3. Should Pagoda.com outsource its online help desk? Why or why not? Be sure to consider Table 10.1 when framing your answer. Pagoda.com is an Internet service provider (ISP) that caters to individual consumers and small businesses who require a high level of service and are willing to pay a premium for it.

Specifically, Pagoda.com offers state-of-the-art e-mail applications and web-building software, as well as plenty of storage space and fast access via its high-speed servers.

Marketing vice president Jerry Hunter puts it this way:

“There are a lot of companies out there distributing free CDs and promising the cheapest Internet access. But what do you get for your money? Slow or no access, a mailbox full of spam, and an endless stream of system crashes. And I won’t even mention the lack of support if you have a technical question! For a few dollars more a month, we give our customers the environment they need to be productive—

without having to think about whether or not they can retrieve their e-mail, or whether their Web site has crashed.

It’s no surprise, then, that we have the highest customer satisfaction and retention rates in the industry.”