The main role of your service desk is to guarantee the safety, security, and user-ability of your company’s IT operation. The task list ranges from navigating issues and resolving tickets to installing software and managing licensing. Your technicians maneuver stressful situations, while exhibiting poise and delivering professionalism to the world around them.
What would you do if your server went down, or you had a data breach? What if one of your employees opened ‘that’ email, sending a virus throughout your system? If your IT infrastructure was bruised, would your business be able to continue generating revenue and supporting employees? Could your current team help you recover from such an event? These are just some of the questions to review when considering the best alignment for your IT presence.
It is the combination of knowledge, rapport, and communication adopted by a service desk that impacts the functionality and balance of its support tiers. This functionality spreads across several channels – including end-users, core operations, future planning, security measures, software and hardware updates, and metrics. It is vital to have a solid system in place. If your infrastructure isn’t working well, neither are your employees or your business.
Whether you have an in-house team or an external partner, the best service desk practices include:
An effective ticketing or logging system is essential in managing and tracking support requests. Through this process, your business is provided with the ability to track issues that end-users and systems are experiencing. Preventive measures are discovered by noting trends and patterns, leading to resolving issues before they escalate. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are metrics that provide a vast amount of knowledge about your technicians, business patterns, end-user productivity, and customer satisfaction. Metrics help recognize and improve present and future performance. Some of these measures include:
A good ticketing system provides businesses with beneficial capabilities and information such as:
For more information about the KPIs and metrics measured in the realm of IT service desk support, check out our blog.
It is important to make sure that your business is allocating its technical talent in the right ways. A corporate executive wouldn’t perform the role of the mail clerk, much like a tier three technician wouldn’t manage issues at the first-tier level. Each role is designed for a particular skillset and employing the right professionals within the appropriate tiers is pivotal to service desk success.
It is vital for technicians to have industry savviness, multi-tasking abilities, initiative, and understanding while being empathetic. They need to have a well-rounded knowledge base and the attentiveness and sensitivity to accommodate the end-user perspective. The ability to work under pressure using good communication and trouble-shooting skills impacts your IT presence both within your company and beyond.
Job interruptions must be minimized. For example, holding technicians responsible for taking part in additional, non-IT responsibilities is distracting and decreases productivity. To boost performance and employee engagement, involve your techs in regular training sessions to develop their skill levels and increase motivation. Employ metrics and tracking for performance measures and review them regularly.
The landscape of IT is ever-changing and as it does, it gains in complexity and intricacy. This constant evolution often leaves businesses uncomfortable and unsure regarding the value of their service desk. When IT isn’t the core function of a business, remote providers are often enlisted to eliminate in-house constraints and create options and fluidity within the digital space. Remote IT services provide:
The service desk component of your business encompasses several avenues that must be considered when contemplating or revising your IT approach. A healthy, effective service desk is one that provides a blend of behind-the-scenes talent and user-facing comfort. Timely resolution of issues yields a higher rate of satisfaction. Tier balance is vital as imbalance is costly. Performance indicators and metrics provide a view that takes you to the center of your business operations.
Your IT team plays a pivotal role and has a daily impact on your company’s culture and productivity. Make sure they are operating at an exceptional level.