Outsourcing is a touchy subject. When a company decides to farm out part of its business, employees tend to quiver. It can damage morale, too. These two factors – plus a few uglier reasons — have given outsourcing a bad name.

They assume they will wait in a phone queue that rivals their commute, and will sit on hold long enough to pen a novel.

When we answer the phone within two rings, some first-time callers, who perhaps expect the lowest level of service from an outsourcer, are often stunned. They assume they will wait in a phone queue that rivals their commute, and will sit on hold long enough to pen a novel.

And then there’s the issue of personalized support, which we offer to our clients. That is, if ABC Company wants us to answer the phones with “ABC help desk, how may I help you?” that’s what we do. It’s often less jarring to the caller, and can serve to enhance the internal help desk’s reputation.

Apparently, it’s working.

One of our consultants received an e-mail recently informing him that he had been nominated as employee of the month. But not by us. He was nominated by employees of one of our clients, who didn’t realize he wasn’t on the same payroll.

Our goal is to make it as seamless as possible. It seems we are doing something right.

MORE INFO IN: Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

Jenny Sweeney Customer Service employee of the month, Outsourcing, service level agreements, transparency

The comments in a recent PC Helps customer satisfaction survey sounded as if they were describing a trusted crisis counselor rather than a software consultant:

“Without PC Helps, it would be like having no air to breathe.”

Sheesh. I think we’re good, but that description of what our consultant accomplished may be a smidge extreme.

What inspires such over-the-top praise? Is it that our techs are software ninjas, or that outsourcers don’t meet service level agreements in general, and, when a help desk treats a customer like a customer, it’s shocking?

I’d say it’s the latter (okay, maybe a combination of the two).

If IT transformation is the entree, then improving service is the parsley sprinkled along the edges for aesthetics — thrown on just because it’s supposed to be there.

Despite the fact that most CIOs agree that strong service levels are vital to a successful outsourcing partnership, few pay attention to them. If IT transformation is the entree, then improving service is the parsley sprinkled along the edges for aesthetics — thrown on just because it’s supposed to be there.

In a recent CIO.com article, Ron Kifer, CIO of Applied Materials, explains how he cut IT costs successfully during an economic downturn. The article states that Applied Materials “maintained high service-level agreements,” but doesn’t divulge the method of measuring. Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Outsourcing, ROI, Worker Productivity CIO.com, Outsourcing, recession, ROI, service level agreements, software support