Pentafon USA Blog

Nearshore contact center: Pain or smart choice?

Written by Pentafon | Aug 10, 2023 6:56:37 PM

Choosing a nearshore contact center is a business strategy that promises more efficient and competitive operations, as well as significant cost savings. Considering outsourcing your customer service, it's crucial to evaluate different options, such as customer service companies, to find the most suitable solution for your company's needs. However, to fully leverage all its benefits, it's important to be aware of its potential challenges and have a business partner to help you face them. This way, it will be easier to make a smart choice rather than a burden.

In this article, you'll find a guide to help you determine if it's time to outsource your customer service, explore the advantages of a nearshore solution, such as customer service solutions, and identify key points for success.

Is it time to outsource your call center?

First and foremost, it's important to identify if it's really the right time to outsource your company's call center services. Pay attention if you're struggling with:

  • High operating costs: If the costs of your customer service area are high or you're looking to reallocate them to focus on your company's core business.
  • Difficulty in finding qualified staff: If it's challenging to hire and retain people with the necessary skills for your contact center service.
  • Need for scalability: If your company experiences unexpected growth or expands to other countries and needs to increase its customer service capacity flexibly and quickly.

If so, your company is in the right moment to seek an outsourcing strategy. Now, there are several options to carry it out: local, offshore, and nearshore. However, the nearshore strategy stands out for offering the best cost-benefit ratio, as it allows you to optimize your company's operations and reduce costs without compromising service quality.

So, why do many companies still hesitate to take this strategic step? Well, the main reason lies in different myths and assumptions that persist when it comes time to make a decision. Below, we debunk the main ones and show you the truth behind this outsourcing strategy.

Nearshore call center: myths and facts

Myth #1: A nearshore contact center is just a cost center.

Reality: In fact, it's a significant revenue source, as it enables you to retain customers, cross-sell, offer additional support, as well as promote product and service upgrades.

The key to achieving this is proper contact center management, as well as the development of specific strategies to generate revenue through customer engagement.

Myth #2: Compared to the United States, developing countries have outdated technology and lack political stability.

Reality: Nearshore countries have modern infrastructure, advanced technology, and a stable political environment that facilitate the operation of competitive and high-quality contact centers.

Myth #3: Having an onshore contact center allows greater visibility and operational management.

Reality: Geographical distance is not necessarily a barrier to supervising and controlling activities if clear agreements and well-defined workflows are established, supported by advanced communication technologies and tools. This way, you can enjoy the benefits of remote management without the unnecessary costs of onshore, which can increase operating expenses by 30% to 50%.

If you're still not convinced, it may be worth reviewing the main advantages of this business model to get a broader idea of its far-reaching possibilities, compared to onshore and offshore strategies.

Main advantages of a nearshore contact center vs. onshore and offshore models

Cost reduction

A nearshore strategy offers an economic advantage compared to an onshore call center. On the other hand, while an offshore approach may seem more cost-effective, the most significant differences lie in the ability to travel within a few hours and verify the contact center if necessary. This allows you to achieve significant savings without compromising your service quality.

Trained human capital

Countries where a nearshore call center can be established generally have a large pool of highly skilled personnel in different areas, as well as the necessary skills to provide personalized and high-quality customer service.

Time and cultural proximity

Nearshore call center services also offer significant cultural and linguistic advantages compared to offshore strategies. On one hand, employees are more likely to speak English fluently and be familiar with American culture, facilitating communication with English-speaking customers. On the other hand, time zones are very similar, allowing for much more efficient and timely customer service.

Flexibility and scalability

Finally, a nearshore strategy allows you to quickly adapt and scale your customer service capabilities to meet your business's changing needs, making it an excellent choice for growing companies.

Putting your customer service in the hands of experts offers you a combination of efficiency, cost reduction, and security, without the need for major investments in technology, as the company you hire will be specialized in this field. This will free up resources that will allow you to focus on your core business while ensuring high-quality solutions for the well-being of your customers.

Therefore, a nearshore contact center strategy is the smartest decision to optimize your customer service operations and stand out in the market. Are you interested in learning more about customer service solutions? Contact us and discover how we can be your strategic partner, helping you take your business's success to new heights through customer service outsourcing.