While there are many advantages of outsourcing services from other countries or companies, like helping the company to concentrate on its core business and increasing its profits by reducing overhead costs, customer satisfaction should come first. Thus, as the Human Resources manager, I would advise the CEO to stop outsourcing all our services from India. Instead, we could outsource half of these services while retaining half of them in-house. For instance, in the IT sector, we could outsource the network management oversight but retain the end-user support in-house. On the other hand, we could also outsource the IT services only but retain the call center in-house. This will ensure that customers are served from both within the organization and within the country thus reducing the number of complaints, and hence increasing customer satisfaction.
Customers are the heart of any organization or business. Without them, the business will not be there in the first place. It is therefore extremely essential that customers are put first and other things follow. According to Cochran (2003), a single unsatisfied client can send more business away from you than ten contented customers can. If customers are satisfied, then they will always come back and even refer other customers to your business hence continued growth.
Employee morale is one of the key factors that affect their production. It determines the attitude, contentment, and confidence that they feel at work. When they are happy with their working environment, then their morale increases which in turn increases their productivity. If on the other hand, they are unhappy and negative about their work and feel unappreciated, then their morale decreases thus affecting their work. In this case, I will first talk to the employees, assure them that their jobs are safe, and so they should not be worried.
I will also try to explain to them the reasons why we are outsourcing and the advantages of such services. If the employees understand the importance of outsourcing, they will therefore stop worrying about losing their jobs. I will also talk to them and ask for their opinion on how we can solve the problem. By talking to them and asking for their opinions, it will help them feel appreciated and therefore help in bringing their morale back. Because I understand that the success of any business depends on its employees, I will therefore do my best to ensure that they are well motivated.
First, I would investigate the claims to verify their authenticity and determine whether they are cases of racial discrimination or just a misinterpretation of the situation. If they were true, I would talk to the Tel Alliance employees about the need of working harmoniously with people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. While it is understood that they may be feeling bad because of their jobs being given to foreigners and the fear of losing their jobs, I will first assure them about their jobs while at the same time encouraging them to work harmoniously with their fellow employees from India.
As the Human Resources manager, I will also promote social interaction between the employees by organizing such things as office picnics or parties. Through such events, the employees will be able to interact with each other freely thus helping in creating a sense of comradeship. This is because social interaction constructively influences cooperation and general enthusiasm about going to work every day. If the employees are divided and do not work harmoniously, then their quality of work will decrease which in the end will affect the performance of the company.
As the Human Resources officer, I would recommend that people who have a neutral or Aussie accent be employed to work in those call centers. Good communication and understanding between the customers and the employees of the call centers are very critical in ensuring customer gratification. If this is compromised due to language barriers or poor communication, then the company stands a high chance of losing its customers. The employees should also be well acquainted with the Australian culture and the workings of the company. This will ensure that they can address questions and concerns from the customers comprehensively.
Honesty and integrity should be virtues that all people and companies should uphold (Watson 2005). In this case, the customers should be told where their services come from. This is because, if they are not told and they later get to know that they were being lied to, the results could be disastrous. They might even stop getting their services from the company, which could lead to losses and eventual closure of the business. Without integrity, people become untrustworthy.
If the customers start doubting the company and the services that we offer to them, then the relationship between them and us will deteriorate. The longer the customers are kept in the dark about where their services come from, the more the resources and time will be required to get them back if they leave.
References
Cochran, C. (2003). Customer Satisfaction: Tools, Techniques, and Formulas for Success. London: Paton Publishers.
Watson, E. (2005). How Honesty Pays: Restoring Integrity to the Workplace. New York: Greenwood Publishers.