Every year, businesses in the United States outsource hundreds of thousands of positions. Of all the positions a company can outsource, technical support and IT positions are some of the most common.

Have you ever considered outsourcing?

In some circles, outsourcing gets a bad rap, so it’s not surprising if you’ve been on the fence about it. Before you decide it’s not for you, though, it’s important to consider all the benefits that can come from outsourcing certain aspects of your business, such as technical support.

Read on to learn more about why technical support outsourcing is a great option for your business.

Benefits of Outsourcing

There are lots of reasons why you might want to consider technical support outsourcing. Some of the greatest benefits include:

Save Money

One of the most common reasons why businesses choose to outsource is to save money. Whether you’re hiring an answering service or hiring someone to handle all of your technical support, it’s no secret that outsourcing helps you to cut costs.

When you outsource, you don’t have to worry about the costs associated with hiring a new employee (training, benefits, etc.).

You also don’t have to invest a lot of money in expensive computer equipment or programs — the company you outsource to will already have those.

Provide Better Service

Outsourcing also allows you to provide your customers with better service. There are a few reasons for this. 

First, most outsourcing companies will provide your customers with access to 24-7 support. They’ll be able to get help any time, day or night, and will enjoy getting responses to their questions more quickly. 

When you outsource, the individuals handling your technical support are also likely to notice issues sooner than you or your team members might.

If they notice problems sooner, they can fix them sooner. This, in turn, helps keep your business running smoothly and your customers happy.

Scale Easily

If you handle all of your technical support in-house, you might not be prepared for when a massive increase in demand happens.

If your permanent staff can’t handle an issue on their own, you’ll have to bring in temporary workers to help fill in the gaps. This is expensive, and it’s hard to know how long you’ll need these employees. 

When you outsource, it’s easy to scale as your needs change.

These companies have vast resources and can easily make sure your needs and your customers’ needs are met as quickly as possible, no matter how many calls or emails are coming in.

Get Help from Industry Experts

You and your team may be handling technical support on your own right now, but are any of you technical support experts? Are you aware of the latest tools and programs designed to help you provide better support to your customers? 

Outsourcing gives you access to all these tools. It also allows your technical support issues to be addressed by industry experts who truly know what they’re doing and aren’t frantically Googling issues as they arise.

Improve Focus

If you’re not a technical support expert and you’re busy handling this aspect of your business, that means you’re not giving attention to the aspects of your business that you actually do know how to handle (and want to handle).

Outsourcing allows you to shift your focus to the areas of your business that you know and love. This, in turn, helps to keep your business growing and progressing. It also can help to boost your revenue. 

Reduced Risk

If you have a group of people who don’t really know what they’re doing handling technical support, there’s a good chance that something could go wrong.

Instead of putting your business at risk by taking a DIY approach, why not pay someone who knows what they’re doing to handle technical support?

Improved Morale

Not only does outsourcing technical support free you up to focus on other areas of your business, but it also frees up your employees to focus on their own areas of expertise.

When your employees are doing what they were hired and trained to do, they’re going to be happier and have a better attitude while they’re at work. Who doesn’t want that?

Technical Support Outsourcing Tips

Of course, in order to experience all of these great benefits, you need to make sure you’re working with the right outsourcing company.

Here are some tips that will help you find the best outsourcing company and ensure you have a great outsourcing experience:

  • Start Small: Start by asking the company to handle just a small project to see how they do and whether or not you like their style.
  • Ask for References: Don’t be afraid to ask for references — and don’t forget to actually contact those references.
  • Pay Attention to Performance: Is the company growing and focused on consistent improvement (you can read more here about a company that’s doing a great job of this)?
  • Be Descriptive: Be clear about what you expect from them and how you want to utilize their services.
  • Get Several Quotes: Get quotes from several different companies before you make a decision.
  • Don’t Go Cheap: Don’t make your decision based only on price — take into account other factors like response times and the company’s online reviews.
  • Consider Their Contract: Avoid companies that require you to agree to a long-term contract.

Keep these factors in mind and you should have no trouble finding a company that meets your specific business needs.

Need More Business Advice?

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits that come with technical support outsourcing.

Not only will it help you to be more productive, but you’ll also get to work with industry experts and stay up-to-date on the latest technology and strategies.

Are you considering utilizing this practice for your business? Do you want to learn about other strategies that will help you run your business more effectively?

If so, check out some of our business articles today.

You’ll find all kinds of helpful information in these articles, which cover everything from common small business threats to how to choose the right business model.