FAQs about outsourcing as an MSP

Today’s managed service providers (MSPs) are in a hyper-growth mode where many are finding it nearly impossible to support their clients without increasing their headcount and out-maxing their budgets. MSP outsourcing is being taken into consideration by many business owners as a way to scale more feasibly. As such, they will have many questions, and in this blog, we’re doing our best to answer the most common ones.  

How can I fill the critical open tech positions on my team and support our goals without adding headcount? 

ConnectWise Integrated Expert Services, formerly Assist, has a wide range of options to ensure you get the support you and your clients need to be successful. Whether you just need help tackling tickets during off-hours or you want 24/7/365 help desk support, we have a team that’s ready to back you up. We even have technicians available to take on tough short-term projects and technicians that can work with your team long-term. So, if you’re struggling to fill open positions or need to meet new revenue goals because your company was acquired, MSP outsourcing allows you to free up your internal team to focus on more important tasks, or you can get a new project into motion with the extra help. 

I want to find technicians that are already familiar with the tools we regularly use. How do I find the “perfect” new hire in this respect?  

All of our technicians are highly knowledgeable about all ConnectWise tools. They’re ready to hit the ground running from day one, so you won’t have to spend your own time and resources to train them and get them up to speed. But that doesn’t mean our technicians are not willing to learn your processes. Our helpdesk onboards each of your clients individually so your style of care can continue to be offered, and our dedicated tech and tech assist technicians are eager to complete tasks in the manner that best fits your needs. 

I need a new technician that can cover our help desk during off-hours, but everyone I interview, wants to work a traditional Monday through Friday, 9 to 5; how can I staff my help desk on nights, weekends, and holidays?  

Through ConnectWise Help Desk Services™ (formerly Assist Help Desk), we provide “business hours,” “after hours,” and “24/7/365” options for our MSP help desk outsourcing. So, your customers can access expert support needed any time of day or night, holidays included.  

If I outsource my technicians, how can I be sure I’ll get a new hire that fits our culture, has the right skills and works well with my other technicians?  

You won’t just be passed on to our “next available” technician. We understand those technician relationships are essential and serve as a reflection of your company. You’ll be a part of the hiring process and be able to conduct interviews to select the technician from ConnectWise that fits your needs and is a matching puzzle piece to your team.  

If I outsource my technician work, will my clients receive substandard service, or will my clients notice a difference in the delivery of support?  

ConnectWise offers white-labelled help desk services. That means the help desks answer the phone saying, “thanks for calling [your company name]” and that each of your clients is onboarded individually with our help desk team so we clearly understand their needs and your level of service. This provides a seamless experience for your clients. Whether they work with one of your onsite technicians or one of our help desk team members, they’ll get the same level of service and experience you’ve always provided.  

However, you can also be transparent with your clients by sharing that you’re working with outside experts to ensure they get the best support they need. You could say something to them like, “As your MSP, I am committed to fulfilling all of your needs and doing so at whatever points in time you need them. Therefore, I am bringing in the right resources to cover your needs. In some instances, this includes services from experts in the field outside of my organization.” 

If I outsource my technician work, will I be limited to a small set of services from that technician, or will they be able to handle a wide range of responsibilities?  

We have five categories of technician options so you can hire to a specific level of expertise. From simply managing desktop admin tasks to accessing Level 3 technicians to handle root-cause analysis, solution development, and more, you’ll be able to find the best-fit technician for your need.  

If I outsource a technician from ConnectWise, will that technician be limited to only using ConnectWise tools?  

While our technicians are extremely well-versed in the ConnectWise Suite, you certainly can train the technician on any of the tools you use. Our technicians are eager to expand their knowledge base to meet your needs.   

When I interview technicians, they seem reluctant to complete desktop administration tasks. Is there a resource out there that doesn’t mind tacking these day-to-day seemingly mundane tasks?  

Yes! We specifically offer Level 2 desktop administrations techs who have the skills—and patience—to perform many high-demand tasks, including monitoring dashboards and addressing or resolving hot issues, updating tickets in your PSA, resolving issues with non-NOC tools, and routine endpoint device administration and support. 

I only need a technician for a short-term project, and it’s costly to use a temp service. Are there alternatives?  

ConnectWise Project Assistance™ (formerly Assist Tech Advantage)  enables you to leverage our seasoned experts to handle one-off support requests, offering nearly 100 project options to choose from, including support Microsoft Azure, Active Directory, VMWare, Microsoft 365 with Office 365, and more.