The outsourcing of help desk services has become increasingly common in recent years, as companies try to cut costs while still meeting the needs of their clients. Needless to say, that is a difficult balance to achieve, and not everyone is successful. When you choose to switch to an outsourced help desk service, there are certain factors that must be taken into account. Let’s go over the most important ones so that you can go into this project with the right level of preparation.
Do You Need A Dedicated Or Shared Plan?
The first thing to consider is the level of support that you want to purchase. If you go with a dedicated approach, the external company will handle all of your help desk needs. If you go with a shared approach, your in-house IT team will also handle some of the help desk responsibilities. In some cases, companies will use their in-house employees for a secondary help desk. Customers will then be directed to the secondary desk if the outsourced workers are not able to meet their needs. Of course, that won’t be necessary if you choose the right partner company. In general, a dedicated approach makes more sense for a large organization while a hybrid approach might be best for small and mid-sized companies.
Pricing Models
There are several ways in which a help desk provider might charge for their services. Most plans will involve paying either by the ticket or by the user. If you are paying “by the ticket,” it means that you will pay a certain amount for every case that is handled by the outsourced help desk provider. “Paying by the user” usually means that you will pay a monthly rate based on the number of customers that are likely to use the help desk service. You might also be offered a rate that is based on the number of agents assigned to your organization.No matter which of these sounds ideal, there will be a need to evaluate these options based on your procedures and needs. For instance, paying by the agent is usually a more cost-effective method for large businesses. With so many help calls (i.e., “tickets”), a ticket-based or user-based model will likely be more expensive. However, it works the same in reverse: Smaller organizations with a smaller call volume will probably find that it’s more cost-efficient to pay by the ticket or by the user.
Support Availability
This factor is pretty simple: Make sure that your help desk provider offers 24/7 support. You never
know when a problem may occur, especially with so many people working from home these days. Due to differences in time zones, companies that do business in multiple countries will really need 24/7 availability. Otherwise, you might as well stick with an in-house team. This is especially important when it comes to services that are used by the company itself (or its employees). Tech problems can bring your business to a standstill if they aren’t addressed quickly. If you cannot count on your help desk provider to be there whenever you need them, they aren’t worth your time or your dime.
Location Of The Service
Although you can’t always afford to be picky about this one, it is better to use a help desk service that is located in your “home base” country. While we are not encouraging you to discriminate against anyone, help desk workers must be able to communicate clearly with those who call. Many customers do not like having to deal with someone who barely speaks their language, and the problem becomes even worse when trying to explain highly technical matters. Thus, if most of your customers reside in the United States, you should probably choose a help desk provider that is based in the U.S. The same logic applies no matter where your organization does the majority of its business.
Customer Care And Expertise
When choosing a help desk provider, it is important to consider the level of customer care and expertise that they can provide. You want people that are friendly, articulate, helpful, and highly knowledgeable about a wide variety of IT matters. Unfortunately, it can be hard to evaluate these factors until you have already paid for services. One good idea is to investigate your help desk provider before any paperwork is signed. Reading online reviews is a good place to begin, although you should bear in mind that some online reviews are not trustworthy. Instead of looking at individual comments and complaints, look at many of them. Then, you will be able to discern any patterns that may exist, whether good or bad. Basically, we are telling you to do your homework and make sure that your provider has a reputation for excellence.
Conclusion
As a final note, we should mention that it is often better to go with an established help desk provider. You want someone who has been in the field for years and who has a good track record for success and customer satisfaction. Remember, the whole point of a help desk is to aid your customers when necessary and leave them satisfied with the services rendered. On the other hand, an unhelpful or frustrating help desk experience can drive your customers away. That is why you should always go with a well-established company like PCH Technologies. If you would like to know more about our highly-acclaimed help desk services, PCH Technologies can be reached at (856) 754-7500.