Web Based Helpdesk Software

The term “Helpdesk” itself gives an overview of the software. Web based helpdesk means an interface where the clients are provided help with respect to spam mail, web forms, etc. Any problem encountered by a company working with computers can be solved by the web based helpdesk software with immediate effect. Helpdesk software is the perfect way to solve any technical anomalies faced by the clients.

The best part of the web based helpdesk software is that the client can access the helpdesk through any computer, anywhere in the world. The benefit of this software is that it is very flexible compared to its earlier versions. Given below are some of the advantages of the web based helpdesk software:

· There are many times when an employee tries to solve clients queries, some other employee solves the problem. This generally happens when your company is using a standard e-mail format to help your customers. Helpdesk software provides a separate interface through which each employee has the right to own and solve the query received by him.

· Some web based helpdesks also allow their clients to create their own trouble tickets. Besides, creating a trouble ticket is easy as filling up any web application form. This saves the company’s time as well as money.

· Some web based software also offers FAQ menus to their clients for better results. In this way, the clients will be able to solve their queries through mere interaction without any assistance from the technical support.

· The term “software” may sound too technical, however it is not. There is no need to buy the software at all. All you have to do register yourself and set the ‘settings’ to default mode and simply copy-paste the HTML code. That’s all you have to do and you have your own web based helpdesk!

· Just so that you get to experience the web based helpdesk software before registering for it, you can avail the trial offer in which the first twenty requests (queries) are free of charge. Besides, the monthly subscription fee for this web based software is about $9.95 per operator. This makes the web based helpdesk software very cost effective.

· Compared to e-mail based customer service desks, the web based helpdesks are more productive. E-mail based services generally use the format of multiple addresses which can create a lot of confusion. By using web based software, companies can direct the customer queries directly to the technical support.

There are many web based helpdesk software namely, HelpDesk Software, BLive 2.5, CRMdesk, etc. Web based helpdesk software can easily help to generate more revenue for any company by providing customer satisfaction with its unique features and immediate results.

If you need a powerful solution for your support make sure you check out a great Web Based Helpdesk Software for more info.

How to Select Help Desk Software for Superior Service and Efficiency

The ability to provide the highest level of customer service with the greatest levels of efficiency is paramount for companies in the market for web based help desk software. With this in mind, there are a few key features managers should look for during the evaluation process.

Complete email integration. This is a feature in just about all help desk software, however as your evaluating make sure there is complete email integration that can support multiple mailboxes (if needed), a variety of mail server configurations, as well as key email features such as conversation threading and cc'ing.

Interaction Log. To prevent staff from having to sift through emails and note pads to recall the last interaction with a customer, all good help desk software will automatically log all interactions, those with the customer as well as those between staff members, related to a customer inquiry. If this is done in a logical, easy to use manner, it will allow any staff member (with the appropriate access) to get quickly up-to-speed when necessary.

Flexible categorization capability. To optimize the efficiency of your help desk operation you'll want the ability to categorize each customer inquiry for later aggregate reporting where trends can be spotted and addressed in a more proactive manner.

For example, appropriate categorization and reporting could uncover a large number of requests around a refund/exchange process. In an attempt to reduce staff time spent on this type of common inquiry, you could use tools with your customer portal (outlined below), such as knowledge base or forums, to outline a process for quick referral.

Self-service customer portal. Your customer-facing help desk site should contain the following components:

1. Customizable web submission form. Make sure you can collect the information you need, in the format you need it in.
2. Request status checker. This should include not only the most current update but all other interactions staff have had with the customer.
3. Easy to use knowledge base--more on the importance of this below.
4. Customer forums for collaborative problem solving. In some situations, your customers can be the best resource for other customers with questions. Foster a collaborative community around your product/service with a managed forum.

These features should be bundled in a template-driven portal that allows for customization with the components you want in the same, familiar, look-and-feel of your site.

A user-friendly knowledge base. While many web based help desk software packages include some form of knowledge base--be aware that not all are created equal. To ensure this is a tool your customers and staff will be confident in using, look for a knowledge base that has a logical layout; avoid overly complex, deeply nested knowledge bases.

Jamie Landsman is a Product Director at UserScape Inc., which is focused on building user-center software. Their primary product, HelpSpot, is a web based help desk software package offering a robust feature set with an easy to use interface. To learn more about HelpSpot, visit us at www.userscape.com/products/helpspot/

Finding Free Help Desk Software

Many companies recognize the benefits of help desk software. From streamlining technical inquiries to responding quickly to customer issues, help desk software has become a basic part of most company’s business strategies. Pricing can vary and some businesses, especially small businesses or start-ups, may be interested in free help desk software.

For small companies, downloading free help desk software may be ideal. Many companies do not offer free software for more than 100 computers, so if you have a larger business, it is like that you will need to purchase a larger version.

Many online companies offer free help desk software. Most of these programs are downloadable, easy to install and relatively easy to use. One company, HelpDeskReloaded.com, offers an excellent free help desk program with almost daily updates.

As a business owner, you may have questions regarding the use of free help desk software. For instance, how can companies turn a profit while offering a free product like this? Many help desk software providers offer limitations on the number of computers that can access the software, some have limitations on the number of tickets supported and some programs are supported by advertising frames. For a small start up business, these limitations may not hinder the purposeful use of the program. For others, it may be necessary to upgrade the account in order to obtain full access to the particular program.

Free help desk software programs usually offer the same features and functions as purchased programs. Some of the features may include the ability to share trouble tickets with the entire support team, tracking the status of the trouble tickets to ensure their resolution and the ability to manage tickets to ensure they are directed to the appropriate personnel. Most free help desk software programs are fully functional and offer businesses a comprehensive solution for their needs.

Help Desk Software Info provides detailed information on help desk software solutions, including IT help desk software, web-based help desk software, free help desk software, help desk tracking, help desk support software, and reviews of help desk software programs. Help Desk Software Info is the sister site of Recruiting Software Web

So Your Starting An Online Buisness? Check For Customer Support First

Starting an Online Business is easier then you think. There are several work at home opportunities that are available. Anything from writing about your own niche related topic to Ad Marketing to Male Enlargement Opportunities. Although most people probably look for a cost friendly avenue to pursue, there is one major detail we all seem to over look. It should be the first thing we look for and we all assume it is there, but it may not be as present as we think. That would be Customer Support.

The last thing you need to find out is not there when starting an online business, is that there is no customer support. It is all fine and dandy to purchase a product for $10 a month, but does it provide all that you need? So yes, it may provide emailing capabilities, server space and auto responders. But if you have questions is there a purchasers forum? Better yet, are you allowed in the forums before you buy the product? Are there any responses to questions you send? How do you take advantage of that "Money Back Guarantee" if you ever need it?

These are the top questions we should all be asking when starting an online business. You may think you will never need to use customer support but at some point even if it is years down the road, you will need it. The last thing you need to find out when beginning your venture, is that your questions are just not important enough to see human eyes because it is a computer automated responder that takes the message. Internet Marketing is HUGE right now. Everyone wants a piece of the work at home pie.

With 70% of people thinking of starting an online business and several making money at it, why not? That is a very high number. But they are only thinking about it. That means they are likely researching about it. Which means a lot of web surfing. Equals a lot of sales gimmicks and having to give up your personal email just to see what is behind "Door # 1". And when you do finally begrudgingly sign your email away and enter the life of starting an online business, it may not be all the peaches and cream we have hoped for. Seems like the most common entry page is another sales page.

Offering free e-zine subscriptions and showing you "Do not take it From Us, here is So and So and their success Story" ads. Then when you scroll down to the bottom, it does not mention anything of customer support or how to find it if you need it. There is a lot of different payment options, signs about a money back guarantee, and "if you buy now get $350 worth of additional products FREE"! And this is fantastic when starting an online business. We want to know that our investment is protected and we all love free stuff. But maybe what we should be asking first is how to contact customer support if there is ever a problem.

Take the major companies of the world. If there was no customer support they would never make it. Someone somewhere will have a question that needs to be answered. If you are starting an online business and you will be selling or promoting a product, are you going to ignore any and every question that comes your way? I doubt it. Although in society today, it seems like we are not as people friendly as we once where, there is something to be said for customer support. A happy customer talks. An irate customer talks, emails, and messages anyone and everyone about their experiences with a name and company attached.

Customer support is the front lines between you and who you will be dealing with. If there is little to no services, there will be little to no recurring business. Word will get around quickly that customer support stinks. We are a freedom of speech society that allows us to say what we want to anyone who will listen in any manner we choose, within reason of course. Nobody needs a lawsuit.

Word of Mouth is Queen in the business world and people listen closely for great customer support but remember names and companies for the worst experiences. When starting an online business, this is no different. Do your homework and ask questions. Yes, several people make it doing little to no research on a specific item, but do you want to promote something you do not care about? Or are you okay with your website "Going on Autopilot" and still making you money while you do the 9-5? Whatever avenue you decide to pursue when starting an online business remember customer support is King.

Celeste uses Site Build It for all of her web master needs. As the creator of little-known-food-facts.com, Celeste has spent hours researching foods and their effects on people. She has taken this information and is promoting a healthy lifestyle while working from home and raising her two young children.

This has been a dream come true for Celeste as she is able to pursue her passions of cooking, writing and photography all from one spot. Find out more on how you can create your own healthy lifestyle and how to begin your own work at home opportunity here.

Automating Your Customer Support

 

My regular readers will know that one of the things I highly recommend doing with any online business is automating as many of your day to day tasks as possible.

From a personal point of view, one of the tasks that takes up a lot of my time is answering emails. It isn't just answering email that eats up the hours - sorting through and deleting spam and junk mail absorbs a lot of time too. In the good old days, I used to get a couple of spam emails a day. Now it is closer to 1000 a day!

In fact, when you look at it, email isn't always the best form of online communication. Not only is there the junk mail issue to contend with but also the fact that email is not 100% reliable. Emails do 'go missing' far more regularly than you might expect. Often this is simply because the recipients email software has decided that a particular email is junk and has transferred it directly to the 'Delete' folder. Other times it may be because the recipients ISP has decided that the email is junk and deleted it BEFORE it has even been seen by the recipient! (Yes this really does happen - imagine if your postman sorted through your mail and made the decision of which letters you want and which ones he should throw away?!)

One way to help avoid the spam problem when dealing with customer support enquiries is to make use of a contact form on your website instead of posting an email address. This will certainly help to cut down on spam but it still means that you have the problem of emails not getting to their destination (and when you have a frustrated customer waiting for assistance this is not ideal).

Therefore, probably the best option on the market presently is a full-blown helpdesk system. Setting up a dedicated helpdesk is a superb way of automating your customer support and speeding up the process of dealing with enquiries and support emails. Not only that but if you use a system that allows customers to create 'tickets', you don't have to rely on email as your customers can login to a special web page and view both their tickets and your replies online.

Another feature of many helpdesk scripts is an 'FAQ' or 'Knowledgebase' section. This is simply a collection of the most frequently asked questions/queries/problems along with answers and solutions. This means that customers can search the knowledgebase and hopefully find the answer to their question without having to contact Support at all.

Some of the more advanced scripts will even scan the customers support ticket prior to submitting it and then list a few possible answers to their questions just in case they didn't read through the knowledgebase before typing the ticket out - very clever stuff.

These scripts are also very powerful in terms of how they can benefit you. Just think how much time you could save if, say, 40% of your customer support emails just stopped coming due to the fact that your customers were now able to find the answers to their questions automatically.

Having an online helpdesk is also of benefit if you travel around a lot or if you are away from the office on vacation etc. Instead of having to take a laptop loaded up with previous emails from customers, you can simply login to your helpdesk admin page and all of your previous correspondence will be online and at your fingertips. It also means that you won't have to spend hours in an Internet cafe deleting a days worth of spam at a time just to get to the important emails since only the important emails will have made it through to the helpdesk in the first place.

As with most things, setting up a customer service helpdesk is one of those tasks that is always better done when you first start your online business. That said, it is fairly easy to integrate such a feature into your existing set up and that is exactly what I have done for all of my websites...

Over the next few months, I will be phasing many of my email addresses out - I simply can't stand the spam any more! With immediate effect, all customer support issues for all of my products and websites will be handled via a central Customer Support Helpdesk.

I am confident that this will improve the overall 'support experience' for both my customers and me :-)

If you are interested in installing a similar helpdesk on your own website/s, there are numerous options when it comes to suitable software. I chose a product called eSupport (link below) and whilst this is a very powerful script, I am hesitant to give it my full recommendation since the installation/set up process was, how can I put this, slightly painful. It doesn't help that there is no manual for the software which means that new users are left to figure out how it works by trial and error or by trawling through hundreds of posts on the company forum. That said, I am advised by the software creator that a manual is in the process of being written and will be available soon. As I say, an excellent and powerful script once installed and configured but definitely not for those lacking patience (and indeed, some computer knowledge). If you opt for this script, my advice would be to get the publishers of the software to install it for you. You can find out more about eSupport at: http://www.kayako.com

Other alternatives (neither of which I have tried myself) include Perldesk ( http://www.perldesk.com ) and Cerberus ( http://www.cerberusweb.com ). One advantage of Cerberus is that there is a free version :-)

Richard Grady has been helping ordinary people earn online since 1998. He writes a free newsletter which is published every two weeks. To subscribe (and claim your free gifts), visit: http://www.thetraderonline.com/newsletter.html