05/ 26/ 2005
by Jeffrey Moses
Many small companies in the fields of communications, finances, technology and others have been attracted by the cost effectiveness of outsourcing their technical/customer support. An entire industry has been created to handle customer support in various fields, but the risks may be more than potential rewards.
While it’s true that in-house customer support in technical fields can be expensive—mostly in terms of employee costs—many businesses offer specialized services that cannot be well-represented even by organizations that offer the most customized outsourcing support.
The ultimate question you must ask when considering outsourcing customer support is: will I lose business to competitors who offer superior in-house support if my outsourced support is inferior in any way? Often in a competitive industry (and even in a competitive local area), customer support is a key issue in keeping customers and attracting new ones. To sacrifice quality of customer support is to risk losing existing customers, and to reduce the number of new, referred customers.
Is it possible that outsourced support can be as good as in-house support? Of course, the possibility exists. But customer support is only as good as the individuals supplying it. Your own in-house support staff has the following clear advantages over outsourced organizations:
- Total focus on details of your products and services
- Access to up-to-the-minute changes in technical developments
- Knowledge of where to go within your organization to find solutions to unusual customer questions
- Compelling dedication to excellence, knowing that their careers are determined by the success of your company
Customer care must be built into the long-range planning of every small company. The growth of a company’s sales can easily outstrip the ability to provide adequate, if not excellent, customer care. To avoid this, the quantity and quality of customer support staff must be kept at sufficient levels as sales increase.
The Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry is an excellent example of a tech-based field that tends to outsource technical/customer support. One reason is many ISP customers have the same, basic questions, usually regarding the simple usage and set-up of their personal computers. But general questions may quickly turn to specific questions that can be answered only by experienced, in-house experts familiar with all aspects of the ISP’s software and general operation. Customers are often frustrated and even irritated when outsource support staff must defer answers or request that customers call another number to find a solution to their problems.
Nothing wins loyalty from customers more than having a knowledgeable technician answer the phone at ten in the evening, or on weekends. Corporate customers demand this level of service—while it wins over private individuals.
Small companies can reduce the burden placed on their in-house customer-support staff by addressing frequently asked questions online, or by providing phone options for customers to access FAQ dialogues. But you should not count on FAQ’s to satisfy customers. Usually, only a live expert can do that. Hold times for call-ins should be short when they need to speak with a live person (usually not over five minutes), and you should respond to emailed questions within 24 hours or less.
