When to Consider Outsourcing Customer Support for a Product Launch?

Product launches produce much excitement and opportunity but can turn ugly quickly. The launch of Pink Sauce is one such example. The TikTok sensation ended up missing out on the perfect opportunity because they didn’t have the capacity to manage orders or deal with customer queries.

In this post, the team from https://supportyourapp.com/call-center-outsourcing/ explains when to supplement your support with an outsourced team so you don’t have to face the same level of fallout. 

Volume Surge: Managing High Demand

One reason to consider this option is that you expect customer inquiries to surge. Whether it’s because clients are following up on their orders or asking questions about the product, you need to increase your support team.

Dealing with this surge in-house presents an immediate problem because your consultants are likely barely able to cope with normal demand. If you don’t have the support personnel to deal with the inevitable queries about a new product or its distribution, you’re behind the game. 

Scalability and Flexibility

One of the hardest parts about getting an in-house team ready for a launch is what to do with that team afterward. You might be able to take on new personnel to increase your support staff in time for the product launch. However, onboarding and training them is pricey, and the investment isn’t really worthwhile for a few weeks of work.

Outsourcing to a third party makes it easier to scale your team up and down. The provider will build in excess capacity in anticipation of client demands and so can more easily increase or decrease the size of their team.

As long as you give them sufficient notice, you can benefit from this flexibility. If you plan your year ahead carefully enough, you can even work the peak periods into your contract to ensure that they have the capacity you need.

Round-the-Clock Support

Are you launching your product globally or across several time zones? Doing so increase your potential market share but also makes it challenging to manage support in-house. With different time zones at play, you’ll need to have 24/7 support, which can be expensive in-house.

Outsourcing provides a cost-effective alternative, allowing you to share resources during off-peak periods and take advantage of dedicated support during your busiest times. 

Specialized Expertise

Launching new software or technologically advanced products generally means an uptake in support queries. You, therefore, need subject matter experts who can deal with such issues easily.

Finding such people in your local community may be challenging. However, an outsourcing company specializing in technical support should be able to assist quite easily.

Cost-Efficiency

Running an in-house team can work out more expensive than hiring one from a third-party provider. The reason is that you don’t have to pay to train or maintain the team. The company you partner with bears all the responsibility for the overheads. 

Rapid Onboarding and Training

Recruitment and onboarding take at least two to four weeks, depending on your industry. The more specialist skills you require, the longer the process will take. If you’ve got a launch looming in the next couple of months, you don’t have the time to start looking for new team members.

Outsourcing can be a useful solution when you need quick, efficient results. 

Focus on Core Competencies

A product launch requires several departments to work together. Your sales team brings in the orders, while your admin team sends them out. Your finance team might have to handle an influx of billing. Having a robust support team means that these departments can focus on their core functions without handling customer queries. 

Quality Assurance and Reporting

Most outsourcing providers rely on robust quality assurance processes to ensure they deliver optimal support. By partnering with them, you gain access to reports and other quality assurance measures that you usually wouldn’t have.

You can, therefore, keep a closer eye on service delivery than would normally be the case. 

Conclusion

Offering your customers high levels of support during a product launch can mean the difference between success and failure. Outsourcing may provide the solution by offering you a quick and cost-effective way to scale up your operations.

However, the decision to outsource should not be taken lightly. Choosing a reputable partner that aligns with your brand values and customer service standards is essential.