Partnering with a full-service outsourced provider for a dedicated support team can boost your ticket resolution rate by 96%. But what’s the difference between shared vs dedicated customer support? And when is it best to choose which?
We’ve prepared a guide that will discuss these two options to help you provide your customers with the best support possible and save costs while you’re at it.
Key Points:
- Dedicated support teams work exclusively for one brand, providing deep product knowledge, personalized service, and consistent tone.
- Shared support teams handle inquiries for multiple clients, offering cost-effective scalability and 24/7 coverage for simpler issues.
- Dedicated support costs more but delivers superior quality for complex products, high-value customers, and industries requiring regulatory compliance.
- Shared support is more affordable and ideal for startups, small businesses, or those with fluctuating ticket volumes.
- Shared models scale easily for seasonal or unpredictable demand, while dedicated support is better-suited for predictable demand.
In this article, we'll cover:
What Is a Shared Customer Support Model?
A shared support model refers to a pool of support agents who are shared between multiple clients, projects, or brands instead of serving one client solely. These agents are known for flexibility in being able to handle numerous tickets, calls, or chats between companies in accordance with workload demands.
For example, a company provides 24/7 support for ten small businesses. When a ticket arrives, the next available agent addresses it, even though this agent may have just dealt with a ticket for a different client.
Typical use scenarios may include:
- Small to mid-sized businesses
- Early-stage startups
- Companies with varying customer query scales
- Low-complexity support
Key Features of Shared Support
1. Shared Agents
In a shared call center or support model, support agents serve multiple clients simultaneously, handling tickets, chats, or calls for whichever client is next in the queue. Staffing for this model depends on ticket volume across clients and not per client.
2. Resource Sharing
This model can reduce costs and improve overall cost efficiency by sharing staffing, training, and infrastructure across multiple clients. It minimizes overhead and makes budgeting more predictable, with pricing typically based on a per-hour or per-ticket rate rather than fixed salaries.
3. Shared Performance Metrics
In shared customer support models, performance is typically reported per client and not per agent, with tracked metrics typically including: average handling time, first response time, and overall CSAT.
4. Global Coverage
Shared agents are typically pooled across time zones, allowing the capacity to offer around-the-clock service in a more affordable way, enabling continuous availability without the cost of hiring full-time agents.
5. Low-Medium Complexity
A shared team is most effective for handling queries that are simple or transactional in nature, like order tracking, refunds, password resets, and account management.
Shared support uses flexible agents serving multiple clients, offering cost efficiency, global coverage, and standardized training for handling low-complexity, high-volume queries across various brands.
What Is a Dedicated Customer Support Model?
A dedicated support model offers more personalized support with a specific team working exclusively for one company or brand, offering consistent, in-depth support in alignment with the client’s brand and tone.
As your outsourced partner, SupportYourApp will provide you with a dedicated customer service team. Whether they work in-house or remotely, we train them to be experts on your product and service, ensuring they function as a seamless extension of your brand and focus on growing your CSAT.
Key Features of Dedicated Support:
1. Exclusive Team Assignment
A dedicated call center or support team assigns a fixed group of agents to one exclusive client, product, or brand, allowing for such benefits as greater accountability, consistency, and familiarity with the client’s processes and goods.
2. Deep Product Knowledge
Agents undergo in-depth training on the client’s products, systems, and workflows, prioritizing the resolution of more complex or technical inquiries than surface-level help desk support issues.
3. Brand Alignment
As a result of their training, agents can fully adopt the client’s brand tone, values, and communication style. This way, customers can perceive the team as an extension of the company, rather than an outsourced service.
4. Consistent Performance
All KPIs and metrics are tracked per client for complete transparency, with customized quality assurance processes in place to measure and improve the unique long-term performance standards set by the client.
5. High Service Quality
Dedicated teams offer more consistent communication and faster resolution, driving higher CSAT scores. All of this contributes to improved loyalty, retention, and a positive brand reputation.
Shared vs. Dedicated Support: Key Differences
The table below offers a side-by-side comparison of the two customer support models to determine the exact pros and cons you can expect from each.
When to Choose Dedicated Support
Now that you understand the core differences, when should you choose a dedicated customer support team?
1. Complex Products or Services
Products requiring deep technical understanding or multistep troubleshooting are better served by a dedicated team, as they can train in specialized knowledge while reducing resolution times and escalation rates. Example: Software platforms
2. High Value Customers
If your business serves long-term accounts that demand priority service and relationship continuity, you will better benefit from a dedicated team committed to delivering a more personalized approach. Example: IT services supporting large clients
3. Prioritized Brand Experience
Are consistent tone, empathy, and customer familiarity integral to your brand’s identity? A dedicated team can easily mirror these characteristics to build and maintain your relationships. Example: Hospitality industry
4. Regulatory Requirements or Sensitive Data
Industries that are bound by GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or other compliance laws are better served by a dedicated team, as this environment limits data exposure while simplifying audits and accountability. Example: Healthcare and Insurance
5. High Volumes or Predictable Demand
Companies experiencing a steady, ongoing ticket volume will benefit more from a dedicated team, as it proves more cost-efficient over the long term. Example: Subscription-based businesses
Key Takeaways:
Choose dedicated support for complex products, strict compliance needs, or consistent ticket volumes requiring personalized, secure, and brand-aligned customer experiences.
When to Choose Shared Support
1. Low or Fluctuating Ticket Volumes
If you find that your customer inquiries are sporadic, unpredictable, or seasonal, then out of the two call center outsourcing models, shared support will be the best choice. This way, you’ll avoid the overhead of paying for idle staff. Example: Retail businesses
2. Small or Early-Stage Businesses
Shared support is the ideal solution when your business is still growing or establishing its customer service operations, with access to trained agents without the additional cost of building an in-house team. Example: Businesses receiving fewer than 1000 tickets per month
3. Short-term Projects
If you are entering a new market or simply testing a pilot program where long-term demand is uncertain, a shared support team allows you to test the service levels before committing to a dedicated cooperation. Example: SaaS startup in a new region
4. Speed is Valued Over Personalization
If your business prioritizes speed and coverage over personalization, a shared team can provide 24/7 support with flexible scalability to match your needs. Example: Global travel booking agency
5. Standardized or Simple Queries
If your customer support involves frequent straightforward questions like basic troubleshooting, password resets, or shipping updates, shared agents can easily manage these with scripts or FAQs. Example: Logistics companies
Key Takeaway:
Choose shared support for small businesses, fluctuating volumes, short-term projects, or simple queries where cost efficiency, scalability, and fast response times matter more than personalization.
How to Decide Between Shared vs. Dedicated Customer Support
How do we choose between these two customer support outsourcing models? You can make a decision by answering the questions in the table below. If you answer yes to the question in the first column, you should choose the support type in the second one, and vice versa — a no to the question in the first column will mean the opposite model from the second one.
If you need additional help, check this twenty-step checklist for selecting a customer service provider, further assisted by examining these SLA best practices to align your expectations.
Summary
There are two types of customer support outsourcing: namely, shared and dedicated customer support, each offering distinct pros and cons. Shared support uses a pool of agents serving multiple clients, making it cost-effective, scalable, and ideal for startups or companies with low or fluctuating ticket volumes. It focuses on efficiency, global coverage, and handling simple or standardized queries. In contrast, dedicated support assigns a team exclusively to one brand, ensuring deep product knowledge, personalized service, and consistent brand representation. This suits businesses with complex products, high-value clients, or regulatory requirements where quality and security are essential. Shared support emphasizes flexibility and affordability, while dedicated support prioritizes control, loyalty, and customer experience. Deciding between shared vs dedicated customer support depends on business priorities like cost, complexity, volume, and brand expectations, as well as on your CX strategy.
FAQ
What is the difference between a dedicated and shared service model?
Simply put, a dedicated support team is committed to servicing one brand/client while prioritizing knowledge, personalization, and quality. Meanwhile, shared support utilizes a pool of agents that provide support to a variety of clients/brands, prioritizing efficiency, affordability, and broader coverage.
Can I combine shared and dedicated support models?
Yes, many businesses combine shared and dedicated support to form a hybrid support model. In this setup, the shared agents are used to handle low complexity inquiries while the dedicated team services the more complex issues or high-profile clients.
Is dedicated support more expensive than shared support?
Yes, generally dedicated support is more expensive as agents are exclusively working for your brand and receive more specific training for personalized service, while shared agents’ cost is shared between clients, making it a more affordable option.
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Nader is an Integration Specialist with over nine years of experience in the customer support industry. Having started as a support agent, he developed a deep understanding of diverse client needs and service environments. He now specializes in building and optimizing helpdesk systems, creating workflows, and implementing tailored integration solutions. Outside of work, he enjoys watching anime, spending time with his family and friends, and is passionate about brewing and tasting great coffee.
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