Internet service providers (ISP) allow clients to access and use the Internet through telephone, television cable, fiber optics and wireless connectivity. They operate as commercial, non-profit, public or private entities that provide not only Internet access but also web hosting, web design, Internet transit, domain name registration and hardware/software consulting. In the United States, research firm IbisWorld reported that the ISP market was worth $93 billion in 2014, with an annual growth rate of 4.2 percent.

Like other businesses in the information technology sector, Internet service providers employ people or hire third party outsourcing firms to perform administrative or back office tasks. Some of these tasks include accounting, record-keeping, human resources and customer service. Customer service functions include technical as well as general support.

Customer service representatives employed by ISPs interact with clients to handle complaints and answer inquiries about the ISP’s products through multiple channels: in person, by telephone, email, chat, community forums and social media. Some customer and technical support reps handle general queries, while others are experts in a specific area. Common technical and customer support tasks include setting up and discontinuing Internet services and data management.

Many of the biggest ISPs in the United States like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon employ remote customer and technical support staff. Outsourcing of customer and technical support in the IT sector has been around for a long time, and it is one of the most mature sub-segments of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. In the early days, cost reduction was the main driver of outsourcing engagements, but as the industry matured, clients started to demand more long-term value from their outsourcing service providers.

Cost is still the most compelling reason to outsource any back office activity. Offshoring drives down labor cost even more, allowing ISPs to benefit from labor arbitrage and economies of scale. ISPs like Verizon have worked with top BPO providers to build huge contact centers in attractive outsourcing destinations like the Philippines and India. These contact centers employ hundreds of customer service and technical support agents who work 24/7. For small and midsize ISPs, outsourcing Internet services can significantly control capital investment by turning fixed costs into variable costs.

By outsourcing important but non-core services to offshore firms, ISPs can free up time for their employees to focus on core, strategic activities such as engaging prospects and improving relationships with existing customers. When onshore teams are able to focus on the work they do best, companies can improve productivity dramatically.

Many small and midsize businesses lack the resources and capabilities to recruit, hire and support full-time customer and technical support personnel. Offshoring these functions to a third party provider allows SMBs to compete with established businesses by providing low-cost, high-quality staff.

The Philippines, with a very large population of young college graduates who speak neutral-accent English, has overtaken India as the top call center destination in the world. Philippine culture is also highly attuned to the West, and the business climate has never been more optimistic. For ISPs looking for high-quality, cost effective Internet services, the Philippines is an ideal location.

Service providers like Sourcefit cater to small, medium and large ISPs. Sourcefit’s custom solutions are tailored to your needs; whether you need one or two customer service agents or a large team of highly-skilled technical support professionals, we can help you achieve your goals and provide added value over time. We can reduce your support costs significantly while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction through first contact resolution and quick response times.

Please contact us to find out about Sourcefit’s custom support solutions for Internet service providers.