5 Reasons to Not Choose a Hosted Helpdesk Solution

Hosted helpdesk solutions are on trend and most companies find them easy and effective. But, some companies prefer on-premise helpdesk software to handle their customer support. Before we find out why hosted helpdesk software is not their cup of tea, let’s get back to the basics!

On-premise, Cloud, Hosted, SaaS – What Do They All Mean?

By definition, a helpdesk is a support ticketing software that enables companies to monitor, respond, and resolve customer queries and issues in an efficient way. There are two popular types of helpdesk software –

the hosted helpdesk and the on-premise helpdesk.

What is a Hosted Helpdesk Solution

Hosted helpdesk software is delivered over the internet similar to a website. Being hosted on external servers, it can be easily installed and requires low maintenance. It is also known as a cloud-based helpdesk solution or SaaS.

What is an On-premise Helpdesk Solution

On-premise helpdesk software is installed on your servers on-premise. It doesn’t require a good internet connection but it needs constant monitoring by a separate team.

A good helpdesk lies at the heart of customer support.

– It needs to suit your business requirements.

– It should scale with your team and business.

– It should fit your pocket (not literally, of course).

The type of helpdesk you choose is going to determine the future of your customer experience. Hence, choosing a helpdesk for your support functions is a big decision to make. We identified five reasons why some companies don’t prefer a hosted service desk software.

Accessibility

If a brand consists of a huge bunch (and we are talking thousands here) of agents working from a single location, no wonder it would find its on-premise helpdesk favorable. Such brands don’t bother getting a hosted helpdesk as they don’t require its ‘available anywhere’ feature.

On the contrary, support teams spread across geographies require uniform accessibility. This puts a hosted helpdesk in the limelight as it can be accessed by the agents anywhere around the globe as long as there is an internet connection. You need not stress over consolidating customer data as the cloud will be the single point of contact for all the helpdesk data.

Omni-channel Support

Back then, on-premise helpdesk was the only choice brands had for a multichannel support. But, they still had to use multiple support tools as on-premise helpdesk didn’t cover all channels and integrating a new one took months.

When hosted helpdesk came into the market, it unified all channels under a single platform dissolving the need for other tools. Yet, the early adopters of on-premise helpdesk chose to continue with it hesitant to start from scratch with a hosted helpdesk.    

Truth is a hosted helpdesk can be set up in minutes with minimum assistance. You don’t need a separate team to monitor it as the software stays on cloud and is always up to date. Name any channel, it will be there on a hosted helpdesk before you know it.

Security

Every organization makes huge investments in IT security and an on-premise helpdesk only increases it further. Companies burn a hole in their pockets to deploy many teams for high-level data encryption and cross-site scripting mitigation.

A hosted helpdesk runs on cloud and it can bring about the same or higher level of security in a few clicks. But, brands take the hard route of on-premise helpdesk sans a clear understanding about cloud. Cloud is an infrastructure to host the helpdesk rather than the helpdesk itself. It prevents potential attacks on a hosted helpdesk from afar and doesn’t need any team for monitoring. It does exactly what an on-premise infrastructure carries out except in a more advanced level. If you are serious about cutting down the expenses on security, a hosted helpdesk can be your lifesaver.

Availability

Some companies have strict policies stating that helpdesk agents have to answer support calls and emails only from office and during business hours. Since their agents don’t need to be available all the time, they are better off with an on-premise helpdesk which can be accessed only inside the office.

On the other hand, customer support has become more than just a 9 to 6 job and most companies have 24/7 availability. And, this calls for a hosted helpdesk as it lets support agents pick up calls during their commute to work, and answer support queries even when they are watching the opera.

Performance

Being hosted on local servers, an on-premise helpdesk appears to give more control to its users. But, every time a new update arrives, the on-premise helpdesk has to be temporarily shut down to patch and update its version. The local servers have to be upgraded from time to time to prevent a lag in performance. This affects the overall productivity of employees.

A hosted helpdesk provides a great advantage in terms of performance. It gets timely updates from software provider without any performance degradation. Since it is hosted on cloud, the upgrades will be seemingly effortless without any shutdown.

Now that all the information has been laid on your display screen, you know the reasons why companies tell ‘no’ to a hosted helpdesk solution. This deep dive into two kinds of helpdesk will help you find the perfect match for your support team. And if you are still confused, our Complete Guide to Choosing an Online helpdesk should help you decide.