subject: Status Quo of BPO [print this page] Status Quo of BPO Status Quo of BPO
The BPO industry has moved out from its traditional status quo. You knew the call center to be a business support that handled all the non-core aspects of your business. Generally call center services was synonymous with customer services. Then the definition of this industry proliferated and bifurcated into two different and broad categories: inbound call center and outbound call center. Voice calls was the order of the day and the clients generally never outsourced any work that was integral to their business growth. Things started to change as the BPO service improved its work and gained confidence among the clients. Finally it was so integral to the clients that they started outsourcing even core aspects of their business. The profit graph was directly proportional to the work done by these outsourced units. In this article we will take a deeper look at how this change happened over the years.
The history of the call center is all about hard work and perseverance. When it started off, the BPO sector was looked down upon because they were working for non-core business aspects only. Customer service was nothing better than the glorified receptionist. Things started to change for the inbound call center desk as they assumed more responsibility. The clients were aware of the need to keep customers satisfied. Brand loyalty became completely dependent on the answering service system of the clients. It was no more about answering calls only. It was about disseminating information, processing orders and requests and also pushing for lead generation. The role of the call center agent changed from a uni-dimensional one to something that had meat, weight and simple responsibility.
The status quo changed for the telemarketing department as well. Initially they were working for the clients in an unorganized way, depending more on marketing acumen than technology and statistics. It worked for the clients to a certain level. Beyond that, the BPO couldn't optimize the process any further. They had to use the support of data analyses and CRM software to get their work done in a professional way. Clients began taking an active part in the use of technology and smart means of telemarketing services. When call centers pitched for projects, they had to validate their claims on the kind of technology that they were about to use. If the clients didn't find them satisfactory, the project generally went to some other call center services provider.
This was the case because the clients were risking more than money on such services. Business process outsourcing has become the key to their profits. The status quo of the call center was now of the chief contributor towards the revenue. The BPO partner was also instrumental in upholding the brand image of the client and creating awareness about it. The telemarketing services team is also not just about selling products/services. You cannot do much of telemarketing unless you create a brand name. The lead generation and the customer service department are also responsible for brand building and brand reputation.
