When it comes to a core customer service function like a contact center, an impending change such as an online conversion or branch closure can potentially impact your brand and level of service your customers have come to expect. During times like these, evaluating a contact center provider may seem particularly daunting.

You may feel as if you have to make a tradeoff between supplier quality, level of customer service, and the business’ needs. With the right contact center supplier, however this fear is more fantasy than reality. Here are five of the most common contact center myths and the facts to put those fears to rest – once and for all.

Myth: It’s too difficult to onboard a contact center supplier.

Fact: It can be difficult to onboard a contact center supplier, which is why it is important to choose wisely! To decrease difficulty and the time it takes to onboard, take the time to find a supplier with both a deep understanding of financial services and proven experience in helping other brands create successful online conversions. Flexibility is also important when making a wise contact center selection; consider augmenting your contact center team rather than outsourcing the entire business process to a new supplier with new team, systems, and solutions.

Myth:  I don’t think I need a contact center supplier for my conversion to be a success.

Fact:  You can attempt a conversion without a contact center supplier (no one is stopping you), but we wouldn’t advise it.

On average, 30 percent of online banking users call during a conversion event, potentially doubling call volume1  — and handle time — leaving your current contact center overwhelmed and understaffed. Scarier still, it can take customers up to 12 positive interactions to make up for just one negative experience with an underprepared call center.  

With those statistics, do you really want to risk not having the right supplier in place?

Myth: We can’t outsource because it’s too risky giving access to sensitive information.

Fact: This goes back to our first point about choosing a reputable contact center supplier from the outset, one that understands your business and shares the same sensitivity around customer data.

Using a flexible solution offers two big advantages when it comes to securing customer data. First, is fluency in security protocols and awareness to the sensitive needs of a financial institution when it comes to data security. Second, augmenting staff with a flexible contact center, instead of outsourcing the entire process, also keeps security in line as your institution is still in charge of the day-to-day operations.

Myth: A third-party supplier won’t be able to accurately represent my brand and deliver a consistent customer experience.

Fact: If you choose a supplier with a long history in managing the way financial institutions do business and market to customers, there won’t be any messaging problems. Additionally, by utilizing a custom solution, your organization gets a solution designed to seamlessly integrate into the way your brand is currently interacting with customers.

Myth: It’s too expensive to outsource a contact center and I won’t be able to see a strong return on investment.

Fact: A contact center is a cost for your business. With 59 percent of customers willing to change brands after a negative customer service experience, it isn’t so much a question of whether or not your contact center provides a return on investment, so much as ensuring your customer’s needs are met through the provider you choose so you don’t lose their business.  

It’s important to choose a provider that can estimate contact center capacity based on the type of event you’re experiencing. With this knowledge, you can create flexible, scalable program tailored to your financial institution’s immediate needs of the moment, with the ability to scale up or down as needed.

Putting common fears aside, there are many upsides to outsourcing your financial institution’s contact center, particularly if you go with a trusted and knowledgeable supplier.

> To learn more, download Vericast’s Ultimate Guide to Successful Contact Center Outsourcing.