Scale Your IT Helpdesk with Outsourcing

Your customers need 24/7 support. 

Whether they can't run a piece of software, they’ve forgotten their password, or worse, they've been hit by ransomware, your customers need you on standby all day, every day.  

And while it's great to have customers who depend on you, what happens when you're unavailable and don’t have the helpdesk staff to step in? 

Let's say you finally took the beach vacation you've been waiting five years for, and your top client suffered a data breach. 

You decided to go on a Sunday hike and risked the 'no cell reception' sign, only to return to 20 missed calls from a client whose office flooded over the weekend and their backup failed.  

Or it's Monday evening, you've been on the go since 6 a.m., and a client calls with network issues — you want to sleep, but they are your top client. You can't say 'sorry, not now’; you'll lose the business.  

It's tough being an MSP.  

You want to do the right thing for your clients, but you also recognize you need to support your own business's needs.  

You want to grow your clients, but you want to keep overheads low.  

You want to scale your business, but you can't afford the time. 

And you want happy customers, but you need to keep winning new business to stay afloat, and you can't afford to hire any more helpdesk staff.  

If you're feeling similar and don't have the time or resources to fix the problem, would you ever consider outsourcing the areas of your business you're struggling with? Like your helpdesk, for example? 

We know there's a stigma attached to outsourcing your IT. Some MSPs think it's a sign of failure. But that's simply not the case.  

In fact, did you know that many MSPs outsource helpdesks? Check out Reddit and see for yourself. 

You're not failing if you're actively doing something to solve your problems.  

So, let’s take a look at how outsourcing your IT helpdesk can help you do just that.  

Significantly cut your costs 

Running an MSP is expensive. And all too often, varying costs contribute to unpredictable growth.  

Whether it’s budgeting for overheads and customer churn or thinking of ways to increase revenue and profits to cover additional costs, MSPs can never seem to catch a break.  

Outsourcing your helpdesk alleviates some of the pressure and works within your budget to reduce overall business costs. 

• You'll no longer need to focus on hiring new service desk engineers and account for their monthly salary (not to mention their holiday, their sick pay, and their benefits); instead, you can outsource their role and only pay for the level of work you need.  
• You won't have to invest in the latest tech to meet your customer needs; the company you're outsourcing to will be fully equipped with cutting-edge tech. 
• And the customer churn you were worried about will be a thing of the past. With your outsourced helpdesk working to solve customer issues around the clock, you'll experience improved customer retention and less churn. 

Outsourcing your helpdesk is a strategic way to reduce costs and save money, allowing your organization to allocate resources more wisely and stay competitive. 

Deliver reliable 24/7 support  

Most businesses no longer operate on a 9-5 schedule. And because of that, your customer's expectations are changing.  

And with 90% of consumers [needing an] "immediate" response when they have a customer service question, it’s no wonder the pressure is on to deliver round-the-clock support. 

The good news is that most outsourcing companies offer flexible working hours.  

Need additional support during the 9-5? You can outsource it. 

What about the customers working the graveyard shifts? Have you got support in place for them? You can outsource it. 

Outsourcing companies are dedicated to helping your business improve operational efficiency, so they will endeavor to be as flexible and as versatile as possible.  

And, when you give your customers access to a team of certified experts who they can call anytime, they will feel less frustrated. You’ll improve your response times and in doing so, your customers will see how much value you bring to their business.  

Seems like it’s a win-win all around! 

Speed up response times 

You already know that helpdesks are designed to streamline the support process and ensure customer issues are resolved quickly and efficiently.  

But all too often, helpdesks become inundated with customer requests, causing burnt-out engineers to work overtime and lose sleep.  

Not only is this not sustainable, but it won't speed up ticket response times or resolve customer issues any faster.  

Outsourcing your helpdesk can put an end to this chaos. With a team of experts rapidly responding to issues 24/7 (often in multiple different time zones and localized languages), your customers can rest easy knowing they will have the support they need, when they need it.  

What’s more, if your phones are ringing off the hook and your customers’ frustrations are growing, the outsourced helpdesk team can pull in extra staff to meet the demands of your customers.  

Gain access to experts and state-of-the-art tech 

Finding top talent, training, and retaining it can be challenging. And, of course, top talent comes with a hefty price tag.  

But as your customers are your most valuable asset, they deserve the best support, right?  

When it comes to outsourcing, there’s no need to skimp on quality because you’re worried you can’t afford it. Outsourcing actually does the opposite and provides you with a team of experts with a wealth of knowledge and experience who don't come with the same price tag as an internal hire. 

What's more, partnering with an outsourcing company means you'll gain access to cutting-edge technology.  

Remember that ticketing software you've been eyeing, those automation tools everyone's been talking about, or that stellar unified client portal your peers can't stop raving about? You'll have access to all that and more. 

Drive efficiency and get focused 

When helpdesks get inundated with tickets, efficiency, productivity, and focus go out the window. 

And you’re left with tired techs, angry customers, and a business that operates well into overtime hours.  

Know the feeling? 

When you outsource the mundane, everyday tasks to an external company, your internal team can use their specialized skillset to focus on higher-value tasks that contribute to the growth of your business.  

Think about it. If your team were less distracted by tickets, less consumed by frustrated customers, and had more time to be creative and develop innovative ideas, don't you think your helpdesk would run much more efficiently?  

What's more, you'll be out of the weeds, so you can focus on the projects that will help you grow and scale your business.  

Like those go-to-market strategies, they won't execute themselves... 

Deliver consistent customer service 

Another perk of outsourcing your helpdesk is the increase in customer satisfaction.  

Outsourcing companies work diligently to provide exceptional support that mirrors your company's ethos. Their goal is to provide services that help you streamline processes and enhance efficiency, so your customer's issues get resolved promptly.  

And with 73% of consumers will[ing to] switch to a competitor after multiple bad [customer service] experiences, investing in customers' happiness should be high on your priority list.  

Because we all know that satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat buyers and brand advocates. 

Grow without the headaches 

Outsourcing your helpdesk will enable you to achieve sustainable, long-lasting growth.  

• You'll be able to onboard new clients and deal with the additional workload because you'll have the extra staff.  
• You'll be able to meet your customer's demands with the time and support they need because you'll have a team of experts on standby. 
• And you can rethink your budget and start to invest in the areas that will generate leads and help you win new business.  

It sounds exciting, right? 

Outsourcing your helpdesk may seem like a daunting task. And it may even feel like you're giving up your control. 

But we can assure you, that's simply not the case. There is a huge market for MSPs looking to outsource, and it doesn't just have to be your helpdesk.   

The great thing about being an MSP is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. And what works for you might not work for someone else. And that's okay. 

But if you're struggling to give your customers the support they need and know your helpdesk is the root of the problem, perhaps you'll consider outsourcing.  

Food for thought.