Introduction
Help desk software allows customer service and IT teams to handle service-related requests from employees and/or customers. The solution serves as a single point of contact for IT support to quickly resolve end users’ problems. In what is an increasingly connected world, customers and employees expect companies to be available 24/7. This is especially relevant since the COVID-19 pandemic which increased demand for online purchasing and forced companies to embrace more remote and hybrid work models.
There are a multiple uses for this technology such as helping to answer technical questions, providing product support and dealing with customer-care-related issues, for example, helping to diagnose service disruptions and failed devices.
Help desk systems come in various forms but the most common type found on the market are built with a SaaS model. These help desks are hosted in the cloud and are entirely web-based. Business owners also have the option of purchasing the software as a standalone app, a module in a CRM bundle or an IT service management system for internal support.
Related: The Top Time And Attendance Software In South Africa
Main Features
Points of contact
Every customer service query needs to start from somewhere, this is known as a support channel. Examples of support channels include; phone, email, chat, social media, self-service, or community.
While most help desk software offer a variety of support channels it’s important to evaluate where your team’s strengths lie. For example if you primarily offer email support, look for a tool with a shared inbox. If you mainly offer live chat, look for software with a live chat tool.
Ticketing management
At its core, help desk software provides a system that records and organises customer queries into tickets and tracks their progress from receipt to resolution. Some of the functionalities you should be looking for are how efficient is the management and tracking of tickets, how easy it is to reassign or escalate tickets, or for multiple team members to collaborate on a ticket. The end goal of ticketing management is to improve workflow and improve customer satisfaction by resolving issues in a timely manner.
Automation
The advantages of business automation are numerous. For customer service departments that feel like they are drowning in a sea of customer queries, the software can help to automate time consuming and repetitive tasks such as answering recurring customer queries that don’t need the help of support team members. This frees them up to handle more complex issues.
Other processes that can be automated using the software include password changes and updates on the status of a query or request. The software can also automatically capture customer feedback such as whether their issue was resolved and the quality of the customer service they received.
Dashboards
A good dashboard is invaluable as it helps agents to see important data such as new or urgent tickets in the queue as well as incoming calls and pending tickets. Dashboard data also helps department managers and supervisors to see how their agents are performing by looking at critical data such as “overall agent performance, resolution rate, and the number of issues resolved per week or month”.
Look out for software with an interface that offers quick visibility and displays data in easy-to-understand modules.
Analytics
When used correctly your helpdesk software should provide your business with market insight and sales opportunities this is because it can provide information such as “top product complaints, customer buying preferences, and market demographics”.
The software should also be able to analyse the quality of your support by measuring key metrics such as your team’s busiest hours, average first response times and resolution times.
SLA Management
A service level agreement (SLA) defines what the IT service provider and the customer should expect when contracting for a service. Smart help desks allow businesses to create and manage multiple service level agreements to maintain the quality and speed of service expected by the end users.
Pricing
Monthly or annual subscriptions
Helpdesk software solutions are sold as annual or monthly subscriptions. Most brands charge per agent on boarded onto the system.
Some of the basic features you can expect with your package are: ticketing management, multi-channel support, workflow automation, reporting, self-service knowledge base, data security, analytics and reports and a customer satisfaction survey.
Free trial
Most software solutions offer a free trial. This can range from seven to 30 days. To access the trial you are required to sign up and provide your credit card details.
Buyer's Guide
Here’s important factors to consider before purchasing a helpdesk software solution.
Scalability – Your business may still be relatively small with minimal customer service requests but do you expect growth in the future? If you are, go with the option that can grow with your business and allows you to add more features, additional agents and support more tickets.
Ease of use – Are technical skills required or can anyone use the software? The easier the software is to use the more your team can benefit. Also consider whether the solution has an user-friendly interface which will determine how easy it is for your team to use.
Budget – Does its initial cost or monthly subscription cost fit your budget? Carefully consider if your subscription has all the features your business requires, or will you need to upgrade to a higher-cost plan to get access to those features?
Integration – Simplify your customer service and save time by integrating other business apps. This enables you to expand the number of features available to your team. Examples of tools you can integrate are a ChatBot and a LiveChat feature or an ecommerce platform like Shopify to manage the entire buying process.
Security – Customer service departments will have access to private customer data so it’s important that the software you choose uses data encryption to protect both company and customer information. Go for a help desk provider with two-factor authentication that will prevent unauthorized access and one that is compliant with both General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
Top benefits of Help desk Software
- Resolve tickets with more accuracy.
- Easier to stay in touch with your customers and employees.
- Boost productivity by automating repetitive and routine tasks
- Increased customer satisfaction.
