Help Desk Software, Call Logging

There have been significant improvements in tools available for the help desk that are usable for all sizes of companies. Additionally, there are many examples of help desk software such as Track-It and Heat. The software tools vary in cost from free to very expensive and elaborate. They typically have scalable price points. By using improved tools in the automation of support, you can reduce the costs and size or increase responsibilities of the help desk.

Companies that track all calls and incidents, complete a regular analysis of types of calls, and implement changes to reduce calls are able to realize significant cost savings. Several companies mentioned doing a Pareto chart to find the most common help desk calls to then determine solutions to those problems and drive down future calls. For example, one company found the largest percent of calls was to fix or replace printers. They took a proactive approach and ordered 400 printers over a two-month period resulting in reduced calls and huge savings. Another company found the majority of calls was for password resets and implemented password reset software.

Centralizing all calls to a help desk reduces costly interruptions of expensive resources focused on other projects and work. Receive requests for help via the phone, web, or e-mail. If you can log calls into a database where end users will see their status, you can automatically notify them of changes to their issues. This reduces calls back to the help desk by end users seeking status checks. Prioritize and classify incidents to focus on the high-priority items rather than on a first come, first served basis. Make sure you have a procedure for dealing with high-impact incidents as well as escalation procedures. Formal end-user feedback through automatic surveys when tickets are closed provides useful information to improve services and ultimately reduce costs.