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In today’s tech-driven world, managed service providers (MSPs) play an important role in business survival. They are responsible for providing cybersecurity, technical support, and IT infrastructure for many businesses. But running an MSP business can be demanding.
According to a 2024 report by Sapio Research and Deep Instinct, 75% of security professionals have observed an increase in cyberattacks over the past year. This means one thing for MSP businesses — an added workload. Since their clients will likely be exposed to cybersecurity threats, many will call to report issues and ask for help.
However, accommodating these calls through help desks can be very taxing. Help desks require massive resources to operate effectively. When done wrong, it can lead to a bad customer experience and make your customers walk away. This is why many managed service providers use White Label Help Desks for MSP.
What is a white label help desk? Why is it important for MSP businesses? How can they help your MSP business grow? Read on to find out.
A white label help desk is an outsourced customer support service provided by a third party. They deliver technical support to end-users under the client company’s name. It does this for the client to dispense with the stringent and resource-intensive process of hiring an in-house support team.
The term “white label” is often used in the context of a company buying its product from another company. The twist is in rebranding the product as its own.
Let’s put the retail company, Costco Wholesale, as an example. It contracts with various producers to put their products into the Kirkland packaging. Costco does not produce these products, but third-party producers brand them under Costco’s private label, Kirkland Signature. Thus, the end products appear as though they have been produced by the brand selling and marketing them.
White label help desks are thus customer support services provided by a third party but to the end-users, they appear as yours. This type of service allows you to get the benefits of providing customer support services without the costs and energy required to maintain an in-house support team.
What makes a private label help desk stand out are the following:
Although the support team has external functions, they can appear as yours. Hence, when the end-users interact with the help desk, it’s as if they’re interacting with the client’s in-house team. The external provider can match and adopt the client’s brand voice, tone, and style.
Private label support desk services can seamlessly integrate their client’s existing processes into their own. This lets the end users get a consistent and cohesive support experience when interacting with the client company. The integration will be so seamless that end-users will not even know they’re from an external provider.
Many small businesses do not know the industry standards and best practices of customer support. Support desk services help them gain access to a team of customer support experts. These professionals can provide 24/7 monitoring, support, and ticket handling.
Providing 24/7 customer support requires infrastructure. Examples of these are hardware, software, and telecommunications networks. Outsourcing this function means businesses will no longer have to invest a lot for the required infrastructure.
Using private label help desk services eliminates the need for further investments. Costs in hiring, training, infrastructure, and maintaining an in-house customer support team can. This allows companies to provide support to customers around the clock without having to spend a lot.
Outsourcing allows companies to scale up when demand is high and scale down when business is slow. This lets companies avoid the commitments and legal obligations commonly associated with full-time staffing. This also helps them achieve better flexibility and cost control.
The business environment has changed drastically over the years. Many consumers have evolved from being price-sensitive to being customer experience-sensitive. According to PwC, one in three consumers (32%) will reject or walk away from a brand after one bad experience.
This is why, as an MSP business, you need to upgrade your customer experience. With growing market competition, you must take every opportunity to make consumers stay. Luckily, IT help desks do exactly that.
There are several ways help desks from a white label provider can help your MSP business grow. Here are seven examples:
Engaging customers goes beyond transacting with them. It’s about cultivating a relationship. To have successful customer engagement, the business must provide for their needs. They must match their expectations, and give value that no other business can give.
It’s also important for businesses to have a 24/7 presence. This is because issues can emerge anytime which may affect the client experience. With a 24/7 help desk, MSP businesses can quickly address IT issues and ensure a smooth client journey.
Support desks give you an insight into the client experience. When clients raise a ticket or give feedback, it lets you know what needs to be done to enhance their experience. The data you collect from these interactions can influence your business strategy. Integration lets you improve your market position.
For example, when several clients inform you that they have an IT-related issue, it lets you know several things. First, it lets you know who is likely to experience such an issue. Second, that such an issue has to be urgently resolved. Lastly, it lets you know what needs to be done to prevent such an issue from emerging again.
A white label help desk provider not only assists you in engaging these clients to make them feel heard. They can also make more inquiries to get more data. This helps your business become more data-driven to make better decisions.
When clients experience your product or service, they are likely to switch to competitors. and provide negative word-of-mouth. This will affect your future sales.
To avoid this from happening, private label support desks can engage with clients. This is to apply quick resolution of their issues before it gets worse. They can educate customers, provide incentives to stay, and get data to analyze why the churn occurs. This allows you to be proactive in reducing churn.
Remember, it’s cheaper to retain existing clients than to acquire new ones. Harvard Business Review estimates that acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one.
Your support team can be your first line of defense in customer engagement. Whenever a client reaches out to you to talk about an issue, your IT support team can turn such interaction into a sales opportunity.
They can analyze the client’s needs and preferences and offer better products and services. This will not only help reduce customer churn but it will also increase your sales.
For example, if the level of service dissatisfies a client, then the support team can offer a better set. They can provide a higher service line to match the customer’s needs.
When you take care of your clients, they will take care of you. Supporting and engaging your clients will enhance how they see your company. When this happens, your clients will likely spread positive feedback about your business. This further improves your brand reputation. Feedback affects your image and is important for business continuity and sales.
White label help desks increase your chances of facilitating a smooth customer journey. They can remove the roadblocks in the journey by solving customer problems, empathizing with them, and offering them value each step of the way.
When your clients have a positive experience with your business, they are likely to refer your business to their friends and family. They act as brand ambassadors who will promote your brand for free.
Companies that offer strong customer support are likely to have a better brand image. They are more likely to stand out in the market than those that do not offer any. Brand image is important. It helps your business gain new customers and it also helps improve your employee morale.
When your business has a good reputation, it will likely instill a sense of pride among your employees. Employees feel proud when their employer brand gets recognition. This helps keep them motivated, engaged, and loyal to their employer’s brand.
Using white label help desk services can elevate your MSP in a lot of ways. They can improve the way you engage with your clients. They can boost client satisfaction, enhance brand image, and drive sales — all without the hassle of hiring an in-house help desk team.
When choosing your help desk provider, choose one that has a deep understanding of how MSP businesses operate and a proven track record of helping MSP businesses grow.
STAFFVIRTUAL has over 15 years of experience in providing help desk solutions to businesses. Our partnerships with MSP businesses allowed them to save over 63% in monthly hiring and HR costs. What’s more, they have also reported an increase in client retention rates.
Discover how white label help desks can transform your business. Contact STAFFVIRTUAL today to learn more about how our solutions can transform your MSP business.
Sources:
Voice of SecOps Reports | Deep Instinct
Experience is everything: Here’s how to get it right | PwC
The Value of Keeping the Right Customers | Harvard Business Review