Offshoring Your IT Helpdesk: 7 Things to Note

As with any end-user-facing activity, the IT helpdesk is a crucial part of an organisation’s service delivery. Nowadays, customers expect always-on IT support and troubleshooting services across all channels. This is a huge strain on in-house resources and, if not up to par, may lead to reputation damage and loss of customers, current and future.

To help manage the demand, enterprises turn to IT helpdesk offshoring. Offshored IT helpdesks are accountable for providing prompt and intuitive technical support to both external and internal users via live chat, voice, email and social media.

Should You Offshore Your IT Helpdesk?

^{Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/ethnic-businessman-shaking-hand-of-applicant-in-office-5668859/.}

Here’s how you know.

• You need to expand the coverage hours of your helpdesk, but it’s too costly.
• Your helpdesk technicians require regular training and upskilling, but you cannot adequately handle it in-house.
• Your helpdesk is struggling with service quality, and your end-users are deeply unsatisfied.

If even one of those things mentioned above is true for your organisation, it is high time to seriously consider offshoring your IT helpdesk. While you contemplate the pros and cons, trust that your competition is already doing it and reaping the rewards. Don’t get left behind.

7 Things to Note When Offshoring Your IT Helpdesk

1. IT helpdesk offshoring service providers offer flexible packages.

^{Photo by Pixabay from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-macbook-209151/.}

Organisations might start to consider offshoring their helpdesk functions when the volume becomes too much to handle for an in-house team, or when they will need to scale up to meet seasonal surges and demand, or when their in-house helpdesk cannot entertain communications beyond set hours. Regardless of the impetus, a good offshoring partner will tailor their offerings to accommodate your unique needs.

2. An offshore service provider is the best option for 24/7 support.

^{Photo by Pixabay from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/london-new-york-tokyo-and-moscow-clocks-48770/.}

Not all businesses have the resources to establish an operational helpdesk on weekends and off-hours. Those that do will usually have to pay their employees for night differential and weekend premium. That’s where offshore service providers have an edge. Even with night differential and weekend premium, the operational cost will still be considerably lower compared to having your helpdesk in-house or outsourced onshore.

3. You won’t lose visibility with customers.

^{Image by www.freepik.com.}

Perhaps the most common hesitation to partnering with offshore service providers for customer support and success functions is the perceived loss of visibility or connection to customers. However, organisations don’t actually cede complete control of this — not in a real partnership relationship. An offshoring firm will work in tandem with your organisation. They will ensure alignment of goals and priorities, constant and transparent communication and detailed reports. Instead of losing visibility with your customers, working with the right offshoring partner with proper customer metrics will even help you become more aware and in touch with them and develop better working relationships.

4. You can set it up fast and hit the ground running.

^{Image by www.freepik.com.}

Looking for the right partner to handle your IT helpdesk will require vetting and due diligence, but the service can be deployed much quicker if they already have systems and solutions set up. In contrast, setting up an in-house helpdesk will still take longer. Once you have settled on the right offshoring partner and agreed on the SLA, the onboarding process should be quick and the transition seamless.

5. Your offshored helpdesk can become an extension of your team.

^{Image by www.freepik.com.}

Your third-party IT helpdesk will be at the forefront of your customer service and your first line of defence against data breaches, phishing scams, and the like. When onboarded to your organisation’s specifications and trained with institutional knowledge, they will be able to provide onshore and in-house quality performance. With the appropriate ticketing system, continuous training, the necessary documentation, and regular performance assessment, your third-party helpdesk will work as an extension of your team. Your end-users shouldn’t feel short-changed or underserved.

6. Offshoring your IT helpdesk leads to greater customer satisfaction.

^{Image from rawpixel.com.}

With customer support and success being such a huge differentiator, especially in saturated markets, offering faster and better service than your competitors is a must, from that very first point of contact until ticket resolution. Offshoring your helpdesk to a reputable firm that employs industry best practices will give you the following advantages.

• Faster ticket resolution
• Fewer escalations
• Highly-trained customer service and tech professionals
• Comprehensive documentation and reporting
• Continuous improvement and quality assurance

7. Prioritise data protection and security.

^{Image from rawpixel.com.}

A data breach can be catastrophic in an IT helpdesk because it deals with internal systems and sensitive information. It will be hard to win back customer trust once broken. Prioritise data security and choose a reputable third-party service provider that is at par with industry standards, compliant with GDPR, EU, and other pertinent laws on data management and privacy, as well as up-to-date with the latest security protocols, systems, and authentication models.

Work With Unient

Your goals matter to us. We offer a wide range of helpdesk and customer support and success services that are transparent, accountable, secure and fully aligned with your customer's expectations. Our packages are customisable for your unique needs.

Unient is your versatile partner in better offshoring. Book a free consultation today. Let’s talk about how we can better serve your customers.