why growing e-commerce brands should use boutique outsourcers
Just because you have decided to outsource your customer service team doesn’t mean you have to go with a big player. You may find the benefits of using a boutique outsourcer to be too good to ignore. We are assuming you have already read our pieces outlining the choice between organically expanding your team vs. outsourcing, as well as the true cost of outsourcing. Here we will be doing a deeper dive into some of the smaller, but every bit as capable players in the support outsourcing market.
What is a Boutique Outsourcer?
Much like in the fashion industry, a boutique outsourcer is a smaller operation, devoted to giving more specialized treatment. The boutique outsourcer will typically have a roster of 5 - 100 customers. They provide both onsite, and off-site support for your customer service needs. The market and demographic these boutique outsourcers are usually looking to sell to are small, rising e-commerce/retail businesses.
Why Boutiques?
The first thing you need to consider is how big businesses operate. First and foremost they care about PROTI or “potential return on time invested”. In layman’s terms if you’re the company that isn’t bringing the outsourcer enough bang for its buck they may prioritize other larger company accounts. For example, many large outsourcers require companies to staff a minimum of 7-10 of their support agents.
If your support team is not growing as fast, It isn't uncommon for large outsourcers to :
Sub-contract your account, giving you even less control over quality
Raise your rates
Drop your account altogether.
What You Can Expect From Boutiques
Most boutique outsourcers offer you a lower rate than their bigger competitors. At the end of the day, this is usually the most important factor when deciding your customer service outsourcer. Instead of convoluted, confusing pricing plans that can sneakily add up, boutique pricing plans are often more straightforward. Service fees are often already factored into their charges, rather than added on at the tail end of an invoice.
For example, boutiques pricing plans offer fixed hourly pay per head or simply fixed project based pay, you know exactly what you’re paying every cycle.
Flexible Contacts
Remember, the bigger players don't need your account, even if you’re a small business on the rise. Their pricing plans/ contacts are set, serialized and corporate. A boutique outsourcer is much more likely to help work within the confines of your business to hold onto your account.
More Personalized Touch
The biggest detractor of customer service outsourcing is losing that personal touch on your customer service teams. Boutique outsourcers help bridge that gap. It is not uncommon for boutique outsourcers to be more involved in recruitment, hiring, training, and managing agents custom fit to your business needs. Boutique outsourcers are also known for pushing business reviews with their account holders than larger competitors.
A boutique outsourcer in many ways becomes more of a strategic partner than a service. They understand e-commerce brands and has a vested interest in providing a great experience to your customers. To them, you are not just another account to be added and dropped, you are their ticket to expanding their brand and reputation, just as they are your ticket to maintaining your own.
From our conversation with companies, below are three boutique outsourcers who are known to work with fast growing e-commerce brands. Check them out to learn more!