Like the first responders to an emergency or incident, a service desk usually isn’t needed until it is called upon to save the day. And when this happens, it’s imperative that the service it provides is both excellent and consistent, says Konrad Popiolek, Service Desk Manager at AC3. So, what strategies can an organisation deploy to ensure this is always the case?
There are two main types of service desk, the business hours option or the 24/7, always-on model. For large organisations or perhaps with international reach, the latter model can be vital, in order to respond as quickly as possible to any issues that may arise. This is where a managed service provider can be of huge assistance as it offers economies of scale and the greater likelihood of 24/7 service.
For more modestly sized outfits, however, a business hours-only option may be suitable.
Whichever option a customer chooses, there are important considerations the provider needs to address to ensure the service desk is always offering a best practice service. These apply whether that provider is in-house or part of a managed service provision, but are particularly relevant in the latter case. ** Onboarding** – from the onset it’s vital that both sides of the relationship understand the other. This means that the service provider has a clear and comprehensive understanding of the customer’s business, how it operates, what is required from the service and, importantly, the nature of any current or potential pain points.
But it is equally necessary that the customer understands what the service desk can and will offer. This doesn’t just mean the times that it will be available, but how the system works – if it is a ticketing system with job numbers, who the technicians will be and what their capabilities and priorities are.
Transparency and communication – once the relationship between service desk and customer is established, that clear communication employed at the start needs to be a constant. To ensure a continued satisfactory customer experience there must be regular communication, both to convey any changes or updates to the service and to check that the customer is receiving the service they need.
Feedback - a great way to ascertain customer satisfaction levels is by offering opportunities for feedback, via formal surveys or more informally.And once it is received it must always be acted upon, whether good or bad. Positive feedback relayed to the technician involved is a powerful morale booster, while there is nothing more annoying for a customer than to have a complaint ignored. Avenues should be provided for customers to voice their feedback on the technical skills on display, the service and whether or not an issue was resolved.
Technology and tools – IT is an ever- developing and improving industry and customers rightly expect their service desk technician to always be across the constant updates and newest technologies. And they’ll soon take their custom elsewhere if this is not the case.
Hiring well – the advice may be technical, but the service desk is first and foremost a people-facing role. For customers to stay happy with their user experience, they need to feel heard and understood. Therefore, employing service desk staff who not only possess wide ranging technological expertise, but are also personable and understand the tenets of great customer service is key.
As the first port of call when a technology issue needs solving, the service desk is a vital resource. A managed service provider with experience and expertise in service desk provision will be able to offer all the above and more, leaving organisations free to take care of their core business, secure in the knowledge that if anything goes wrong it will be addressed quickly, efficiently and professionally.