Should you outsource live chat or inbound calls? It depends on your business and customers’ needs.
Live chat outsourcing works best for large numbers of quick questions from customers who would rather type than talk. Inbound call center outsourcing works best for complex, urgent, or sensitive issues that may need a human voice. Most businesses get the best results from a mix of both.
This guide explains how each option works, compares them side by side, and helps you decide which one fits your business.
What is Live Chat Outsourcing?
Live chat outsourcing is the process of hiring an external provider to handle your business’s real-time chat messages with customers. Trained agents answer questions, solve problems right in the chat, and escalate issues to the right team when needed. With live chat outsourcing, agents can provide customers with 24/7 support.
How Does Chat Support Outsourcing Work?
Chat support outsourcing connects your messages with a website chat widget or mobile application. The website chat widget or mobile app is linked to an automated system or engine that routes incoming customer messages to the next available agent.
A customer starts a chat by clicking the chat widget, filling out a form, or taking an action on your site that opens a chat. The automated system or routing engine then sorts through the digital traffic and customer messages in the queue to assign them to agents.
With chat support process outsourcing, the agent can answer the question or solve the problem in real time. They can even send customer questions to technical, engineering, or sales teams. Sending queries to additional teams is also part of the escalation process, where agents can turn a chat into a ticket that is passed on to the appropriate team.
On the flip side, if a chatbot handles the customer’s initial messages, then the message history is sent to a human agent.
Supervisors also review chats for quality as part of the chat support process outsourcing workflow. Reports on response times, resolution rates, and common issues may also be created.
What Does Inbound Call Center Outsourcing Involve?
Inbound call center outsourcing involves partnering with a third-party company to answer the calls customers make to your organization. Customer support services may include customer questions, technical and non-technical issues, and customer complaints.
If you’re considering outsourcing your business’s live chats or calls, CBE Customer Solutions can help.
CBE Customer Solutions provides customer experience and care across chat, voice, email, and other digital channels. CBE’s services also include technical and specialized support, analytics and reporting, workforce training, and CX strategy delivery.
CBE Customer Solutions also specializes in call center outsourcing for complex and regulated industries. Whether you need inbound call center outsourcing services or customer experience support, CBE delivers trained agents who immerse themselves in your brand and standards and operate within your compliance framework.
Learn more about CBE Customer Solutions’ live chat outsourcing and inbound call center outsourcing services, andget started here.
Live Chat and Inbound Call Center Outsourcing FAQs
Yes. CBE Customer Solutions offers live chat outsourcing, inbound call center outsourcing, and support across voice, email, and other digital channels.
CBE Customer Solutions specializes in providing business process outsourcing (BPO) services for complex and regulated industries. CBE’s trained agents work within your business’s standards and compliance framework.
In most cases, yes. Live chat usually costs less per contact because one agent can often handle several chats at the same time, while a call center agent handles one call at a time.
Calls can still offer better value for complex issues because they are more likely to be solved in a single conversation.
It depends on the types of questions your customers ask and your business’s needs.
Outsource live chat if you get a lot of simple, repeat questions from customers who prefer to type. Outsource inbound calls if you handle complex, urgent, or sensitive issues.
Many businesses outsource both so customers can get help on any channel.
Chat support process outsourcing involves handing the full chat support workflow to an external provider. That includes receiving chats, routing them to the right agent, solving issues, escalating tickets, quality assurance, and reporting on results.
Your business can receive expert chat support without having to build and manage the team in-house.
To choose the right healthcare outsourcing partner, review the healthcare outsourcing services they provide and evaluate the company’s industry experience, compliance safeguards, technology, scalability, performance reporting, cultural fit, and pricing.
Healthcare outsourcing partners like CBE Customer Solutions provide HIPAA-compliant patient and member support, revenue cycle services, claims management, payment posting, and surge support. The right partner should also protect sensitive information, strengthen service quality, and operate as an extension of your team.
What Do Healthcare Outsourcing Services Include?
Healthcare outsourcing is the process of partnering with a third-party company to fulfill business processes and deliver customer support for healthcare organizations. It is also commonly referred to as healthcare BPO.
When selecting an external company to support your organization, it’s important to review the healthcare outsourcing services they offer. You should also consider whether the services they provide align with your organization’s needs, structure, and policies.
A healthcare BPO partner may provide healthcare outsourcing services including:
Patient and Member Support
Revenue Cycle Management
Claims Processing
Payment Posting
Medical Records Management
Administrative Support
Back Office Services
The exact services depend on the BPO partner’s specific capabilities and offerings.
Understanding Healthcare IT Outsourcing and Its Services
Healthcare IT outsourcing is a subset of broader healthcare outsourcing. It involves partnering with an external partner to execute a healthcare organization’s IT functions and satisfy IT needs.
Healthcare IT outsourcing can aid organizations that require support with services such as:
Help Desk Services
Electronic Health Records
Technology Infrastructure Management
Cloud Platforms
Network Management
Data Storage
Software Development
Application Development
Cybersecurity Services
The right healthcare IT outsourcing company will understand your organization’s compliance policies. They will also prioritize mitigating security risks.
What Should You Look For in a Healthcare Outsourcing Partner?
When choosing a healthcare outsourcing partner, look for a company with healthcare industry expertise and strong compliance and data security measures. It’s equally important to ensure a third-party provider has scalable processes, performance management systems, and pricing models aligned with your budget. Another important factor is making sure that you choose a provider that is a good cultural fit.
Let’s dive into all seven of these key components to look out for before deciding on an outsourcing partner.
Healthcare Industry Expertise
Healthcare outsourcing providers should have expertise within the healthcare industry. They should have a proven track record of success with healthcare industry workflows and regulations. This includes direct experience with payers, providers, members, and patients. They should also offer healthcare-focused services and a dedicated healthcare CX team.
Strong Compliance & Data Security Measures
The right healthcare BPO partner will have strong compliance and data security measures in place. Because the healthcare industry is highly regulated with strict laws that govern it, a healthcare outsourcing partner should take these into account.
Not only should they be HIPAA-compliant, but they should follow other relevant compliance and audit standards. A healthcare BPO should also have clear security protocols in place to protect patient and member data.
Technology and Innovation
Technology and innovation should be a significant focus for your healthcare outsourcing partner. The right partner should use technology that supports your operational and customer experience goals. They should also have systems that integrate seamlessly with your existing software and remain adaptable to changing technology needs.
Scalable Processes
Your healthcare CX vendor should be able to adapt to your growth needs. They should have scalable processes that can span multiple locations. They should also have the capacity to support you during high-volume periods or demand surges. As your service offerings expand, your healthcare outsourcing provider should be able to expand with you.
Cultural Fit
Choosing a BPO partner with strong cultural alignment also matters. For instance, an external vendor with clear communication skills to support patients and members across multiple channels may be vital for your organization. You may also value an outsourced team that can mesh effectively with your internal support staff. No matter your priorities, it’s imperative to select a partner that understands your organization and can act as a smooth extension of it.
Performance Management Systems
Consistent performance tracking with clear reporting on KPIs, metrics, and quality assurance processes is important. The right outsourcing vendor will have reliable systems and reporting cadences in place. They should focus on maintaining high-quality operations and service standards for your healthcare organization.
A vendor that can also effectively monitor results and help you to improve over time is a necessary part of your organization’s growth. So, taking this area into consideration is key.
Pricing Models
Price is a main factor when choosing healthcare outsourcing services and a partner for your company. The right choice can depend on the specific BPO provider’s pricing models. The cheapest option is not always the best choice.
Common healthcare outsourcing pricing models may include:
Percentage-Based Billing
Flat Fee Billing Service
Hybrid Pricing Models
You should also consider the potential ROI for each pricing model.
Questions You Should Ask a Healthcare Outsourcing Partner
A key aspect of choosing the right healthcare outsourcing partner is asking the right questions. Before onboarding a healthcare BPO partner, be sure to ask questions like:
What compliance certifications do they have?
Which areas within healthcare do they specialize in?
What outsourcing delivery models do they offer?
How do they handle data security across delivery models?
Who will oversee healthcare outsourcing, CX, and operations?
Will they provide regular performance reporting?
How do they balance AI and automation with human judgment?
What is their track record of success?
Why Healthcare Outsourcing with CBE Customer Solutions May Be the Right Choice for You
Healthcare outsourcing with CBE Customer Solutions may be the right choice for you if your organization needs secure, scalable, and compassionate patient and member support. CBE tailors its workforce, training, technology, and oversight to each client’s workflows, service expectations, and compliance needs.
Its capabilities include HIPAA-compliant patient and member services, revenue cycle support, claims management, payment posting, open enrollment support, and nearshore delivery. CBE has active authority to operate, with PCI Level 1, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 certifications as well.
Choose a partner that provides the outsourcing services you need with proven healthcare experience, strong compliance practices, secure technology, scalable staffing, and reliable performance reporting. The provider should understand your patients or members, align with your organization’s culture, and offer a pricing model that supports your budget and goals.
A healthcare outsourcing partner should follow HIPAA, HITECH, applicable state privacy laws, and any requirements connected to the services it provides. You should also ask about security audits, employee training, access controls, incident response plans, and certifications such as PCI DSS, SOC 2 Type II, or ISO 27001.
CBE Customer Solutions provides HIPAA-compliant patient and member support, front-end revenue cycle services, claims management, payer support, payment posting, accounts receivable follow-up, and open enrollment support. CBE also offers nearshore healthcare support and serves customers across voice, chat, email, and digital channels.
As organizations look for ways to reduce costs, access skilled talent, and improve service delivery, customer experience outsourcing services have become a popular choice for enhancing operations and customer support. Specifically, nearshore outsourcing has become an attractive alternative to traditional onshore and offshore models.
With nearby teams, lower costs, similar time zones, and greater cultural and regulatory alignment, companies can get the added flexibility of outsourcing without losing real-time collaboration. This article explains nearshore outsourcing and the main benefits. We also go over factors to consider before making the switch.
What is Nearshore Outsourcing?
Nearshore outsourcing is the process of a company partnering with a third-party provider. The third-party partner delivers business services to the company in a nearby or neighboring country.
These countries typically share a similar time zone with the company they are providing services to. For organizations in North America, countries across Latin America and the Caribbean are main hubs. Popular countries for U.S. and Canadian companies include Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Belize, and the Dominican Republic.
Nearshore outsourcing allows companies to work with skilled professionals while reducing costs, improving operational efficiency, and maintaining strong English proficiency and work culture alignment.
What is the Difference Between Nearshore, Onshore, and Offshore Outsourcing?
Overview of Nearshore Outsourcing
As previously mentioned, nearshore outsourcing is the practice of a company working with a BPO partner that provides services in a nearby or neighboring country. These nearby countries frequently have overlapping time zones. They also often have a solid familiarity with North American work cultures.
Nearshore outsourcing offers a middle ground between onshore and offshore. It also helps to reduce costs for organizations.
What is Onshore Outsourcing?
Onshore outsourcing is when a company delegates business services to a third party within the same country. Onshore outsourcing is typically best for companies with strict legal standards that require all roles to be executed within the same country.
Onshore BPO services can provide these companies with quick communication, better control, and stronger collaboration. However, onshore outsourcing is often the most expensive choice for organizations.
Offshore Outsourcing Explained
Offshore outsourcing involves a company partnering with an external provider for business processes. The external provider delivers services in a different country and often in a different continent and time zone as well. Common locations for offshore BPO services are the Philippines, India, and Vietnam.
However, companies in the United States, for example, must be aware of the challenges that may come with offshore services. These challenges include significant time zone differences, potentially slower timelines, and reduced control.
The Top 5 Advantages of Nearshore Outsourcing
Nearshore outsourcing can be an ideal choice for organizations looking for an option outside of standard onshore and offshore outsourcing. The benefits of nearshore outsourcing include cost savings, time zone alignment, access to a larger talent pool, cultural and regulatory alignment, and real-time collaboration. Below, we’ll break down the top advantages of nearshore outsourcing even further.
1. Cost Savings
Organizations can reduce costs with nearshore outsourcing. In fact, U.S. companies save 30 to 50% on help desk costs by using nearshore outsourcing services.
With nearshore outsourcing, a company can avoid the costs associated with hiring full-time internal staff. These costs include employee benefits expenses, training costs, and onboarding. Companies also save money because the cost of living is lower in countries like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Belize.
U.S. organizations can maintain strong service and workflow quality while cutting down costs, as nearshore outsourcing countries still deliver comparable service levels with high CSAT scores. Similarly, professionals in Latin American and Caribbean countries that are paid in USD often earn more than they would in a similar role in their local currency.
This means that organizations are able to save money, while professionals at BPO providers earn higher pay than they would locally. In turn, this leads to greater employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity.
2. Time Zone Alignment
Nearshore outsourcing services allow organizations to communicate and work effectively with external staff that are based in similar or the same time zones. More specifically, BPO partners in countries across Latin America and the Caribbean work within 0-3 hours of United States time zones. This reduces turnaround and service delivery times, while promoting efficient workflows.
For instance, during Daylight Saving Time, a Jamaica call center will be in the same time zone as North American Central Time. This means organizations can have better access to their external teams, better align on daily operations, and maintain better continuity of service workflows.
3. Access to a Larger Talent Pool
American companies can access a larger pool of qualified and highly skilled talent through nearshore outsourcing. This is one of the major advantages of nearshore outsourcing, as 69% of United States employers say they are facing a talent shortage.
A growing number of professionals across Latin America and the Caribbean are university-educated and proficient in English. These professionals can join teams and operate efficiently, as an extension of a U.S. organization’s operations.
By leveraging nearshore outsourcing, companies can also hire more trained staff to support them during demand spikes or large projects. Companies may even find that they are able to work with professionals with specialized skills that otherwise may have been hard to find domestically.
4. Cultural and Regulatory Alignment
Popular countries for nearshore outsourcing also have a strong cultural alignment with the United States. Latin American and Caribbean countries like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Belize have BPO professionals with strong English proficiency and the advantage of being English-Spanish bilingual. This reduces communication friction. Nearshore teams can often understand both the internal teams they work alongside and the potential Spanish-speaking customers they support.
Professionals across Latin America and the Caribbean are also familiar with North American work culture, customer behaviors, and service expectations. This is typically due to proximity and exposure. They can deliver support services that are in line with customer and client needs. These professionals are also able to help promote effective CX outcomes.
Additionally, countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Argentina have data protection processes that align with United States standards. This adds to the nearshore outsourcing benefits American organizations can gain. These countries invest in industry-standard certifications like PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 Type II that are aligned with U.S. compliance and regulatory requirements.
Latin American countries also have strong Intellectual property protections. The U.S. recognizes Latin American IP laws and assignments. These countries take regulatory and data protection requirements as seriously as the United States.
5. Real-Time Collaboration
Businesses can achieve strong real-time collaboration through nearshore outsourcing. With many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean operating within a 0-3 hour time zone difference with the United States and Canada, communication and collaboration are more efficient and effective.
Organizations that work with BPO providers that have Latin American and Caribbean operations can also have greater control and access to their teams. They can travel to nearshore teams more easily and communicate strategic priorities or issues. They can also deliver real-time training and coaching sessions, while maintaining better oversight of projects, customer service processes, and QA procedures.
Because live collaboration is one of the benefits of nearshore outsourcing, companies may also note that urgent issues get resolved more quickly. Turnaround times for clients and customers may also be reduced.
Should You Switch to Nearshore Outsourcing?
Nearshore outsourcing may be worth the switch if your organization wants to reduce costs, gain access to more skilled talent, work with external teams in similar time zones, collaborate in real-time, and stay aligned with cultural and regulatory expectations.
Before choosing a BPO provider, consider their experience, compliance and security practices, language capabilities, and ability to support your customer experience goals. CBE Customer Solutions offers onshore and offshore delivery models, with strong nearshore support in Mexico City.
Yes. CBE Customer Solutions provides nearshore outsourcing support through its Mexico City delivery center. CBE Customer Solutions also provides strong onshore and offshore delivery options.
CBE works with each client to develop a service model based on its customer needs, operational goals, compliance requirements, and budget.
Nearshore outsourcing is often less expensive than hiring internal employees or using only onshore services. Companies may reduce expenses related to wages, benefits, recruiting, training, technology, and facilities. The actual savings will depend on location, services, staffing needs, and complexity of the work.
The best location depends on a company’s language, talent, budget, time zone, and compliance needs. Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Brazil, and Belize are common choices for North American organizations.
Companies should compare each location’s workforce, infrastructure, data protection requirements, language capabilities, and business environment before making a decision.
Companies can use nearshore outsourcing for many customer-facing and back-office processes. These may include customer service, technical support, fraud prevention, data processing, claims support, billing assistance, collections, and other administrative tasks.
The right processes to outsource will depend on your business goals, compliance needs, and internal capabilities.
Fintech companies and financial institutions require dedicated, efficient, and compliant support teams. During periods of growth and demand spikes, it’s especially important that customer service and CX operations are effective, scalable, and strong.
If your business is experiencing slow response times, backlogs of customer inquiries, overwhelmed employees, rapid business growth, declining support performance metrics, increased support costs, or inconsistent customer service practices, it may be time to outsource your customer support processes.
A fintech customer support outsourcing partner can help your business deliver consistent, compliant, and scalable customer support. They can also promote your values, regulatory environment, and customers’ expectations.
Let’s review these top seven warning signs that it’s time to seek a fintech BPO partner for your business, in detail.
1. You Have Slow Response Times
When your team takes too long to respond to a customer, it may signal they lack the bandwidth. A fintech BPO partner may need to step in.
Customers expect quick responses, whether they are asking about pricing, requesting information about your services, or raising concerns as an existing client. Speed and efficiency are key to growing and maintaining customer relationships.
2. Your Backlog of Customer Inquiries Keeps Growing
If unanswered calls, emails, and pending tickets feel endless for your team, it may be time to consider a fintech BPO service.
When customers are left waiting and their questions go unanswered, it can hinder business growth and damage customer relationships.
3. Your Employees Are Wearing Too Many Hats
When employees are already overwhelmed with their daily workload, taking on an extra customer support role can fall to the bottom of the priority list. This can lead to declining customer service quality and overlooked customers.
Juggling customer support responsibilities alongside daily workflows can also lead to employee burnout and higher employee turnover.
When businesses outsource customer support for fintech, employees can focus on daily tasks and other strategic business priorities.
4. Rapid Business Growth Outpaces Your Support Team
Rapid business growth is a positive sign. However, it can also add strain to your customer support team.
When your support team can’t keep up with increased demand, your customers may not receive the service they expect. Your employees may also feel burdened, and internal hiring processes may not be quick enough to meet demands.
In these moments, fintech customer support outsourcing can help. Outsourced teams can absorb operational burden while maintaining high-quality service standards.
5. Your Customer Support Performance Metrics Are Slipping
Tracking your business’s customer support performance metrics can help you identify when it’s time to outsource customer service. If your customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores are dropping, average resolution time is increasing, reviews are negative, and customer retention is decreasing, you may need to reassess your CX operations.
Your business may require additional support and expertise. This is where customer support outsourcing for fintech companies comes in. Outsourcing companies can help you improve KPIs while maintaining brand and compliance standards.
6. Your Support Costs Are Stretching Your Budget Thin
Customer support costs can stretch your budget thin. Hiring and staffing can quickly escalate your fixed costs when you factor in employee salaries, benefits packages, training costs, and software.
If these expenses are beginning to outpace your revenue, a fintech BPO service can help you reduce costs while improving operational consistency and efficiency. In fact, a recent Business Research Insights report found that almost 62% of financial institutions outsourced operations to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of their digital services.
7. Your Customer Service Practices Are Inconsistent
Your customers expect a consistent and effective experience with every interaction. However, when one customer gets quick responses whether they reach out via phone, email, social, or web, and another customer must wait a week to hear back from your team, you have a clear CX issue.
Every customer should be able to reach out across all your available communication channels and receive timely support. Without this, your brand’s reputation, customer relationships, and retention could be at stake.
An outsourcing partner can help you avoid these customer service challenges. They leverage their expertise to create consistent, scalable service operations. They can also streamline back-office support.
How to Choose the Right Fintech BPO Service for Your Business
Once you’ve recognized the signs that you may need a fintech BPO service, the question often becomes: Who do I choose?
For many fintech companies, compliance standards, costs, and shared values matter when choosing the right fintech BPO partner. A global outsourcing partner like CBE Customer Solutions can help your business scale customer support while balancing cost, speed, and compliance. CBE Customer Solutions also operates as an extension of your brand, with your values and customer experience in mind. CBE is a certifiably compliant outsourcing partner built for complex, regulated environments, with specialized services for fintech companies.
Common Questions About Customer Support Outsourcing for Fintech Companies
CBE Customer Solutions provides compliant, scalable customer support for fintech companies and other financial institutions. CBE can support account servicing and customer care, fraud prevention, payment assistance, member support, back-office processes, and other complex service needs, while helping businesses balance cost, quality, speed, and compliance.
Look for a partner with experience in regulated industries, strong compliance standards, scalable staffing, consistent quality controls, and support across multiple channels. The right partner should also understand your brand, customer expectations, and security requirements.
A fintech company may be ready to outsource when response times increase, inquiry backlogs grow, customer satisfaction scores decline, or support costs rise. Outsourcing can also help when rapid growth or seasonal demand exceeds the internal team’s capacity.
As AI and automation evolve, many fintech companies are implementing them into their customer service processes. However, this leaves both consumers and customer service professionals asking: Will AI replace human agents in fintech customer support? The short answer is no.
We’ll explain why. We’ll also cover how AI is shaping the future of customer support, and how global outsourcing partners like CBE Customer Solutions help fintech companies balance AI and human support.
Why AI Will Not Replace Humans for Fintech Customer Service
The bottom line is that AI will not completely replace human agents in fintech. Fintech bridges people, technology, and financial services. Without the human element, reliability and consumer trust can suffer.
Reliability and trust are especially important in high-stakes, sensitive customer conversations about money. AI customer support alone cannot handle nuanced discussions around compliance, fraud prevention, and fintech companies’ policies. Human agents who know the ins and outs of company policies, procedures, and key compliance risks are essential.
AI Customer Service for Fintech Can Be More Costly Than Human Support
At first glance, AI can reduce costs associated with fintech customer service workflows. However, once implemented, AI can end up costing companies more than the human agents it was meant to replace.
Implementing and maintaining efficient and accurate AI can stretch companies’ budgets thin. The data and security risks that must be mitigated during AI deployment can further increase costs. According to Deloitte’s 2027 Finance Trends Report, 60% of finance leaders expect AI costs and complexity to increase significantly through 2027, as AI costs become increasingly difficult to predict and manage.
How AI is Shaping Fintech Customer Support
Although AI may not totally replace human customer service agents, it is still shaping the future of fintech customer support.
AI can help fintech companies deliver faster 24/7 customer support, resolve issues more efficiently, and reduce repeat errors. AI can also help to automate workflows for companies that want to outsource customer support for fintech. This makes AI and technology investments a valuable asset for refining CX operations.
How Can Fintech Companies Blend AI With Human Support?
A balanced approach to customer service can help fintech companies modernize with AI while mitigating risks, controlling costs, and maintaining the human support customers may still need. For instance, fintech organizations can use AI to automate basic daily tasks. These include card activations, fund transfers, and verifying transactions. Then, customers can be routed to human agents for detailed support with issues like billing and fraud disputes.
AI can also detect consumers’ main issues and group similar requests. These requests can then be sent to customer service agents who can further personalize and tailor support efforts.
How CBE Balances AI With Human Support for Fintech Companies
CBE leverages tools like AI-enabled routing and forecasting, NICE workforce management, Zenarate scenario training, and RPA automation, all aligned with human judgment and support.
