Customer Service

The future of intelligent service desk solutions

An increasingly customer-centric and employee-driven business world has raised engagement expectations across the board. Nearly 1 in 3 customers equate single-call resolutions to good customer service! Voice channels are back; according to surveys, 82% of customers are more likely to use voice calls with help desks. The surge in demand during recent lockdowns has impacted staffing and changed work models for many service desks teams across sectors. But out of problems arise opportunities. It is clear that modernised IT service desk management is going to matter even more. Businesses must capitalise on intelligent service desk solutions that incorporate both technology- and people-based strategies to succeed in a future redefined by the new normal. This article looks into some key information technology service management (ITSM) trends, their implications, and the benefits of future-ready service desk solutions.

IT help desks: The backbone of customer service

For customer-facing businesses, the service desk is the first line of support that handles all incoming calls and customer queries and offers quick resolutions to customer problems. While these tasks may seem repetitive in nature, businesses have always required substantial human resources to handle customer service. In most cases, service desk employees refer to a script or a knowledge base to answer common questions. If additional expertise is required to answer a particular question, the call or the query moves to the second or third line of support (escalation). 

What is prompting changes in service desk solutions?

Modern businesses are making a conscious shift from a people-intensive service desk to a technology-powered one. Leaders want key human resources to focus on strategic tasks,ensuring efficiency and achieving business targets — especially when service desk technology solutions can substantially deliver a remarkable customer experience.
The innovation in the service desk space is powered by ever-changing business requirements for expansion and diversification, changing customer expectations and preferences, and the efficacy of futuristic technologies and automation compared with legacy systems.
Take customer interactions, for instance. Nearly 46% of customers want personalised customer service in their channel of choice. This is significant because the biggest challenge in the way of high-quality help desk services is the lack of modernised service systems. It is no wonder ITSM help desks need a proactive, future-ready approach.

What is the future of service desks?

Business optimisation and management has a new mantra — if it doesn’t require an essential human characteristic to do a job, don’t use a human resource!

• Machine learning and cognitive automation:

  Increased automation and AI adoption across processes will help reduce service desk call volumes, reduce costs, and improve productivity.

• Chatbot support:

  With the right knowledge management system, chatbots will be able to access key information, create tickets, and guide customers towards finding what they need.

• Transforming the service desk into a SPOC:

  Tomorrow’s service desk will be the SPOC for customer queries, concerns, and grievances.

• Focused CX:

  Increased percolation of self-help technologies will drive enhancements in speed, cost, and quality of customer service, making the experience more personalised and engaging.

• Peer-to-peer support:

  The service desk of tomorrow will enable peer-to-peer support, offering customers a platform or forum to share knowledge.

• Intuitive insights:

  Deriving actionable insights through big data, intelligent reporting, and predictive analytics will help service desk operations become pre-emptive and more efficient.

How can service desks deliver high-quality customer service?

The bigger questions are how can businesses improve service desk performance and build a successful service desk?

• Build a comprehensive internal knowledge base

  : Create an exhaustive repository that serves as the point of reference for any information that could help employees and benefit the customers.

• Turn employee feedback into actionable insights:

  Get honest feedback from employees about the current state of service desks through surveys, polls, or emailers. Once the challenges are identified , work toward creating smoother processes; this also lets employees contribute to the bigger picture.

• Leverage customer support software:

  Implement a smart solution that automates repetitive tasks, prioritise IT tickets, and minimise delays.

• Utilise expert human resources for meaningful work

  : Once the software issue is taken care of, dedicate specialist resources to deliver meaningful business results.

How Infosys BPM can help with service desk practice

Infosys BPM helps businesses identify their ideal service desk platforms. Our next-generation smart user environments ensure that the number of calls to IT service desks is up to 20%. Customers get their answers while call volumes at desk are reduced.
Proactive self-heal capabilities automate top issues and reduce AHT; problem analytics reduces the average speed of answer and improves first call resolution.
With Infosys BPM, businesses can reduce the number of calls to IT service desks using a combination of solutions like the ITIL V3 Compliant Intelligent Service Desk, RPA, mobile device support, and persona-based support.
Explore future-ready capabilities with our service desk solutions.