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Did you know that a 5% increase in customer retention can increase company revenue by 25-95%? That’s why a lot of business owners choose to outsource their customer service to help increase customer satisfaction.
In every business, consistent and excellent customer service is crucial, making it one of the most outsourced business functions. Property management is one of the industries that commonly outsource customer service. In this article, let’s break down what Property Management Customer Service Outsourcing is.
Outsourcing customer service is when a business hires or partners with a third-party provider to handle client-facing tasks or operations. Property management businesses often outsource to delegate high-volume, time-consuming, and administrative tasks to free up their time.
They also see outsourcing as an investment with higher returns on investment (ROI) because of the financial advantages associated with it. Generally speaking, outsourcing can help boost efficiency and profit in property management businesses.
Let’s talk about how and why:
There are different circumstances that encourage outsourcing in the property management industry. They may be because of strategic, economic, or management factors.
Some of the common factors that inspire people to outsource are:
Property management is an industry with a broad list of daily tasks. As you well know, it can become a little overwhelming at times. Luckily,
Below are some critical customer service functions outsourced by property management companies:
Outsourcing is a reliable option if you still do not have the capacity or means to run an in-house customer service team. With outsourcing, you can unlock numerous benefits that can help scale your business.
Let’s go over some of the advantages when outsourcing:
There are significant costs associated with setting up a customer service team. Expect to spend a large portion of your budget on hiring, onboarding, and training your team. After all, you want to know they can perform the duties and responsibilities of customer support.
Aside from that, there are the overhead costs to think about as well. But with outsourcing, you can eliminate these costs and allocate your resources to income-generating strategies.
Imagine how good it would feel to cross off your recruitment to-do list items like posting a job description, hiring, and interviewing. Then there’s the onboarding process, training, and purchasing workplace necessities like desks, chairs, and other office supplies and appliances. Recruiting a single employee can cost around $4,700 — imagine seeing that disappear from the budget and hit the bottom line.
Streamlining your business process and reducing administrative headaches can lead to increased efficiency. You can delegate these tasks to your outsourced team. Freeing up your time from small and time-consuming tasks enables you to focus on other areas of your business or core business functions.
Finding the right people to carry out your business processes can be a challenge. At the same time, acquiring cutting-edge tools and technology to assist with daily operations can be quite expensive. Software programs, like those used by accountants and call centers, can be pricey.
It’s a good thing outsourcing enables you to get access to specialized expertise and technology. These ensure that your customer service team delivers the highest quality of service to your customers. Equally important, is that they absorb the cost of the software — not you.
Outsourcing enhances customer satisfaction by providing dedicated team leaders, continuous training, and a well-equipped team that meets company standards. A well-equipped team can deliver high-quality service, resulting in increased customer satisfaction.
Addressing potential obstacles and how to overcome them. Just like any business strategy, outsourcing also comes with its own challenges.
Here are a few challenges you might encounter:
Business partnerships should be harmonious! Trust and mutual respect are key.
Solution: Always do your research before partnering with an outsourcing provider. Assess whether they’re a good fit for your business and do they align with your business goals and values. Consider all factors (and don’t choose based solely on who offers the cheapest pricing model).
Poor knowledge transfer can negatively impact both your company and the outsourcing provider by causing unclear project details and misunderstandings.
Solution: Implement a clear knowledge transfer process. This involves identifying necessary information, selecting appropriate participants, using the best method, executing the process, and evaluating its effectiveness. Your outsourcing company of choice should have established processes as well.
Outsourcing entails sharing critical and sensitive information about your company with your provider. This can result in data leaks and compromised security.
Solution: Ensure that there are legal agreements in place such as SLAs and NDAs to protect your company’s intellectual properties and data. Check the business processing outsourcing (BPO) partner has a strong managerial presence over their trusted team and robust quality checks.
Most of the top outsourcing countries are located in Asia. Therefore, language and cultural differences might arise and affect your business and service quality. You also have to consider whether they are able to adapt and work in your time zone.
Solution: If your customer support requires communicating with clients, it’s better to outsource in a country where English is widely spoken and has the most neutral accent.
Additionally, providing language training can also help avoid these issues. The Philippines is the go-to destination for these reasons: English is one of the official languages, and the customer service industry flourishes there.
As cliché as it may sound, communication is always the key to success. Not being able to express what you really need and establish what you want to achieve may result in miscommunication and mismanagement later on.
Solution: Keep your communication channels open. Be transparent and give specific feedback regularly. Conducting meetings and conference calls can also help address any issues or misunderstandings. Most importantly, choose a reliable outsourcing partner who can listen to your needs and goals.
As we mentioned before, choosing the right outsourcing partner can help eliminate risks and avoid potential conflicts. Think of it like investing in new furniture or home appliances. You would research what’s the best in the market and which one’s worth investing in. Just like in outsourcing, you have to weigh your options, the pros and cons, and other factors.
So, here’s a few criteria to consider:
Determine whether they are a reliable and credible company in the outsourcing industry. In the duration of your partnership, you will likely be sharing quite a lot of your company information and data. Therefore, you have to work with someone you can trust.
Another essential criteria in choosing your outsourcing partner are their experience and expertise. A company with enough experience and expertise can know how to help you. It’s also easier to work with them if they are familiar with the property management industry.
Knowing and establishing your business goals and requirements will be your number one guide when choosing your outsourcing partner. It’s even more crucial if you have very specific technical requirements.
Ask yourself: Will they be able to help me with what I need? Do they have the capacity to meet my business requirements?
Now that you have narrowed down your options, you can start looking at their pricing models. But as we have mentioned, don’t settle with the one who has the lowest price. Keep in mind that this is not just a business strategy but an investment as well.
Once you’ve chosen which outsourcing provider to partner with, it’s time to move to the next phase for a successful outsourcing implementation:
Property management is an industry constantly changing. With all the emerging trends, adapting to changes helps ventures stay competitive.
Even the property management industry isn’t exempted from technology advancements. These innovations, which range from virtual tools to smart home appliances to online portals, will improve productivity and security while offering consumers exceptional convenience.
Adopting sustainable building practices can reduce carbon footprints and attract eco-conscious tenants. These practices include using green roofs, energy-efficient systems and appliances, and using environmentally friendly materials. Additionally, implementing recycling programs encourages tenants to adopt sustainable habits and reduce waste.
Adapting to these trends and integrating them into your current system and processes can become quite challenging. That’s where outsourcing comes in. To free up time and plan your budget for these improvements, consider outsourcing your customer service right now.
In conclusion, property management customer service outsourcing is a strategic strategy to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. Common services include administrative tasks, marketing, sales, property maintenance, and accounting. To be successful in outsourcing, choose a credible provider, align your business goals, and implement best practices.
STAFFVIRTUAL’s over 15 years of experience proves how reliable we are when it comes to property management customer service outsourcing. Book a call with us, and let’s get you started in four easy steps! There’s no better time to outsource than now.
Sources:
Five Strategies To Improve Customer Retention | Forbes