The Help Desk in the 21st Century

Where do you go if you have a problem with your satellite television or broadband service provider? Whom do you call if your have a problem with your computer's installation system or if your printer just died on you before a major presentation? Who is the one person who can quickly help you stop that whining noise and smoke that your lap top is generating right in the middle of the conference call you are having with your boss? If you are like me, the auto dial function on your telephone will have the number of your friendly global help desk! According to me, the help desk is the best invention of man in the twenty first century. The computer and all the electronic gadgets are over hyped. Technology changes much before it becomes affordable in the first place. And gadgets and gizmos are flooding the marketplace like never before. If there is anything at all that has remained consistent through all the tumult, it has been the ubiquitous help desk.

Its only over the last 10 years that the Help Desk, as we know it today, has become an important component in the corporation. Before that time corporations were not geared up to offer a streamlined customer service. Customers would have to struggle through detailed instruction unaided, or make numerous calls to the "Customer Service" Department.

The concept of the help desk started off as a service offering, provided by makers of new IT products and services to clients, who were still unfamiliar with the new age technology. But as users have gotten more savvy, the products and services too have become even more complex. Which makes the role of the help desk even more important. Take Windows itself. This simple operating system started off as Windows 1.0. It grew over the years to become Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, 97, 2000 and now XP. Obviously, each new version has seen the features increase. And each passing year has seen more users start taking up desktop computing as a real option.

This has only meant more work for the people at the Microsoft help desk. As the versions increased and the features expanded, the conventional help desk too expanded to become much more than a mere service offering. Software products and services almost being on par made the quality of the after sales service a critical component in the competitive marketplace. And the help desk, being at the forefront of this arena, has had to adapt and evolve.

So, the typical help desk of today is staffed not just with people who can familiarize you with products and their features, but also specialist engineers and technicians who can troubleshoot your problems and provide you with the correct solution, often within the duration of a simple telephone call. And since the business demands skilled professionals who come with an innate understanding of technology, better prospects have emerged for IT professionals.

In fact, in keeping with the global outsourcing trend, most help desk jobs have moved to countries like India and China where there is no shortage of skilled manpower, and the quality of the professionals is assured. The beneficial cost structures have also contributed to this trend. For like I mentioned earlier, the products may evolve and newer versions may come up. But unless the help desk remains an integral part of the service offering, there will be no exponential increase of market share.

Russel Clark is a consultant specializing in implementing IT Help Desks in large corporates. You can view Russel's other work at WWW.W0RLD0F.COM

The Dark Side of Help Desk SLAs

The Dark Side of Help Desk SLAs

You just signed a Help Desk Service Level Agreement (SLA) and now think things will get easier. However, you may soon be falling into one of these traps:

1) COVERING THE TRUTH WITH METRICS

In some companies, those under the radar of SLA compliance may resort to doing the minimum instead of really solving the problem. This includes closing or reassigning customer tickets just to meet the ticket queue deadline. While a review of SLA monthly metrics may look like the help desk is meeting or exceeding metrics, in reality the quality of support had started a downward death spiral.

2) DOING ACTIVITIES JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE SLA

When creating the SLA, the customer/management may ask for services and reports because "they are nice to have" and they perceive them as free. However, once the SLA is in force, the help desk staff discover that the customer/management rarely read the reports or utilize these services. But the staff is forced to keep doing them because they are in the SLA.

3) IGNORING ACTIVITIES NOT IN THE SLA

Changes in current products, organizations, management, vendors, and users may require currently unsupported services to receive some level of support. Helpdesk staff are now faced trying to make both the SLA and non-SLA users happy. But picking the wrong choice may mean that you may be trading a happy today for a thousand unhappy tomorrows.

In conclusion, take the time to create a realistic SLA that both and your management/customer can live with -- today and tomorrow. Schedule monthly reviews to see if the real needs are being met.

Periodically sanity check the SLA and see which activities/reports should be dropped and which should in the short-term and mid-term. Good luck in your efforts!

Hallett German (hallett.german@alessea.com) is President of Alessea Consulting. is president of Alessea Consulting http://www.alessea.com specializing in Identity Management, Project Management, and Business Development

The Need for Help Desk Tracking Software

Companies that use help desk software note the many benefits of having it. Flexibility in web-based programs and the ability to effectively organize and manage trouble tickets are two of the most prominently praised features. Many businesses are now realizing the importance of help desk tracking software. They’ve learned that effectively managing consumer issues can create a loyal customer base. Help desk tracking software is a vital component in help desk technology. Your competitors know the benefits of help desk programs. In order to stay abreast of current trends and customer expectations, you should too.

Help desk tracking software allows your company to deliver effective and timely responses to customer trouble tickets. By using a ticket-tracking program, you can prioritize and manage all incoming and outgoing responses. Tracking software also allows customer and technical support personnel to check the status of queries they have already submitted.

The ticket categorization feature of many help desk tracking software programs is also very helpful. Most programs allow the user to organize incoming tickets on the basis of category, channel and priority. Instead of having technicians spend countless hours sifting through emails, tracking software successfully manages the tickets. This means more time for your personnel to spend working tickets, and a more productive workday.

Effectively managing trouble tickets can set your company at a higher standard than your competitors. Customers in today’s world want instant access to their questions and many expect and rely upon 24 hour support 7 days a week. Help desk software can also compile a list of the most frequently asked questions so that your customers can find solutions to their problems without contacting a technician. Quality customer and technical support is valuable to your business strategy, and ignoring this need can mean loss of business. Help desk tracking software is one among many ways to better manage your inbound service inquiries.

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

Customer Support: What Does Yours Say?

Whether you are talking about customer support software or you are talking about those employees that answer the phones, what does your customer support say about you? It should portray to the customer that you are dedicated to them and that you will do whatever it may take to make their experience the best it can be.

What should customer support be, then? Here are some things to consider about the amount of customer support you may or may not have.

• First of all, in ecommerce, you still have to supply a solid customer support base. You can do this by making sure that your website is customer friendly, answers questions and allows for them to ask you questions as well. By doing this, your customers are less likely to go somewhere else for their needs.

• In all arenas, customers will appreciate being able to have all the information that they need at their fingertips. So, take the time you need to take to make sure that they get just that. You can offer pricing and availability information as well as a number of descriptions, consumer reviews and price reductions as well.

• Also, make sure to provide a way for your customers to provide you with feedback. For example, they could tell you they had a hard time finding xyz. Then, you’ll know that maybe something could be done better to help that customer. They may also provide you with good feedback which is simply wonderful to hear.

No matter if we are talking about a software program to place on your website or methods to be placed in a retail setting of the local area, there are a number of great ways that you can provide your customers with great customer support. Happy customers come back!

For more information please see http://www.customer-support-info.co.uk