It’s been a tough year. Actually, make that 15 months (and counting). As the pandemic crisis has evolved and flattened so many aspects of the business world, markets have found it necessary to react, adapt, get creative and – in many cases – completely restructure their business models. Organizations that previously ran on time-honoured systems and processes were no longer relevant unless they identified places to capitalize on the “next normal”: contactless consumerism. And it’s here to stay – as it turns out, we can’t get enough of a good thing. So how does that translate to BPO (outsourcing) companies being at the forefront of that “next normal”?
New studies are identifying a radical consumer shift. Triggered as a response to the many restrictions caused by the onset of COVID-19, US shopping behavior has done a complete pivot. This dramatic change is showing up across the entire range of consumer groups – from millennials, to high income earners, to Gen X, Gen Z and Boomers. The unprecedented trend is revealing itself in multiple ways.
The Shift Is On
First of all, digital shopping has swept the retail landscape, and most US consumers are indicating an intention to shop online after the COVID crisis, particularly in essential categories like over-the-counter medicine, groceries and household supplies, but also in discretionary categories.
Another post-COVID trend that has been identified is an abandonment of brand loyalty. The pandemic has triggered a never-before-seen trend, mostly as a result of economic pressures, store closings, unavailability of certain products and a shift in priorities: 36% of US consumers have tried new products, and 25% have explored private label brands. Additionally, 73% of these consumers say they will continue to try new brands as part of their shopping experience.
BPO (Outsourcing) Companies Can Set You Up
So what does this mean to you – the business owner? There has never been a more optimum time to explode your business model, look to the post-pandemic, contactless future of consumerism and re-vamp. The brick and mortar concept – while familiar and comfortable – is no longer a preferred way of doing business in many instances, and the principle of outsourcing has never been more relevant or – dare we say it – necessary. Even from the standpoint of hygiene transparency (which is certainly a new normal expectation), business process outsourcing, or BPO companies, make sense like never before.
Front-of-the-line BPO companies – those like Anexa – are poised and ready to carry your business forward in a world that we barely recognize. As a twenty-year outsourcing industry veteran, Anexa has the infrastructure and technology – along with an exceptionally skilled workforce – to support your business activities in departments such as customer care (including tech support and social media), telemarketing, data entry and help desk services. We are rich in human resources, which is still a prevailing need moving forward in a post-pandemic world. Anexa is able to provide focused, experienced and contactless support in those areas that you need to keep running seamlessly, allowing you to shift your attentions to the business of doing business. Additionally, with multiple locations in California and Mexico and an affinity with the Hispanic market, we can provide customer service in Spanish across all of your customer-facing departments. These types of bilingual business activities have been identified as an important – and growing – consideration, particularly across the southern US, where a large Hispanic population resides.
At the end of the day, improving your business’ customer experience is the ultimate goal, and more critical than ever in this post-pandemic, contactless world. Reach out to us to discover how we can improve all of your customer interactions.