Outsourcing Player Support

The importance of player support

We all know that customer service is critical for a successful game. Great support leads to happy players who play longer, make more in-game purchases, buy the latest expansions and titles, and stay loyal to the brand.

Poor support — and a poor experience — can have the opposite effect.

We are constantly asked, “What’s the ROI for player support?” Our gaming industry veteran and CXO Rich Weil loves to joke, “Well, stop doing it for six months, and you’ll find out.”

But providing great customer support for your game and your players is challenging — easier said than done. Many games have international players. Play happens 24/7/365. And then there are the gamers themselves, who often don't have the patience for non-gamer support staff.

You need to keep up with growth. Gaming keeps increasing in popularity. You’ve got to be ready to scale if you launch a hit or ship a critical bug.

And you need to do it all on budget.

Why is the gaming industry special?

Customer support does not significantly vary across industries. Still, the gaming industry presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

Global popularity

The popularity of gaming continues to increase worldwide. According to Newzoo's 2023 report, North America represents just over a quarter of gaming revenue while Asia-Pacific represents nearly half. Sliced a different way, the US and China represent half of the market. So, if you're looking for player support, chances are it will need to be localized.

Changes happen quickly

Games get hot and spread quickly. Critical bugs need lightning-fast responses. Great player support requires ramping up quickly to seize opportunities and respond to crises. And keep in mind—as we just mentioned above—this often needs to happen across different markets.

Players aren't your average customers

Sure, many gamers are just like ordinary customers. But then there are the hardcore gamers. At first, they might seem easy to support since they often avail themselves of self-support opportunities like documentation and FAQs. They also seek out public support channels like Discord servers, forums, subreddits, and the like to find the solution to their problem. They're also great at sharing what they've learned. Another win that makes your life easy.

But when they need help, they generally don't have the patience for non-gamers. You need to ensure you have a team up to this task. You don't want to disappoint your biggest fans. Gamers expect you to speak their language literally and figuratively.

On the other end of the spectrum, the increase in casual gaming means you have an entirely different type of customer to support: one less prone to self-support and more reliant on traditional channels.

Playtime variability

Nearly every digital or global industry is 24/7 these days. However, support load follows a reasonably predictable pattern in most industries. Gaming is different. You have players all over the world playing any time of day. It's no longer reserved for evenings and weekends. So, it isn't just about full coverage; it's about ensuring you have enough support at various times to maintain consistent responses. And you need to be able to quickly increase resources when things change.

Support channel options

Omnichannel support is tables stakes for most companies these days. Customers should be able to get help however they choose: by phone, email, text, chat, or submitting a ticket to a CRM. Of course, there are public channels, such as social media and forums. But player support means expanding your support channels further to include Discord, subreddits, and even in-game support.

We like to think of player support as regular customer support on hard mode.

In-house support vs outsourcing

Whether to handle player support in-house or outsource is complex. It involves various factors and includes specific business requirements, capabilities, and costs. This short guide can only cover some of those factors.

The upside of in-house is clear. You know the game best, and you're best suited to help your clients. You get to develop relationships with them; your conversations are an invaluable feedback loop.

However, there are two things we’ve heard from past clients enough times that are worth mentioning here.

The hidden costs of in-house support

Staffing customer support in-house is expensive—there are many hidden costs. Startup costs include the time and expense spent hiring, onboarding, and training new employees. Then there’s the fact that no one works 100% of the time: there are breaks, meals, meetings, and, of course, the occasional office celebration. Don’t forget the associated equipment and IT costs: desks, chairs, computers, software, internet connectivity, and the time and people who manage everything. It adds up.

The opportunity costs of in-house support

In addition to the fiscal costs of running customer support in-house, there’s an opportunity cost. Time and energy spent managing an in-house team could often be better spent on what gaming companies do best: building great games.

Many gaming companies already do this with other aspects of their business. One example is licensing a physics engine instead of building one. This allows developers and producers to focus on the unique aspects of their game rather than reinventing the wheel. Companies that find expert, outsourced support enjoy a similar benefit.

You can always do both

It doesn't have to be one or the other. Many gaming companies provide a mix of in-house and outsourced support. Offloading some of the more straightforward inquiries to a more cost-effective team is an excellent way to test the viability of outsourced support for your game and reduce costs.

If you go this route, you'll want to carefully vet potential partners on how seamlessly they can integrate with your internal team. The more cohesive the teams, the better results you get and the happier your players will be.

What does good player support look like?

When evaluating an outsourced player support company, what are the top things to consider? We have a particular view on this.

Outcome-focused

Just because you're outsourcing doesn't mean your business goals and KPIs should be set aside. Rather, you want to find a partner who is as committed to meeting your goals as you are. You want a partner that isn't just providing a service but is committed to delivering results.

Quality

Quality should definitely be on your list. There are many ways to characterize quality: you want a team that does things well, that's "switched on", that "gets it". But you really want a team that you enjoy working with and that your players appreciate. And it is measurable: if CSATs are dropping, you don't have quality. If you're making your players unhappy, you're eroding your most valuable asset.

Cost savings

A big reason for outsourcing player support is to save money. If you can drive costs down and increase quality, you'll maximize the ROI on your support spend.

Cost may seem easy to evaluate, and it can be. The key? Always focus on the total cost of ownership. Beware of low hourly rates that initially seem cheaper but are much more expensive due to outdated staffing models, underutilized agents, and inflexible terms. You can learn more about calculating the true cost of outsourcing here.

Control

The other feature to look for is control. You want to feel like outsourced player support is working for you and helping you make progress. You don't want to feel locked in or slowed down. You want to be able to scale up quickly, scale down if necessary, and pivot if circumstances change. You want transparency and collaboration.

Bottom line: you want to nail your KPIs and maximize ROI without sacrificing your ability to steer the project.

Specific outsourcing details to look for when selecting a partner

In addition to finding the right outsourcer that aligns with you in terms of the big picture, several details distinguish companies that provide customer support for gamers. So here is a list of some other things worth inquiring about.

Technology that delivers results

AI is all the rage right now, but automation has been around for a while. Properly using these can improve efficiency and increase player satisfaction while reducing costs. But beware of the wrong tool, poor implementations, and outsourcers that fail to optimize these tools once deployed.

Scalability that won't slow you down

You need a partner who can move quickly and scale up exactly when and how you need it. Areas to consider are international expansion, product launches, and crisis response.

On-demand staffing that fits your needs perfectly

Everyone provides 24/7 support these days — it's table stakes. The real challenge is having the right amount of support exactly when needed so you're never overstaffed or shorthanded. You don't want some shifts having agents sitting around while other shifts are scrambling to address a backlog. That costs you more, and the inconsistent response times can impact CSAT. The trick? Look for outsourcers that provide on-demand or hourly services. Be wary of those selling services tied to FTEs.

Omnichannel support (and beyond)

Every outsourcer worth their salt should be adept at seamlessly delivering support across all 1:1 channels (phone, email, text, chat, tickets). Omnichannel support is expected industry-wide. But you also need a partner who is adept at handling support requests in public, such as on social media, in forums, and on Discord servers.

Support in public is a different game and requires greater skills related to community management and content moderation. If your game offers in-game support, make sure potential vendors have people who know their way around it.

Gaming expertise

You should look for two things here. First, you'll want a company with experience providing player support in the gaming industry. Again, this is table stakes. But what about the actual agents who will be interacting with your players? Wouldn't it be better if those folks were also fellow gamers? And wouldn't it be great if they also played your game so they have first-hand knowledge? It's worth exploring.

Who fits the bill?

At this point, you might think we have a fairly demanding perspective on what makes good player support. You'd be right—we do have high standards. And we have those standards because we have seen the value that top-notch customer support can bring to a game. Happy players are invaluable.

So, while this feels like a tall order and a wishlist, it isn't.

Take us, for example.

We're a company that has always been focused on outcomes. We’ve always prioritized quality first and then optimized our way to competitive prices. We've always treated our clients like partners.

ModSquad leads the industry in technology and innovation. We've designed workflows and pioneered innovative, on-demand staffing models. We’ve developed secure platforms and integrated every leading tool in the industry, including the latest in AI and automation. We’re always looking for ways to do things better and more efficiently. Technology must always serve a specific outcome—we never deploy it for its own sake.

And we're gamers at heart. It's not just that we've worked with the best brands in the industry; the Mods who work on our gaming projects are there because they chose to be. Nearly all are gamers. Most will be playing your game along with your players, too. See, we let our Mods choose their own projects, so you end up with a team of like-minded gamers and fans.

If you want to learn more about how ModSquad has worked with gaming companies to provide great outsourced player support, here are a few case studies worth reading. Mobile gaming company Wooga increased global coverage while saving €20,000 annually. We helped Roll20 through a 500% increase in support tickets when RPG gamers flocked to their platform in the wake of Covid-19 and social distancing.

Conclusion

We’ve come a long way since “player support” meant refunding a lost token at the local arcade and “scaling” meant adding another part-timer on Saturday night. These days it means keeping up with players all over the globe communicating in many different languages on many different platforms. And the crowds can grow exponentially overnight. Bottom line: you want a partner who knows the industry and has the flexibility to deliver great player support no matter what.

If you need someone to work the counter at your digital arcade, you can use this guide to sort through the vast number of outsourced customer support providers.

Or make it easy on yourself, and get a 30-minute consultation on how to grow your game with outsourced player support.