Unlock Business Growth by Availing BPO Services in India

In this era of constant innovations and advancement, organizations are competing hard with each other to stay abreast of the competition. Organizations are incorporating various cost-effective measures that would reduce their operational costs and increase profits. Diverse industries have used outsourcing ever since the dawn of commerce. The fact cannot be ignored that a successful organization must manage numerous business procedures in order to run a successful business. The numerous benefits of outsourcing have compelled businesses to outsource their operations. Non-core business procedures that are outsourced to a third party that offers specialized BPO services have become essential in today's competitive market. This enables the businesses to delegate the management of their non-core business activities to a seasoned BPO provider, freeing up their staff to focus on their core business operations and increase revenue.

Some of the typical examples of BPO services offered in India are Inbound and outbound call center services, technical support processes, marketing & sales, customer care, human resource services, accounting and finance, digital marketing, and many more. The BPO industry in India is growing at a much higher pace than any other industry and is expected to show continuous growth in the future. These are not blind claims, various facts and figures back it up.

• According to studies and research reports, it has been observed that The BPO sector in India has showcased a 54% revenue growth.

• The BPO industry in India has provided jobs for over 74,400 Indians while the Indian BPO sector is soon expected to employ over 1.1 million Indians.

• Reports have suggested that 70% of India’s BPO industry’s revenue is generated from contact centers while 20% comes from data entry work and the remaining 10% from IT Related work.

As we have observed how vast the BPO sector in India is, and how large its scale is, it is important to understand what exactly is a BPO and what are its functions, advantages, and characteristics.

Understanding Business Process Outsourcing

As the name suggests, outsourcing a specific business process or outsourcing to a third-party vendor is known as Business Process Outsourcing. Some functions that are commonly outsourced by the organizations are sales, marketing, HR, customer service, finance & so on. Once an agreement has been reached, the service provider will put together a team for their client. They will bear the expenses and provide the resources required, including the IT infrastructure, connectivity, office space, and workstations. The providers are in charge of monitoring the performance and development of the employees. The activities, procedures, and KPIs required for their operation must be provided by the clients, though.

Understanding Call Centers

A call center is a specialized facility and division that manages inbound and outgoing customer calls largely over the phone or connects with the customer through chat and email. The main objective of an inbound call center is to provide effective customer support, offer technical guidance, resolve customer’s issues, or perform any other similar function.

Call centers can be broadly classified into 2 types based on their operations which are Inbound and outbound call centers:

Inbound Call Centers

Call centers in which customer service agents receive incoming calls from customers are known as Inbound call centers. These call centers can be used for providing technical support, answering customer queries, or it can be a government helpline number. The call is routed to one of the agents based on the availability of customer service representatives and the routing policy in place. In a similar vein, emails and live chat conversations may occasionally be sent to certain agents based on their availability and area of expertise (such as help desk, sales, or billing). By automatically tracking the caller ID, email, or user ID, or by double-checking the customer's information on their system, call center agents can typically access the customer's complete information.

Outbound Call Centers

Call centers in which the customer service agents call customers is known as an outbound call center. The main objective of an outbound call center is to increase sales, generate leads, recover debts, inform customers about a particular product or service & so on. Outbound contact centers can efficiently perform their duties and contribute to the expansion and success of the companies they represent by utilizing automated technology, following best practices, and placing a high priority on compliance.

Now that we have understood what Business Process Outsourcing and call centers are, it is important to understand why call centers are preferred so much by businesses and what value they offer to the businesses. Let us dive into the advantages and benefits offered by BPO services in India

Advantages of BPO Services in India

It is Highly Cost-Effective

Having your own customer service team requires a significant amount of setup including manpower, IT hardware, physical space for the team, and other financial resources that may increase your operational costs significantly. But in the case of business process outsourcing, your organization does not need to bear all the costs as they are managed by the outsourcing vendor. The vendor is responsible for setting up a team, training them on your process, and ensuring the availability of all resources. This results in significant cost savings for your organization which can be further used for other core business processes.

Time Zone Advantage

Indian call centers work for businesses globally and usually run 24/7. These call centers provide continuous support and services to clients in different parts of the world. This ensures that businesses can operate round the clock, enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction. The most common types of call centers in India cater to the USA, UK, and Australia which makes customer service function continuous. Since night shifts are extremely common in India, you can definitely opt for BPO service in India regardless of your business’s location.

Higher Efficiency is Achieved

Usually, organizations who deploy their own in-house customer service teams need to significantly focus on customer service operations as they need to ensure a good positive customer experience. This shifts the focus of the organization from its core activities to customer service operations which can impact the overall business. However, with BPO services in India, organizations can freely focus on their core business as customer service operations are taken care of by the BPO service provider. This enables you to improve your overall operations and increase efficiency as you can completely focus on your core business activities rather than focusing on outsourced functions.

Higher Levels of Customer Experience

Bad customer experience can not only degrade an organization’s reputation but also limit the potential of its growth. Unhappy or dissatisfied customers usually avoid the services from the organizations and play a key role in spreading their dissatisfaction among other customers. Thus, maintaining an effective customer support function is highly critical for organizations. BPO services in India have strong policies and procedures for their agents that ensure your customers receive the highest level of service. Their internal KPIs and metrics ensure that the representatives are providing the best possible customer support that ultimately enhances customer experience.

Best Practices are Followed

BPO service in India provides the best quality of service to the clients as compromising with the quality can be catastrophic for the service provider. A service provider who does not have a high customer satisfaction record will not receive business from any organization. Most businesses prefer outsourcing their functions to a service provider who has a proven record of delivering exceptional services. Service providers usually deploy a team of quality professionals who monitor the quality of the process and ensure corrective actions are deployed in case of any quality deviations. To improve the effectiveness and quality of their services, many Indian businesses use Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), and other quality management approaches. The companies who opt to outsource to India profit from this dedication to excellence.

Language Proficiency

English is one of the most widely spoken and written languages, and a significant portion of the population in the multilingual country of India is fluent in it. English is usually used as the primary language of customer contact in BPO services. Because they have a solid command of the English language, Indian professionals are able to interact clearly and successfully with clients and customers around the world. Additionally, customer care representatives from India's many states have a solid command of their native tongue, which makes them the perfect choice for employment by local companies.

Access to Modern Technology

The IT sector is continuously growing in India where new advancements and innovations are emerging continuously. Due to this, India is able to provide cutting-edge BPO services because it has kept up with technical improvements around the world. Modern software and technologies are used by Indian BPO organizations to provide their customers with effective and high-quality services. Through the use of technology, outsourcing services are more productive and efficient overall. Indian BPOs offer state-of-the-art infrastructure in their facilities that makes the overall process streamlined and efficient.

As we have seen, there are many advantages associated with BPO Services in India. It is not necessary that BPO only cater to customer service. There are other processes that can be taken up by BPOs. Let's have a glance at some other functions that are taken up by BPO services in India

Processes and Functions Catered by BPO Service in India

Technical Support

If your organization deals in a specific kind of product or service, there could be chances that your customer would seek any technical assistance. For that matter, technical support is a crucial task that entails assisting and directing consumers who are having technical problems with goods or services. In a wide range of businesses, Indian BPOs excel at offering technical helpdesk services, troubleshooting, and fixing issues with software or hardware. Though technical support is most prominent for IT organizations, it can be leveraged by other organizations catering to different industries with multiple products and services.

IT Consulting

India is a well-known BPO hub for IT-related services. Application development, software upkeep, quality control, cybersecurity, system integration, cloud computing, and network management are some of these services that are offered by BPOs. India's BPO industry has a substantial impact on the global IT scene. Organizations who wish to outsource any IT-related process can opt for BPO services in India as they are highly cost-effective and reliable. India is witnessing the emergence of tech giants whose main business is outsourcing IT-related services.

Finance & Accounts

Managing the entire finance & accounts operations of an organization requires a lot of effort and these are extremely critical functions for an organization. Some of the most important functions are budgeting & forecasting, variance analysis, tax planning, profit & loss management, and much more. These functions can only be managed by a Chartered Accountant or a qualified finance professional. Indian BPOs effectively manage financial operations while guaranteeing accuracy and compliance as they have a team of qualified professionals who manage all finance and accounts-related operations. This can enable your organization to thrive financially and achieve all your financial goals.

Human Resources (HR) Management

In a well-established organization, there is a dedicated HR department that handles recruitment, employee onboarding, employee engagement, payroll, benefits administration, and other critical HR functions. Setting up an in-house HR department requires significant manpower and resources for an organization. By using this HR outsourcing, businesses can assign HR-based tasks to specialized companies that have the knowledge, resources, and technology required to manage HR procedures more successfully. You can concentrate on your main business and leave the administrative strain to the professionals by outsourcing your HR functions to other companies. But that's only the very beginning. Beyond cost savings and increased effectiveness, outsourcing human resources to India has many advantages.

Read More: Impact of Predictive Analytics on BPO Services in India

Summing up

The blog perfectly justifies that adopting Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services in India is similar to revealing a gold mine of benefits that greatly aid in the expansion and success of a firm. Efficiency and cost-effectiveness are crucial in the competitive and ever-evolving global corporate environment. BPO services in India are available for a wide range of tasks, including customer service and technical support, finance management, IT consulting, and human resource management. By focusing on their core capabilities, improving client experiences, and achieving operational excellence, organizations can benefit from these services. The benefits of using BPO services in India are numerous. It is impossible to overestimate how cost-effective it is to outsource commercial operations, including IT services and customer support. Businesses can concentrate resources on key tasks, fostering innovation and growth, thanks to reductions in operational costs. With Indian call centers running around the clock, the time zone advantage offers continuous customer service, increasing productivity, and worldwide market reach.

In conclusion, India's BPO industry has developed into a force that enables companies to thrive in a highly competitive environment on a worldwide scale. Cost-effectiveness, time zone advantage, increased productivity, improved customer experience, adherence to best practices, language proficiency, and access to cutting-edge technology are all unquestionable benefits. For companies striving to prosper, innovate, and achieve sustainable growth, utilizing BPO services in India is not just a choice—it is a strategic need. It's a road to releasing an organization's genuine potential, making India a beacon of opportunity in the outsourcing industry.

FAQs:

What is the main difference between an inbound and outbound Call Centre?

Answer: In simple terms, an inbound call center is where agents receive calls from customers for inbound sales, support service, or any other query. In an outbound call center, the agents call customers either for sales, marketing, or lead generation. Some call centers work both inbound and outbound but as per the client’s requirements.

What services are offered by inbound call centers?

Answer: Inbound call centers offer a variety of services but one of their most common services is technical support and answering general inquiries that customers may have. The agents are given domain training and educated on the process so that they can resolve customers’ queries efficiently.

Why is India a great option for BPO?

Answer: Due to India's role as one of the industry's pioneers, the BPO services sector is flourishing in the South Asian nation. India has had enough time to develop its updated outsourcing model while also learning from staffing, contractual, and other outsourcing-related problems. They have the information to keep ahead of other growing BPO nations like China and the Philippines thanks to this advantage. Along with its competence in outsourcing, India offers additional benefits that persuade domestic and international companies to select Indian BPO service providers over those from rival nations and regions. High-skill workforce, lower operational expenses, language proficiency, and many other benefits are just a few of these benefits.

How Business Process Outsourcing Works?

Answer: When a business decides it can benefit from contracting out a business function, such as supply chain management, accounting, or marketing, business process outsourcing is initiated. The business then starts looking at other businesses that focus on carrying out the required business function. To find the greatest fit, the searching organization frequently contacts multiple BPO providers. A conversation starts once a business contacts a reputable BPO firm.  Following that, the BPO provider will draft a contract, frequently referred to as a master service agreement (MSA) or service-level agreement (SLA), that provides a general summary of the conditions of the arrangement.

Is there any guarantee that the call center will work as intended?

Answer: There is no such guarantee on paper but in the real world, every call center will focus on delivering exceptional customer service as failing to do so will make them lose clients and damage their BPO’s reputation. Most call centers deploy Quality Managers that monitor the quality of service being delivered to clients and ensure proper control measures to maintain the desired quality level.

What is the difference between voice and non-voice BPO?

Answer: Voice Customer Services involves communicating with customers over the phone, while non-voice Customer Service entails resolving customer queries through chat, SMS, or email. As per studies, it has been observed that voice BPOs have a higher success rate in delivering customer service as the agents can have in-depth discussions with the customers and resolve their queries effectively.