You’re heads down in a project, totally focused, when the phone rings. It’s a client you haven’t heard from in months, probably not even a huge account, calling with some oddball question or concern regarding their IT setup.
Of course, you drop everything to address their issue, because providing quality customer care matters deeply to you. You quickly resolve their issue, and the client hangs up, happy as a clam.
But now you’ve got to get back on track with whatever you had been doing, because that project isn’t going to finish itself. So, you dive back in and then…
The phone rings again.
No matter how big you are, it’s almost certain your plate is plenty full already. And even though you pride yourself on offering “white glove” service to your clients, you’ve come to realize the costs and headaches of keeping your helpdesk fully staffed may be a bit more daunting than you’d ever imagined.
That’s why outsourcing the helpdesk is such a hot topic right now, even for MSPs that have team members already in place to fill that role.
“Staffing helpdesk might be the number one challenge,” says David Sohn, founder of Helpt, a company that provides outsourced helpdesk services. He regularly hears stories about MSPs finding a rockstar, paying them an above average salary, “but within six months, they go out onto the market and get an offer for significantly more.”
Here in the U.S. specifically, the talent shortage for technical help remains an ongoing issue. It’s extremely hard, especially for smaller MSPs, to recruit, hire, and keep team members able and willing to do the job.
And let’s be clear – helpdesk can be a tough job. You’re not spending your day hearing others sing your praises. Quite the opposite. When someone calls, it’s because something’s gone wrong.
Maybe it’s only a tiny issue, involving a quick router reboot or it’s far more worrisome, like a malware attack. Whatever the reason, when someone calls, they’re almost certainly not in a good mood. That’s why having someone whose both technically savvy as well as emotionally well-suited to the role is incredibly important.
So, it’s NOT an easy role to fill. Fortunately, if you’re looking for outside assistance, you do have options.
The Outsourcing Options
One solution is hiring someone overseas, or “offshoring,” either directly or through an agency. That person then essentially becomes your employee. They work the hours you assign, they use your tools and tech stack, you measure their performance just the same as you would with other employees, and so on. They’re just like someone in your business office down the hall, only they’re living in another country.
Another option is where you basically rent a “pod” or pool of technologists to support your customers. Skillsets can range from entry level all the way up to experienced experts. According to Matthew Rebstock, CEO of Tech In A Flash Computer Services, an MSP in Cape Coral, Florida, “It’s essentially like getting fractional support. You’re paying a specific price and you’re getting maybe one Level 1 tech, two Level 2 techs, a Level 3 tech, and maybe a coordinator,” says Rebstock, who tried this model for a while but has since moved to offshoring.
Whichever arrangement you choose, there are definitely some significant benefits:
Easier to Scale Up
First and probably most important, it enables you to scale your MSP operation. Let’s face it, your time is much better spent finding new clients and creating new offers and opportunities than handling support issues that could easily be taken care of by someone else whose time isn’t nearly as valuable or in such short supply. Having to do all that support yourself, or with your existing team, is almost certainly limiting the number of new clients (and associated MRR) you could be adding to your business.
Save Time
Another key benefit is that it reduces the amount of time and energy you’ll have to spend trying to find qualified talent to do the job. Even though you should always be keeping your eyes open for new talent, the process is time consuming, especially for a function that typically doesn’t directly drive increased revenues.
Sohn echoes that sentiment. “We’re giving them the time to focus on what THEY want to focus on.”
Expand Geographically
Another advantage is the ability to expand geographically, says Roger Best, president of BizTek Connection, an MSP in Little Rock, Arkansas, who just started utilizing an MSP platform company. “There’s over 150 companies that they work with, and so I can put boots on the ground in a matter of a few hours to pretty much anyplace in the U.S.,” says Best. Having this kind of support in place enables even the smallest MSP to be able to provide 24/7/365 support nationwide.
But Watch Out For Pitfalls
Charles Swihart, CEO of Preactive IT Solutions, an MSP in Richmond, Texas, outsources some functions, like after-hours patch management, but not his helpdesk. “Outsourcing helpdesk is a stop-gap measure,” he says. “If you want great service for your clients and you’re going to grow as an MSP, you’ve got to do it in-house.”
Still, he agrees that outsourcing can be valuable for some. “If you can’t find the labor and you’re a one-man shop and you just need extra help, it’s a way to do it. However, I think there are pitfalls you must be aware of,” he says.
For example, he notes, you have to make sure any outsourced solution either uses the same ticket tracking system you’re currently using, or at the very least, one that EASILY integrates with yours. If not, it’s almost inevitable that things will fall through the cracks, potentially making your clients very unhappy.
Rebstock agrees that integrating with a different tracking system can be challenging, especially if you don’t have your own processes 100% nailed down. When he utilized a “pod” model, he says his techs would have to ask clarifying questions about tickets, which was cumbersome.
It’s also important for you and the helpdesk vendor to have compatible cultures, which includes things like KPIs, timeliness, availability, customer relationships, etc. Someone who looks great on paper may not share the same values you have. You must both be on the same page, so make sure communications are always open and complete.
Finally, even though finding a partner for outsourcing can solve a lot of problems, it doesn’t mean it’s easy. “There’s no silver bullet to doing this,” says Rebstock. “It’s the same as if you’re hiring somebody stateside. You have to manage it and make sure that that you’re tweaking it and improving it every day.”
