We have heard the term “nearshore” for some time now and these days we hear more and more about it. We see more companies and consultants analyzing its pros and cons. But, there are still a lot of misconceptions about this business model.

People tend to see nearshore as offshore in many aspects, even sometimes thinking that nearshore has more disadvantages than offshore. Due to these myths and misconceptions, business people don’t really see what makes Nearshore a great outsourcing option for their companies, if there are looking for value (quality at a lower cost) for their contact center & IT processes. Maybe you also have questions about the value of nearshore. For this reason, we want to debunk 5 myths we have heard about nearshore to help you better understand this business model and see if it’s a good fit your company’s business goals.

Myth 1: Nearshore And Offshore Are The Same
Nearshore and offshore are two different outsourcing models. Offshore refers to service providers that are located in distant countries compared to where you are located. Nearshore is used to refer to companies that are in nearby countries. It’s true that these two have similarities because of the nature of the service. Both are outsourcing solutions, they offer a lower cost solution compared to the United States. In most of the cases, English is not their first language and, obviously, are outside the U.S. But these solutions are not the same, they have different advantages. Nearshore offers proximity to U.S. companies, which brings cultural alignment, similar time zone, better and effective communication, and more control of the operation.

Myth 2: Nearshore Is Much More Expensive Than Offshore
Not really. Most of the time, Offshore companies offer the lowest cost solution, the prices of a call center service solution could be around $7 to $9 dollars in some countries. But, sometimes we do not look at the big picture. When comparing cost and prices of outsourcing companies you should also consider indirect costs. Such as the cost of communication, travel cost, the time spent to start a project, or the response time to solve a problem, and also the effort of your team. Nearshore might not offer prices as low as offshore, but they are very competitive in the market. Take for example CCSI, we offer all-inclusive rates between $9 to $14 dollars. When you finally consider all the prices, indirect cost, time and effort, Nearshore is not as expensive as you might have thought.

Myth 3: My Data Would Be At Risk If I Nearshore My Services
Your information will be as secure as you want it to be. Even in your own U.S. location, the information can be at risk if you do not take the right precautions. We know that cyber crime is increasing these days. Because of this, nearshore companies are taking more and more precautions to protect data. There are several certifications, like PCI, ISO, HIPAA, that the best nearshore companies have and this way they ensure information security with best practices. Also, don’t forget to have a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to ensure that none of your intellectual property is ever provided to third parties. You might need to take more precautions for your information in-house than the information managed at a nearshore company.

Myth 4: Nearshore Companies Are Low Quality And Have Bad Infrastructure & Services
Offshore companies have the reputation of having bad infrastructure, slow internet connection, problems with electricity, as well as offering low quality services, and this idea has extended to the perception of nearshore companies. Also, a lot of Americans have a wrong understanding of Latin American countries, they might think that these countries are not well developed, that they are dangerous, and that they only have small buildings with poor infrastructure. But the truth is that countries like Mexico are well developed with state-of-the-art buildings and are constantly improving the infrastructure to offer better communication, electricity and water services. Nearshore companies offer a greater quality of services, they care about the facilities they are offering for their clients, and they always try to have top-notch technology.

Myth 5: Nearshore Agents Have Poor English Skills
You would be surprised by the proficient English of nearshore contact center agents. Thanks in part to the proximity with the U.S., people in nearshore countries learn English and the majority start taking classes at a very young age. Some elementary schools and kindergartens offer English classes and middle school programs also include them. In these countries, people have more cultural influence by watching American TV and listening to music in English. They constantly practice it. In Mexico, there is a considerable amount of people who have lived, study or at least visited the U.S. for a time, which helps them improve their language skills. Nearshore agents have a very similar American accent and excellent grammar skills when compared to the average U.S. citizen. Why don’t you visit a nearshore call center operation to listen to the agents’ accent and see for yourself?

Now you can have a better understanding of how nearshore works and what advantages it can offer to your company.

At Call Center Services International, we provide a world-class bilingual workforce, state-of-the-art infrastructure and proximity to U.S. at globally competitive rates. We are PCI compliant and ISO 20000 certified. If you want to know more about our services, contact us (877) 399-3419. We would be delighted to discuss your business needs.