A First-Time Outsourcing Client Finds a
New Lease on Customer Service

This happens far more often than one might think. It is a more common occurrence than one might think. Every company wants to gain market share and expand its customer base, and it puts a great deal of horsepower behind lead generation strategies. Left unattended is the other end of the equation – the increase in customers that will, by definition, increase the demand for user support. As this client was outsourcing for the first time, our initial task was to justify the trust in us to do right by customers.

The nature of the customers was a second point. These are tech-savvy users who seldom, if ever, contact technical support for low-flying problems. Our agents had to be knowledgeable from the start or risk losing credibility. The depth of this product and the complexity of the solutions involved mean the training cycle is a longer than usual – about five weeks of classroom instruction, role-playing, and nesting. A strong computer background defines the hiring profile; there are numerous technical steps involved in troubleshooting and multiple platforms and devices that customers are using.

Third was bringing the service load back to a manageable number. The internal team was straining to keep up with the company’s growth and a key point of friction among customers is service that makes you wait. The client had built a respected brand coupled with quality service, but needed help in scaling the support staff.