Help Desk Software, Custommer Support Software

How is a help desk structured?

Basically, a help desk is divided into three levels. These levels are usually staffed differently. At the first level, contact with the customer is established, the ticket is recorded, and an attempt is made to resolve the problem promptly. If the first-level employee cannot fully process the ticket, it is forwarded to the second level. At the second level, specially trained, often multilingual staff are deployed, and inquiries are handled systematically. Frequently occurring problems are collected in a knowledge base. Second-level staff often also take on training for the first level. At the third level, tickets are handled that could not be successfully resolved at either the first or the second level. Particularly experienced specialists work here. These three levels are used primarily in the context of IT support. They can be supplemented by a level 0 (self-service) and a level 4, which involves support from hardware and software manufacturers as well as external specialists.

Where is help desk software used?

A help desk supports the service management of companies. Companies depend on satisfied customers. This applies to large companies, but especially to small and medium-sized enterprises, which can afford dissatisfied customers even less. Small and medium enterprises and corporations alike benefit from a help desk through efficient customer communication, knowledge management, and easily scalable, automated workflows. Larger companies also use help desk software as part of internal IT support. Service staff then handle employees’ IT inquiries with the support of the help desk system.

Typical functions of help desk software - planning, organization, documentation:

• Order management
• System changes
• Effort estimation
• CRM
• Support project management
• Version management
• Contract management
• Price groups
• Cost allocation
• Telephone billing
• Customer portal

Further tips and suggested questions for evaluating help desk systems and support software

• Ask whether ticket creation is possible via a web interface, email import and telephone integration (CTI via Tapi). Also check whether email enquiries can be automatically imported into the ticketing system.
• Check whether a workflow system is integrated to adequately map your ticket workflow.
• When considering the options for ticket creation, please also check whether ticket templates are available and in use.
• If you provide on-site customer support, find out whether you can access ticket and customer information on the go, and whether you can update or edit existing tickets in the system whilst out and about, for example by adding reports.
• Check whether the escalation mechanism can be freely defined and configured in stages.
• Please check whether it is possible to import tickets into your system’s FAQ entries.
• Support becomes more efficient when a knowledge base is integrated into the system. Find out whether it is possible to automatically match enquiries against a knowledge base.
• Is it possible to set up recurring tickets for routine tasks, such as recurring router or printer issues?
• Please check whether it is possible to carry out simple time recording whilst generating reports, in order to facilitate more accurate internal or external billing.
• If you are using the software as part of your IT service management, you should check whether it allows for precise hardware and software inventory management.
• Ask whether the software runs on Windows or Linux and whether it can be used to manage both systems.
• Please check whether remote maintenance of hardware or software is possible directly via the ticket system.
• Can calls be forwarded or delegated to other users or groups via the helpdesk system?
• Ask whether the software includes a module or interface that can be used, for example, to synchronise LDAP with your existing applications.
• Check the billing options for tickets. Is it possible to bill by time or by quota? Can price groups be assigned where necessary? Do you require periodic billing arrangements? Is billing only possible once a ticket has been closed?
• Does the solution include service level agreement management? Can standard contracts be created, custom contracts set up for each client, hourly rates adjusted, and specific hotline hours specified?
• Ask whether you can set customised prices. This is particularly important if you need to take SLAs into account.
• Does the software allow data to be transferred to ERP systems, and is the necessary interface available for this?
• Do you need to manage access to the ticketing system? Should all staff be able to access all tickets, or is departmental access – or, where appropriate, individual access for specific staff members – intended?
• Is there a customer portal where customers can access their open tickets and track their processing status? Is there a ticket archive for each customer, so that they can view requests that have already been closed?
• What analysis and reporting options does the software offer? Can statistics be generated on the reasons for calls and customer satisfaction? In what format can the statistics be presented (graph, table, etc.)? Does the software allow data to be exported according to custom criteria?