The numbers: in-house vs outsourced model
Our study of 45 French e-commerce operators who ran both models reveals significant gaps. Average CSAT rises from 72% in-house to 81% outsourced, FCR (First Contact Resolution) improves from 68% to 79%, and cost per contact drops from €8.40 to €4.20. These results are explained by the specialisation, continuous training and economies of scale of dedicated providers.
Multichannel in 2026: which channels to master?
- Phone: still dominant (42% of contacts), essential for complex queries
- Email/ticketing: 28% of contacts, effective for non-urgent requests
- Live chat: 18% of contacts, high CSAT, popular with 25–45 age group
- Messaging (WhatsApp, Messenger): 8% but growing 35%/year
- Self-service / intelligent FAQ: deflects 20–30% of inbound contacts
Key indicators of quality customer service
Beyond overall CSAT, the best-performing e-commerce operators track post-interaction Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Effort Score (CES) measuring perceived ease of resolution, escalation rates to higher tiers, and Average Handling Time (AHT). A good provider gives you these metrics in real time on a 24/7 accessible dashboard.
Why native French makes the difference
For French brands, language quality is a determining factor in customer perception. Studies show that 68% of French consumers react negatively to a strong foreign accent or approximate phrasing in written exchanges. Corpshore's Francophone African hubs — Senegal, Ivory Coast, Madagascar — train their agents in French language and culture, guaranteeing a minimum DALF C1 proficiency level.