Okay, I'm pretty sure this topic has been talked about but I didn't want to go bringing up old threads so I thought I would address this here.

Personally it is my belief that outsourcing support is never good for the image of a web hosting business. You see, those you outsource are not loyal employees. They work for an umbrella who offer their services to every host possible. This creates friction as those who work for this outsourcing group could quit and you may find yourself without support one day and you'd need to discuss with them about finding a replacement. Further, some companies go as far as rotating staff who work for you. This fails to create a bond of trust with client and company and from my experience this leads to consumer questions of "Does this company have a revolving door of staff? What's the issue here?"

I have always believed that it is important for a company to have it's own staff base and to establish a positive long lasting rapport with their consumers. This allows for better growth and higher odds for maintaining your clients.

I have no problem with outsourcing. Most often the benefits outweigh the risks.

My philosophy is to make sure that the occurrences of client support issues stay low enough that the client wouldn't even notice a trend of staff turnover.

That is one positive point. But I always feel it's good to have your own "homegrown" team. It feels more friendly and positive based on my experiences both as a host and as a customer.

i'm also does not have problem with outsourcing your support staff..

we do have on site staff which work on office hour. and we use outsourcing staff to cover up the night shift...

it's can provide you with 24/7 support..and at the same time save you cost..

but, before going with outsourcing. Do your research first on the company.. make sure they really do the work...

I am of the though that the Particular thing should be done by the expertise people and with the full efforts, if you are in the business where you are the one who is managing all the aspects of the company and not getting good results, this is where you can think of outsourcing a particular thing to the expertise people and you can just concentrate on your core business

I disagree that outsourcing always = disloyal, do you know how many good outsourcing folk you are talking bad about phrasing it that way?

I have heard horror stories don't get me wrong, but part of building a good relationship with those you may outsource projects to is a good thing, so is research before you hire them for any projects.

Hi!
Alright..I've kept quit far too long about this.

Bottom line: It's all about communication..not only with your customers..with your current "normal" staff..and your outsourced staff. It is also about proper management.

Things must be managed. People must be managed. It does not matter if they are twenty feet from you or in zanzabar.

Who here really believes a Cpanel server manages itself? Ridiculious notion for anyone who has ever managed one.

People must be managed. Communication between any support staff must be monitored..and tested. I test mine all the time...it's all part of the job.

It should be expected. It's all about keeping a enterprise moving in the right direction...forward..and growing.

Keeping customers happy and satisfied should be your #1 priority..not your bank balance. I've said this time and time again...yet..I should not have to.

Outsourcing is not "bad". It's only bad when people don't communicate..or outsourcing customers don't do their job to manage employees properly.

Bryon

While something like this may sound noble to say, really, it's just rhetoric.

Your bank balance is the reason you got into business in the first place is it not?

To say that it's not important is disingenuous at best.

Keeping customers happy is a simple model that in the long run should increase your bank account, but at the end of the day it's HOW you keep the customer happy that makes the difference.

We can have happy clients and still make money.
If we are not makiing money why would we be here at all?

I never use an outsource company at all. To be honest i just have no trust they will provide my clients with best customer services. You can hire regular employees that will keep your bank balance in good shape and your customers in good hand. Remember you can't just start a business with out a little investment, no matter what the business is.

In the time of global economy outsourcing is the most cost effective way.

Effective in terms of what? Minimizing support expense? Maximizing the customer experience? Minimizing customer churn?

I don't think that outsourcing is good. Having been on both sides, customer service is absolutely critical when it comes to building a brand (your company). If you outsource to someone where English is not a first language, for example, it can be very hard to understand them. I don't think that saving the money by outsourcing is worth it.

If you outsource to legit people and you make certain that you are keeping your standards high then I do not see any issues. If it weren't for outsourcing then most people would not be able to do the work that they do today.

Hi!
Management is key..and it is absurd to say anything is good or bad on the whole or all the time. What may work for me may not work for you..etc...etc.

I think customer expectations can be met with a good outsourcing company..and the overall experience can be much better if you take the time and find the right one.

Bryon

Can you share your outsourcing team contacts?