The customer service contact center represents an essential communications link between an organization and its customers. Associates continuously interact with consumers, amassing tremendous quantities of information that can be used by the client to gauge brand awareness, customer satisfaction, and—ultimately—customer loyalty. Ideally, the contact center and the client will work together to analyze the customer data and optimize the customer experience.

When companies elect to outsource customer service, technical support, or other processes, they must carefully select the right provider in which to infuse their culture. In turn, it is critical for outsourcing providers to adopt a client's culture in order for the two organizations to attain a shared vision and objective for growing the company's brand.

Steps to Adopting a Client's Culture For a third-party provider, the adoption of a client's culture is a multilayered, ongoing process that involves site selection, recruiting, training, and providing brand exposure to associates. Each of these elements must be carefully managed to properly and effectively infuse a client's culture and, therefore, brand identity.

• Selecting the Right Site—Associates who are familiar with a brand or product have an advantage in terms of embracing a client's culture. Ideally, the allure of a brand or product will serve as a recruiting tool for an eager talent pool. Some providers establish "centers of excellence" that are positioned for specific types of clients or services. In certain geographies where a brand or product is unavailable, the essence of a client's culture might be completely foreign and the outsourcer should seek alternative locations where the brand is more prevalent.
• Recruiting and Hiring the Right People—Associate profiles, created by the client, supply the service provider with a description of the qualifications and characteristics it should seek in job candidates. Generally, the qualifications are tangible, but the characteristics are intangible. For example, a leading manufacturer of audio systems will likely seek associates who appreciate music and sound. In turn, the outsourcing provider prominently displays the client's product during the interview process, expecting the interviewee to inquire about it. Those candidates who do not demonstrate any curiosity are viewed with skepticism and will likely not be part of an effective strategy for infusing culture and brand identity into the contact center.
• Developing Dynamic Training Programs—Training is especially vital because it represents the first opportunity to mold impressionable trainees into the type of high-performing, respectful, and loyal associates that are so desired. Training entails teaching the fundamentals, setting expectations, and thrusting trainees into their new role. When done well, training engages and stimulates associates and prepares them to meet the challenges of the position. When done poorly, it can confound and frustrate associates and set the stage for unsatisfactory performance and, at worst, associate attrition.
• Everyday Brand Exposure—In order to successfully adopt a culture and identify with a brand, an agent must believe in a company and its products. One way to build this loyalty is to make the brand part of an associate's everyday life and/or work experience. This firsthand approach can have a positive impact on a program's results. For example, in the case of the manufacturer of audio systems, equipping every workstation within the contact center with an audio system enables associates to listen to music throughout the day, promoting their passion for sound quality. To further cultivate brand identity, outsourcing providers often implement programs in which they loan a company's products to associates on a trial basis. The associates are then asked to provide feedback on the product's performance.

Similarly, consumer electronic companies—including cellphone providers or satellite radio providers—often loan every contact center associate its product for personal use. After one year, the associate assumes ownership of the device and the product is set up throughout the center to use as a reference point. The same principle can be applied to brands with a service-based business model. Agents are often given subscriptions at no cost to help them more closely relate to the customer's experience with the brand.

An organization's culture and brand identity can also be instilled into the contact center environment through the physical appearance of the workplace. The center assumes the identity of the client with logos, signage, color schemes, props, and televisions streaming content that appeals to the client's customer base.

Accomplishing the above requires a substantial commitment from both the provider and the client. The inability to effectively integrate a client's culture and brand into the contact center can create a disconnect that will inevitably reflect poorly on consumers' perceptions of the brand. However, when both commit to this adoption, the relationship flourishes, enabling each party to meet and exceed their objectives.