Call center outsourcing Philippines: Why customer experience matters

MANILA, Philippines — In today’s business world, it’s a well-known fact that call center outsourcing to the Philippines can save companies significant costs, making the Philippines the go-to outsourcing destination for US companies since 2002.

“In just twenty years, call center outsourcing has become a lucrative industry for the Philippines, currently totaling $28 billion in annual revenue. This accounts for 8% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP),” said Ralf Ellspermann, chief executive officer of PITON-Global, an award-winning call center outsourcing provider in the Philippines.

US companies that outsource to offshore providers in the Philippines include industry heavyweights like Facebook, Google and American Express.

These brands aren't just cutting costs by partnering with leading call centers in the Philippines. They’re also reaping the added benefits of vastly improved customer experiences.

Value of quality customer service

Customer experience has become a crucial business strategy for companies of all industries and sizes.

“Today’s customers demand hyper-personalized service and effective interactions when resolving complaints and issues. In fact, 27% of consumers rate ineffective service as their number one customer experience frustration,” shared Ellspermann.

“Statistics underscore the importance of excellent customer experiences. Eighy-four percent of consumers feel a great experience is as important as a company’s products and services and 68% would pay more for an exceptional experience. Conversely, just one bad interaction can negatively affect customers' feelings about a brand. Sixty-three percent of consumers will abandon a brand after a single negative encounter,” he added.

Given these facts, outsourcing to premium contact centers in the Philippines makes logical business sense. But how does partnering with high-end call contact centers in the Philippines improve the customer experience?

An affinity for English

Close historical and cultural ties with the United States gives the Philippines a significant edge in the offshore BPO industry. Filipinos can confidently speak English, one of the country’s two official national languages. In fact, the Philippines is the world’s third largest English-speaking country.

This talent for English fluency, coupled with Filipinos' ability to speak in neutral accents, gives most Philippine call centers a skilled workforce tailor-made for communicating with customers.

“Their fluency in English makes for smoother correspondence, significantly reducing misunderstanding, a major source of customer frustration. Heightened English language skills will only boost a positive customer experience,” explains Ellspermann.

Agent empathy matters

“In addition, Filipinos are well-known for being courteous, patient and emphatic, traits crucially important to customer interactions. Empathy helps agents connect with customers and makes them feel their needs and concerns matter. A lack of emotion can lead to caller dissatisfaction with the service and a brand,” shared Ellspermann.

Instead of potentially frustrating or angering a customer, empathy can help defuse a stressful situation, increase customer satisfaction and enhance the customer experience. 

Partnering with premium call centers

It’s important to note that not all call centers in the Philippines are created equal. Premium call centers can afford to pay higher hourly salaries that attract skilled, English-proficient talent.

This naturally gives them the edge in wooing big US companies willing to pay higher rates for top-notch service.

“Premium outsourcing providers might charge more for their services, but smart companies know that the excellent return on investment makes paying higher rates well worth it,” said Ellspermann

Investing in premium service

For every company that emphasizes quality over rates, just as many try to cut costs by outsourcing to low-cost call centers. These low-end providers cannot match the salaries offered by premium providers, so their agents often fall woefully short in the job and language skills needed for effective customer service.

“In the long run, the detrimental effects going cheap can have on the crucial customer experience can be devastating to a company’s reputation and can ultimately become its bottom line. The evidence shows that call center outsourcing to the Philippines works for companies willing to invest in premium service,” concluded Ellspermann.