Differing definitions deliver disappointing results

To understand how the provision of a service that does carry a genuine financial burden — even when outsourced — can not only offset those costs but also add to the bottom line, we must first define what tech support is.

Because, if tech support is growing your cost base rather than your customer base, then there are clearly differing definitions of what tech support is, its ultimate goals, and, as such, how it is structured and delivered as a service.

Whether performed in-house or in conjunction with a BPO partner, traditional approaches to tech support are guided predominantly by cost efficiency. And while reducing the cost of a service or operation is in and of itself a good business practice, there is no way to guarantee annual cost savings in perpetuity and, when finances are steering the decision-making process, it can lead to blinkered view of KPIs where only the values of metrics such as average handle time (AHT), cost per contact and occupancy rates are assessed when measuring performance.