Features of an Outstanding Service Desk
A service desk offers a single point of communication for customer issues. But too many people have had bad experiences with help desk staff. Luckily, the process and tools you use can go a long way toward offering a great experience to your customers.
Customer Focused Staff Members
It takes the right kind of person to work in the fast-paced environment of the help desk. Each staff member needs to work quickly while treating each request like it’s the most important part of the day. Hire staff who use understandable terms and let your customers know what to expect. They should be able to quickly resolve simple requests, and when the ticket is closed, the staff member should request feedback from the customer.
An Efficient Process
Outstanding help desks have processes for many styles and natures of requests. Clients do not want to hear that a staff member does not know the answer or will have to get back to them. With a triage system, issues can be diagnosed and assigned to
the right staff member so the problem can be quickly resolved. One of the best help desk features is the ability to report how long it takes from the time a client submits a request to the resolution time. If an issue is high priority or requires more technical ability, it should have a separate resolution process. For instance, who will resolve critical issues if the service desk is closed? It should be clear what your company’s process is. Allow your SolarWinds service desk to run like a well-oiled machine that reacts when you need it to.
Choosing the Right Staff Members
Each technician should understand the brands and vendors your business relies on to conduct business. Certifications, proficiency validation, and training are important for any technician to have on their resume. But they should also understand the software and tools you use to manage and monitor your systems. That means each technician should have several skills, including:
- Understanding logs
- Interpreting reports
- Taking control of your system regularly and smoothly
- Moving between screens
Productive employees are at the heart of your organization’s success, and if their equipment does not work correctly, they can’t stay effective. That’s true for the service desk as well. If you keep the parts in place, your staff members will treat each customer like they are the most important part of the day. The right tools are an important part of this.
Using the Right Tools
Your help desk members should know how to use software and tools to support the infrastructure, but it’s up to you to provide these tools. That’s why you should carefully consider your suite of tools and invest in them. The right tools will save time and not hinder the process. For instance, a ticketing system allows you to log requests, which is useful when it comes to analyzing and reporting. It can also keep your employees accountable. You’ll also want to consider using an automated system to monitor your infrastructure.
