Over the past few years Bulgaria has certainly made it’s name in the world of contact centre outsourcing. Not only are business in Europe choosing Bulgaria as their nearshore destination of choice, but businesses in the US are now casting their eye over towards the east.

If you did ever find yourself in Bulgaria’s bustling capital city Sofia, you might be greeted by one of its 1.3 million residents with “Zdraveĭte, radvam se da se zapoznaem!” (Hello! I am glad to meet you). However, if you’re like me and rely on a translator, there’s absolutely no need to fear as over 1.7 million people in Bulgaria can speak English. Other European languages spoken in Bulgaria include (but not limited to):

We recently caught up with waterdrop®’s very own Martin Vatchkov to get an on the ground view of Bulgaria. Not only is Martin a Bulgarian national living in Austria, Martin has also previously outsourced his customer service operations within Bulgaria:

“Здравей (Bulgarian “Hello”)! Diving straight in on why Bulgaria, which is mainly driven by the fact that Bulgaria has a highly effective language school system, where most European languages are extensively and effectively thought, the baseline is rather high and difficult to beat.

The university of “St. Kliment Ohridski” in Sofia has added another building block to the already high level of schooling within Bulgaria. This has brought some rather rare languages to Bulgaria such as Japanese, Korean, Arabic or the Nordic languages to name a few.

Once you get past the languages, another strong positive for Bulgaria would be the Geographic location. +2 hours from GMT and +7 hours from EST in the US, with US shifts (16:00 to 01:00) being something normal. Distance in my opinion is another asset at around a 3-hour flight, from most places in the European peninsula which is a rather short flight. Companies have started to explore the whole country with the opening of offices at the seaside (Varna and Burgas) and not only the capital, Sofia.

On another note, the fact that Bulgaria is part of the EU and NATO, brings GDPR with ease (contractual wise, as no data is leaving the EU) as well as economic stability. Internet downtime is almost nonexistent with high speeds.

Last but not least, the BPO and ITO industries are rather filled with the younger part of the generation which bring a lot of ideas and high engagement rates. AI is no foreign word and working efficiently is certainly a big asset as both industries have been embodied quite well in the countries’ economy.”

Thanks Martin! Contact Centre Panel too has had some terrific experiences with contact centre’s in Bulgaria, and we think you will too.

Like what you hear about Bulgaria and want to find out more? Get in touch, we’re here to help.

If you ever find yourself waking on the streets of beautiful Tirana (Albania’s capital), you may be greeted with the words Përshëndetje! Gëzohem që ju takoj (Hello! Nice to meet you) by one of it’s 520,000 local residents. However, if your Albanian is rusty like mine, then the country offers the ability to tap into other European languages which includes (but not limited to):

If you speak to any businesses within the UK/Europe, most will already know about Albania’s proficiency as a nearshore outsourcing destination. But, why is this? To find out we spoke to Albania’s own Gerti Haxhiu, CEO of Simetrix Solutions (a prominent BPO in Albania/Kosovo), on why Albania remains a popular nearshore destination of choice for UK/European businesses:

“Albania continues to be a popular nearshore destination of choice for UK/European businesses due to several key factors. First and foremost, the country offers a strategic geographic location with easy accessibility to major European markets. Moreover, Albania’s competitive cost of labour and favourable business regulations make it an attractive option for companies seeking cost-effective solutions without compromising on quality. The country’s skilled and multilingual workforce further enhances its appeal as a destination for outsourcing services and establishing regional headquarters.”

Like Gerti mentions, there’s some very tangible benefits in outsourcing your customer service operations to Albania.
Speaking with some of our clients who currently outsource to BPO’s within Albania, their top reasons for choosing Albania where:

1. Location
If you board a flight from London Heathrow today, you would be touching down in Tirana within 3 hours (max) – even less if you are based in the likes of France/Germany. This means you can be with your chosen outsourcer the same day if needs be, rather than a 12 hour trip if you chosen partner was based in the likes of South Africa.

2. Competitive Rates
Competitive agent rates makes Albania stand out versus its nearby competitors. Albania has a young and productive workforce (48% of the population are under 30 years old), which means costs can be kept competitive.

3. Access to European Languages
As mentioned earlier, Albania has plentiful access to workers who can speak multiple languages at a very high proficiency level. Couple this with the competitive commercials on offer, you can see why business are opting for Albania.

4. Infrastructure
In the past two decades, Albania has made significant strides in improving its telecommunications infrastructure, expanding internet coverage, and increasing the number of internet users – including a recent project by the Albanian government with the aim to expand its internet coverage in rural areas.

Looking to outsource in Albania? Get in touch, we can help source your next partner.

Turkey, once the mighty Ottoman Empire, is known for many things. From shopping in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul to visiting Cappadocia, known for its cave houses, cobblestones and hot air balloon rides – Turkey has a lot to offer. However, when you think of outsourcing your customer contact requirements, Turkey probably isn’t on the top of your list, right? Well, it may just be worth taking a closer look …

Recently, Turkey has made significant gains in the United Nations Global Innovation Index and became a leading innovation economy in its region, behind only Israel and the United Arab Emirates. By doing so, Turkey leapt ahead 10 rankings to place 41st in the Index, which measures the innovation ecosystem performance of 132 countries. Whilst this may seem impressive from first glance, it’s not really a surprise when you consider Turkey’s many positive attributes.

With the 3rd largest labour-force in Europe, Turkey has delivered on developing its infrastructure to fuel this change. This has seen the rise of a young, highly-educated, multilingual workforce, who are driving the recent boom in outsourced services delivered out of Turkey – with an expected CAGR of 20% between 2020 – 2026.

Still, not everyone will have thought about outsourcing their customer contact requirements in Turkey. So, why else should you consider Turkey as a future destination?

Location:

What makes Turkey different is the mix of cultures that can be found from city to city, mainly due to its location at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Istanbul itself is a bridge between two continents, connecting Europe to Western Asia. This makes it ideal for European businesses to easily commute to Turkey (3hrs 45min from London to Istanbul), whilst being able to rely on the same business infrastructure they have become accustomed to in the West – including a favourable Timezone of UTC+3.

Languages:

Whilst most Turkish citizens speak Turkish and Arabic, they also speak English professionally. Furthermore, there are other European languages that can be accessed in Turkey – such as German. In the 1960’s, many Turkish workers relocated to West Germany to help fill labour shortages (better known as Gastarbeiter). This led to a growth of Turkish people living in Germany, with the children and grandchildren of these workers being born and raised in Germany. As of recent years, many Germans of Turkish descent have chosen to relocate back to Turkey, which has increased the amount of German people speaking in Turkey (including being aware of German cultural nuances). Furthermore, you will find these languages will come at a third of the price vs sourcing European languages in-country.

Infrastructure:

Turkey has made major strides in the last 10 years in developing its infrastructure. Turkey now boasts an excellent communications infrastructure, with the Turkish Government undertaking some major development projects to align itself to its European neighbours. The Turkish government is also a strong supporter of international investments and job creation, which means government loans and grants have been made available to help boost the sector.

With these key attributes in play, Turkey is in a prime position to start attracting more and more Western business into the country. It’s definitely a location to keep on your radar.

Interested in hearing more about Turkey? Get in touch, we’d love to chat with you.

Competition abroad, unforeseen challenges and diversification, it’s a difficult tight rope to walk for UK BPO’s at the moment. In this article, our Partner Success Manager, David Taylor, reviews the the current state of the UK BPO landscape and how external factors are pushing UK Outsourcers to diversify and adapt to changing market conditions.
The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the UK has faced significant challenges in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit creating much chaos, uncertainty and disruption. Over the past few months, we have unfortunately seen two sizeable UK BPO’s placed into administration – which ultimately has led to job losses and undue stress in a time where the UK is experiencing it’s highest rate of inflation since March 1993.

As part of this article, I wanted to explore the challenges facing the UK BPO market, what to expect over the next two years, and what UK BPOs can do to diversify and adapt to changing market conditions.

Challenges facing the UK BPO market:

  1. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the BPO industry here in the UK. Many businesses have had to re-evaluate their outsourcing strategies as a result of the pandemic, with supply chains disrupted and remote work becoming the norm. This has led to a decrease in demand for some BPO services, particularly those related to office-based functions such as customer service and administrative support.
  2. Brexit has also created challenges for the UK BPO market, particularly around access to talent. Many BPOs in the UK rely on skilled workers from the EU, and the uncertainty surrounding Brexit has made it more difficult to recruit and retain these workers. This has led to a shortage of skilled workers in the industry, which is expected to continue over the next few years.
  3. The high rate of inflation here in the UK has caused a significant squeeze in the cost of living. Many employers have reacted to this by increasing employee wages to help with the cost of living, and right so. However, this has huge implications on a market that is run on very fine margins, hence many UK BPO’s making the difficult decision of raising customer/client facing costs.
  4. In addition, the rise of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) has had an impact on the BPO industry in the UK. Many businesses are looking to automate certain tasks and processes, which has reduced the need for certain BPO services. While this has created new opportunities for BPOs that specialize in automation and AI, it has also led to increased competition in these areas.

What to expect over the next two years:

Whilst I don’t own a crystal ball, I believe there are still opportunities for growth and innovation in the UK BPO market. Here are some trends to watch for over the next two years:

  1. Increased demand for automation and AI services. As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation and automation, there will be increased demand for BPO services that specialise in these areas. BPOs that can offer expertise in areas such as robotic process automation, machine learning, and AI will be well-positioned to succeed in the market.
  2. Greater emphasis on flexible and remote work. Whilst this could be an article all in itself, demand for remote and flexible working will continue over the next few years, which will create new opportunities for BPOs that can offer remote support and services.
  3. Focus on innovation and digital transformation. Innovation and digital transformation will be key drivers of growth in the BPO market over the next few years. Time and time again our clients are looking for partners that can take them on a journey of continuous improvement and technological innovation.

Diversifying and adapting to changing market conditions:

In order to succeed in the UK BPO market, BPOs need to be able to diversify and adapt to changing market conditions. Here are some strategies that UK BPOs can use to do this:

  1. Expand into new markets. One way to diversify is to expand into new markets. BPOs can look to offer their services in new geographies, or target new industries and sectors. This can help to reduce dependence on a single market or sector, and create new opportunities for growth (as well as offering clients the same service at reduced rates).
  2. Embrace automation and AI. As mentioned earlier, automation and AI are key trends in the BPO market – just look at the recent explosion of ChatGPT. BPOs that can offer expertise in these areas will be well-positioned to succeed. By embracing these technologies, BPOs can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and offer more innovative solutions to their clients.
  3. Focus on customer experience. Sounds simple, right? Customer experience, something which has been forgotten about a little over recent years, is becoming increasingly important in the BPO market. BPOs that can offer exceptional customer service and support will be in high demand. This means investing in training and development for customer service teams, and using technology

So I go back to my question at the top of this article, are traditional outsourcers in the UK struggling to regain their balance? Well, I think the answer is yes (from a traditional sense), however we’ve definitely not seen the last of the UK BPO market as a whole. Many BPO’s in the UK have already woken up to what’s going on around them and have successfully diversified their business to adapt to this new environment – just look at the success of homeworking since the pandemic. However, I predict further change will be needed for some of those remaining BPO’s who have yet to fully embrace the changing UK BPO landscape.

Looking for further guidance after reading this article? Get in touch, we are here to help!

However, as I’ve learned over the past 12 months, Morocco has become a fantastic outsourcing alternative to the UK, European and also for US businesses that are looking to reduce inhouse costs, whilst maintaining the highest level of standards/service.

Since 1993, Morocco has followed a policy of privatisation of certain economic sectors, which were previously in the hands of the Moroccan government. This has allowed more foreign investment into Morocco, which has subsequently seen a boom in the outsourcing sector. As a result, Morocco now boasts some impressive statistics, which include:

So why should you look at Morocco as your next outsourcing destination? Well:

Strategic location

Morocco is located on the doorstep of Europe, circa 14.3 kilometres between it and its nearest European neighbour, Spain. A flight from London Heathrow to Casablanca International Airport takes just over 3 hours to complete, which is much more favourable than the 11 hours and 40 minutes it would take to fly from London to Cape Town, South Africa. This means businesses can feel a lot more at ease knowing they are a short plane ride away from their outsourced partner.

Language availability

Due to its proximity to Europe and the Middle East, Morocco has a workforce that is culturally diverse and multilingual. BPO leaders find that English is the language most commonly used by employees, yet French remains a second language for most citizens and is used in the majority of business dealings. Other languages can be sourced in Morocco, albeit in smaller volumes, including German and Spanish.

Availability of talent

Currently, the unemployment rate in Morocco sits at 11.8%. Simply put, there is an abundance of resource and talent available in the market. This means that businesses that demand incredible flexibility during peak/promotional periods, will have no issues in managing these challenging peaks and troughs.

Cost competitiveness

On average you will see cost savings of 50% when outsourcing in Morocco. Over the past 12 months we have seen some very competitive rates, with some clients asking “is this too good to be true?”. Not only can Morocco deliver some eye opening cost savings, but it can do it whilst maintaining the highest level of service that you come to expect.

World-class outsourcing business parks

Morocco has built some fantastic outsourcing business parks to attract overseas work and investment. Located in the likes of Casablanca, Fes and Rabat, these business parks are equipped with the latest and best infrastructure to support your needs, including optical fibre internet connection and uninterrupted power supply.

Furthermore, to show its willingness to develop the outsourcing industry in Morocco, the Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade (Ryad Mezzour) and the Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform (Ghita Mezzour) recently signed off on a $5 million package to support investment projects in the outsourcing sector.

Interested in hearing more about Morocco? Get in touch, we’d love to chat with you.

The impact of inflation has been no different for the outsourcing industry, affecting centres and staff alike in many different ways. In this article, I wanted to explore just a few of those impacts and some potential solutions to leverage those pinch points.

Areas affected

So, what can be done to reduce the burden of inflation in the industry?

Well, whilst a lot rests on national and global financial markets, there are a few things your centre can do to minimise these impacts.

Potential solutions

The good news is that inflation globally is due to come down over the next 12 months. Here in the UK, the Bank of England forecasts inflation to reduce to 4% by the end of 2023 – falling to it’s 2% target shortly after that.

Looking for support to help reduce costs but maintain the highest level of service? Do get in touch, we are here to help.

However, I’ve been trying to catch up over the Christmas period. Mainly in between my leftover turkey sandwiches  and watching some questionable films I would not normally watch – but hey it’s Christmas!”

One of those recent finds was that of ChatGPT. A curious sounding name that had me intrigued instantly. I thought “what is ChatGPT?” and “what is a GPT, is this the new lingo the kids use?” Bingo, it was time to do some research! Here’s some of the more pertinent details on ChatGPT that I found:

What is ChatGPT?

Launching back in November 2022, ChatGPT is a chatbot that uses conversational AI to interact with the human user at the other end. ChatGPT uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand the user’s question(s) and responds accordingly.

The tech itself was developed by San Francisco-based OpenAI, a research company led by Sam Altman and backed by Microsoft, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Khosla Ventures.

What can ChatGPT do?

In the context of Contact Centres, ChatGPT will be able to perform a number of functions. This includes, but not limited to:

How does it work?

Through the use of NLP technology, the chatbot is able to understand user input by recognising patterns in conversations and breaking them down into key components such as context, intent and entities. Once it understands what the user is asking, it can then provide an appropriate response.

ChatGPT also has the ability to learn from its conversations, meaning that it can grow and improve over time. This allows it to become more efficient and better at understanding customer needs and providing useful answers.

Will we be using ChatGPT anytime soon?

So far, the response to ChatGPT has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising its advanced capabilities and ease of use. It remains to be seen how ChatGPT will be used in the coming years, but it’s clear that it has the potential to be a major player in the world of NLP.

By the way, ChatGPT wrote that last paragraph. When asked by a reporter at CNBC to write a news story on ChatGPT, it came up with a very well-rounded response (including that last snippet).

Why not give it a go?

Whilst we wait for a simplified solution that can be integrated within our current contact centre technology stack, you can still give this piece of tech a whirl by visiting OpenAI’s website.

Here’s a joke that ChatGPT put together for me:

Me: Tell me a joke about Batman and Superman?

ChatGPT: Why did Batman bring a ladder to a fight with Superman? Because he knew he’d have to climb up to Superman’s level!

Oooo burn.

The game itself is simple yet so addictive, becoming a popular hit with gamers world-wide with 12 million downloads in its first month! A real gem of a game for the die-hard Marvel fans (go give it a try).

Yet, as I sat plotting where to place my Iron Man card to double my point count, my thoughts went back to a recent conversation I had with a client. One where the client in question was slightly hesitant about the idea of outsourcing their Gaming customer service requirements to a third party.

Why was this?

Well, when we take a game like Marvel Snap, it’s very easy to see all the detail that has gone into a very simple looking game on the face of it. These types of games are really make or break for the developer in question, hence the meticulous planning and detail that goes into creating a game of this standard. So handing over your community management requirements to an outsourced partner can feel like a big bold step to take, one that can really have a negative impact on your player base if not done correctly.

It’s not just the traditional consoles that are delivering the latest games too, mobile gaming’s share of total gaming revenue has climbed significantly over the past decade. Today, mobile gaming is responsible for over half of total gaming revenue (Newzoo). From a customer point of view, its not just the avid console fanatics that can play these games, but anybody with access to the internet can now download their favourite game. This has presented an even bigger headache in terms of the breadth and depth of support that developers are now having to provide to their customers, which is why more and more gaming companies are looking to outsource their customer support requirements.

If sourced properly, the right outsourced partner can help the company to Level Up! their customer service strategy.

Those Level Up! benefits include (but not limited to):

So the next time you are thinking about your customer/community strategy, select Co-op mode and let your outsourced Player 2 enter the game.

Are you looking for help with your Gaming Customer Services/Community Support requirements? If so, get in touch, we have specialised partners on our network who can help with this.

Even today, businesses find themselves with new compliance challenges; homeworking is a great example of this.

So, do you need to spend big (or spend anything at all) to become compliant? The answer is both yes and no, for the reason being that it depends on your company objectives. For example, if your business finds itself taking payments for a product or service, then you will need to become PCI DSS compliant to do so (due to the regulations that are in place to protect cardholder data). Not only will you have to complete the process to provide an attestation of compliance, but you will also need to employ the right resource to undertake this task. Ultimately this will take both time and money for it to be completed.

However, I’ve always been a firm believer that applying best practice shouldn’t have to cost you the earth. Here are my top 4 tips on what you can do today without spending big money:

1. Documentation

It’s usually the last thing on our minds, however documenting your processes and procedures is vital in not only demonstrating your standards, but also leaving a set of documented instructions for new employees or third parties. A simple flow diagram will suffice if you don’t possess any great writing skills within the business.

2. Assess Risk

After you have documented your processes and procedures, you should review these with key business stakeholders to identify any risks. If you do identify any risks, I would suggest logging these somewhere. There are plenty of risk templates online, a simple Google away. By logging risks, you’re halfway there in showing risk and compliance best practice. You then need to decide whether you address that risk or accept the risk.

3. Keep up-to-date

Make sure that you know your industry. There are updates all the time to regulations, laws and best practice, so make sure you follow and react to these changes. I would suggest subscribing to regular newsletters, be that the ICO for Data Protection Regulation changes or the FCA for all things financial. You will also find updates within this monthly Insights publication, along with the latest information from the world of contact centres.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask

Rather than cowering under your desk at the thought of any of the above, don’t be afraid to ask the question. Be that a colleague, a like-minded business or Contact Centre Panel! You will be surprised how receptive people are to a soul in need.

By adopting the 4 steps above as your mantra, you will put yourself and your business on the right road to your eventual destination.

Looking for support with your next compliance project? Drop us a message and let’s chat!

This increased customer connectivity brings its own challenges for businesses, one being able to communicate with your customers in their own language. However, there is unfortunately a sizeable gap between customer demand and capabilities when it comes to businesses serving their non-English speaking customers. According to ICMI research, 79% of contact centres acknowledge that they have customers who do not speak the primary language that they offer, but only 66% have formal customer support options in a language other than English.

So what can be done to support your multilingual requirements? Let’s take a look at some options:

In-house Support

If you want to maintain an in-house support function, then one option is to recruit your own multilingual speakers. There are many specialised recruitment agencies that can help find you the best matched candidates for your requirements, which is made easier if you offer a work-from-home model. With that said, both the recruitment and retention of multilingual speakers can be difficult and costly. A single absence may have a noticeable impact on service.

Outsourced Support

A logical route is to outsource your language requirements to a third-party call centre. Not only is this a cost-effective solution versus recruiting in-house, but you can scale up or down as and when needed with minimal to no impact on the delivery of service. One challenge is not being able to quality check the partner yourself as you don’t speak the language – you need to be sure you have selected a partner who can not only deliver your contact metrics but can also align with your values and company culture.

Technology

This space has exploded over recent years, with much more advanced technology available to service your language requirements without speaking the language in question. This includes software that can be integrated into the agent desktop, which makes it simple and straightforward for your English speaking agents to address your international customers. This is not always the most popular option, mainly due to the lack of understanding of the technology available. Make sure you take your time in studying the available technology and what benefits it will bring to your business and customer.

No matter the strategy you look to adopt, it’s important to implement it correctly. If done right, you can put yourself ahead of your competitors. However, if done badly, you can easily alienate a portion of your customer base.

Looking for support on your next multilingual project? Then get in touch.