Service Operation Operation Customer Care

Operations Services Customer Care Operations: Creating Outstanding Experiences, Driving Sustainable Growth

In the connected era, customers don’t just buy products or services, they buy experiences. A positive Customer Experience (CX) throughout the entire journey of purchasing and using the product is a key factor in determining customer satisfaction, loyalty and the likelihood of returning. However, building and operating an effective, professional Customer Care/Customer Service department that is capable of handling large-scale multi-channel interactions is a huge challenge, especially for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) operations . This is where the concept of outsourced Customer Care/Operations Services becomes a strategic solution.

We, the Brand Manager VN team, see that many businesses are struggling with reducing the workload for internal teams when the volume of requests from customers increases, or having difficulty in managing and handling customer complaints effectively . The lack of specialized customer care staff , the cost of investing in technology ( Contact Center System or CRM Software ) or ensuring consistent Service Quality Management across all Communication Channels (phone, email, live chat, social networks...) are major barriers. That is why we consider Customer Service Outsourcing a smart move, helping businesses optimize operational processes and achieve effective operational management .

What is Customer Care in the Modern Context?

Today, Customer Care/Customer Service is no longer just about receiving calls and answering questions. It is a set of activities to interact, support and build relationships with Customers throughout their lifecycle with the business. Including Customer Support when they have technical problems or need help using products/services. The goal is not only to solve problems but also to create positive, surprising and memorable experiences, thereby Building customer loyalty and motivating them to become enthusiastic brand advocates.

Customer Service Operations: Customer Service Optimization Solution

Customer Service Operations is when a business decides to entrust part or all of its activities related to interacting and supporting customers to a professional third party - a customer service provider . This is a form of specialized operational outsourcing , focusing on customer service.

These Customer Service Providers often have modern technology infrastructure (such as Cloud-based Contact Center , CRM Integration system, ACD (Automatic Call Distributor) , IVR (Interactive Voice Response) ), standardized workflows, and a team of Customer Service Agents/Representatives who are well-trained to handle all types of interactions, from answering phones, emails, chats, to managing social networks.

The main objective of using this service is to help businesses:

• Optimize customer service operations , eliminate bottlenecks and increase processing efficiency.
• Achieve more efficient operations management through partner expertise and technology.
• Save on operating costs compared to building and maintaining a large in-house department, especially with expensive infrastructure and technology.

Why Do Businesses Need to Outsource Customer Service Operations? Multidimensional Benefits

According to the experience of the Brand Manager VN team when working with many businesses, using Customer Care Operations Service brings strategic and outstanding benefits:

• Improve Customer Satisfaction & Enhance Customer Experience: Professional providers have processes and trained teams to handle interactions professionally, quickly and consistently across all channels, thereby significantly enhancing Customer Experience (CX) and Improving Customer Satisfaction .
• Save operating costs & Optimize operational efficiency: Instead of investing heavily in infrastructure, technology and internal personnel, businesses only pay a flexible service fee according to scale and needs. This helps save operating costs and optimize overall operational efficiency .
• Access to expertise and cutting-edge technology: Get instant access to experts with experience in Service Quality Management , Workforce Optimization (WFO) , and use cutting-edge technologies like chatbots/AI Assistant , Sentiment Analysis , or CRM Analytics .
• Focus on core business: Free up internal team resources and time to focus on product development, marketing, sales, and other strategic value-creating activities.
• Flexibility and scalability: Easily scale up or down customer service operations based on market fluctuations, seasons or business campaigns without barriers to staffing and physical infrastructure.
• Reduce Churn Rate & Customer Retention: Effective Customer Service is key to Customer Retention . Quick request handling, effective complaint resolution and creating a positive experience help in significant Churn Rate Reduction .
• Increase Sales: For services including Telesales/Telemarketing , our professional team can help Increase Sales through effective telemarketing campaigns.
• Solving the problem of staff shortage: " How to effectively outsource customer service? " - Outsourcing helps businesses immediately overcome the shortage of customer service staff and access high-quality resources.
• Effective Control and Measurement: Professional vendors provide detailed Customer Interaction Reporting Systems , allowing businesses to track key metrics such as First Contact Resolution (FCR) , Average Handling Time (AHT) , Service Level (SL) and Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSAT) . " How to measure customer satisfaction after using the service? " is the question addressed through these tools.

Common Categories of Outsourced Customer Care Operations Services

The scope of Customer Service Operations is diverse, encompassing many different channels and types of interactions. Common areas that businesses often outsource include:

• Call Center Service: Includes receiving and processing incoming calls (inbound) to answer questions, provide technical support, handle complaints, or make outgoing calls (outbound) for the purpose of Telesales, Telemarketing, debt collection, customer surveys. Using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology and advanced call management systems. " Which company provides the best customer care call center service? " is a common question when looking for this service.
• Live chat for website: Provide online support services via chat on the business's website or mobile application. " How much does it cost to rent a live chat service for a website? " is usually calculated based on the number of active agents or by monthly subscription package.
• Customer support email: Receive and respond to requests and questions via email in a professional and timely manner.
• Social media & Fanpage management: Interact with customers on social media platforms (Facebook, Zalo, Instagram...) to answer questions, handle comments, and manage messages.
• Complaint handling: The process of receiving, investigating and resolving customer complaints satisfactorily. " How can I help resolve customer complaints? " - This is one of the core services of outsourced customer service operations.
• Technical Support: Provides more in-depth assistance with technical issues related to a product or service.
• Chatbot/AI Assistant: Deploy and manage chatbots/AI Assistants to automatically answer frequently asked questions ( Knowledge Base ), collect initial customer information, or forward complex interactions to real agents. " What are the benefits of applying chatbots to customer care processes? " are reducing the workload for agents, responding 24/7, and handling a large number of requests simultaneously.
• Outsourced Telesales Service: Use a call center team to conduct sales campaigns over the phone. " Where to find a professional telesales service provider? " - Many Contact Center providers offer this service.
• Phone Order Processing: Receive and process orders from customers via phone channels.
• Customer care data entry: Supports entering customer information, orders or other related data into the CRM Software system.
• Customer phone surveys: Conduct survey calls to collect feedback and measure customer satisfaction after using the product/service.

The choice of " Which channel should I use to interact with customers most effectively? " depends on the target audience, the type of product/service, and the business's goals. However, the modern trend is Omnichannel integration , where interactions are handled seamlessly across all channels, instead of simply being present on multiple individual channels ( Omnichannel vs. Multichannel ).

Optimize Efficiency & Quality With Outsourcing Services

The Brand Manager VN team recognizes that the core value of Customer Care Operations Services lies not only in handling the number of interactions, but also in the ability to optimize efficiency and ensure service quality. Professional providers use well-defined tools and processes to achieve this:

• Workforce Optimization (WFO): Apply solutions and processes to optimize work schedules, staff allocation, and improve productivity of Customer Service Agent/Representative teams.
• Quality Assurance (QA) in CS: Build a rigorous Quality Assurance (QA) in CS process that includes monitoring, recording, evaluating interactions, and providing feedback to employees to continuously improve quality.
• Measure and Analyze Metrics: Track key KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) such as First Contact Resolution (FCR) , Average Handling Time (AHT) , Service Level (SL) , Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSAT) , and use Sentiment Analysis to understand customer sentiment. " How fast should a customer request process be? " - Tracking AHT and FCR is key to improving this process.

Applying Modern Technology in Outsourced Customer Service

Technology plays an increasingly important role in Customer Service Operations. Leading providers are constantly investing and implementing modern solutions to improve efficiency and enhance customer experience :

• CRM Software: CRM Software system is a platform for managing Customer information, interaction history, and tracking customer journey. CRM Integration with Contact Center system helps employees have a comprehensive view of customers right when interacting.
• Multi-channel Contact Center System: Allows management and handling of interactions from multiple channels (phone, email, chat, social networks...) on a single platform, supporting true Omnichannel integration .
• AI technology in customer care: Apply chatbot/AI Assistant to automate basic interactions, use AI for Sentiment Analysis to analyze customer sentiment, or predict customer behavior based on CRM Analytics .
• Automate customer care processes: Automate repetitive tasks (e.g. sending confirmation emails, updating request status) to free up agents' time to focus on more complex interactions.
• Customer Journey Mapping: Use data from interactions to draw Customer Journey Mapping , better understand the Customer journey and important touchpoints, thereby optimizing the experience at each stage. " What solutions help personalize the customer experience at scale? " - Combining CRM Software , CRM Analytics , and the ability to Automate Customer Care Processes based on customer data is the key to personalization.

Customer Service Operations for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME)

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam, investing in a professional internal customer service department is often beyond the budget and resources. Customer Service Operations is the optimal solution to help SMEs:

• Get instant access to state-of-the-art technology infrastructure and expert staff without a large investment.
• Provide professional customer service, helping them compete fairly with larger businesses.
• Overcome the Customer Service Shortage and ensure all customer requests are handled.
• Focus resources on business expansion and product innovation.

A common question is “ How to outsource customer service effectively? ” This requires careful research to choose the right Customer Service Provider that fits your company culture, products/services, and customer goals.

Reference price list Service Operation Operation Customer Care

The Brand Manager VN team is happy to provide you with reference information on the costs of Customer Care Operations Services . However, as we have analyzed in the article, this field is very diverse and costs can vary significantly based on many factors specific to each business. Therefore, having a single "reference price list" that applies to all cases is not feasible.

Customer care operations outsourcing costs are typically calculated based on combined or individual models, including:

1. Calculated by interaction duration: Most common for voice channels (Call Center). Costs can be calculated by call minutes (especially telecommunication charges when using 1900/1800 numbers - note that this is the customer's call fee or the business's call fee, not the total service cost) or based on the average handling time (Average Handling Time - AHT) of a type of interaction.
2. Calculated by number of interactions: Applicable to channels such as Email, Live Chat, social media messages. Businesses pay based on the number of emails, chats, messages successfully processed.
3. Per-agent per-month: This is a common model for full-service outsourcing or agents dedicated to your business. Costs include salaries, bonuses, insurance, management costs, technology infrastructure, training, etc. for each full-time or part-time Customer Service Agent/Representative .
4. Fixed-Service Plans: Providers offer plans with a certain range of services, number of interactions/minutes, and a fixed monthly fee. These plans are often categorized by business size or complexity.
5. Performance-based (KPIs): Some contracts may include a performance element, where a portion of the cost or bonus is based on achieving agreed KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) (e.g. First Contact Resolution (FCR) , Service Level (SL) , Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSAT) .
6. Technology/Platform Costs: Some vendors charge for use of their own Contact Center System or CRM Software platform , typically per user/agent per month, plus operational service costs.

Based on information researched in the Vietnamese market, here are some reference prices for popular components or service models:

• Contact Center Software/Platform (not including agent): The cost of renting a Cloud-based Contact Center platform or management software can range from about 250,000 VND to 660,000 VND/user (agent)/month depending on the features (inbound only, outbound, multi-channel, CRM integration...). This cost is for using the technology, not the cost for the person who directly interacts with customers (agent).
• Outsourced Live Chat Service: Fees are usually calculated per account/agent per month . Reference prices can range from around 79,000 VND/month for a personal/basic package, to several hundred thousand VND to several million VND/month for business packages with more accounts or advanced features.
• Outsourced Call Center Services (including Agent):
  • By interaction minutes: Some services may charge based on the number of minutes the agent handles, with reference rates ranging from a few hundred VND to about 1,000 - 2,000 VND/minute depending on the type of call (inbound/outbound), scenario, complexity and operating hours. Telecommunication fees for 1900/1800 numbers are separate costs.
  • According to successful calls: Especially in Telesales, costs can be calculated for each connected call or each call that brings certain results (eg: confirming information, making an appointment), with reference levels ranging from a few thousand to a few tens of thousands of VND for each successful call .
• Outsourced Telesales Services:
  • By script/call: About 10,000 VND (short script, AHT < 2 minutes) to 45,000 VND (long script, AHT ~ 10 minutes) for simple Telesurvey or Telemarketing calls.
  • According to the specialized agent: If hiring a dedicated Telesales team, the cost can be calculated per person/month, similar to the Per-agent model, plus commission on sales. This cost includes fixed salary, insurance, management... and can be equivalent to or lower than the cost of maintaining an internal Telesales employee (estimated at over 10 million VND/month including direct and indirect costs).
• Full-service customer service/Specialized agents: For more complex customer service that is available 24/7 or requires a highly skilled/multi-channel agent, a per-person/specialized agent per month model is common. Reference prices can start from around $500/Agent/Month and up, depending on the agent’s experience, languages ​​supported, hours of operation, and specific scope of services.

Factors that greatly influence the final quote:

• Monthly interactions/calls: High volume typically has a lower unit price (minute, interaction).
• Complexity of interaction: Simple request handling is cheaper than in-depth technical support or complex complaint handling.
• Support Channels: Voice channels are typically more expensive than email or chat due to infrastructure and on- site staffing requirements. Omnichannel integration services are typically more expensive.
• Hours of Operation: After-hours or 24/7 support will incur an additional charge.
• Quality and SLA requirements: Higher Service Level (SL) or tighter Quality Assurance (QA) commitment in CS may affect pricing.
• Supported languages: Support for languages ​​other than Vietnamese is at a higher cost.

Advice from Brand Manager VN:

Finding a general price list is only an initial reference. To get the most accurate quote that best suits your business needs, we recommend that you:

1. Define your needs and expectations: What channels do you need to outsource? What is the estimated monthly engagement volume? How complex are the requirements? Hours of operation? Languages? Customer Experience (CX) goals and desired KPIs ?
2. Prepare information about the business: Size, industry, target customers.
3. Contact Reputable Customer Care Service Providers Directly: Based on the criteria mentioned in the previous article, approach them and ask them to survey your specific needs to provide a customized quote.
4. Compare more than just price: Evaluate technology capabilities, agent training processes, SLA (Service Level Agreement) commitments, industry experience, and the ability to provide customer data reporting and analysis ( CRM Analytics , Sentiment Analysis ).

The Brand Manager VN team understands that cost is an important factor in the decision. However, consider this cost as a strategic investment to Improve customer service quality , Build customer loyalty and Save overall operating costs in the long term, instead of just a simple operating expense.

We are always ready to advise and support your business in the process of assessing needs and finding the most suitable Customer Care Operation Service partner.

Choosing a Reputable Customer Service Provider

Choosing the right Customer Service Provider is extremely important to ensure quality and efficiency. The Brand Manager VN team has some advice:

• Experience and expertise: Find out about their experience in your industry and their ability to handle the specific types of interactions your business needs.
• Technology Infrastructure: Make sure they use modern technologies ( Cloud-based Contact Center , CRM Software , Omnichannel integration capabilities, etc.).
• Process & Training: Ask about their hiring, training, and Quality Assurance (QA) in CS processes.
• Scalability: Choose a provider that can easily scale their services according to your needs.
• Reporting & Transparency: Require reporting templates and the ability to track performance metrics ( KPIs ).
• SLA Commitment: Discuss and finalize clear SLAs (Service Level Agreements) on key performance metrics.
• Support location: If you have specific needs by region, look for a provider with experience or an office operating in that area, for example: Outsourced customer care services in Hanoi , Call center outsourcing in Ho Chi Minh City , Customer care service provider in Da Nang , Corporate customer support in Hai Phong , Outsourcing call center for companies in Binh Duong , Contact Center services in the Northern provinces , Customer care service provider in Can Tho .

Observations From VN Brand Manager Team

From a brand consulting perspective, we have always considered Customer Service Operations as a core element of brand strategy. Customer service is more than just solving problems; it is the face of the brand, the direct touchpoint that shapes how customers feel about you. A great customer service experience can turn an unhappy customer into a loyal advocate, while a bad experience can destroy a brand’s reputation in an instant.

We have seen SMEs, despite limited marketing budgets, still build a strong position in the market by investing in Improving Customer Service Quality through outsourcing professional customer service services. They use customer service not only to resolve requests but also to collect feedback, gain deeper understanding of Customers through Sentiment Analysis and CRM Analytics , thereby improving products, services and business strategies.

Outsourcing doesn’t mean you lose control. On the contrary, when you work with a professional partner, you can focus on shaping your customer service strategy, tracking key KPIs , and using the data provided to make smarter decisions about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Customer Journey Mapping .

Conclude

In the modern business context, Customer Service Operations is no longer a luxury option but a strategic factor for businesses to survive and develop. It helps businesses save operating costs , optimize operating processes , and most importantly, improve customer satisfaction to build sustainable customer loyalty .

For small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) operations , this is an effective way to access professionalism, modern technology and systematic processes without large investments. By entrusting customer service activities to experts, businesses can rest assured that their customers are being taken care of in the best way, thereby focusing resources on other core activities.

The Brand Manager VN team, with experience in strategic consulting and market understanding, is always ready to accompany your business in assessing customer service needs, choosing the right outsourcing partner, and building a customer service strategy that truly brings sustainable value.

Let us turn your customer service department into your strongest competitive advantage! Brand Manager VN always wants to accompany you.