The payroll outsourcing game is a mess. Most providers treat you like just another number in their system. Endless call queues, different voices every time you ring, and having to explain your setup over and over again. Enough is enough.
At Ascend Payroll, we believe in doing things differently and better. That starts with giving every customer their own dedicated payroll contacts – people who truly understand your business, your people, and your payroll inside out.
We’re not a faceless call centre or a ticketing system. We’re a talented team of experienced payroll professionals who build lasting relationships with the clients we support.
What does a dedicated contact mean to you?
A single point of contact who knows your payroll in detail – no need to repeat yourself or chase different people. Your dedicated contact has your payroll setup memorised. They are familiar with your pay cycles, employee quirks, regular queries, and preferences. When you call, there’s no “Can you just remind me of your company details?” nonsense.
Confidence that your contact understands your specific setup, processes, and preferences – whether you’re dealing with complex shift patterns, multiple locations, or tricky pension arrangements, your dedicated contact gets it. They’ve worked with your business long enough to understand the nuances that make your payroll unique.
Continuity and trust, especially when handling sensitive or complex issues – payroll isn’t just about numbers. It’s about people’s livelihoods, sensitive data, and often complex personal situations. Having someone who already knows the background makes all the difference when you’re dealing with maternity pay calculations, tribunal cases, or HMRC queries.
Clients often worry about having a single contact. What happens if they are off sick, on holiday or leave? We will always have back-up support from additional team members who also know your payroll, ensuring seamless service even if your main contact is away.
Our systems are also designed to capture important information centrally, rather than having it stored in individual emails, so anyone can access your payroll if needed.
We also encourage flexible communication. Whether you prefer to pick up the phone, send an email, message, or jump on a video call – we’re here when you need us. No rigid ticketing systems, impersonal team names or centralised call centres. You can get in touch with us directly and easily, as we understand the time-sensitive nature of payroll and often the question just can’t wait for a 48-hour response time!
Why it works (and why others get it wrong)
Most payroll providers operate like call centres because it’s cheaper and easier for them. They hire junior staff, give them scripts, and hope for the best. The result? You end up explaining your business repeatedly to people who don’t have the experience to understand what you’re telling them.
Or even worse, they remove the communication channels entirely, so even if the payroll contact wanted to talk to you, it becomes very difficult for both parties.
Our approach means faster resolutions because your contact already knows the context. Less admin on your side because you’re not constantly briefing new people. And stronger partnerships because trust builds over time with consistent relationships.
It’s efficient, personal, and rooted in understanding – exactly what payroll should be. When you’ve got a complex query about holiday pay calculations or need urgent changes for a new starter, the last thing you want is to spend 20 minutes explaining your business to someone who’s never heard of you before.
What our customers say
Our clients often tell us how much they value having a dedicated expert they can rely on. Someone who’s proactive, responsive, and already familiar with their needs.
“The teamwork, accuracy and effort that has not only been put into the implementation, but the service received has been top-drawer. I feel that we now have much more control in terms of speed of response to enquiries, handling the data and processing it accurately and the ability to modify and improve the process, which will ultimately enable us to provide a better level of service to our students, clients and stakeholders.” Careers Recruitment Manager, Salford University
“Moving to Ascend as our new payroll provider has been a positive and seamless experience. From the beginning, our onboarding coordinator provided exceptional guidance and support, making the transition smooth and stress-free..
He was responsive, knowledgeable, and proactive in addressing our questions and ensuring we felt confident every step of the way.
Thanks to Ascend, we’ve seen a noticeable improvement in payroll accuracy and administrative efficiency, allowing our team to focus on more strategic priorities.” Chief Exec, Peter Ashley Activity Centres
This is the reality of what happens when you move away from the faceless, one-size-fits-all approach that dominates the payroll industry, to a premium service that prioritises personal contact.
It’s about more than just service
Having a dedicated contact isn’t just about convenience (though it certainly is convenient). It’s about building the kind of working relationship that adds genuine value to your business.
Your dedicated contact becomes familiar with your business cycles, your growth patterns, and your challenges. They can offer proactive advice about payroll efficiencies, flag potential compliance issues before they become problems, and suggest improvements based on their experience with similar businesses.
This consultative approach is impossible when you’re dealing with a different person every time you make contact. It requires the kind of ongoing relationship that only comes from consistent, dedicated support.
Why we do things this way
Sure, it would be easier and cheaper for us to run a traditional bureau model. But we’ve seen the frustration that approach causes, and we’ve experienced it ourselves when dealing with other service providers.
Stewart and Richard, our founders, came from the corporate payroll world where they saw first hand how the “pile ’em high, sell ’em cheap” approach fails clients. They started Ascend specifically to prove that payroll could be done better.
It’s just one of the ways we deliver exceptional service, and it’s why so many businesses choose Ascend. Because when you’re dealing with something as important as payroll, you don’t want to talking to bots or faceless call centres.
