Call Center Outsourcing: A Strategic Connection

The benefit most often cited about outsourcing call center services is that it enables companies to better focus on their core competencies. However, FFP Global believes this is a very incomplete, if not flawed assessment as it suggests that customer interactions do not have strategic implications. Today, a customer interaction in all its forms, whether an inbound phone call, web chat or email exchange, can have a profound multiplier effect and bottom line impact when these experiences good or bad instantly traverse online media and social networking spaces and pick up a life of their own.

Thinking BPO Strategically

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), in which firms turn over  back-office functions and customer-facing (order processing, customer support) activities to outside vendors has been traditionally promoted as a way for companies to rid themselves of high volume transactions,  thus allowing them to focus on their core competencies.

At FFP Global we are seeing an interesting evolution with BPO. Because of the depth and unpredictability of the economic crisis, companies are making far reaching cuts in personnel, infrastructure, programs and capital expenditures. However, as company resources are eliminated, the ability for executives to understand transformative options can become significantly hindered.

Over the last few months, more and more FFP Global clients are relying on us to review business processes in a strategic framework context.  There’s a realization that core competencies can evaporate if they don’t have a push/pull relationship with business processes.  We believe that tremendous strategic value can be found in the elements and details of business processes, so FFP Global welcomes this development.

Internet Retailer Show 2008

We exhibited at the Internet Retailer Show (June 9-12) in Chicago for the first time.  There were about 5,000 attendees. Our team was very pleased with the contacts we met, ranging from growing companies to Fortune 200 companies. The need to outsource seems to keep on increasing.

Next year the show is in Boston – where are our corporate headquarters is based.

The Internet enables every conceivable vertical market to be born. We met a woman who runs Toiletpaperworld.com.

The most popular words used by exhibitors were; analytics, engage, conversations and optimize.

Chicago is a great walking city. There are many public places, enticing restaurants and beautiful buildings all around. Although there’s much happening, it all feels very orderly. One of the restaurants we enjoyed was the Atwood Cafe.

Call Center Recognition

Customer Interaction Solutions magazine has ranked FFP Global as a Top 50 Teleservice Agency in their twenty-third Annual Top 50 Inbound Teleservices Agencies Ranking. FFP Global was recognized in both the domestic and international categories. The ranking appears in the Customer Interaction Solutions April 2008 issue.  FFP Global has call centers in California and Massachusetts, with over 500 agent stations.

Benefits of Call Center and Fulfillment Outsourcing

Linda Manfredi, FFP Global’s Chief Operating Officer, provides some great insight into the benefits of outsourcing for growing companies in this podcast.