How to Run a User-Friendly IT Help Desk

Being professional and friendly is a necessary part of providing an IT help desk function. People already feel a little embarrassed that they are having to call and ask for help; it certainly does not come across well if the person on the other end of the phone or email is less than helpful or gives off the wrong vibe.

People prefer to deal with others that they like speaking to. When they have a single interaction that does not go well, it puts them off the brand – possibly forever. Along with providing friendly support, having the right information at their fingertips makes it possible for support staff to do their job correctly. Without it, they may struggle, become hesitant, and give the customer they are dealing with a sense that they are not sure about the information they are conveying.

Here are some ways to run a user-friendly IT help desk.

The Customer Comes First

It has become a bit of a cliche, but the customer really does come first. Indirectly, they pay everyone’s salary and produce the profit in the business too. When you look at it from that perspective, it becomes clearer why treating customers well is so important. Enough said.

Anticipate Customer Needs

When using an IT helpdesk system like the one offered by SysAid you can view the volume and type of queries and complaints being received by the customer services or support team. Using the SysAid software as an example, it is possible to view both real-time information on the outstanding queries along with analytics to understand recent patterns within those queries.

By reviewing and considering the information collected, it is possible to see what types of queries are coming up most frequently. Solutions relating to those queries can be highlighted on the help desk contact page, the FAQ, and in company emails to subscribers too. This way, customers are better informed and it reduces the load on the support team. They are then less stressed and better able to provide a friendly service to the customers that contact the company.

Focus on Systems and Training

Help desk staff rely on standard operating procedures to understand the systems and work well within them. With an influx of new employees, there is a brain drain that comes from training new staff and upgrading the training for long-standing staff on new procedures too.

Well documented processes reduce confusion for newer staff. This ensures that they are able to get up to speed more quickly. A confident newer support team member can focus more on providing a friendly service because they are less nervous about making a mistake on the job. This is especially true when the company adopts the approach that mistakes are acceptable as long as people learn from them, rather than mistakes being used to penalize new people, which creates unnecessary nervousness.

Running a friendlier helpdesk service is all about putting in place the right support structure. This way, staff can perform their duties in a professional manner while being relaxed enough to be genial with customers. When there is a disconnect between, software, systems and communication skills, customer service suffers.