The Indonesian market is one of the world’s largest emerging economies – becoming increasingly important for global cross-border enterprises. For cross-border e-Commerce, the Indonesian market is a huge business opportunity with significant strategic importance. However, to succeed in the Indonesian market, it’s not enough to just expand market presence. Providing high-quality Indonesian language customer service (native customer service) is likewise crucial. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of the Indonesian market for cross-border eCommerce, as well as how to use local customer service outsourcing (CS outsourcing) resources to develop this market, providing relevant case studies & data.
Importance of the Indonesian Market for Cross-border e-Commerce
Indonesia is one of the largest countries in Southeast Asia – with a population of 260 million and a large middle-class consumer group that provides enormous market potential. According to a report by the Alibaba Research Institute, Indonesia’s cross-border e-Commerce market size reached 14 billion US dollars in 2019 and is expected to grow to 37 billion US dollars by 2025. Indonesia is also an important node in China’s Belt and Road Initiative and maintains close economic and trade ties with the world, indicating that the importance of the Indonesian market is increasing.
Properly-utilizing Native Customer Service Resources
CS is a crucial component of cross-border eCommerce. In the Indonesian market, language and cultural differences are the main challenges faced by customer service. Therefore, by properly utilizing local CS resources, we can better address these challenges and provide higher quality CS. Let’s go through various important steps to making reasonable use of CS resources.
Step #1 – Recruiting Native Customer Service Personnel
Recruiting local CS personnel is first. Indonesian is the only official language in Indonesia – widely-used. In addition to Indonesian, there are other languages used by ethnic minorities in Indonesia. According to Indonesian government statistics, Indonesia has about 700 different languages, including local dialects and official languages – such as: Jakarta, Bali, Sumatra, Yogyakarta, and Bandung. However, most Indonesians use Indonesian, which is the main language used for business and cross-border e-Commerce in Indonesia. Callnovo’s Indonesian call center employs local customer service personnel who are familiar with Indonesian language & culture, enabling better communication & interaction with local consumers. This not only improves customer satisfaction, but it also increases brand influence.
Step #2 – Training Native Customer Service Personnel
After recruiting native customer service personnel, it is necessary to provide them with professional training. In addition to providing product knowledge & service processes, Callnovo’s Indonesian customer service outsourcing operation center’s project CS training covers communication skills, problem-solving ability, customer service standards, etc. Through this training, CS personnel can better understand the characteristics & advantages of products, as well as answer customers’ questions and resolve customers’ doubts as much as possible.
Step #3 – Introducing a Mature Cloud-based, SaaS CRM Platform for Customer Service Outsourcing
A comprehensive, all-around CRM platform integrates customer data, interaction records, after-sales service information, etc., making it easier for CS personnel to efficiently, accurately obtain customer information & history records, thereby better understanding customer needs & improving the provision of more-thoughtful service. Introducing a mature CS CRM platform in the call center can help companies save a lot of costs, such as labor costs for recruitment, training, salaries, and hardware costs for IT equipment & system software, thereby improving the company’s profitability.
Providing Multi-channel Customer Service
In the Indonesian market, platforms like WhatsApp, Line, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, and Instagram are the main tools for businesses to interact & communicate with customers. Cross-border e-commerce companies can choose one or more of these platforms as their CS channels to meet the diverse needs of customers and hear more voices from local consumers.
Here are some successful cases of outsourcing Indonesian customer service:
Lazada
Lazada is a well-known eCommerce platform in Southeast Asia, with operations in countries and regions such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Lazada outsourced its Indonesian CS to a local call center to improve customer satisfaction and brand reputation. The call center’s CS team consists of locals with rich language and cultural background experience, allowing them to better understand local consumer needs and provide tailored service. This strategy has proven crucial to Lazada’s success in the Indonesian market.
Zalora
Zalora is a famous fashion e-Commerce platform in Southeast Asia that provides various fashion products & brands for the Indonesian market. To better provide high-quality CS to Indonesian customers, Zalora outsourced its Indonesian language customer service to a local call center. The call center’s customer service team consists of locals who are familiar with the local culture and language, allowing them to better meet the needs of local consumers. Through this approach, Zalora successfully-increased customer satisfaction & brand loyalty, solidifying its position in the Indonesian market.
Conclusion
In conclusion, outsourcing CS to local resources can help cross-border eCommerce companies better understand local markets & cultural backgrounds, increase customer satisfaction, and enhance brand influence. As an Indonesian customer service outsourcing provider, Callnovo focuses on providing high-quality, localized customer service to global cross-border e-Commerce companies. Callnovo has a CS team composed of local talents in Jakarta, Indonesia who are very familiar with the local market & cultural background, as well as rich experience in CS. Additionally, Callnovo also provides a variety of CS channels – such as: phone, email, online chat, and social media – to meet the diverse needs of consumers. Callnovo’s service level always strives to achieve the highest level of call center quality –committed to providing customers 24/7 support. By choosing Callnovo, you can receive high-quality, efficient, and localized CS, helping you achieve greater success in the Indonesian market.