UK Jobs Lost Needlessly OverSeas

The recent trend in outsourcing to off-shore call centres shows that many companies are attempting to gain bigger returns at smaller costs; Indian call-centre salaries are a tenth of those in the UK. However, customer service software company, Transversal (www.transversal.com), argues that deploying web self-service can achieve significant efficiency and cost savings for call-centre operations, safeguard customer service and save UK jobs. A recent research paper by Mitial (December 2003), the call-centre research company, revealed that 60 per cent of the British public was against outsourcing. In addition a study by Amicus (September 2003), the UKs largest manufacturing, technical and skilled persons union, suggests that off-shore outsourcing is not only leading to increasing concern about UK jobs, it is affecting customer confidence because perception of the practice is so low. There is a small movement of western companies, most notably Dell US, which are now bringing call-centre operations back from abroad citing customer dissatisfaction as the reason. These are currently the exceptions rather than the norm, as companies continue to risk long-term prosperity for short-term gain. Transversal argues that answering customer questions quickly and accurately online is what is needed to reduce contact volumes and tip the balance towards making a purchase. Transversal’s web self-service solutions make it quicker and more convenient for customers to have their questions answered online rather than contact a call-centre. The companys unique Memory EngineTM technology understands complex customer questions and answers them in the same way as a member of staff. It also frees up call centre capacity allowing agents to handle more calls of increased complexity and value. According to a recent Forrester survey of 25 leading European financial firms, four out of five will launch online service tools to stem the ten per cent annual growth in e-mail and call volumes. Transversal claims even more significant reductions. Its client Fujifilm, for example, has reduced e-mail volumes by 62 per cent through the adoption of web self-service. Ironically, while web self-service can stem rising contact volumes and remove the motivation to outsource. It can also help companies that have outsourced to avoid the customer backlash that arises out of poor service. Organisations are now deploying this technology within call-centres to improve agent knowledge and increase first-call resolution. Any time agents are unsure how to respond to a question, they simply input the question on screen to get an immediate answer. The dynamic Q & A process that drives the system builds a knowledge resource that is totally in tune with the needs of an organisation’s customers.