Along with the rapid technology advancement and increasing demand in online businesses and services, we have seen exponential growth in the technical support sector over the past decade.
It’s essential to know precisely why you should or should not outsource your operations and what kind of problems you would like to be solved. What does outsourcing your technical support operations mean to your business? The first thing that comes to mind would be higher customer satisfaction and retention rates. With proper training, dedicated support agents will have an in-depth knowledge of your product, app, or software. They will provide consistent brand experience, and troubleshooting customer technical issues will be taken care of promptly.
But in a nutshell, the support will vary depending on the industry and priorities that these businesses operate. The most commonly outsourced functions of technical support are:
- Customer Service
- Automation
- Software Application Development and Maintenance
- Data Security
- Cloud Services
Tech support can cover customers’ pre and post-sales lifecycle—tasks like account management, software activations, installations, repairs, and warranty support.
Let’s have a closer look at these said services that cover technical support:
- Pre-sale services include client engagement, customer information procurement and analysis, lead generation, order management, and the like.
- Customer sales services aim to ensure smooth order processing, payment support, billing solutions, etc.
- Post-sale services include product-related assistance, including installation and warranty support, return authorization, application maintenance, etc.
- Technical support in itself addresses remote software, network and server support, minor infrastructure maintenance, trouble ticket management, disaster recovery issues, and so on.
What are the Pros and Cons?
Whether you should outsource your tech support or not would be on a case-by-case basis depending on your needs and priorities. The most effective way to scale up for growing businesses is to have additional support resources, and it does make sense to outsource your technical support operations.
Here is a list of the pros and cons – its advantages and drawbacks.
PROS:
-Cost Savings
Outsourcing means you pay someone to hire and train agents and do all the nitty-gritty of setting up an operational tech support team for you. At the same time, you don’t have to shoulder the day-to-day operation overheads like office/rental space, internet, and workspace equipment. You entirely save yourself from shouldering all the costs by outsourcing your support team.
-Scaling Flexibility (Up or Down)
You can quickly scale up and down. If adding people to your tech support process is the only way to scale up, outsourcing could be an ideal solution. It is a significant advantage, especially when you need extra hands during peak seasons, i.e., the holiday season. Now, if you need to downsize or downgrade your operations, you are removed from taking that decision, and your chosen vendor will be taking care of these things for you. In the long run, this helps you save a lot of time and money.
-Technology Advances
An excellent outsourced vendor is well informed and equipped with the latest IT advances and also responsible for upgrading software, equipment, and technology to keep up with the market competition in general. On your end, you can focus on what matters, which is your core business.
CONS:
-Quality Control
When you outsource your technical support, you have no control over the quality of the service provided. The power is basically out of your hands, and trust you made a sound decision to choose the right vendor for your needs. It is also one reason why it’s crucial to partner with professional, well-trained agents and a BPO with an impressive track record.
-Getting Beyond Ticketing
Outsourced agents are not technical experts in your field. They have limited niche technical knowledge of your product or services unless otherwise, they undergo rigorous training. If you need to be in touch and support your customers proactively, maybe it’s best to invest in an in-house team for the long run.
-Direct Feedback
There is no denying that there will be an absence of direct rapport with customers once you take support operations out of the house. You are in no position to receive immediate feedback from them. Assessing your needs and priorities, and if customer feedback is crucial for your business, you may want to think through what would be the best option for you.
Final Thoughts
Outsourcing your technical support is an efficient and cost-effective practice. Choosing the right vendor with a skilled and well-trained team, a good track record, and one that aims for excellence in their customer service performance is another story.
Check related articles below:
Top 3 Common Outsourcing Planning Problems Answered
Business Process Outsourcing based in the Philippines
Risks and Rewards of Customer Service Outsourcing
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