Helpdesk Software to Drive Self-Service Options

The worldwide markets have felt the economic effects of the recession and businesses everywhere have scrambled to try and figure out how to cut their budgets and keep their doors open. As a result, specific divisions of the company came under close scrutiny, the helpdesk included. Upper management wanted to know how the helpdesk was contributing to the success of the company and why helpdesk software was necessary.

If you work in the helpdesk space, you understand the pressure of proving the value of your department. You likely also understand how important it is to have robust helpdesk software in place to ensure you can meet performance metrics and cater to your specific customers in a timely manner.

There are two functions that tend to be quantified or measured in some way where the helpdesk is concerned: call times and costs per incident. As measures, these two functions of the helpdesk are the most likely to produce information that can be used to ascertain the viability of the department. Helpdesk software can produce a record of call times and costs per incident, producing a consistent, accurate and repeatable evaluation of overall help desk operations to allow for a comparison between the performance of the helpdesk and key standards of other helpdesks.

Beyond these two metrics, it is also important to use helpdesk software to measure the average speed of phone answering. The more time it takes for a helpdesk operator to answer a call, the fewer calls that operator can handle, resulting in more operators needed in order to have an efficient helpdesk. Even the most robust helpdesk software cannot improve the perception of the customer if they have to wait on hold too long to receive the help and service they need.

Many helpdesk managers have an idea of the ideal answer times they want to achieve. However, without a way to capture those times and track them, it is unlikely the helpdesk will be able to improve its performance or operate efficiently. Helpdesk software can capture this information and report on overall performance. Helpdesk managers can then use this information to provide upper management with a cost versus value analysis of the helpdesk.

To try and improve the efficiency of the helpdesk, many companies are implementing solutions that help the customer to resolve an issue on their own. For example, the company may launch a self-service option on the website or provide Interactive Voice Response solutions through the helpdesk to provide common solutions and issue resolutions to customers without interacting with them in a live format. Helpdesk software helps to deliver this self-service, while also tracking the success rate of the interactions.

Helpdesk professionals are still on hand to answer the more complicated questions or address broader issues with the customer, yet the helpdesk software can meet the basic service needs. This helps to significantly drive down the cost per incident, while improving the customer loyalty rate. As valuable as the customer base is to the company, the investment in helpdesk software could go a long way in preventing customer churn.

There is a wide variety of helpdesk software solutions available with help desk applications that can certainly streamline your processes and create a better experience for your customer base. Compare helpdesk software before making your selection to ensure that the helpdesk software will work within your environment and for your customers.