Santander banking group has announced that it will be removing its UK Call Centre Operations from India and will be relocating back to the UK after complaints from British based customers. We have all had nightmare experiences with Overseas call centres. I can remember tearing my hair out while dealing with an incompetent operative who could barely understand English let alone answer my query. The savings achieved can amount to 30-40% of operating costs in the UK which makes it understandable that numerous firms have made the move. The question of whether the move abroad is justified is determined by the competence of the staff and the perception of the service on offer from the UK client base. Business is global and we must accept that outsourcing is just a part of the International marketplace in which we now operate.
So long as training for staff is thorough and intensive,overseas outsourcing should work. The problems start where employees have not got an acceptable grasp of the English Language and do not understand the product or service of their employer sufficiently well to offer advice and assistance.
UK businesses must remember that bad customer service hurts their brand, reputation and customer retention rates. There is no excuse for UK firms to employee overseas staff without a sufficient education to carry out their work. Many firms choose India as a call centre destination. India has a highly educated, hard working, ambitious population with literally millions of intelligent people to choose from. There is an argument to say that all staff should have at least a degree, a demand which would still leave a large population of prospective employees to choose from in a well educated, commerce competent nation such as India.
Could Santander be the first of many firms to bring their call centres back to the UK? If training, support and recruitment is substandard, then quite possibly. Savings are good but not at the expense of your reputation.
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