Service Desk

What is a service desk?

Service desk employees provide first-line support, including handling incoming calls and answering any questions that the customers may have. Since most of these tasks are repetitive, many service desk employees use a script or knowledge items to give standard answers. Questions that require greater expertise move to the third-line support.

This is why business decision-makers are considering using technology for the automation of repetitive tasks. For example, chatbots will take over tasks such as resetting passwords and assigning user rights. A self-service portal will help customers answer their questions, and a chatbot will help with the rest.

Best practices for a great service desk

Service desk best practices can help manage costs and deliver excellent experiences to new and existing clients. Here are some of the best practices –

• 1.Use the service desk software to its full potential –

  Manage high ticket volumes alongside maintaining a knowledge base. Knowledge-centred support provides excellent quality of service and reduces ticket volume and resolution times.

• 2.Provide a customer portal –

  Make it easy for customers to seek support any time of the day. Make a service portal that is easy to access and navigate through for the customer. A portal could resolve questions both for the end customer and the internal teams.

• 3.Set smart SLAs –

  Set up the SLAs to provide the best service possible. However, the SLAs must be designed for different geographies, priority levels, and teams. It should be easy for the employees to track and manage SLAs. They should be relevant and not just arbitrary measurements.

• 4.Give self-service options –

  72% of customers prefer self-service options. The self-service option should be easy to understand and use. Knowledge bases and Q&As significantly reduce the burden on the customer service team.

• 5.Consider the bigger picture to measure progress –

  Focus on key metrics that directly impact the bottom line and shift the attention from random KPIs. Numbers that help you make the biggest improvements are the ones that should be your priority.

• 6.Do not consider the team members as the jack of all trades –

  Not every service desk employee can resolve all the ticket categories. For example, an IT company may need separate teams for hardware and software management and network management.