Help desk Software

These "proactive" resources to solving problems have to come with a measureable ROI (return on investment) so that management can actually measure the cost of the Help desk and apply a line item figure to the weight applied to the overhead of the organization. As well, many times the organization may actually realize additional income/profits as a result of the ASP Help desk Software offering money-saving ideas to the client which result in larger sales to the organization that it is servicing.

The Balancing Act of the CSO

The environment of Help desk and Customer Support is in a state of change - change that is driven by the pressures of the market and a change that will make them smart and flexible. Customer Support and Help desk managers find themselves walking a tightrope to accomplish the transformation from necessary cost center to valuable profit generator.

The Help desk no longer consists of one person or a few people using the phone to respond to the problems of disgruntled callers. Customers are impatient with a representative who must take down their information and then seek a resolution to the problem and, hopefully, respond with ideas for a resolution. In many cases, the Customer Support department has not grown in numbers, but now those people, with very limited financial and time resources, are asked by management to contribute to company growth, customer loyalty, and company recognition.

This small number of Help desk representatives must support a large number of customers in a wide variety of countries using an even greater number of languages. To further complicate the situation, companies are now diversified which means they are selling an array of products and/or services which must be supported. As companies continue to struggle to make profits, the budget constraints on every department including Customer Support become more stringent.

The Customer Support Organization (CSO) representatives are often the only emissaries of the company that have personal or frequent contact directly with the customer. Therefore, smart CSOs need to become a resource for instant solutions to a myriad of problems. In today's environment, it is critical for each company to elevate their service level to their customers as a way to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Satisfied customers become repeat customers and refer their associates. Happy customers are reflected by the various indicators of customer satisfaction, for which the CSO is accountable.

In order to make the best use of customer contact, smart Help desk representatives need to utilize a wide variety of tools and communications channels like the internet, e-mail, and an online knowledge base to anticipate and solve customers' problems. Smart Help desk reps must take advantage of various methods of gathering customer data for future use. Understanding individual customers and groups of customers aids the CSO in anticipating their needs and problems and that information is then passed to the product management team to improve products.

>Having more data on the customer is expected to impact the bottom line of the company as management demands that every department be an agent in growth and profit-building. This database of information is used to offer money-saving ideas, anticipate needs, generate renewals and contracts, and up-sell and cross-sell. As proactive resources are increasingly implemented in help desk services, companies see a greater return on their investment (ROI).

A Help Desk Survey Finding...Read More
Finding the Best Help Desk Jobs...Read More
Five Traits of a Good Help Desk Service...Read More
Help Desk Support – The Basics...Read More
Help Desk On Demand Service...Read More
Why Use a Help Desk Support Software...Read More

Get Started