Business Process Outsourcers (BPOs) can be a powerful tool for a business, with the ability to drive down costs, improve service and address any challenges. BPOs focus on finding quality resources, and dedicate their time to the services they offer, so they are a great option for many businesses. However, all these benefits are dependent on good BPO management. Without this, BPOs can actually reduce the quality of customer care, and result in the exact opposite of your goals. To make sure that you develop and maintain a positive, beneficial relationship with your BPO vendors, here are a few tips:
Clear Communication
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- The most crucial factor is effective communication, on both sides of the relationship. It’s important for both the business clients and the vendors to mutually understand the opportunities, the proposed solutions, and the contract. Modern technology has made communication much easier, with so many different channels – however, there should be defined communication channels so nothing gets lost or ignored unintentionally. By prioritizing communication.
Defined Roles and Responsibilities
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- In order to make sure that you maintain a positive relationship with your BPO provider, it’s important to create clear roles and responsibilities. By ensuring that everyone is aware of their responsibilities, you further avoid any miscommunication. In addition, this will allow the relationship to adapt to any changes and challenges, due to a strong foundation.
Service Level Agreements and Analysis
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- Service Level Agreements should make the acceptable metrics and KPIs clear to both the business client and the BPO vendor. This reduces the chance of any misunderstanding and makes evaluating the relationship much more efficient. Continuously tracking performance makes it easier to identify any hidden costs, vendor strengths and weaknesses, and any problem areas. In addition, it’s important to keep track of the fulfillment of your Service Level Agreements. While this is often done manually, the BPO Optimizer automatically and programmatically tracks this, allowing full visibility into all your BPO relationships.
Customer Satisfaction Metrics
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- Regular reports on customer satisfaction metrics, such as service levels, staffing levels, employee turnover and security, is important to maintaining a good relationship. Efficient service management relies on these metrics, and the business user need to be aware of current performance levels and opportunities.
Relationships with BPO vendors don’t have to be chaotic and stressful. By creating a well-defined, organized process, you can create strong relationships that benefit both your company and the vendor. Clear communication and vendor management will streamline processes, and can result in quantifiable success.
