What Is Outsourced Help Desk? Features & Pricing In 2024

Managing a business can be tough. With so much to do, it’s easy to lose focus on what really matters. As your business grows, so do the challenges, especially when it comes to providing top-notch customer support. Thus, handling the increasing number of inquiries and service requests can overwhelm your in-house team.

That’s why many small and medium-sized businesses are turning to outsourced help desks. It’s a smart solution to tackle the issue of promptly addressing your customers’ needs and technical issues. This article dives deep into outsourced help desk services, covering different models, benefits, and pricing tailored to various industries.

What Is Help Desk Outsourcing?

Help desk outsourcing involves subcontracting IT support responsibilities to an external service provider. This is a form of IT outsourcing, where businesses entrust specific IT functions to specialized third-party companies. An outsourced help desk serves as the initial point of contact for customers and employees, offering assistance via various channels like live chat, email, or phone calls. They essentially function as an IT service desk, armed with the knowledge and tools to tackle a whole array of technical glitches, becoming an integral part of your IT crew.

Help Desk Outsourcing involves subcontracting IT help desk outsourcing support responsibilities to an external service provider. A help desk serves as the initial point of contact for customers and employees, offering assistance via various channels like live chat, email, or phone calls. They’re armed with the knowledge and tools to tackle a whole array of technical glitches, essentially becoming an integral part of your IT crew.

Can Outsourcing Help Your Desk?

5 benefits of outsourcing your help desk

Outsourcing help desk services has become more prevalent among IT-managed service providers and private companies operating within constrained budgets. Below are several key reasons why numerous organizations opt to delegate their help desk solutions:

Cost Reduction

Outsourcing a help desk presents a lucrative opportunity for businesses to trim expenses significantly. By entrusting tasks to external providers, companies can curtail expenditures linked to recruitment, training, and maintaining an internal workforce. According to Deloitte’s 2020 Global Outsourcing Survey, cost reduction is a primary driver for 70% of outsourcing decisions. This is a key consideration when evaluating IT outsourcing costs.

Availability of high-quality support services

The proficiency of your in-house team is restricted by financial constraints and training limitations. However, through outsourced help desk services, you tap into a diverse pool of specialists with extensive expertise.

Enhanced productivity

Your in-house team is liberated from the mundane tasks of technical support. By entrusting your help desk operations to a capable provider, your employees can recapture precious time and channel their efforts towards essential business functions that drive profitability. Research has consistently demonstrated that companies utilizing external help desks witness heightened productivity within their internal teams. With this newfound concentration, your staff can channel their energies towards revenue-generating activities and fundamental services, thus fostering the expansion of your enterprise.

Quicker response times

Outsourced help desks can significantly boost your response time by providing 24/7 help desk support. This ensures your customers receive assistance whenever they face an issue, no matter the time zone. What’s more, many providers offer remote access features, enabling technicians to diagnose and fix problems directly on the customer’s device. This cuts down on the typical back-and-forth communication in technical support, resulting in quicker solutions.

Enhanced customer satisfaction

When you partner with an IT outsourcing company for your help desk needs, you’re setting the stage for meeting customer expectations with every support interaction. By tapping into the specialized knowledge and established protocols of a dedicated provider, you guarantee a level of support that is reliable and of top-notch quality. This consistency fosters trust and satisfaction among your customers, as they experience timely resolutions and efficient problem-solving. Ultimately, these elements form the cornerstone of long-term customer happiness and loyalty.

What Factors Affect The Costs Of IT Help Desk Outsourcing Services?

Source: Unitycommunications

While outsourced support desk services offer various benefits, it’s crucial to grasp several elements that can influence the outsourcing expenses. Here are a few of these factors:

Geographical position

When choosing an outsourcing partner, consider their location. Labor markets and operational costs vary greatly by country. For example, the US typically has higher labor costs compared to Vietnam. This difference can be attributed to factors like cost of living and local wages. Labor markets and operational costs vary greatly by country, impacting the cost of outsourced help desk services..

Proficiency level

The expertise of your outsourcing partner impacts the cost. Tasks requiring more specialized skills or extensive experience will naturally cost more.  Think of it like hiring a consultant – their level of knowledge directly affects their fees. So, if you need a highly specialized team or 24/7 support, expect the cost to reflect that higher level of service.

Level of service

The price you pay for an outsourced help desk can change based on factors like 24/7 availability, multilingual help desk support, and the complexity of technical issues. If you want support 24/7 or you have customers who speak lots of different languages, it usually costs more because it’s harder for the company to manage. On the other hand, if you’re okay with just getting help during regular business hours or if your issues are pretty straightforward, it might be cheaper because it’s easier for the company to handle.

Technological infrastructure

The complexity of your tech setup can influence the cost of outsourced help desk services. More intricate systems require a wider range of technological expertise. Just like building a house, a more intricate foundation requires more specialized work. This translates to outsourcing costs, as the team will need a wider range of technological expertise.

Linguistic capability

When it comes to the interconnected business world, being able to communicate effectively across different languages is essential for companies looking to thrive in diverse markets. This capability enables businesses to engage with a broader spectrum of customers and tap into new opportunities for growth.

The linguistic proficiency of a company can significantly affects its operational costs, particularly in areas like help desk services. Offering support in multiple languages can impact pricing structures, with less commonly spoken languages often requiring higher investments to ensure access to qualified staff.

Contract length

The length of your outsourcing contract can significantly impact cost and overall satisfaction. Longer contracts often come at a lower cost per unit of service. This is because extended contracts provide stability and predictability for both parties involved. The service provider has a guaranteed timeframe to understand your needs and refine their approach, ultimately enhancing the quality of service delivered.

And those are all the most common factors that affect outsourced help desk pricing. In the next section, we will delve deeper into outsourced help desk models and their prices. The prices below are estimates only and may vary depending on the country.

Different Models Of Outsourced Help Desk Pricing?

When seeking help desk outsourcing solutions, you may encounter various pricing structures. Evaluating the merits and demerits of each model is crucial in selecting the most suitable one for your business. Some of the prevalent models include:

Pay per ticket pricing

 Charges are incurred based on the number of IT support tickets resolved. This model is advantageous for businesses with fluctuating ticket volumes. This model is particularly advantageous for businesses with fluctuating ticket volumes, as it aligns costs directly with service usage. The cost per ticket for outsourced help desk support can range from $10 to $50.

The tiered pricing model is ideal for businesses that experience seasonal demand fluctuations and have a limited budget for help desk support.

Pay per hour pricing

Per Hour Pricing is a simple model where the cost depends on how many hours the help desk team works, regardless of how many tickets they handle. In the USA, outsourcing usually costs between $20 and $45 per hour.

Pay fixed fee pricing

A fixed monthly or annual fee covers all support services, ideal for businesses with predictable support needs. In this arrangement, you’ll be charged a flat rate for a predetermined number of support hours. The flat rate for outsourcing help desks can range from $1,000 to $10,000 per month.

Pay tiered pricing

Pay tiered pricing offers various pricing levels based on service volume or required support, enabling businesses to adjust services as needed. This model presents multiple package tiers with differing service levels, usually categorized by quantity, features, quality, or usage factors. For instance, lower tiers may include basic support during business hours, while higher tiers offer additional services like on-site visits and 24/7 support.

Mean Ticket Expenses Across Various Sectors

Explore outsourced help desk pricing across industries

The average cost per ticket stands at $22, yet this varies significantly across industries. While some companies may incur costs of several hundred dollars per ticket, others manage to keep it under $10. 

Retail

In the retail sector, customer service operations can be relatively inexpensive, typically ranging from $5 to $15 for outsourced IT help desk services. Nevertheless, larger retail corporations might incur higher costs per transaction (CPT).

Technology

When it comes to technology, especially in IT companies, the Cost Per Ticket (CPT) holds paramount importance. These companies, known for their innovative approaches, heavily depend on sophisticated technology and proficient staff. Hence, their service desks are among the priciest, reflecting the intricacy of their tasks. The CPT can fluctuate notably, generally falling between $25 to $35. However, some companies might face expenses as steep as $100, depending on the intricacy and scope of their operations.

Telecommunications

Telecommunications, a crucial sector enabling global connectivity, operates with a Cost Per Ticket (CPT) ranging from $20 to $25. This pricing structure is influenced by factors like outsourced labor costs and fees from third-party vendors. Additionally, the industry must contend with licensing fees, contributing to its overall expense. Despite the high costs, telecommunications remain indispensable in powering communication networks essential for modern society.

Healthcare

To talk about healthcare, managing expenses is a critical challenge. The industry necessitates highly skilled professionals and state-of-the-art technology, leading to significant costs for each customer interaction. On average, the cost of outsourcing in healthcare hovers between $50 and $60, reflecting the premium nature of healthcare services. Certain prominent hospitals and clinics may incur costs up to $100 per contact, underscoring the substantial investment in delivering quality care and support.

Financial services

Outsourcing in financial services encompass a broad spectrum, from traditional banks to credit unions, each playing a pivotal role in managing monetary transactions. These institutions strategically allocate resources, with a keen focus on optimizing cost per transaction (CPT). Typically, their service desks operate efficiently with minimal human intervention, contributing to cost-effectiveness. CPT can vary, ranging from $10 to $25; however, larger entities may allocate up to $50 for this purpose, reflecting diverse operational scales and priorities in the financial landscape.

How Do I Choose the Right Help Desk Outsourcing Provider?

Finding the right help desk outsourcing provider requires careful consideration of your needs, budget, and the provider’s expertise and reliability. Consider partnering with a provider who offers a comprehensive help desk SLA (Service Level Agreement) to ensure service quality and responsiveness. However, simplifying the decision-making process is possible by following these steps:

• Assess Your Needs: Begin by evaluating your specific requirements. Consider factors such as the complexity of your inquiries, the volume of inquiries you expect, desired response times, and the reputation and reliability of potential providers.
• Think Long-Term: While immediate costs are important, don’t overlook the long-term value a provider can offer. Look beyond the initial price tag to consider factors like reliability, scalability, and quality of service.
• Define Services Needed: Clearly identify the scope of services you require. Determine how many users or customers need support and the hours during which support is necessary. This ensures that you select a provider capable of meeting your needs.
• Evaluate Budget: Understand your budget constraints and assess which pricing model aligns best with your financial situation. Whether it’s a flat fee, pay-per-incident, or subscription-based model, choose one that fits your budget while still offering the required level of service.
• Consider Expertise and Risks: Factor in the level of expertise needed for your help desk operations and assess the risks associated with different pricing strategies. Ensure that the outsourcing partner’s service level agreements (SLAs) match the demands of your company, minimizing potential disruptions and ensuring quality support.

By following these steps, you can streamline the process of choosing a help desk outsourcing provider based on cost, making a well-informed decision that meets your company’s needs and budget.

Understanding IT Outsourcing

What is IT outsourcing? It involves delegating specific IT functions, such as help desk support, software development, or network management, to external service providers. This allows businesses to focus on their core competencies while leveraging specialized expertise and potentially reducing IT outsourcing costs. There are various IT outsourcing models, including onshore, nearshore, and offshore outsourcing, each with its own advantages and considerations.

Bottom Line

Outsourcing your help desk can be a smart choice that saves money and boosts customer satisfaction. The cost of outsourcing depends on factors such as the level of support you need, the expertise required, and how the pricing is structured.

There are different pricing models, each with pros and cons. It’s crucial to consider your specific needs and financial situation when choosing a model. By understanding these models and their cost influencers, you can pick the best fit for your business goals and budget.