Introduction
Helpdesk is a company’s technical link meant to avail support to the end users. Today, most firms consider the helpdesk as one of the integral part of a management due to its responsibilities to deliver support services, whenever a client or employee makes an enquiry or an urgent call to troubleshoot a problem. Helpdesk enables the stakeholders to combine various company resources to solve a query or any other developing issues to ensure client’s satisfaction. The helpdesk is made of both the internal and external personnel within a business setting in the aim of automation of various user support tasks. The automation of help services also assists the firms in reduction of unnecessary resources such as support personnel, since only fewer employees are able to handle higher volumes of data.
Strategies for implementing a strong Helpdesk
Integration of other Electronic Systems
Common systems in a firm include the electronic mailing, telephone and network management systems. According to McGee et al (2005), the need to expand operation platforms for helpdesks is a big challenge since majority to the earlier operating systems fails to support them. This calls for need to customize systems or implementation of expert systems to be inline with current demands. The internet has caused a massive changeover and sophistication of customer support systems, due to the need for companies to embrace the latest technological advancements.
Setting of Goals
The most common goals that every firm’s executives have to enumerate in their systems first include the measures or ability to increase capacity for handling more customers. The procedure of handling clients at this level is critical since it determines the customer bases. This means that personnel must be able to involve a unique personal touch to this form of service that will catch the attention of clients. Thirdly, the form of interaction and the helpdesk must be professional, formal and polite regardless of the matters that may arise such as frenzied demands/inquiries.
Lastly, the helpdesk agents are supposed to be in a position of controlling the flow of resourceful information similar to the way a librarian manages academic resources as per demands. The managerial strategy must ensure that the helpdesk personnel direct clients accurately and to the correct resourceful area to obtain their replies. The client needs/demands often have some logical conflicts, thus the need for more skilled agents for the helpdesk assistance and wider access of resourceful materials for various inquiries one may not be aware of ways to handle. Helpdesk agents training programs assist to find the right personnel who have the right skills for solving or routing potentials.
Implementing Automated Systems
In line with Beisse (2009), helpdesk efficiency does not depend on personnel’s ability to handle multiple calls. Incorporating the simple and common technological assistance programs such as the helpdesk’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) applications ought to help in minimizing of transfer problems and possible deadlocks, while assisting management in motioning performances by tracking customer’s satisfaction surveys, to analyze business performance based on achievement of goals.
Hiring Suitable Set of Skill
The ability to understand the customer need is critical in any firms. Is the helpdesk made of knowledge workers or skilled analysts? Knowledge workers are able to analyze complex enquiries and come up with accurate answers while skilled analysts provide common or direct answers to redundant enquiries (Beckford, 2002). Performance of process workers depends with quantity. The measure therefore caters for the number of clients served under a given time limit, the response resolution as well as closure time for a common enquiry. On the other hand, performances of knowledge workers depend on quality, which translates to accuracy of answers to complex inquiries. This is equally a strategy to enable management of firm’s performance levels.
Choosing the right attitude
According to Microsoft Corporation (1997), helpdesk affluence depends on human resource personality and not necessarily on competence levels. Some of the representatives are faster and accurate than other and eventually end up with fewer problems without being skewed by any unusual incidences.
The warm gratifying voices responding to customer’s problems are very important for business prosperity. Responses in the right attitudes make the client to feel welcome, comfortable and at ease in making his/her inquiry in believe of getting good satisfactory assistance. Besides the right performance skills, right attitude brings forth fruitful achievements. The attitudes of personnel depend on the level of service they expect or are expected to deliver, which must be attainable. Once the goals are achieved, necessary adjustments are easy to make such as setting of new goals, thus fostering progress. Acknowledging of support groups’ efforts by management enables them to aim higher and deliver better services for better business growth.
Conclusion
Current procedures of setting up a modern Helpdesk system require some physical preparations. The management must plan and realize acoustic client bases, implement expertise back-up systems, have high-tech systems such as the wireless and hands-free kits, good, resourceful and comfortable work place/space for the helpdesk personnel. The most difficult part of the implementation is the logical system setting. Having highly qualified experts or professionals to address the service demands requires effective strategies spanning from definition of mission or goals to implementation of procedures.
References:
Beckford, J. (2002). Quality: A Critical Introduction. Second Ed New York, NY: Routledge Publishers.
Beisse, F. (2009). A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists. New Jersey, NJ: Cengage Learning Publishers.
McGee, P., Carmean, C. & Jafari, A. (2005). Course management systems for learning: beyond accidental pedagogy. London, UK: Information Science Publishing.
Microsoft Corporation. (1997). Microsoft Sourcebook for the Help Desk: Techniques and Tools for Support Organization Design and Management. London, UK: Microsoft Press.