5 Pillars of IT Help Desk Success

What does it take to make a great IT help desk?

The best of the best help desks emphasize the focus on the following factors to assure user satisfaction, reputation for QUALITY customer service and able and motivated agents.

1. People

The best help desks hire right. They hire agents with technical aptitude and a customer friendly attitude. While technology support related knowledge can be provided to an agent with aptitude, it is almost impossible to re-wire an unwilling attitude.

2. Practices

Effective and efficient help desks have well thought out ways of handling customer contacts, and supporting end users. In following best practices the IT help desk sets standards and strategies for delivering first line support.

3. Tools

What good is a garage without the proper set of tools? Proper help desks utilize targeted technology and appropriate tools. The more targeted the software and hardware to the IT help desk support needs, the more productive the help desk.

4. Management

The best managers aren’t necessarily the most technical nor the best call handlers. The best managers are able to mentor agents, providing feedback to help agents thrive. In addition to overseeing help desk productivity, successful help desk managers are able to represent and negotiate help desk and end user issues to upper management and other business units.

5. Training

To be proficient and motivated, agents need continual training to stay updated on technical issues and current on best practices customer service skills. Agents burn out if they feel they’re not provided learning opportunities to update and advance their mastery of job skills. Whether the training is instructor lead or online, the help desk is most effective when learning is ongoing.