Why Outsource Your Help Desk

Through help desk outsourcing, companies entrust a third party to handle IT troubleshooting problems for customers and employees. These providers take over every aspect of the help desk, such as:

• Resolving technical issues
• Providing user support
• Handling service tickets
• Troubleshooting IT issues
• Delivering after-hours support
• Maintaining regulatory compliance
• Escalating tickets
• Recording and updating support queries
• Implementing improvements

Pros of Service Desk Outsourcing

More and more companies have begun sourcing their IT support from third parties to streamline their operations. There are many advantages of help desk outsourcing that make this service so popular, such as:

• Expert assistance: Outsourcing your help desk means benefiting from the support of highly trained specialists. These experts use their wealth of industry experience, knowledge, and skills to provide the best possible service.
• Access to more resources: Many companies have limited help desk resources due to budgeting concerns. An outsourced staff will give you access to the latest tools, equipment, and technologies for your help desk.
• Reduced costs: Help desk outsourcing significantly reduces your company’s staffing expenses, eliminating the need to compensate a salaried in-house IT staff.
• Faster response times: Dedicated help desk teams are always available to handle calls, emails, and service tickets. That means they can deliver more efficient support and resolve problems faster.
• Smarter ticket escalation: Outsourced IT experts are well-versed in general help desk operations, enabling them to make better, more informed decisions when escalating support tickets.
• Greater availability: Companies that outsource their help desk services can benefit from around-the-clock support during and outside of business hours.
• Better focus: Outsourcing frees up your staff to focus on core business operations instead of dealing with low-value administrative tasks.
• Flexible service: When outsourcing help desk services, companies can easily scale their resources up or down to fit their changing demands.

Cons of Outsourcing Your Service Desk

Though the benefits of outsourcing are clear, these services can also pose some disadvantages for companies. Some of the potential pitfalls to help desk outsourcing include:

• Loss of control: By entrusting their help desk services to third-party organizations, some companies fear a loss of control in how these services are handled.
• Reputational risks: The way businesses interact with their customers influences the image they project. Calling on outside workers to take over help desk operations can pose reputational risks. If an outsourced staff member delivers poor customer service, their behavior can reflect badly on the company.
• Communication challenges: Communicating with third-party help desk staff is often more challenging than interacting with in-house employees.
• Data security risks: When companies rely on outsourced providers for help desk support, they allow these organizations to handle their sensitive data.
• Lack of company knowledge: In-house employees have a better understanding of your company than outsourced providers do.

Before Outsourcing Your Service Desk

If you’ve decided to outsource your service desk, there are things you can do to get the most out of your outsource agency. To ensure the best approach when choosing a provider, keep the following steps in mind:

1. Identify project needs: Begin by defining your organization’s goals, project scope, and timeline. Determine what hours make sense for your provider and what the extent of their role will be.
2. Consult your team: Gather members of your in-house staff who have extensive industry knowledge and experience and are comfortable communicating with a third-party organization.
3. Create a plan: Meet with your team members to discuss a plan for outsourcing your help desk. Consider things like project deliverables and the overall transition process.
4. Research companies: Conduct research on potential outsource agencies and determine which ones to interview. You should ask for references and find reviews from their past customers to gauge their satisfaction rating.
5. Implement KPIs: Set key performance indicators (KPIs) and monthly service goals with your customers in mind. You can measure your progress with customer satisfaction scores (CSATs) and end-of-ticket ratings.
6. Run surveys: You can determine how your help desk is currently performing by surveying your customers on their experiences, asking them about their satisfaction levels and if they have suggestions on how the service could improve.
7. Add performance metrics: Implement additional KPIs to track, such as average time to answer calls, first call resolution, and mean time to resolution. Your service level agreement (SLA) should address these metrics.
8. Build camaraderie: You should emphasize the importance of a positive environment within your customer center, focusing on cultivating camaraderie and effective communication between team members.
9. Streamline interactions: Look into platforms that will improve communications between your help desk and customers, such as websites, emails, or social media.
10. Ask questions: Before hiring an outsource agency, ask them some questions to get an idea of how they operate. You may even be able to visit their facility to see them in action.

Experience the Advantages of Service Desk Outsourcing at GDC