Outsourced On-Shore Technical Support: The Key to Business Growth
In today's fast-paced digital world, keeping up with and investing in technology is the bare minimum to staying afloat. However, early-stage businesses often make crucial mistakes when they try to keep costs low; they assume that spending on anything other than product development and customer acquisition is unnecessary. However, customer satisfaction is paramount to success, and they expect immediate solutions to their problems. This is where outsourced on-shore technical support comes in, providing businesses with the support they need to grow and thrive. In this article, we will explore how outsourced technical support can be the key to business growth.
Introduction
Outsourced technical support provides companies with a cost-effective solution to their technical support needs. Without this support, businesses can experience downtime, decreased productivity, and increased costs. In-house technical support teams can be expensive and challenging to manage, which is why more and more businesses are turning to outsourced technical support. In this article, we will explore the benefits of outsourced technical support and how it can be the key to business growth.
Two Scenarios
Imagine you are a founder of an electronics company and you have started to acquire your first few customers. People are using your product around the world and its functionality is paramount to their success. You are excited about this, but you start experiencing an increase in service calls. Customers are calling at 2 AM in the morning and on the weekends, and you are the one picking up the phone all the time. You don’t want to hire someone full time because you don’t have the budget for it, so you decide to continue to pick up the phone. Your work-life balance suffers and you aren’t able to focus on growing your business as much.
Imagine this other scenario: you are a founder of a home security company and you are in over 1000 homes in your target market. You are looking to expand your business, so you choose to outsource your technical support overseas in order to provide 24/7 support for your customers and also save some money. Over the next few months you notice some negative reviews about your company that complain about not being able to get into their house or an inability to stop the beeping. The common complaint is that there was a language barrier when they called in resulting in an inability to fix the problem. Your company’s reputation suffers and you notice your growth slowing down.
Both of these scenarios would have benefited greatly from outsourced on-shore technical support for different reasons. The first person made the mistake of assuming that a full-time employee is the only option, and the second person didn’t consider the risks of off-shore technical support. Let’s dive into why both of these people would have benefitted from outsourced on-shore technical support.
Customer Satisfaction
There are a multitude of ways for SMB’s to grow outside of user acquisition. Customer satisfaction is a key driver of growth for any business, because it has a direct impact on customer loyalty, retention, and repeat business. Moreover, customer satisfaction can also lead to increased revenue and profitability. A satisfied customer is more likely to come back and make repeat purchases, as well as recommend your business to others through word-of-mouth marketing.
For example, satisfied customers are more likely to leave positive reviews on websites such as Yelp, Google, or Reddit, which can help attract new customers who are looking for products or services similar to what you offer. In 2016 Crowdtap, a marketing platform, found that 75% of consumers visited Facebook to seek recommendations and advice from friends and family before purchasing a product. In the internet age, consumers are more empowered than ever to research products before purchasing, so reputation becomes more important than ever.
On the other hand, a dissatisfied customer is even more likely to spread negative experiences about your company. The 2020 National Customer Rage Survey found that 17% of those surveyed sought to raise public awareness of their experience, and on average those people told twice as many people about their negative experience than satisfied customers did. This makes sense as negative experiences tend to stay with us for longer and humans in general like to complain.
In addition to this, consumers are more likely than ever to switch to a competitor. A study conducted by Khoros found that 65% of customers surveyed changed to a different brand because of a poor experience. Today’s market is saturated with so many businesses that are available at a moment’s notice, so it becomes crucial to make sure all aspects of your business are accounted for.
Overall, customer satisfaction is a critical component of any growth strategy and outsourcing your on-shore technical support can keep your customers satisfied. By keeping your customers happy, you can increase the lifetime value of each customer, which can have a significant impact on your bottom line.
Advantages of On-Shore Technical Support for Growth
Businesses typically have three options for their technical support needs: in-house, on-shore outsourced, and off-shore outsourced. In-house technical support involves hiring a team of experts to manage your systems and provide support when needed. On the other hand, outsourced technical support involves hiring a third-party provider to manage your technical support needs. On-shore support refers to third-party providers in the same country as your company, while off-shore refers to companies in different countries. Check out this article to find out why on-shore technical support is the gold standard.
1. Cost
One of the most significant advantages of outsourced technical support is cost savings. Hiring an in-house technical support team can be expensive, requiring businesses to pay salaries, benefits, and other overhead costs. Outsourcing technical support, on the other hand, can be more cost-effective, allowing businesses to pay for only the services they need.
Hiring off-shore agents is cheaper than on-shore agents but businesses can end up paying more in the long-run by making that cost-cutting decision. According to the Harvard Business Review, acquiring a new customer can cost five to 25 times more than retaining an existing one. Many businesses make the mistake of only considering short-term costs, but those decisions can end up costly.
2. Access to Expertise
Outsourced technical support providers often have a team of experts with a wide range of skills and experience. This means that businesses can access a broader range of expertise than they would have with an in-house team. For example, if your company needs an agent who is trained in the specifics of a new feature or product, then it makes sense to go find someone who has that knowledge and experience.
To this point, it is easier to gauge the expertise of on-shore agents as their providers are typically more transparent due to the availability of public information by the way of Linkedin. On the other hand, off-shore providers are notorious for having agents with a wide range of technical knowledge, which leads to uneven service for your customers.
Additionally, outsourced providers can stay up-to-date on the latest technology trends and advancements, ensuring that businesses are always using the most current and effective solutions. These providers are in competition with themselves so it is important for them to stay ahead of the game and provide businesses with the best possible solutions.
3. Scalability and Flexibility
Outsourced technical support providers can offer businesses the flexibility and scalability they need to grow and adapt to changing circumstances. Providers can easily adjust their services based on business needs, whether that means adding more resources during peak periods or scaling back during slower times.
This is especially true for young businesses because while they have a limited number of customers their call volume will remain relatively low. Founders can better use their skill-set for growing the business while entrusting technical support agents to handle customer service.
4. Improved Service Levels
Outsourced technical support providers often have service level agreements (SLAs) that guarantee a certain level of service quality. This means that businesses can expect reliable and consistent support, with minimal downtime and disruptions. Additionally, providers can offer around-the-clock support, ensuring that businesses can get the help they need whenever they need it.
24/7/365 support is necessary for some businesses, and it is important to ensure a quality level of service at all hours. It all ties back to customer satisfaction, since all it takes is a few customers who couldn’t get service when they needed it for your businesses’ reputation to suffer.
Conclusion
The saying goes: you have to spend money to make money. In the case of technical support, spending your money wisely can lead to consistent growth. Outsourced on-shore technical support is a cost-effective solution that can help businesses improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs, and focus on their core competencies. By partnering with a specialized technical support provider, businesses can take advantage of the latest technologies and best practices without the added costs of staffing and training. If you're looking to grow your business and provide better technical support to your customers, consider outsourcing your technical support needs. It could be the key to your business growth.
