niche BPO provider that not only specializes in such functions, but also has direct experience in servicing clients who are in the same industry vertical as yours.
   
   
4. Insist on Language and Accent Clarity: Comprehensibility is key. It’s not about removing accents but ensuring that communication is clear and effective. South Africa’s BPO market, for instance, performs well in North America because its British-influenced accent is easily understood.
   
   
5. Strive for Cultural Affinity: Successful customer service requires more than just technical skills – it’s also about empathy and rapport. Choose a BPO provider whose agents can connect with your customer market’s cultural nuances. When it comes down to customer experience and cultivating a culture of empathy, South Africa’s call center agents are advanced and practiced. There is also an easy cultural fit with certain figures of speech, euphemisms and terminologies used in the US, Europe, the UK and Australia.
   
   
6. Evaluate Talent and Human Capital: Who’s on the other end of the line? It matters. Evaluate the BPO’s recruitment, training, and retention strategies. Ensure they have a strong and accessible management team and robust quality assurance measures. It is vital to have a solid understanding of the sophistication, experience and commitment of the management team that will be running your outsourced operations.
   
   
7. Seek Out Flexibility: For businesses venturing into outsourcing, flexibility is crucial. Opt for a BPO partner who is willing to adapt and build a customer experience (CX) model that aligns with your evolving needs, rather than enforcing a rigid playbook that may not work for your business.
   
   
8. Look Beyond the Price Tag: The right BPO provider adds value far beyond cost savings. Advanced analytics, AI, digital tech, and quality assurance tools can transform customer experiences and provide insights you never knew your business needed. Other crucial ‘value-adds’ include advanced digital tech, productivity management tools, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), innovation in process and training and recruitment, compliance, data security and hands-on leadership – all of which go well beyond the commoditized services of price and language capabilities.
   
   
9. Make Proximity Less of a Priority: The Covid-19 pandemic proved that distance is less of a barrier than we once thought. What matters most is the BPO’s ability to manage and support your operations remotely, with the right tools for communication and training.