Askly CEO & Founder
Running a company in today’s digital-first economy is both exciting and demanding. Opportunities are everywhere — new markets, global audiences, and customers ready to buy online.
But there’s also a hidden challenge that every leader I know struggles with: keeping up with customer expectations. And those are creating more and more demanding conditions.
They compare you to the best experience they’ve ever had, whether that’s a five-star hotel, an e-commerce giant like Amazon, or a streaming service that knows their preferences better than they do.
That standard applies to every interaction, including checkout, localization and support on your website.
For many businesses, this is where the pressure builds. Live chat is no longer optional; it’s the channel where questions get answered, deals get closed, and frustrations get resolved. But building and managing a 24/7 chat team in-house? That’s expensive, time-consuming, and often unsustainable.
This is where outsourcing website chat enters the picture. Done right, it’s not just about lowering costs — it’s about driving growth, scaling smarter, and ensuring every customer feels heard.
Outsourcing has evolved. Ten years ago, it often meant handing your customers off to a faceless call center that knew little about your brand. That approach didn’t just hurt the customer experience; it hurt trust.
Today, outsourcing looks very different. The most effective models combine human expertise with AI technology. AI takes care of routine queries instantly — the “Where’s my order?” or “What’s your return policy?” questions. Meanwhile, skilled human agents step in for nuanced conversations that require empathy, persuasion, or problem-solving.
At Askly, I’ve seen this hybrid model transform businesses. A retailer struggling with cart abandonment boosted conversions after outsourcing chat — because customers got answers right when they hesitated. A hospitality group serving international guests finally offered 24/7 multilingual support without burning out their staff. These aren’t cost-saving measures alone; they’re growth accelerators.
When I speak with fellow CEOs and managers, the reasons they outsource often come down to three things:
Yes, cost matters too. Hiring, managing, and retaining in-house chat agents isn’t just expensive — it’s unpredictable. With outsourcing, overheads become predictable, and quality often improves at the same time.
One of the hardest realities in customer support is that business hours don’t exist for customers anymore. A shopper in another time zone, or a night owl browsing at 2 AM, expects the same service as someone contacting you at 10 AM.
Outsourcing makes that possible. By leveraging distributed teams and AI automation, businesses can provide round-the-clock coverage without exhausting their own employees. I’ve seen this become a game-changer for companies competing in global markets. Imagine two competitors selling the same product — one only responds during office hours, the other answers instantly at any time. Which one earns the sale?
Outsourcing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Choosing the wrong partner can create more problems than it solves. That’s why I always advise leaders to evaluate partners carefully.
Ask questions like:
A great outsourcing partner doesn’t just handle conversations; they act as an extension of your brand. Customers shouldn’t feel like they’re speaking with an “outsourced team.” They should feel like they’re speaking directly with you.
It’s tempting to think of live chat as a support function. But in reality, it’s a revenue driver. Studies consistently show that customers who chat are more likely to convert, less likely to abandon their cart, and more likely to return.
When businesses outsource live chat, they’re not just saving money — they’re unlocking growth. They can focus resources on product, marketing, and sales while still delivering exceptional customer experiences. And in markets where competition is tight, that edge matters.
As a founder myself, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way: you can’t do everything in-house and expect to grow sustainably. Leaders have to decide where to invest their energy — and customer support is often best scaled with the right partner, not by stretching your team thin.
When I look at the future of business, one thing is clear: customer expectations will only continue to rise. Companies that meet those expectations will thrive; those that don’t will fade. Outsourcing website chat isn’t just an operational decision. It’s a strategic growth decision.
If you’re serious about scaling, protecting your team’s focus, and delighting customers in every market, outsourcing could be the smartest move you’ll make this year.
Success in e-commerce comes from earning trust at scale: with design, customer service, storytelling, and consistency in place.
At Askly, we’ve seen firsthand how the right tools — especially in customer support — can make the difference between abandoned carts and loyal repeat buyers.
Sometimes, just one change can transform your store’s sales.
We have worked with 1000+ e-stores, big and small, and helped them grow sales and build trust with Askly software.
It is a simple plugin with massive AI-powered opportunities for customer communication. For example, Askly AI Assistant replies to customers on your website, FB and IG DMs 24/7 in 30 languages. You can try it free (no obligations) here.
About the author
Askly CEO & Founder
Sandra Roosna is the founder and CEO of Askly, a multilingual customer support platform for e-commerce. With a background in international business and experience from Y Combinator’s Startup School, she built Askly to help online stores improve customer communication across Europe.
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