The business ecosystem is a place full of life and volatility. It’s brimming with small and big entities, coexisting, competing for resources, and fighting for survival. The survival of a business in the contemporary world of CX depends on specialization. Chiseling away the resource-intensive in-house processes and allocating maximum resources to specialize in your niches and domains. According to Bain & Company, prioritizing customer service experience can facilitate 4% to 8% growth in revenue.
Tech support has historically been a difficult service to manage and specialize in, especially when the end goal is to satisfy your customers. Against this backdrop, outsourcing IT support services has become a key imperative to business success. A sophisticated technical support outsourcing partner can provide highly trained support reps, modern processes, cutting-edge infrastructure, and AI-enabled workflows to ensure the best CX to customers and high-value creation for your business.
The Perils of Not Outsourcing Technical Support
Traditionally, tech support, help desk, and customer service were managed in-house. But soon enough, they ran into problems of scalability, operational costs, and precision. Customers reach out to resolve a wide variety of issues, and the volume of support tickets keeps increasing as the business grows. For businesses, in-house help desk customer support became a resource-intensive money pit requiring constant training, hiring, maintenance, and infrastructure upgrades to stay on top of all queries.
Besides, the support quality remained lackluster as representatives barely had time and room for improvement amid overflowing support queries. Customer support is no longer a standalone silo functioning undeterred by other business aspects. It’s key to building strong brand loyalty, extracting valuable business insights, recognizing common issues to develop knowledge bases, and enhancing CX in the long term. Zendesk estimates that roughly 50% of customers are ready to switch to a competitor after just a single bad support experience.
Besides the inability to constantly improve upon the support processes, in-house help desk customer support often struggles with long responses and wait times, slow upscaling, suboptimal hiring, and high operational costs. This is why even SMEs are now opting for technical support outsourcing. With a strategic support partner such as Vsynergize, your organization can start harnessing the power of next-level AI tech support solutions.
Top 5 Reasons Why You Must Outsource Technical Support!
In the age of specialization, contact centers are actively outsourcing technical support to ensure timely resolution of issues, precise delivery of branded communication, and maintenance of ROI through support and CS. Here are some major reasons you should consider outsourcing IT support services.
Your Business is Aiming to Scale Up!
Scaling up the business is a bag full of exciting opportunities and daunting challenges. The shortcomings of an in-house support function only proliferate while setting up a robust tech support function to complement this transformation. However, outsourced help desk support can perfectly sync with your organization’s upscaling rhythm. Your outsourced partner can deliver cost-effective support solutions irrespective of the ticket volumes. They are well-updated with the latest help desk software and agent training requirements.
Moreover, outsourced technical support can provide omnichannel CX round-the-clock, bypassing all geographic or timezone boundaries. In-house functions often struggle with over- or under-hiring as the demand can fluctuate significantly in on and off seasons. Outsourcing eliminates the issue for you completely. Besides, their in-built R&D teams are well-equipped to anticipate demand and other business patterns to stay ahead of the curve. They can assign support agents and specialists cost-effectively and even on short notice.
Outsourcing is a Critical CX Investment
There’s a direct correlation between customer retention and CX. Customers are 2.4x more likely to build loyalty to a brand that solves their problems quickly. Picture this: your product and marketing teams hit the nail on the head, and your sales exploded far beyond expectations. Customer queries skyrocket, and your in-house support is caught unprepared to handle the situation. Some angry voices go vocal on social media and in reviews. Suddenly, your inadequate help desk customer support has cost you business despite a flurry of customers.
Outsourced help desk support teams are well-equipped to handle such an upsurge. They can quickly allocate more resources. Besides, the agents are dedicatedly trained to follow brand guidelines, efficiently resolve queries, communicate in a professional manner, and engage customers for better relationship building. Technical support outsourcing can help your business grow by delivering value-driven CX.
Outsourcing Saves You Money!
The cost-benefit of technical support outsourcing is multilayered, like a Turkish Baklava, sweet and rich. Firstly, you don’t need to worry about office space, equipment, infrastructure, and other supplies often necessary for an in-house setting. Besides, all the salaries, compensations for agents, and training costs are zero for you while outsourcing IT support services. You also don’t have to worry about keeping all these up-to-date with the industry standards and latest tech.
But before you think outsourcing comes at a cost too, net-net, it still saves a lot of operational and overall costs. Moreover, modern service providers such as Vsynergize offer variable pricing, where you only pay for what you use. Besides, the cost can be finetuned based on several factors, including the number of devices and agents, monitoring scope, and ad-hoc fees for surges or low seasons. Outsourced technical support also adds value by providing the latest reporting and metrics tools to employ powerful data-driven strategies and actionable insights.
Remain Secure and Compliant Effortlessly
In the modern data-driven business spectrum, data privacy and security are paramount. According to the FBI, the average financial loss per tech support scam grew from $9499 in 2020 to $24,788 in 2022 in the US alone. A data breach in the support database means malicious entities can access countless customers’ contact information directly. Regulatory bodies have stringent security and compliance standards for customer data storage and usage.
These protocols are designed to protect the public from unauthorized access to confidential information. Failure to uphold these protocols can invite serious penalties. It’s difficult to stay on top of this in-house, but outsourced help desk support providers have high-security protocols for all platforms, infrastructure, and agents. Moreover, these reputable service providers also constantly update the tech infrastructure to deliver the most secure experience. The agents are regularly trained to handle complex IT tech and software.
Robust Teams are a Differentiator
In-house help desk support cannot match outsourced help desk support’s quality and robustness. It’s simply because one exists as a small department in an organization specializing in something else, while the other organization’s entire point of existence is providing only quality support. Outsourced support teams are well-organized, agile, and robust. They’re dedicatedly trained in troubleshooting, solving complex technical concerns, understanding customer queries, and finetuning support strategies.
By outsourcing technical support, you can access specialists, cutting-edge facilities, and resources without shelling out much. Well-oiled tech support teams typically function with a three-tiered structure:
- Tier 1 (T1): They are the first point of contact for customers, collecting requests, investigating issues, and solving less complex queries with tools and knowledge. Over three-fourths of issues are solved at the T1 level itself.
- Tier 2 (T2): Also known as administrative level support, handling almost one-fourth of issues. T2 specialists have advanced tech skills, deeper product and service knowledge, and an understanding of sophisticated processes.
- Tier 3 (T3): T3 support is only needed for extremely complex or major issues. They can handle highly complex issues such as intricate system configurations, system-breaking bugs, network infrastructure problems, or specialized product features.
Technical Support Outsourcing is a Blessing for your CX
The world of CX and support is undergoing a mass shift. Omnichannel support, self-service, generative AI, conversation intelligence, proactive support, personalization, and AR and VR experience are all opening the floodgates of CX innovations. But as these opportunities arise, so does the need for peerlessly robust support.
Your customers are simply not ready to settle for subpar service. And with each passing day, the quality of service is climbing the ladder of their priority list. Let’s be honest: today, most services and products are great. It’s the quality of service that makes the difference. CX is now a key business imperative. And if you outsource technical support, you strategically position your business to deliver the CX that helps your business grow.
Outsource or Out of CX Conversation. That’s the mantra!
FAQs
What does it mean to outsource IT services?
Outsourcing IT services refers to hiring external third-party companies to handle specific tasks or functions related to information technology. This commonly includes technical support, software development, and network management functions. Companies opt for outsourcing technical support to leverage specialized skills, reduce operational costs, and focus on core business activities.
Technical support outsourcing involves delegating customer assistance, troubleshooting, and issue resolution to external service providers, allowing businesses to benefit from the expertise and efficiency of dedicated IT professionals. By outsourcing technical support, organizations can access a global talent pool, ensure round-the-clock support, and stay agile in the ever-evolving technological landscape, ultimately enhancing overall operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
What is outsourcing technical support?
Outsourcing technical support refers to delegating customer assistance and problem-resolution services related to technology products or services to external third-party service providers. In technical support outsourcing, businesses collaborate with specialized companies to handle tasks such as troubleshooting, software installations, hardware issues, and general customer inquiries. This strategic approach allows organizations to focus on their core competencies while leveraging the expertise and resources of external providers.
Companies often opt for outsourcing technical support to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and access a pool of skilled professionals. By partnering with specialized firms, businesses can benefit from the latest technologies, streamlined processes, and around-the-clock support, ensuring a prompt and effective resolution of customer issues. Technical support outsourcing providers typically employ knowledgeable personnel trained in various aspects of technology, enabling them to deliver high-quality assistance to end-users.
Outsourcing is a strategic business decision that empowers companies to optimize their operational processes and deliver superior customer service by leveraging the expertise of external service providers. Through this practice, organizations can achieve a balance between operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, ultimately contributing to their overall success in the competitive market.
Why would a company outsource its IT support?
A company might choose to outsource its IT support to specialized firms for cost efficiency, expertise, and streamlined operations. Outsourcing technical support allows organizations to focus on core functions while benefiting from the specialized skills and resources offered by the help desk customer support providers.
What is an outsourced help desk?
An outsourced help desk support refers to hiring external support services. Organizations opt for outsourcing technical support to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance overall efficiency. Outsourced help desk support involves entrusting a third-party company with the responsibility of handling customer inquiries, troubleshooting technical issues, and providing assistance. By outsourcing technical support, businesses can leverage the expertise of specialized teams, access 24/7 support, and benefit from cost-effective solutions. This approach allows companies to focus on their core competencies while ensuring a reliable and responsive support system. Outsourced help desk support is a strategic choice for many enterprises seeking to optimize resources and deliver high-quality customer service.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing IT help desk support?
Benefits of outsourcing IT help desk support:
- Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing technical support allows companies to reduce operational costs by leveraging the expertise of external service providers.
- 24/7 Availability: Outsourced IT help desk support enables round-the-clock assistance, ensuring continuous support for users across different time zones.
- Access to Specialized Skills: Organizations can tap into a pool of specialized skills and knowledge by outsourcing support, providing enhanced problem-solving capabilities.
- Focus on Core Competencies: By outsourcing IT help desk tasks, businesses can concentrate on their core functions, fostering increased efficiency and productivity.
- Scalability: Outsourced support services offer scalability, allowing companies to adjust resources based on their changing needs and workloads easily.
Drawbacks of outsourcing IT help desk support:
- Loss of Direct Control: Outsourcing may lead to a perceived loss of direct control over IT support processes and communication, potentially impacting the quality of service.
- Security Concerns: Entrusting sensitive information to external service providers raises security concerns, necessitating robust contractual agreements and risk management protocols.
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