Picture this: In the heart of India, a buzzing contact center where agents are helping customers across the globe in multiple languages. Move over to a vibrant Latin American city, where another team is nailing queries in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. These are just two examples of how geo-diversification is revolutionizing the customer service scene through contact center outsourcing.
In the age of globalization, businesses are breaking free from their geographical chains, but realizing one major truth – going local is key, especially in customer service. Here’s a wake-up call: 75% of customers are more likely to buy if you speak their language, and 59% want information in their native language. As brands go global, they can’t ignore the local scene. Just one local contact center? It’s not going to cut it for the diverse crowd a brand attracts.
Enter Blendshoring – Geo-diversification at its best
Businesses are hitting their localization goals by tapping into the power of both nearshore and offshore delivery centers. This strategy, known as ‘Blendshoring,’ is all about leveraging global, geo-diversified hubs that excel in local dialects. Blendshoring or geo-diversification is gaining traction among companies for several reasons.
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- The obvious cost advantage – Adding an offshore or nearshore location in low-cost geographies to handle certain channels or functions can reduce costs anywhere from 10-70%.
- Multilingual support – The ability to respond to a customer in the language of their choice can resonate deeply with local customer bases.
- Local market expertise – Different regions bring specific market insights and cultural understanding, improving customer interactions and satisfaction
- 24×7 support – Different time zones allow for round-the-clock customer support, enhancing service availability.
- Risk mitigation – Spreading operational risks across different regions reduces the impact of local disruptions like political instability, natural disasters, or public health crises. Customer service spread across different locations provides a safety net, ensuring that your customers don’t feel abandoned even during tough times.
- Access to diverse, global talent – Geo-diversification means building global customer support teams with diverse skill sets. For example, your onshore teams might handle voice services, while nearshore agents bring the multilingual magic, giving a competitive edge in catering to diverse customers.
Mastering Geo-Diversification in Contact Centers
Contact centers are increasingly moving towards a blended workforce model, seamlessly integrating on-campus and remote agents across the globe. This model can have terrific outcomes for business. This approach was a lifesaver for a major retailer during the pandemic, keeping customer service on point with a geographically diverse team. Customer service agents distributed among a variety of geographies were able to serve customers without disruption.
Contact centers embracing geo-diversification and a blended workforce are setting the new gold standard. It’s more than just a strategy; it’s a revolution in tapping into global talent breaking down traditional work boundaries. Are you ready to embrace it?