The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on businesses in the UK.
With no clear light at the end of the tunnel companies need to contemplate cost-cutting measures such as call centre outsourcing to survive the crisis.
It has now been more than six months since Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared on national television to announce the UK’s first lockdown. The government had been hesitant to take this step, knowing that the damage to the economy would be huge. But, facing an unprecedented health crisis and legitimate concerns that the NHS would be completely overwhelmed, the government concluded strict restrictions on households across the country were necessary.
Unfortunately, the economic impact of this has been enormous. For six months, the economy has been at a virtual standstill. Workers across the country have been asked to stay at home, and small businesses have all shuttered their doors. Official figures have revealed that the government had to borrow more money in one month than at any time in the last 60 years: a necessary intervention to protect people and businesses from financial ruin.
Many business leaders will be contemplating how they are going to get through until the end of the crisis. The furlough measures have been extended for the most part until the end of the year, but after that people are on their own. In order to avoid financial failure, businesses are going to have to find alternative ways of cutting costs. One such method is call centre outsourcing.
Outsourcing could help UK companies to get through the crisis. There are many benefits to outsourcing call centre-related tasks. According to recent studies, the move can lower costs by 10–15% when compared to maintaining an in-house operation. Furthermore, it increases operating efficiencies and provides managers with the ability to quickly scale support programs up or down depending on how that area of the business is performing. It also allows company personnel to focus on their core competencies while leaning on the expertise of the outsourcing provider to do those tasks for which the in-house staff are not best suited.
Importantly, call centre outsourcing is not just about cutting costs – it can also be used strategically during these challenging times. Companies are also using call centre outsourcing to acquire new customers and go on the offensive to save their businesses rather than waiting passively.
An increasing number of UK-based companies that have started to partner with award-winning outsourcing providers such as PITON-Global in the Philippines. By partnering with an offshore call centre outsourcing provider, companies can save an additional 40% on costs.
As the saying goes: ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste’.
