The gaming industry is known for its fast-paced nature and the ever-evolving demands of players. In this competitive landscape, providing exceptional customer service is essential for retaining gamers and fostering long-lasting relationships. Many companies are looking to outsource customer service in the gaming industry as a solution to enhance their customer support and streamline operations.
Let’s explore the benefits, and provide insights into how your gaming company can effectively outsource gaming customer service.
Gaming Customer Services vs. Regular Customer Services: A Unique Dynamic
A large number of outsourcing companies provide customer service support, and it’s essential to understand the nuances that differentiate gaming customer service from more conventional customer service. While both share common principles, the gaming industry introduces unique challenges and opportunities that require a specialized approach and a team of gamers on both sides of the phone.
Player-Centric Approach
Gaming customer service prioritizes a player-centric approach that revolves around the needs and expectations of gamers. Gamers often have distinct preferences, demands, and technical inquiries that necessitate a deeper understanding of gaming mechanics and terminology. In contrast, regular customer service caters to a broader audience with a more generalized focus.
Technical Proficiency
Gaming customer service often requires a higher level of technical proficiency. Agents must be well-versed in the technical aspects of games, including troubleshooting, software updates, and gameplay mechanics.
Regular customer services may deal with technical inquiries, but they typically cover a wider range of industries and topics, resulting in less specialized technical knowledge.
Player engagement and community management
Engaging with players and managing gaming communities is a crucial aspect of gaming customer service. Building and nurturing player relationships, moderating forums, and addressing player concerns are common tasks.
In contrast, regular customer services may not involve community management to the same extent, as their focus is primarily on addressing individual inquiries.
Rapid response and adaptability
The gaming industry operates in real-time, and player issues often require rapid responses. Gaming customer service must be agile and adapt to fast-changing situations, such as server outages during a game launch.
Regular customer service may have more structured response times and procedures due to the varied nature of inquiries.
How to Outsource Customer Service in the Gaming Industry
If you’re a gaming company looking to elevate your customer service through outsourcing, follow this detailed step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Define Your Support Needs
The first crucial step in outsourcing customer service is to assess your specific support requirements. Take the time to understand the volume of inquiries you receive, the types of issues players commonly face, and the expected response times.
This detailed analysis will serve as the foundation for choosing the right outsourcing partner. By having a clear picture of your support needs, you can ensure that the outsourcing process aligns with your gaming company’s goals.
Step 2: Research Outsourcing Providers
When it comes to outsourcing customer service in the gaming industry, not all providers are equal. Research extensively to identify outsourcing partners with experience and expertise in gaming support.
Consider factors such as:
- Company’s reputation within the gaming community
- Client testimonials
- Range of services
Additionally, evaluate their ability to handle the unique challenges that arise in gaming customer support, such as technical troubleshooting, player engagement, and community management. Choosing the right outsourcing provider is a critical decision that can significantly impact your players’ experiences.
Step 3: Discuss Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Collaborate closely with your chosen outsourcing partner to establish clear and comprehensive Service Level Agreements (SLAs). These agreements should outline specific metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure the quality and efficiency of customer support services.
The main elements to include in SLAs are response times, resolution rates, average handling times, and customer satisfaction targets. The detailed SLAs provide a shared understanding of expectations and serve as a basis for ensuring the delivery of top-notch support to your players.
Step 4: Integration and Training
For a smooth player support experience, it’s important that your outsourcing partner’s systems work well with your gaming platform. Work with the company you’re outsourcing to to make this process easier.
Make sure that the people who help players have access to all the tools and information they need to do their jobs well.
Also, give the outsourcing team full training materials and clear instructions. Training should include a deep understanding of your games, how your player communities work, and the values and culture of your gaming company. Customer service agents can understand what players are going through and offer solutions that fit with the identity of your brand.
This is where Morph beats all other outsourcing partners. We’re a team of gamers and regularly organize game nights (after we finish our work, of course) and who better to help your consumers than people who love and live for games.
Step 5: Monitor and Evaluate
Outsourcing customer service is an ongoing partnership. Continuously monitor and evaluate the performance of your outsourced customer support team. Regularly review the KPIs outlined in your SLAs to gauge the effectiveness of the service.
Collect and analyze player feedback to gain valuable insights into their experiences and areas that may require improvement. This feedback-driven approach allows you to make data-driven decisions and refine the outsourcing process over time. Keep in mind that excellence in customer support is a dynamic journey that requires ongoing dedication and improvement.
Benefits of Outsourcing Customer Service in the Gaming Industry
Outsourcing customer service in the gaming industry is a strategic decision that has numerous advantages, profoundly impacting a company’s overall success. Let’s delve deeper into these benefits to understand how outsourcing can be a game-changer for gaming companies:
1. Enhanced Player Experience
In the dynamic world of gaming, players expect more than just an exceptional gaming experience; they also demand prompt and effective customer support.
Outsourcing customer service ensures that gamers receive quick responses to their inquiries, creating an immediate and lasting impression of your gaming brand. This enhanced level of satisfaction keeps players engaged while fostering a positive gaming experience, increasing their loyalty and likelihood of recommending your games to others.
2. Cost Efficiency and Resource Optimization
Setting up and maintaining an in-house customer support team can be a significant financial burden for developing gaming companies.
Expenses such as office space, equipment, salaries, and benefits for full-time employees can quickly add up. By outsourcing customer service, gaming companies can reduce these overhead costs while still delivering top-notch support.
This cost-efficient approach enables gaming companies to allocate resources more strategically, investing everything in game development with the idea to launch the best product to the market while Morph takes care of your customers and incoming emails.
3. Scalability for Fluctuating Demand
The gaming industry is characterized by fluctuating demand, especially during game launches, updates, or seasonal events. Managing these peaks and valleys in customer support inquiries can be challenging for in-house sales teams.
Outsourced customer support teams are experts in handling such fluctuations. They can quickly scale up or down to accommodate changes in demand, all without the complexities of hiring, training, and potentially laying off in-house employees. This agility allows gaming companies to ensure that players always receive timely assistance, regardless of the volume of inquiries.
4. 24/7 Availability, Global Reach
Gaming knows no boundaries. Players from around the world play your game constantly.
Hence, your customer support should mirror this global reach. Outsourcing providers excel at offering 24/7 support, ensuring that players can access assistance whenever they need it, regardless of their time zone or geographical location.
This around-the-clock availability not only enhances player satisfaction but also contributes to your games’ reputation for exceptional service, attracting and retaining a diverse, global player base.
5. Multilingual Support for Diverse Player Communities
Global gaming companies often cater to players from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Effective communication is critical to addressing player inquiries and issues. Outsourcing offers access to multilingual customer support agents who are proficient in various languages and can assist players in their preferred language.
This level of personalized service breaks down language barriers and ensures that players feel understood and valued. It also demonstrates your commitment to serving a global audience, fostering stronger player relationships, and expanding your game’s reach in international markets.
Why Choose Morph for Outsourcing Gaming Customer Service?
Selecting the right outsourcing partner for your gaming company’s customer service is a pivotal decision that can profoundly impact your player relationships and overall success. At Morph Networks, we recognize and embrace the unique challenges that gaming companies face in delivering exceptional customer support.
Here’s why choosing Morph as your outsourcing partner can simplify and elevate the outsourcing process for you:
Experienced gaming support teams
Our strength lies in our dedicated teams of gaming support agents who possess a deep understanding of the gaming industry’s intricacies. We are not just customer support agents; we are avid gamers themselves.
Our passion for gaming enables us to relate to your players on a personal level, creating a seamless and authentic support experience. We understand the dynamics of gaming communities, the technical aspects of your games, and the nuances of player interactions. This gaming expertise ensures that every player interaction is more than just support; it’s a meaningful connection that enhances player satisfaction.
Scalable Solutions
At Morph, we get that gaming companies often experience fluctuations in support and demand. Whether you require support for a highly anticipated game launch or ongoing player inquiries, we offer scalable solutions tailored to your needs. Our flexibility allows you to maintain cost-effectiveness without compromising on the quality of support.
With Morph, you can seamlessly adapt to the ebb and flow of player interactions, ensuring that every player receives timely assistance without overextending your resources.
24/7 Availability
The gaming world never sleeps, and neither should your customer support.
Morph Networks provides round-the-clock support, ensuring that players can reach out for assistance at any time, day or night.
Truth be told, most of our team are night owls and we can barely function in the early mornings! But we’ve got you covered.
Our 24/7 availability increases player retention and enhances player satisfaction. Players can enjoy uninterrupted gaming experiences, knowing that help is just a message or call away. This continuous support contributes to the positive reputation of your games and your commitment to delivering outstanding service.
Data-Driven Insights
At Morph, we believe that data is a powerful tool for enhancing both your games and customer support. We leverage data analytics to provide valuable insights into player behavior, preferences, and pain points.
By understanding how players engage with your games and interact with customer support, we empower you to make informed decisions. These insights can inform game development strategies, improve player experiences, and refine customer support processes.
During our monthly calls, we’ll keep you informed and updated. Our team sends regular reports as we agree in our contract and you’ll always know what’s going on.
Conclusion
As you can see, Morph agents are gamers too. We understand the needs of a gaming company and are more than willing to help you reach your goals. Assuming that we get a game free of charge!
If you have any questions regarding gaming outsourcing, feel free to send us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Let Morph Networks be your strategic partner in delivering exceptional customer support and player experiences.
