The contact center industry is set to experience a shift towards outsourced services in the coming years, with global market growth projected at a CAGR of 3-4% between 2022 and 2025, according to a new analysis by Beroe, a leading Procurement Intelligence firm.
Currently, in-house contact centers dominate the market, but this trend is expected to change as more companies turn to third-party providers.
The global contact center services market was valued at $380 billion in 2022, with 75-70 percent of services kept in-house and the remaining 25-30 percent outsourced to third parties. By 2025, the market is forecasted to reach $400–$420 billion, driven by the growing demand for customer care outsourcing services from North America, Europe, the UK, Australia, and Japan, as per latest research by Beroe Inc.
One of the major trends in the contact center market is an increasing shift towards onshore and nearshore locations. India and the Philippines have long been the top destinations for contact center outsourcing, but there is an increasing demand for nearshore locations such as Latin America and emerging destinations such as the Caribbean, Central America, and Eastern Europe. This trend is driven by the desire for a more cost-effective and efficient service, as well as the need for closer geographical proximity to customers.
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Another trend in the market is the adoption of outcome-based pricing models. This type of pricing reduces risk for buyers as payments to service providers are based on the achievement of specific organizational goals. This approach aligns the interests of both parties and can lead to more successful outcomes for businesses.
AI is also becoming an essential tool in contact centers to improve the customer experience and alleviate the workload of human agents. The use of analytical tools, AI, and chatbots can help businesses to better understand customer needs and make more informed decisions. This in turn can lead to improved customer satisfaction and retention.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated the trend of work-from-home agents in the contact center market. This model offers cost savings, flexibility, and scalability benefits, and has been operating well despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. As a result, many companies are likely to continue with this model in the future.
Multilingual hubs are also becoming more popular as businesses look to tap into the cost advantages of economies of scale. These hubs are located in areas with educated, multicultural populations where foreign-language talent is abundant and network connectivity is strong. By outsourcing their CX tasks to these locations, businesses can improve their ability to communicate with global customers in their preferred language.
Finally, the adoption of cloud-based contact centers is also on the rise. The growing need to connect digitally and optimize costs has led to an increased demand for solutions that can be deployed quickly and with minimal capital investment. These cloud-based solutions offer the added benefit of scalability and the ability to quickly adapt to changing business needs and customer demands.
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