If you came to this article while looking for information about what a help desk is, you probably understand the importance of providing your company with a team specialized in answering customer queries and resolving their problems.
Therefore, we prepared this content so that you understand what help desk is, how it works, what its advantages are, how it helps to identify metrics, among many other important questions on the subject. Continue reading to find out more!
What is a help desk?
We can say that, in its literal translation, help desk is a type of “help desk”, however the term is used in corporate circles to refer to a customer service department that aims to offer specific solutions, as well as clarifications regarding questions and other requests for technical problems.
In general, the term help desk is linked to IT issues, so these problems are usually related to some type of technology (IT, telephony, mobile devices, etc.), but it is also common for them to be issues linked to sales.
The service provided by the help desk aims to centralize the receipt of customer requests in a single communication channel, which greatly facilitates the resolution of problems and answers to questions.
The way the help desk is applied may vary depending on the needs of each organization. For example, it can be an external or internal sector, through outsourcing services, such as a call center dealing with company incidents.
However, it can also be expanded through other contact channels, such as telephone, email and applications, which have increasingly gained approval from users due to their simplicity and agility in solving problems.
Companies that implement the help desk understand the competitive and strategic advantages that this service offers while ensuring that the most appropriate procedures are carried out so that data is analyzed and can be distributed correctly.
The help desk’s operating model is usually based on the best practices that the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) methodology provides. It is no coincidence that incident control, customer communication and lifecycle management of all service requests are its main responsibilities.
What role does the help desk perform?
As you have understood so far, what is a help desk if not a service that provides customer service and solves their problems, right? To this end, some tools are generally used that can centralize and separate requests into categories, as well as tickets opened by customers.
Thus, the team of operators responsible for providing support — also known as support analysts — will have access to all data and information so that they can take the necessary measures to contact the customer and resolve their problems.
Once again, it is worth highlighting that the help desk does not only deal with IT-related issues. Below are some examples of how the help desk works in practice.
Help desk at an internet provider
Anyone who has ever needed to contact their internet provider due to a problem with their connection has already had contact with a help desk team, where the operator records the incident and then starts following a script to resolve the issue. problem, such as the traditional measure of rebooting the modem.
When the problem is not resolved at the help desk, the service desk team is requested, that is, a department equipped with professionals with more specific knowledge or, even, a technical visit is scheduled to diagnose and resolve the issue once and for all. .
Help desk in an e-commerce
In the case of a Software as a Service (SaaS) company or a Business to Business (B2B) virtual store, that is, one that offers services to other companies, the customer would get in touch through one of the available channels and would also have your request recorded so that a specialized operator could contact you as soon as possible to help resolve the problem.
In most cases, it is very common for B2B e-commerce to not have a technical support team that can go to the consumer’s physical establishment and, therefore, service is carried out virtually (remote access).
This way, the operator has what it takes to carry out the necessary procedures and access the customer’s device remotely. Remembering that this support can also be provided through real-time monitoring, tutorials or even videos.
Therefore, we can say that the services provided by the help desk team work both virtually and locally, depending on the context in which the customer’s problem arose.
How to use the help desk to improve results?
As mentioned, the help desk can be used both internally and externally. This means that the organization can have its own specialized IT team to work within the company or, if preferred, outsource the service by hiring a team.
The same applies to help desk segmentation, which can be aimed at external audiences, that is, consumers, or internal audiences (employees and other people involved in the company) who also experience technical difficulties in their work routine.
See below how the help desk can help improve the company’s results:
Monitor complaints
Having a technological tool that records all calls, allowing real-time monitoring of complaints, is one of the best ways to organize, speed up and facilitate requests from customers or employees.
Think about the following scenario: whenever a consumer makes a request or complaint, a record will be created for them. This way, for each new interaction with this customer, the system will record data such as name, time, protocol number, among other information, which may be useful later to track and classify the types of complaints.
This procedure will help in setting goals on how to improve a specific item that may receive many notifications or even identify new flaws.
Use autonomous support teams
With all the information regarding previous services, the support team has much easier access to consult the system database and find a solution that has already been applied in a similar context.
These help desk teams are much more independent, as they no longer waste time and energy waiting for specific requests from each of the organization’s departments, having the autonomy and knowledge to resolve most incidents on their own, with agility and efficiency.
Keeps customers updated
With easy access to the database and a clearer view of the information, the help desk team can keep the customer constantly updated regarding the status of their request.
This way, it is possible to have not only a much broader service history, but also a more comprehensive perspective on the evolution of complaints, giving the customer much more security, credibility and confidence in the service offered by the company. Without a doubt, this adds positive points to the business’s reputation.
Manage tasks
There are many demands that arise for the customer service sector. Therefore, it is essential that there is a way to filter all occurrences. Once the company understands what a help desk is and puts it into practice, the team responsible for service will have all the necessary resources to check delivery deadlines and pending issues so that complaints can be finalized.
These tools also allow the team to set priorities, as some tickets require immediate action, while others can be resolved later. The level of urgency is one of the main criteria used, ensuring that all consumers are served in the ideal time, without anyone being harmed.
How does the help desk relate to customer service?
Telephone and email were the main communication channels offered by a help desk team for many years. However, this is no longer the reality for organizations with a vision for the future and growth, as digital transformation has brought modernity inside and outside companies.
We are referring to a much more positive consumer experience thanks to the sophisticated omnichannel concept. See below how the help desk relates to customer service in different formats and platforms.
Multichannel service
Multichannel or multichannel consists of the act of a company offering different communication channels to its audience, that is, different ways for consumers to contact the company.
We can say that a company that serves via email, telephone, physical store and online is a multichannel organization. However, it is important to highlight that these channels are not integrated with each other nor do they share information.
Given the context, it is common for a physical establishment attendant to be unable to continue a service initiated over the telephone due to lack of access, unless they contact the call center to verify information about the incident.
It is possible that there is also an occurrence between different sales channels, such as the virtual store and the physical store, such as when different prices, conditions and offers are offered. It is no coincidence that this model is already becoming outdated by consumer 4.0 expectations.
Omnichannel service
Essentially, the evolution of cross channel — when channels exchange information and allow the customer to move through them — is omnichannel. However, omnichannel service is focused not only on sharing information, but also on allowing customers to monitor the progress status of their services, regardless of which channel they choose.
This service format focuses on the consumer experience in order to achieve customer success, that is, it seeks to offer convenience to enhance the use of technology and innovative solutions so that the consumer does not need to repeat their story every time they get in touch. with any of the company’s channels.
An omnichannel-based help desk allows all communication channels to be integrated so that the team of employees can access the call history of customers registered on the base at any time. This way, they are recognized quickly and the service can be continued in a fluid and safe way, without having to explain the situation every time you meet a support analyst or representative on your journey.
What are the biggest benefits of using a help desk?
Now that you understand what help desk is and how it applies in the corporate context, we will show you some of the main advantages that this methodology can provide to businesses and customers. See below!
Cost reduction
The fact that the help desk speeds up services, shortening the duration and work of employees to complete tasks, is directly linked to cost reduction. Remembering that by implementing this service, the company is investing in innovation, as the positive return triggers a series of other benefits.
Improved relationships with customers
You may have already noticed that improving customer relationships is a natural consequence that the organization reaps when it invests in a help desk. This occurs because all types of interactions carried out between the two parties are integrated into the system.
This makes it much easier to draw a behavioral profile of your customers. With this information, the team can develop strategies to improve service and increase consumer satisfaction.
Improvement in internal and external processes
Both external and internal processes are improved when the company decides to implement a help desk service. In the case of external procedures, the software will assist employees at each stage of the service, allowing the consumer to be transferred to the debt collection sector, for example, or to another department related to their request.
In the case of internal processes, a help desk platform has the role of facilitating communication between teams, in addition to automating repetitive activities and tasks, which positively impacts the performance of the organization as a whole.
Agility in service
Speedy service is simply the central premise of a help desk tool. Taking into account that the system allows easy access to the consumer’s entire service history, it is possible to solve problems or provide much more objective answers.
If a person contacts the support team and reports a recurring problem, for example, there is no need to waste time asking the customer to explain the whole story once again. Simply access your interaction history and continue the service where you left off in the last contact.
Defining the best strategies
A help desk tool allows the company to develop segmented strategies according to the profile of its target audience. Furthermore, the software helps the team understand the differences between its consumers and offer offers and personalized service.
This is essential because, if the company gathers data from customers with certain needs, it will be able to provide much more qualified service when faced with someone with the same characteristics.
Greater control of calls
Whenever a consumer requests help to resolve a problem, the organization must know whether that incident has, in fact, already been resolved. Given the context, it is correct to say that a help desk service is the most promising way to improve customer service.
The tool not only speeds up contact between the company and the customer, but also helps when analyzing the satisfaction index of the customer served and the average time for that problem to be resolved (essential factors for the success of any company).
Possibility of detailed reports
Finally, an efficient help desk service offers several resources to measure service performance, such as highly detailed reports to measure the team’s results.
With concrete information, it is possible to identify whether a professional is not performing well, whether the team is being productive, whether consumers are satisfied with the solutions and responses they have received.
Remember that detailed reports also allow the organization to have a much broader perspective on the metrics that really matter to the business. We will talk more about this in the next topic.
How can it help with metrics control?
When a consumer takes responsibility for registering their complaints by means other than the telephone, many advantages arise. In addition to saving time, this means that both the organization and the consumer have aligned expectations.
A healthy and productive business relationship requires those involved to be aware of what customer service can offer. However, they require aspects that can guarantee greater satisfaction, such as the quality of service, the average time until a solution is found and the level of efficiency, that is, of problems resolved.
But to provide quality service, it is important to have the appropriate metrics to measure the level of performance. Given the context, the help desk can help improve services, as one of its premises is to answer questions such as those listed below.
- What are the most frequent types of requests?
- Current customers who open the most tickets?
- Which professional has less or more productivity?
- How long can each incident be resolved?
- Is the company able to serve customers within the time established in the contract?
- How many professionals are needed for the company to handle calls?
What we want to say is that having a well-structured help desk sector allows your customer service team to maintain call history and, therefore, be able to analyze issues such as those mentioned above. Good management helps the team so that it can see its activities, analyze them and think of better ways to respond to consumer requests.
One of the ways to access this information is through service metrics. In short, these are data that come with negative or positive signals for companies.
By better observing aspects such as failure to meet deadlines, for example, the company must derive insights from this data and transform them into useful information. Remember that every metric brings a strategic vision to the enterprise, which must generate action to optimize processes and increase efficiency.
How can Dynamic 365 be useful for a company?
Dynamics 365, as you may already know, is a cloud-integrated platform that combines the features of an ERP and a CRM in a single tool. Its diverse functionalities provide much more efficiency, as all types of activities can be automated, such as customer relationships, sales management and marketing management as a whole, including the employees who are part of this team.
The implementation of Dynamics 365 brings a multitude of advantages to the company, as it helps the help desk team to solve customer problems much more quickly. To give you an idea, the tool offers a complete omnichannel experience, with a wide variety of communication channels, such as:
- chat;
- SMS;
- social channels — Twitter and Facebook Messenger;
- Whatsapp;
- Microsoft Teams;
- Bots and Chatbots;
- Virtual Agents.
With these resources, Viaflow achieved exponential growth in its results, in addition to being able to bring much more productivity to its customer service teams, as you can see in this success story.
To conclude this content on what a help desk is, it is worth remembering that this type of strategy not only facilitates and optimizes the work of employees responsible for solving customer problems, but also improves the company’s reputation and credibility in the market.
Do you want to know how Smart Consulting can help your business implement an efficient help desk team? Then get in touch with our team to find out about the best solutions on the market!