Everyone in the call center industry knows that historically, offshore call centers have been incredibly popular. They offer the opportunity to maintain a 24/7 call center at a lower cost than keeping the call center in-house, plus limit or eliminate the problem of agent retention and high turnover. But in recent years, experts have begun to see businesses reshoring their call centers, or bringing them back to the US, Canada, and Mexico. Here, we’re highlighting some of the reasons for this new trend.

Work From Home is Here to Stay

 

We’re far enough removed from the COVID-19 pandemic that it’s safe to say that work from home is here to stay. It’s clear that there has been no decline in agent productivity or quality of service from agents who are working from home. Plus, the flexibility and money saving for employees makes these positions more attractive, making more qualified people more likely to seek them out and remain in them for longer. Speaking of money saving, work from home is incredibly cost effective for companies who are no longer leasing office space and/or purchasing pricey equipment for their agents to use. And because these savings are built into the work from home model, it allows companies the flexibility, opportunity, and financial freedom to hire agents in North America.

 

Access to Bilingual English and Spanish Speakers

 

Regardless of whether you’re calling a customer service line, a doctor’s office, or an insurance company, chances are you are likely to get an option to speak to someone in Spanish. That’s because the Spanish-speaking population in the US has grown exponentially over the last decade, expanding at a rate three times faster than the overall population. The best place to find qualified, bilingual English and Spanish speaking agents? Right here in the US.

 

Geopolitical Tension Abroad

 

Historically, the most popular locations for offshore call centers have been less developed countries in Asia and the Middle East and places like Ukraine and the Philippines. But it’s no secret that there is a great deal of social and political instability in many of these countries, instability that could lead to less qualified workers, higher agent turnover, and poor work habits that can offset the benefits of offshoring in the first place. In order to maintain a successful and cost-effective offshore call center, you need to know that the call center is employing qualified professionals and that you will be able to maintain adequate oversight and/or management of the call center. When there is frequent turnover, or when other issues related to geopolitical tension exist, this becomes much more difficult and makes the idea of reshoring your call center that much more attractive.

 

Customer Distrust

 

Piggybacking off of the issue of geopolitical tension is that of customer distrust of agents who they may be able to tell are not based in the US. In customer service calls, first impressions are everything. Unfortunately, it does not matter if the agent is highly qualified and professional if the customer has a difficult time understanding what they are saying because of something to do with their speech. Customers will make assumptions about the person they are speaking to—and even if those assumptions are incorrect, they will influence the progress of the call and the customer’s ultimate level of satisfaction by the end. Many factors will come into play, such as the tasks your agents are handling, the demographics of your clientele, and the sensitivity of the information being discussed on calls, but this issue may be strong enough to prompt reshoring your call center.

Regardless of where your call center is located, an easy-to-use call center platform, like CallShaper, is a must. To learn more, request a demo today.