To start out - I want to be clear that at ORCS Web we do not outsource our support. When you contact our webteam you are dealing with an actual employed member of our staff. We do have a couple of people with accents (especially the ones that transplanted from Boston! :>) but they are definitely our staff and not outsourced or sub-contracted.
I spent several hours last week on the phone with Intuit support (maker of Quicken, Quickbooks, Turbtax, etc...). It was not a pleasant experience. English did not appear to be the staff's main language so we had a communication barrier and I had to often repeat statements multiple times. It wasn't just one person - I actually spoke with two that same day, both with the same challenges.
A discussion was had with one gentleman for about 40 minutes with no progress before we were disconnected. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn't hang up on me purposely. I called back but there was no case number to reference so I started all over with the lady that answered. She had me go through many steps that I'd done on my own, and ones that the gentleman had me perform earlier.
An hour and a half later we had made no progress. It was after 6pm local time. She wanted to check something and call me back. I noted that I wouldn't be available much longer and asked if we could schedule a call for the next day to continue. She said sure, she'd call, and she confirmed the phone number. I asked for a case number but was told she didn't have it ready. I then asked for her to send it to me in email just in case we missed each other the next day and I had to call back - she said she would (yes, we confirmed the email address too).
Well, I never got the email with the case number, and they never called the next day. It isn't that we missed each other - I had no "missed calls" registered on my phone. I suppose now, when - if - I get a stretch of 3+ hours that I can waste, I will call them again.
It is really rather frustrating that so many companies now look for the cheapest way to handle their support. Do they not realize that, aside from the initial sales contact, most of the company-customer contact is through the support channels? Those people should be the best people, not just the cheapest warm bodies available.
At ORCS Web, we're all about service and support. We don't want to be the cheapest host out there - that would force lowest-cost sub-par support (since salaries are the largest expense in most businesses). We're also not trying to be "everything to everyone" which often causes low levels of support on a high number of technologies - rather than our intent which is to have the best levels of support on specific technologies (Microsoft-platform managed hosting solutions).
I suppose there is a market for cheap for just about every product type. But I find that in most cases - me personally at least - I would prefer a higher level of company-customer interaction; some decent customer service (capable, but also nice); reasonable response times; follow-up and follow-through as needed; etc. Even if it cost me more, I believe the enhanced experience would justify it and be worth it.
~Brad