Remember the first time you used Priceline or Hotwire? If you are like me, you were not willing to lower your expectation of quality but did have flexibility on your timing.
Sites like these unlock benefits for both the hotels and the traveler. High-end hotels have expiring inventory that will generate $0 if the room goes unrented, and travelers that have flexibility in their timing are able to stay at high-quality venues for a fraction of the regular list price.
We see similar things happen in service industries now, especially when labor is the limiting factor.
Good news!
For CX service buyers with flexibility, there is a way to still get 5-star customer experience, but at 2-star prices.
Here is a specific example where we have seen success with this CX outsourcing method:
Some outbound and email projects are not as time-sensitive as others, meaning the work must be completed within a set period of time but the success is not dependent on it being done within minutes or hours of a specific event.
If you have 4000 hours of work that needs to be completed each month, but there is not a huge impact to whether it is done on a Monday or a Friday, or the beginning or the end of the month, you are in the position of the traveler in the Priceline analogy.
CX providers who are doing significant inbound volume almost always have pockets of under-utilized time, particularly increasing amounts as the week progresses, where they can blend time in your project to their existing inbound work, staying productive while saving you money.
If you have a project that is relatively easy to train and you are willing to allow some variability in when the activity takes place, you may have the chance to optimize your price without ever sacrificing the quality you need from your customer experience partner. Because you’re opting for a flexible project rather than requiring a time-constrained employee, you’re likely able to negotiate with your CX outsourced partner so you both win—saving you money and giving your CX provider more productive staff.
Looking for some tips on how to best negotiate pricing, or have a project like this that you’re looking to place? Feel free to reach out directly.
ABOUT SAM FALLETTA
Sam Falletta is the CEO of Incept, where he has been responsible for the development and execution of successful customer acquisition and retention strategies for some of the largest brands in the world including Microsoft, Ford, Honda, and the American Red Cross. Under Sam’s leadership, Incept has grown consistently over the last decade and has been recognized as one of the top workplaces in NE Ohio by Workplace Dynamics several times.
In addition to his work at Incept, Sam is active in the community as the founder of TEDxAkron and a board member of several local and national nonprofit organizations. He is an active speaker on the topics of customer experience, employee engagement, and mental health in the call center.
Sam has also been recognized as a recipient of Smart Business's Smart 50 Award, The University of Akron's Frank L. Simonetti Distinguished Business Alumni Award, named to the 2017 Northeast Ohio 'Who To Watch' list by Smart Business Magazine, the Professional Association of Customer Engagement’s Spirit of Philanthropy and CXE Community Impact Award, Workplace Dynamics Top CEO of a Mid-sized Company, and the Smart Business Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards, along with several growth awards for Incept.
Sam loves to travel internationally, attend sporting events and concerts, and spend time with his wife and two children at their home in Green, Ohio.