Shared vs Dedicated Support Model

Many considerations come into play when deciding whether a dedicated or shared support model will better suit the needs of your organization’s outsourced customer support services. The majority of businesses end up relying on outsourced help desk support to boost productivity, as well as cut costs, but the question then becomes, “which support model will better fit my business’s framework and goals?” The answer to this question relies on a number of factors, such as: call volume, budget, and what exact services you require of the help desk support team. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between the shared support model and dedicated support model to find out which will better support the needs of your business.

Shared Model

A shared support model is a help desk support service that handles calls for your company as well as other companies. The shared model most benefits a business whose call volume is lower or less predictable, as well as businesses who experience seasonality in regards to their call patterns. In these cases, the shared model can be a good money saver, since its services are normally billed for time supporting customers, rather than fixed pay. If your business already has a call center partner, a shared model can offer additional overflow services linked with peak call periods. In regards to unanticipated or sudden increases in call volume, the help desk provider is able to immediately transfer these calls to additional agents, foregoing the hassle of having to maintain your own staffing levels, since the help desk provider takes on this burden.

Dedicated Model

A dedicated support model, as the name implies, is a help desk provider dedicated solely to your business. This model is recommended when your company has higher call volumes due to outsourced customer support services, such as: helpdesk, healthcare member services, order processing, etc. If your business prefers the predictability of fixed fees, the dedicated support model is an appealing option.

The dedicated model is available to work solely on your account and acts as an actual extension of your business, rather than simply an aid. Since they are trained to work solely on your account, the agents are able to become acutely knowledgeable of your business models. In the event of selling, dedicated agents can easily spot opportunities for up-selling and cross-selling. Since the dedicated model takes on only your business calls, product knowledge and effectiveness are greatly increased.

Hybrid Solution

Considering the inherent benefits of both the shared and dedicated support models, you may begin to wonder, “why must both models be mutually exclusive?” The answer to that question is, they don’t! Most help desk providers can combine the two models to create a solution that best fits your business’s needs and schedule. For example, you can choose to use dedicated agents during standard business hours but go for the shared model for after hours support. This ensures total coverage in regards to the client’s global workforce, while concurrently minimizing costs during after hour periods.