Business Process Outsourcing and Customer Service Excellence

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) definitions, types, risks, organizational roles, and Customer Service Excellence frameworks.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

The business practice of hiring an external third party or outside company to perform tasks, handle services, or create goods that a company normally do using its own internal employees.

Offshoring

Moving work to an outside provider in a distant foreign country for lower labor costs.

Nearshoring

Contracting work to a provider in a nearby or neighboring country.

Onshoring

Keeping the outsourced work within the same home country.

Less Control

A risk of outsourcing involving losing direct oversight over daily work quality.

Security Issues

An outsourcing risk where private company data and files are exposed to outside groups.

Communication Gaps

An outsourcing risk related to dealing with language differences or misaligned time zones.

Hidden Cost

Unexpected transition fees, legal fees, or poor initial work that can erase projected savings in outsourcing.

Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO)

Specialized outsourcing involving high-level market research, data analytics, and financial planning.

Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO)

Specialized outsourcing involving legal research, contract drafting, and patent applications by trained paralegals.

IT-Enabled Services (ITES)

Specialized outsourcing services including software maintenance and tech help desks.

Site / Account Director

Top level position that runs the whole site, talks to the client company, and is responsible for profits + targets.

Operations Manager

Manager who manages all teams, schedules targets, handles escalations, checks daily reports, and solves big customer issues.

HR/Training Manager

Manager responsible for hiring, payroll, benefits, and training new hires.

IT Manager

Manager in charge of computers, internet, software, VPN, and fixing headsets or system lag.

QA Manager

Manager who checks call quality, provides coaching, and makes sure agents follow client rules.

Team Leader (TL)

Supervisor role who acts as the direct boss of 10-20 agents, providing coaching, monitoring attendance, and driving motivation.

Customer Service Agent / CSR

Frontline role that talks to customers via call, chat, or email to solve customer problems for foreign clients.

Customer Service Excellence (CSE)

Making the customer feel heard, helped, and happy – every single call, chat, or email; calculated as Technical Skills + Soft Skills + Right Attitude.

8 Key Traits of a Customer Service Excellent Agent

The core traits comprising Empathy, Active Listening, Product Knowledge, Problem Solving, Clear Communication, Patience, Time Management, and Positive Attitude.

Heard Model

A model used for handling angry customers: Hear – Empathize – Apologize – Resolve – Diagnose.

Learn Model

A model used for coaching and growth: Listen – Empathize – Apologize – Respond – Next steps.

First Call Resolution Model (FCR)

A model focused on solving the issue on the first call with no transfer and no callback.