How To Find the Best Provider to Outsource your Help Desk Services

Most of the incoming service calls that a business will receive could easily be answered by a well-staffed and well-trained help desk. However, finding the resources to internally fund and staff such a desk can be challenging which may lead you to outsource these duties.

There can be several benefits to outsourcing your help desk as long as you find the right provider:

• Cost Savings – All technology and equipment required for the help desk no longer have to be purchased and maintained by your company. Less strain on staff to manage the help desk allows them to focus on being the pros that they are and work on projects that directly impact the business.

• Flexibility – Outsourced help desks allow more flexibility for business hours since staff members can span different time zones and shifts.

• Rapid Client Response – In-house staffed help desk employees can get overwhelmed with inquiries and balancing their other work duties. Outsourcing your help desk to other trained professionals improves client response time and productivity.

• Transferred Responsibility – Your time is no longer spent on training staff, managing hours for coverage, and assessing service provided. Outsourcing places all of this responsibility with the third-party vendor.

If you have made the decision to outsource but not sure where to start, follow these tips to ensure you find a high-quality vendor to which you can outsource your help desk services.

1. Take Your Time

Don’t just hire the first vendor you find without doing your research and definitely don’t hire based on cost alone; you want exceptional service. Start by writing out, in detail, exactly what you want from your outsourced help desk. For example, when they answer calls, how they will handle the resolution of issues, how they will report their data, etc. Identify exactly the types of services you expect them to provide and how you envision that process.

2. Explore their Vetting Procedures

Choose an outsourcing agency that takes as much care in hiring their employees as you do. Find out how the provider vets and hires their employees. Do they do background checks? Do they verify certificates and degrees? What do they look for when they are hiring for help desk positions? Be sure that they would hire only professionals who go above and beyond to provide superior reinforcement of your company’s brand and reputation.

3. Ask for their Data

Measurements of a vendor’s average speed to answer calls and percentage of problem resolutions can be good indicators of their efficiency and effectiveness. Ask for statistics regarding their customer satisfaction ratings. Be cautious of companies that only discuss the number of calls they handle; a worthy vendor will share metrics regarding not only how many people they help, but also how satisfied customers are with their service. Always compare their reportings against industry standards to see how they measure up.

4. Scrutinize their Contract

When seriously considering an organization for your outsourcing needs, avoid locking yourself into a multi-year contract with questionable fine print. Certain agencies may increase rates every year or based on the volume of service calls they handle which could catch you off guard and cause you to pay extra for potentially subpar services. Contracts could also include expensive termination fees for ending an agreement early so be sure to negotiate an out-clause that works for both you and the vendor.

5. Look for a Vendor Focused on Continuous Improvement

Demands in your industry can be ever-changing which means help desk service has to learn to adapt to these shifts. A people-based outsourcing model can be satisfactory, but it contains no incentive for productivity improvements driven by meeting demands. Ensure that your outsourced technical support services remain relevant to your business and your customers’ needs by hiring an agency with a strong continuous improvement plan.

Whatever your reasons for seeking outsourced help desk support, choose a vendor that sets a high standard for their employees and the services they provide. Get in contact with ROI Solutions to learn more about the benefits of outsourcing your help desk.