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In the business world, many of our products and services are relatively similar. The best way to stand out is by providing great customer service. According to statistics, 86% of buyers are more likely to pay more for a better customer experience. Although it can be daunting to respond to multiple needs, with help desk software, you will have better control over customer communications. Read on to learn more.
What Is Help Desk Software?
Help desk software is a centralized desk that organizes communications to help resolve all employees' and customers' issues, enabling your staff to interact with customers through different channels and track the progress of each issue through to resolution.
Let's first clear some common terms that you might come across while using this software.
- A ticket is a request raised by the user in the form of a problem, question, or feedback.
- The ticket status refers to how the ticket travels through various stages in the cycle.
- A category is similar to a folder that organizes the tickets.
The cycle starts when a user submits a ticket. The help desk mailbox receives the ticket, and the support team gets notified. Next, a technician with the right skills and experience responds to the issue. The ticket status updates so that technicians know the issue is being actively addressed.
The user and the technician interact directly, and after resolving the issue, the technician closes the ticket. Afterward, an automated message is sent to the user to gauge the level of customer satisfaction as a way to continually improve their help desk processes.
Some companies will then post the ticket to their knowledge base in order to assist more customers who are experiencing the same issue.
Considerations for Setting Up a Virtual Service Desk
There are various help desk solutions available in the market today, which makes it a bit difficult to choose one that will best suit your needs.
First, look out for automated ticket creation. An effective help desk software that automates workflow can reduce onboarding time. A virtual agent also frees up time for your team to focus on more complex issues.
You need to ensure that you are working with the right team at the virtual service desk. Every employee needs to know their role and responsibilities. You might need additional resources, especially during the setup phase which is perfectly normal. The goal is to eliminate any confusion which can slow the entire process.
It can be difficult to provide satisfactory service to your customers if you don't know what they need. Make a point to research your users and understand their varying levels of knowledge and familiarity. If you have more of a tech-savvy customer base, you can consider setting up a self-service portal with AI-enabled chatbot support. Ensure that your virtual help desk is accessible through mobile device, PC, and email so customers can conveniently reach out where and how they prefer to.
Set achievable goals to measure the effectiveness of the help desk solution. The objectives should be actionable and measurable, and let all your team members know about this. After a set period, collect data to benchmark the level of customer service your company provides and then make adjustments where necessary.
How to Set Up Your Help Desk
Begin by deciding what type of support desk you want. You can opt for the traditional model that deals with receiving and resolving customer tickets. We would, however, recommend going for an expansive model that can assist both internal and external customers. Next, choose the communication channels you want your users to contact you through.
Define your help desk's staffing needs. Figure out how many people, on average, need support based on your customer base and level of inquiries. We would suggest working with specialists. Note that your team should use 70% of their time resolving issues and the remaining time training and attending meetings.
Think of the most popular questions that your customers ask and prepare a predefined answer to promote self-service. Also, use a chatbot to offer proactive customer interaction. Come up with a strategy to categorize and prioritize tickets.
How to Make Your Help Desk Even More Efficient
Strive for continuous improvements by identifying opportunities, implementing changes, setting specific goals, and reviewing your processes. You must train your help desk employees on how best to solve issues and maintain customer satisfaction. Teach your staff how to remain calm and empathize with the client. Admit mistakes and always follow up after resolving a ticket.
We have seen big companies get lambasted on social media after a poor customer service experience. Your team should always remain professional, no matter what channel they are communicating on.
Collect performance feedback from employees along the way to address any issues that come up as quickly as possible. Empower technicians with new technologies to speed up the process and give allow for greater flexibility and efficiency. A reward system works well for most teams. Once your employees achieve the company's set goals, tokens of appreciation go a long way toward boosting productivity and morale.
Conclusion
Help desk software enables companies to resolve a large number of customer issues effectively and efficiently. If configured correctly, this tool will empower your employees to handle multiple problems simultaneously and give customers multiple channels in which to contact you. No matter what business you're in, there will be a help desk solution to match your unique needs.
