IN today's highly competitive, economically challenged business environment, companies of all sizes must make shrewd decisions that will benefit company growth, revenue, and, in some cases, even survival.
In times of economic unpredictability, even the biggest companies find themselves on unsteady ground.
To counter the many challenges of doing business, many businesses are deciding to call center services to the Philippines.
“For the past 20 years, outsourcing call center services to the Philippines has been a winning solution for companies that want to cut labor and operating costs, solve staffing problems, and focus on the core business aspects that contribute to increased growth and revenue,” said Ralf Ellspermann, CEO of Piton-Global, an award-winning outsourcing provider specializing in call center services in the Philippines.
Here's how outsourcing call centers to the Philippines can help an organization achieve all three goals.
Savings on labor and operations
Significant cost savings are one of the most compelling reasons to outsource call center operations to the Philippines.
Doing so can help global companies save up to 70 percent on labor costs alone. Filipino agents earn an average yearly salary of $7,268. Compare that to the $25,000 to $48,000 call center agents earn in the United States.
The Philippine provider also hires and trains employees and pays their insurance and benefits, relieving the outsourcing clients of these costs. The savings on staffing expenses are obvious.
Additionally, the Philippine call center providers pay less for office space and many other operating expenses, saving companies 50 percent or more on costs.
Access to skilled labor
It is imperative to note that cheaper Philippine labor does not mean inferior talent. The Philippines has long been known for a young and highly literate workforce specially trained in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. That is mainly due to a government-supported college curriculum specifically aimed at careers in the call center outsourcing field. Thousands of college graduates enter the workforce every year armed with the advanced skills and training needed to succeed.
Solving staffing shortages
US call center agents work highly stressful jobs with relatively low financial rewards, and the industry is notorious for its high turnover rates. It is not an understatement to say that hiring and retaining in-house call center agents is a critical challenge.
According to recent studies, the average agent turnover rate ranges between 40 and 85 percent.
According to Ellspermann, “That's not the case in the Philippines, where working as a call center agent is an attractive career option. With more than 800 contact centers in the country, agents are always in demand.”
Once they find a job they enjoy, few are likely to leave in search of other opportunities.
For American companies, this high retention rate in the Philippines goes a long way toward solving staffing shortages created by the Great Resignation and company layoffs.
Increased focus on core areas
“Outsourcing call center services to the Philippines lets companies focus on the core business competencies that contribute directly to business and revenue growth,” he added.
By letting Philippine outsourcing providers take on front and back-office tasks, in-house management and employees can concentrate on essential business operations like developing new marketing and branding strategies, investing in research and development, attracting new clients, and enhancing the customer experience.
The bottom line
These are some of the key reasons that outsourcing call center functions to the Philippines makes excellent business sense.
While outsourcing requires some initial financial outlay, the benefits and high return on investment (ROI) make for a justifiable decision, one that will pay for itself.
“When it comes to surviving and thriving in a highly competitive business world, outsourcing call center services to the Philippines is money well spent,” Ellspermann noted.
