Home >> Resource Directory >> Research & Resources >> Helpdesk Coach >> Library
Help Desk Management Coach Library - Research & Resources
Welcome to the "Help Desk Coach" Library
Get best-practice help desk, customer service, and service desk management tips and advice from the Help Desk Management Coach!
5 Pillars of Help Desk Success
As the Help Desk Coach, I’m often asked what does it take to make a great help desk? The best of the best help desks emphasize the focus on the following factors to assure user satisfaction, reputation for excellent customer service, and able and motivated agents.
- People. The best help desks hire right. They hire agents with technical aptitude and a customer friendly attitude. While technical knowledge can be provided to an agent with aptitude, it is almost impossible to re-wire an unwilling attitude.
- Practices. Effective and efficient help desks have well thought out ways of handling customer contacts, and supporting end users. In following best practices the help desk sets standards and strategies for delivering support.
- Tools. The most efficient and effective help desks utilize targeted technology and appropriate tools. The more targeted the software and hardware to the help desk support needs, the more productive the help desk. A robust software package is only as valuable as the useful and used features. Hardware is only useful when it functions predictably and enables user productivity.
- 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.
- 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.
Donna Earl (aka the Help Desk Coach) specializes in assisting help desks and tech support deliver world class customer service. To use or reprint this article contact us at editorial@helpdesk.com. For information about training see www.HelpDeskCoach.com
Check back soon for new articles and white papers!
Have question? Ask the Coach!
Copyright © 1995-2013, Helpdesk.com. All rights reserved.
