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Make the most of your conversational bot investment with our easy-to-follow guide featuring best practices that can be applied to your digital transformation journey.

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Six steps for conversational bot success: A helpful primer for chatbot implementation

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Driving efficiency with digital automation for a financial services brand

Discover how TELUS International implemented a comprehensive intelligent automation
solution for a financial services client that enabled operational efficiency, a
reduction in employee effort and an overall increase in customer satisfaction.

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The games industry can be challenging for start-ups and new entrants. Get the adaptable support you need to navigate uncertainty.

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Adaptable support for growing games companies

Artificial intelligence is set to define the future of banking. Learn about how banks are using machine learning, RPA and other AI-powered tech.

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Six AI technologies set to define the future of banking

Protecting your company's reputation in an evolving digital world isn't always easy. Between cyberattacks, phishing, fraud and other harmful behaviors, companies have a lot of ground to cover when it comes to preserving their brand.

These concerns are often compounded when working with a customer experience (CX) provider. Not only do you need to ensure that your brand promise is met in an outsourced environment, but also that your customer and company data is protected.

When selecting a customer experience provider, risk mitigation should be a top consideration. The right partner will make sure you're covering every angle to care for the security of both your brand and your customers — at every touchpoint.

What should you look for in an outsourcing provider?

When it comes to customer experience outsourcing, brands typically have two primary concerns: preserving customer data, and keeping all systems that might compromise operations tight as a drum, says Steve Jablonski, vice-president of information security at TELUS International. These concerns are often driven by an idea that outsourcing some aspects of your business means giving up control — but that's not the case when the right checks and balances are in place.

Companies and their outsourcing partners need to set clear parameters about how to proactively prevent harm, and how to respond if it ever occurs. Setting a strong communication foundation in your outsourcing relationship enables your brand to work in concert with your partner to avoid and mitigate risk. With that at the core, here are three additional factors to consider when assessing an outsourcing partner.

Training: Team members are the first line of defense

With both online reputation management and protecting customer data, organizations frequently wonder where to begin. The answer is: start with employees. Team members are often the first line of defense against security breaches and ever-present bad actors. "Think of your CX team as a human firewall," says Jablonski. "You have to prepare your customer care representatives for battle by providing them with comprehensive training."

Rather than taking a one-and-done approach to customer service training, partners should treat it as an ongoing process, every part of which can strengthen and enhance the customer care team. As threats become more sophisticated and ill-intentioned parties find new ways to infiltrate your defenses, it's important that your team's knowledge base has comparably advanced documentation.

That said, it isn't just outsiders that are cause for concern. When assessing a CX outsourcing partner, businesses often want to know what's being done to mitigate insider risk and to keep employees from jeopardizing the system. While it's smart to ask questions related to brand loyalty and engagement, you should also consider whether teams are being sufficiently trained to prevent all manner of attacks and breaches, adds Jablonski.

Outsourcing partners must have processes in place to mitigate risk from internal and external individuals intent on committing a crime and innocent insiders who fall victim to phishing links. Phishing simulations and security awareness training are useful protocols in a world where threats are subtle and ever-changing. Team members should also know what to do if they suspect a colleague is acting nefariously. Training employees to recognize patterns is crucial, Jablonski says, "because you can't always get ahead of the threat."

Technology: Taking advantage of economies of scale

According to recent research conducted by TELUS International and Statista, leaders named data security and compliance as the number one challenge impeding their digital customer experience goals in 2023. The same research found that transparency and data security were considered the most important qualities for an outsourcing provider.

Collaborating with the right digital CX partner can provide brands with access to best-in-class software with the proper security checks. "There needs to be solid due diligence when buying secure software," Jablonski says of outsourcing partners. "Robust patching, internal scans and penetration testing should occur on a regular basis." A good outsourcing partner not only does everything in its power to safeguard your company; it also takes the pressure off brands to identify and invest in the new technologies needed to deliver a secure and scalable CX.

Put security management processes under the microscope

Outsourcing providers should be investing in market intelligence to stay on top of potential threats. Jablonski suggests that the right partner will "leverage paid and public intelligence to stay current. Your provider should always be collecting information and taking action." They should also have a strong network in place for sharing brand and industry information, he adds.

Look for a partner that prioritizes security at all levels and makes a point of obtaining their third-party certifications demonstrating their commitment to protecting brands like yours. Regulatory compliance and certifications like ISO27001 offer a solid foundation for cybersecurity. NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a good resource for publications, reports and other information about the standardization process, while the NIST 800-53 framework serves as a comprehensive guide to strategies, systems and controls that businesses should employ based on risk, cost and an organization's capabilities. Other options include industry-specific certifications, like HITRUST in the healthcare space.

Regardless of the approach your outsourcing partner opts to take, key controls like multi-factor authentication and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) should be standard. Consider your potential partner's stance on working from home and bring your own device (BYOD) management, too. From data leakage to loss and infection, related policies should be treated with the utmost caution and care.

Above all else, when selecting an outsourcing partner you should aim to find a company that values your brand and customers as much as you do. "Your customers are our customers," says Jablonski of TELUS International's mindset. A quality outsourcing partner should share your commitment to defending against threats, while also working to improve your customer experience.

Risk mitigation should be a top consideration when selecting an outsourcing partner. Learn what to look for to ensure your brand is protected.

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Protecting your customers and brand in an outsourced environment

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TELUS International, in partnership with Statista, surveyed 250 enterprise leaders to explore where they plan to invest in digital customer experience (CX) technology in 2023. Uncover the results.

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Survey results: Digital customer experience priorities for leaders in 2023

The digital world continues to shift rapidly. Discover what's next for content moderation to help you navigate the changes in this evolving industry.

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What's next for content moderation in 2023 and beyond?

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Outsourcing Locations E-book Feature

Discover some of the top outsourcing destinations for consideration and the factors to keep in mind as you make your decision.

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Selecting the best outsourcing destination for your business

You've heard of product-market fit, but what about profit-market fit? Learn the difference and how scaling tech brands can achieve it.

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profit market fit

Why achieving profit-market fit is essential for scaling brands

Keep up with the latest in digital customer experience in 2023. Check out this list of important stats to kick-start your CX planning for the year ahead.

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23 digital customer experience stats to know for 2023

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Want to speak with a Process Consulting expert?

Uncover how TELUS International’s business process consultants helped a leading financial services brand optimize its operations, enhance its customer experience (CX) and begin its digital transformation journey.

Streamlining operations and kickstarting the digital transformation journey of a leading financial services brand

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Facing hurdle after hurdle with your sales growth strategy? Persevere with these effective strategies.

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Proven strategies to break through sales challenges

In the games industry, newer studios face a gauntlet of obstacles. There's stiff competition, a shortage of talent and a surplus of uncertainty — just to name a few.

To up the difficulty even further, help hasn't typically been easy to find. While industry behemoths have been able to form successful outsourcing partnerships to enhance and scale all aspects of their player experience, these arrangements have been impractical for start-ups and scale-ups. Too often, the contracts are too resource-intensive, too long and have terms too inflexible for studios building toward their breakthrough.

As a result, smaller studios can miss out on the guidance that comes from an experienced partner, as well as the means to scale in the event that their next title takes off. This can be detrimental to the player experience, which is nothing to brush aside. A TELUS International survey revealed nearly half (44%) of consumers said that nothing, not even price, convenience or if it's a brand they truly like — excuses a poor customer experience.

The challenges and consequences are daunting. The gauntlet awaits. Importantly, however, help is no longer out of reach. Learn why growing games companies are increasingly looking to player experience outsourcing in order to rise to the occasion.

Navigating the labor crunch in games customer service

Building out an in-house player support operation can be complex and expensive, especially for newer studios. There are countless questions and seemingly few answers. How many agents do you need? How many can you afford? What skills do they need to have? What languages do they need to speak?

It doesn't help that there's a shortage of talent. Montreal, Canada for example, has been an established hub for international games companies for some time, but the entire country has recently seen a surge. From 2019 to 2021, active video game studios operating in Canada increased by 35%. When it comes to talent in the games industry, however, the increase in demand has not been met by an equal increase in supply. And according to federal government reports, that shortage is predicted to remain for the next ten years.

That makes things particularly tricky when you need to scale quickly. If your latest title becomes a sensation, you're going to see a significant uptick in players and support queries. Without scaling your team, wait times will lengthen and frustration will rise. Let the problem fester and you might see loyalty and your player base dwindle.

The challenges don't stop at recruitment, either. As part of training and onboarding, games companies need to develop their support agents' understanding of their titles, culture and brand. When your players have an issue, they want to feel like the representative they're talking to gets it in an intuitive way that demonstrates first-hand experience playing the game.

The constant search for, and training of, games talent takes studios away from their product.

Benefits of customer support outsourcing for games

Faced with a myriad of challenges, games start-ups and scale-ups are turning to outsourcing and expecting providers to deliver right-sized, creative solutions. Here's what growing games companies can gain from outsourcing:

Your best weapon against the games industry's inherent uncertainty is agility.

A good outsourcing partner understands that. And by extension, they'll understand your current state and let rigid, long-term commitments become a thing of the past.

By helping you to forecast and scale your player support operation according to your needs, a top-tier partner will only enhance your ability to face whatever comes your way.

In order to truly offer flexibility, an outsourcing partner needs to be able to help you source and secure the talent you need — and quickly.

Their global infrastructure and network is your gain, helping you to strengthen your frontline despite labor shortages. And if your outsourcing partner has experience in the games industry, they'll also have specific, defined best practices and talent profiles to help you discover your next star performer.

Today, shared teams also provide a cost-effective option for growing studios. In this strategy, outsourced agents support your players on a part-time basis, lowering your cost while improving your player experience.

According to Grand View Research, the global video game market size will develop at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% until 2030. Without question, gaming is global.

But to bring your games to would-be players far and wide, you've got to make sure you have the support structure to deliver a consistent experience. Outsourcing can set your studio up with multilingual support, and even a local content moderation presence in key markets. Not only that, but through outsourcing, studios can gain the ability to maintain "always-on" support that can keep their players playing.

There are no shortcuts to experience. If you're a newer studio, you might not have the expertise that only comes from time. But when you have a partner, you're not stuck learning everything the hard way. Growing games companies can lean on the industry expertise of their partners' in times both good and bad.

Better still, studios that partner with customer experience providers with expertise beyond games can minimize their blind spots and generate new ideas through cross-vertical thinking.

Choosing to outsource aspects of your player experience is not as simple as paying X and getting Y. With the right partner, you'll get much more than what you pay for. That becomes abundantly clear when you consider co-innovation.

By teaming up with a company invested in acquiring and deploying the latest technologies, you gain access to innovative applications without having to make big investments yourself. The types of technologies available run the gamut, from customer-facing support channels like chatbots and intelligent FAQs to behind-the-scenes tech offering robust fraud detection, trust and security support. Getting a handle on those services puts your studio in a stronger position from which to innovate — and that helps not only your customers, but also your profit margins.

Over the course of our more than 12 years in the games industry, TELUS International has supported studios of all sizes with over 40 game launches. We've heard plenty of feedback and developed a deep sense of the challenges facing games companies today.

That's why we're bolstering our offering with adaptable support for growing games companies.

To offer the right type of support at the right cost, our adaptable solutions get the best out of shared resourcing. That means start-ups and scale-ups can access our global reach and infrastructure to scale according to their needs ⁠— without overpaying or overcommitting. And as an added benefit, they can rely on our earned industry expertise to help navigate uncertainty.

Get in touch with one of our games experts today.

Player support outsourcing isn't just for Triple-A studios. Learn about the benefits of outsourcing for growing games companies.

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What growing games companies can gain from outsourcing

Germany's diverse and talented workforce make the European nation an ideal CX outsourcing destination. Read up on all the benefits.

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Don't overlook Germany as a CX outsourcing destination

If words like "amortization" get your customers feeling anything but amore, you're not alone.

Many would-be customers grapple with the complexities of financial decision-making. It's easy for them to become paralyzed by choice: should they save? Invest? Pay down debt?

These anxieties are compounded by an increasing sense of financial vulnerability amid rising inflation and costs of living. According to the American Psychological Association's 2022 Stress in America™ survey, 65% of respondents say money is the most significant stressor in their life — a steady rise from the previous survey results from 2021.

For banks and fintechs, consumers' rising financial stress and decision fatigue present an opportunity to ease tensions through digital customer experience (CX). By looking after your customers' best interests and helping them make better decisions, industry brands can demonstrate that they understand the challenges of the day. As Forrester's report The Top Emerging Technologies In Banking In 2022, points out, this is where predictive analytics can play a critical role.

Predictive analytics is an artificial intelligence-backed technology that captures data from diverse sources and uses computer models to create insights for a range of practical applications.

In the financial services industry, the technology is used to score client's creditworthiness, identify fraud and much more. In fact, while industry brands have leveraged the power of predictive analytics for some time, the use cases are evolving — so much so that the aforementioned Forrester report lists predictive analytics as a "hot" technology. The research firm explains that the label reflects "both interest and planned spend in the coming 12 months," and adds that it will "shape the future of the banking industry and customer experience."

Companies in the financial services industry are rapidly adopting predictive analytics as a way to gain a competitive edge, and to deliver higher-end customer experiences. As per the Forrester report, 89% of global data and analytics technology decision-makers in the financial services industry placed real-time/predictive analytics in the high-priority category. They said they either already implemented the technology, have begun the implementation process or are planning to introduce it imminently.

The sheer amount of sophisticated data collected by banks and fintechs has led to further development of a wide suite of internal and client-facing tools that target specific customer needs.

Despite the many personal finance tools and resources available, an understanding of finance fundamentals is still a gap for many customers. The 2022 Investopedia Financial Literacy Survey found that only around half of Americans have a strong grasp of financial literacy basics like budgeting, saving and spending. Even fewer felt confident in their knowledge of investing and digital currency.

A lack of confidence and trust can lead to poor decision-making, and sometimes deter customers from making decisions at all. This underlines the importance of looking to your data for signs of customer indecision or low confidence. When natural language processing and other AI applications are considered, speech and text analytics can be of great value for industry brands. Mining unstructured data from voice- and text-based interactions (email, chat, social media, SMS, etc.) with customer support teams can yield untold customer experience insights.

In the ideal situation, insights unearthed by customer analytics and AI can help banks to develop comfort levels among their customers. This is not only true on the level of the individual customer, but also at a higher level that enables banks to pick up on trends and create solutions that help customers make sound financial decisions.

Ramping player support for a games colossus

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