Top 10 Customer Support Outsourcing Companies in 2024

Outsourcing customer support is a great way to provide affordable but reliable service to your clients. Whether for voice or non-voice applications, there are plenty of excellent customer support outsourcing companies that fit every requirement.

But then again, why even think about outsourcing? Isn’t local talent good enough to provide the service needed by a company’s customers? Plus, wouldn’t it be a disservice to customers if a company farms out its frontline operations to contractors?

What Is Customer Support Outsourcing?

Outsourcing customer support involves engaging BPO providers to manage customer service tasks. This approach is adopted by businesses of various sizes, including small, mid-level, and large companies. They delegate responsibilities such as email support, live chat support, social media management, voice-based customer service, technical support, and e-commerce support to third-party call centers or contact centers. This strategy helps to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. The range and quality of these services depend on the client's business type, area of expertise, specific requirements, and the capabilities of the chosen provider. Businesses have the flexibility to outsource select services or choose comprehensive BPO solutions proper for their needs.

By now, the best customer service companies should know the value of customer support and why it’s an essential cog in an organization. Like sales and marketing, customer service should already be in play during a company’s first day, as they are the group that comes into direct contact with clients.

The main goal of customer support is to keep clients happy by attending to their needs and responding to their questions. However, it’s also a way to instill loyalty and generate additional sales. To do so, an outsourcing company must have its support team available whenever the customer needs it. Outsourcing customer support allows companies to maintain an around-the-clock service team managed by industry veterans and experts.

Advantages of Customer Support Outsourcing

Admittedly, not all company startups have leaders who are experts in every facet of their operations. Given their many responsibilities, a lot of startup founders accept that they can’t do everything themselves. Non-core competencies such as customer service can benefit from outsourcing. According to Zippia, cost savings are a key reason why 59% of companies choose to outsource. This is particularly relevant for startups, where keeping costs low is essential. Outsourcing customer support can significantly reduce overhead expenses and allow startup leaders to better use their funds in core areas of the business.

Turning the service over to competent experts lets companies benefit from a bigger source of talent from all over the world. At the same time, companies that outsource customer support enjoy reduced payroll without sacrificing service quality. Other benefits of outsourcing include:

More Opportunities to Grow the Business

By assigning customer support to expert outsourcing service providers, leaders can instead turn to scaling the business. Overseeing the day-to-day operations can already take much of management’s time, and customer support is equally demanding. To help executives focus on the big picture, they’ll need to partner with the best service companies that know what they’re doing.

These providers not only handle customer queries efficiently but also bring insights from diverse markets. Such a strategic partnership allows business leaders to steer their companies toward innovative growth while maintaining high customer satisfaction levels. By the way, about 24% of small businesses choose to outsource to increase their operational efficiency, highlighting the growing recognition of outsourcing as a tool for enhancing business productivity.

Enhance Customer Experience

Engagement with support services usually results in clients feeling heard and satisfied with the attention to their issues. If customer service companies and their team adequately address customers’ issues, they’re more than likely to remain customers.

A pleasant customer experience will almost always lead to longer retention and a significantly higher customer lifetime value (CLV). This isn’t to say a stellar customer experience is only possible through outsourcing. Rather, the chances of improving customer satisfaction come with a continuous and consistent level of service. Providing a highly specialized, dedicated team of professionals from day one is a great way to achieve this quickly.

Cutting Operational Costs with Outsourcing

Businesses increasingly turn to outsourcing their customer support to trim down their operational costs. Recent industry analyses reveal that a significant portion of companies choose outsourcing for its financial benefits, similar to the 57% reported by Deloitte in their study.

By outsourcing customer support, companies can avoid the costs associated with expanding their internal infrastructure and workforce. This includes the financial burden of investing in new office space, equipment, and IT infrastructure, as well as the expenses related to recruiting, training, and onboarding new staff. They also cut costs by avoiding the need to pay bills for the Internet and electricity. This way, businesses can keep their expenses low.

Contracting out your customer support will save you time and money and help you deliver quality service. It would be more rational to employ local call center workers if you serve foreign clients rather than expecting your full-time staff members to master other languages. The more customers you serve, the greater the likelihood that you will meet your clients' needs.

Top 10 Customer Support Outsourcing Companies

We’ve narrowed down the list of companies with great customer service to the top 10 providers that have the great potential to be the best in 2024. We’ll also provide a brief description and highlight the main strong points of each outsourcing company.

1. Helpware

Helpware started in 2015 with the initial goal of providing support to startup companies. Over the years, the company has grown big and is confident enough to provide both enterprise and small business customer service outsourcing solutions. The company provides dedicated customer support agents, in-house training, and equipment to help its clients boost their productivity from day one. Now it’s one of the top customer service companies in the US and European markets with numerous awards. The achievement of Eight Stevie® Awards in 2023, including a Gold for "Company of the Year - Business or Professional Services" and an impressive Clutch score of 4.8 affirm their reputation as a leader in providing comprehensive and effective customer support solutions. Helpware’s people-focused culture seems very attractive to businesses sharing the same philosophy.

Pros:

1. Shows outstanding flexibility when providing for clients’ specific needs. This means its support can scale along with your company’s growth.

2. Serves over 250 clients in more than 20 languages. Some global brands are happy to have their customer support outsourced to Helpware.
3. Helpware boasts a customer satisfaction rate above 90% and an impressively low employee attrition rate of 2.8%.

Helpware’s focused on developing its people and their skills and it pays off handsomely, especially in customer support outsourcing contracts. 

2. Sykes

U.S.-based Sykes is one of the pioneers of the BPO industry. Established in 1995, the company trailblazed its way to the top and was one of the first BPOs to open multiple locations. In 2021, the Sitel Group acquired Sykes to widen its reach and increase its capacity.

Sykes is one of the top 10 service companies and leading service providers of demand generation and customer engagement services, with clients included in the top 2000 companies worldwide. At the core of Sykes’ business are its staple services: outsourcing, customer experience, service to sales, digital transformation, and brand extension.

Pros:

1. Sykes maintains a pool of service agents from its clients’ home countries.
2. The company is well-versed in matters concerning data privacy. Specifically, Sykes follows various privacy guidelines, including HIPAA compliance and Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security certification.

3. Ascensos

Founded in 2013 in the UK, Ascensos is one of those outsourced customer service companies that wanted to change the customer experience by applying a personal touch to customer care. The company is now Europe’s number-one customer support outsourcing company, providing bespoke customer experience solutions to clients around the world. In addition, its contact center operation locations include the UK, Romania, Turkey, and South Africa.

Pros:

1. Ascensos is more nearshore than an offshore support center, so location and time zone differences aren’t as pronounced as operations in Asia and South America.
2. Companies that outsource customer service to Ascensos value the fact that it supports diversity and inclusivity among staff while focusing on promoting happiness as a key asset among its workforce.
3. Although there aren’t any published pricing rates, instead, Ascensos will individually respond to requests for quotes, the prices of this outsourcing customer service company are more than affordable.

4. Teleperformance

With more than 40 years of experience in the BPO industry, Teleperformance is an established leader in solution design, business optimization strategies, and front-office customer support. It also offers back-office services such as finance and accounting, collections, and technical support.

Pros:

1. Teleperformance is a truly global service provider. It operates in 80 countries and employs more than 330,000 agents speaking over 265 languages and deservedly belongs to a league of good customer service companies. You won’t find it difficult to get support in the language and location you require.
2. Clients also appreciate the company’s expertise in providing omnichannel solutions.

5. VXI

VXI Global Solutions is one of those outsourcing agencies that offer customer care and customer experience (CX) solutions to some of today’s major global brands. In addition, the company offers contact center and BPO services, omnichannel and multilingual support, software development, CX innovation, quality assurance (QA), and infrastructure outsourcing. VXI employs more than 35,000 workers in 43 countries throughout North America, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean.

The company also prides itself on its ability to help clients resolve major CX and employee experience (EX) pain points and take their customer service systems to the next level. Like any modern BPO, VXI employs omnichannel support services to enhance communication coverage for clients. Also, VXI provides additional analytics and insights generation services so clients can learn as they go.

Pros:

1. High CX expertise leads to enhanced customer and employee experience.
2. VXI displays an uncanny ability to scale up or down to fit its client’s capabilities.

6. InfluX

In its quest to build the world’s first remote-only CX team, InfluX managed to recruit employees from more than 120 cities worldwide. This strategy also lets them provide 24-hour customer support outsourcing solutions within the client’s time zone. In addition, InfluX creates specialized customer experiences that reflect the client’s vision, voice, and values.

Pros:

1. Less dependence on automation and more on human interaction make for a better customer experience.
2. Having employees in every time zone solves the common offshore problem of mismatched time schedules between clients and outsourcing companies.
3. Pay-as-go pricing may be attractive to some clients who prefer flexible packages.

7. Skycom

Skycom is also on the list of nearshore outsourcing companies that specialize in multi-continent support services. The company employs native English contact center agents with experience in multiple industries. Skycom also offers a full range of services, including business process outsourcing, telemarketing and sales, customer support, and healthcare. With more than 15 years of experience, Skycom also employs over 2,000 workers assigned to 35 clients in five countries.

Pros:

1. Nearshore operations mean fewer problems dealing with time zone and distance differences.
2. Skycom covers a wide range of industries, including healthcare, travel, utilities, IT, finance, retail, and telecommunications.

8. Integra

Integra’s differentiator is its focus on training its workforce in customer psychology. This means company-provided support agents are more sensitive in detecting changes in the customer’s voice or tone. As a result, they can respond to these changes to defuse any tension and lead the customer into a more positive mindset. Starting with four employees in 2004, Integra currently employs more than 1,400 workers stationed across four countries. It handles customer service duties over the phone, email, live chat, or social media.

Pros:

1. Integra offers some of the most cost-effective solutions in the industry.
2. Sales psychology is also an incredible asset to have if you work in a customer support outsourcing company.

9. Telus

Telus International is one of the world’s leading digital CX innovators. In particular, it designs and produces next-generation digital solutions for brands all over the world. This is one of the Canadian top IT outsourcing companies that provide IT services and multilingual customer service to industries such as technology, media, communications, eCommerce, financial technology, travel, hospitality, automotive, healthcare, and games.

Pros:

1. Telus International is a premium multilingual contact center. It is one of those IT support outsourcing companies that offer top-tier customer support services in various countries and more than 50 languages.
2. Telus is famous among IT services outsourcing companies for organizing an annual charitable initiative called “Telus Days of Giving.” In particular, the company taps 225,000 volunteers from its offices to complete various service projects across its many host countries.

10. Arise

Arise is a 25-year-old United States-based company that specializes in providing support outsourcing services across the USA. It employs more than 60,000 remote agents in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. Unlike a traditional BPO, Arise utilizes a network of service partners to provide the needed customer service experiences. In addition, the Arise Platform helps companies lower expenses. As a result, Arise clients report an average 25% reduction in contact center service total costs, which is why clients want to outsource customer service small business really needs.

Pros:

1. Arise deploys a tiered security approach in its communications with clients. This ensures they preserve the confidentiality of documents or files sent over. It also means Arise conforms to widely accepted data privacy regulations such as HIPAA, CCPA, and others.
2. Arise also focuses its employment on local talent, hiring residents of the U.S., UK, and Canada. This means stable employment for the company and an easier method of hiring or replacing staff members.

FAQ: Common Questions About Customer Support Outsourcing

What are the steps to outsource customer support?

To outsource customer support, begin by identifying your specific needs and goals. Research and shortlist reputable customer support outsourcing companies. Evaluate their expertise, technology, language capabilities, and customer service record. Request proposals and compare them. Finally, choose a partner that aligns with your business values and objectives, negotiate a contract, and establish clear communication and quality benchmarks.

Are there any risks to outsourcing CS?

Outsourcing customer support can pose certain risks such as reduced control over service quality, potential cultural and language barriers, data security concerns, and possible negative impacts on customer satisfaction. To mitigate these risks, it's crucial to choose a reputable provider with proven security measures, effective training programs, and strong communication channels.

How much does it cost to outsource customer service?

The cost of outsourcing customer service varies widely depending on factors like the location of the outsourcing company, the complexity of services required, the level of expertise needed, and the volume of customer interactions. Generally, costs can range from a few dollars per hour for basic services to much higher rates for specialized or technical support. It's important to get detailed quotes from potential providers to understand the full cost implications.

Is there a difference between customer service outsourcing and offshore customer service?

Outsourcing customer service and offshoring customer service are related but distinct concepts. Outsourcing involves delegating customer service operations to a third-party provider, which can be located domestically or internationally. Offshoring, on the other hand, specifically refers to transferring these services to a provider in another country, often to leverage cost advantages or access specific talent pools. Therefore, while offshoring is a form of outsourcing, not all customer service outsourcing is offshored.

How to evaluate the ROI of outsourcing vs having an in-house team?

Evaluating the ROI of outsourcing versus an in-house team involves weighing short-term financial costs against long-term benefits. Outsourcing can offer cost savings and specialized expertise but may lead to reduced control and potential quality issues. In contrast, an in-house team typically requires a higher initial investment but provides better control, alignment with company culture, and communication ease. The decision should consider the business's specific needs, work nature, and strategic goals, assessing both financial implications and alignment with long-term objectives.

Should my business choose in-house or outsourced customer service?

The effectiveness of outsourcing versus in-house customer service can vary based on the business type and needs. While outsourcing, when done well and with a suitable partner, often offers more advantages than drawbacks, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. Many businesses find a hybrid approach, combining outsourced customer service with an in-house team, to be the most beneficial. This strategy allows for greater flexibility and can cater to specific business requirements more effectively.

Choose the Best Outsourcing Companies That Fit Your Needs

Deciding which outsourcing providers to contact for your customer support outsourcing needs? Perform the necessary research before settling on your choice. For instance, some customer service outsource companies on our list might command a pricing structure higher than what your budget holds.

In addition, consider your company’s specific requirements and areas for improvement. Do you need a customer support team focused on CX? Or, do you prefer having sales psychology-trained outbound callers who can close deals? Finally, does the appeal of higher-cost nearshoring resonate better than offshore talents a few time zones away?

No one-size-fits-all solution exists when it comes to customer support outsourcing. However, if you want a highly flexible and secure customer service solution that utilizes modern technology throughout the various stages, try the best companies for customer service. These largest outsourcing companies not only supply the best talent, but also the best equipment and training to prepare them.