Every helpdesk needs some kind of software to help it manage requests. The alternative is a collection of notes written on scraps of paper. Although it is simple in the beginning and sufficient for environments with one or two SAs, this solution doesn’t scale. Requests get lost, and management has no ability to oversee the process to better allocate resources. Those are the first qualities that you need in helpdesk software. As a helpdesk grows, software can help in other areas. The scripts mentioned in Section 13.1.7 can be displayed automatically and can be “smart” by being part of the information-gathering process rather than simply a static screen.
Helpdesk software should permit some kind of priority to be assigned to tickets. This not only helps meet customer expectations but also helps SAs manage their time. An SA should be able to easily list the top-priority issues that have been assigned to him or her.
Another important aspect of helpdesk software is that it collects logs about what kinds of requests are made and by whom. Statistical analysis of such logs can be useful in managing the helpdesk. However, if the software doesn’t capture that information, one can’t gain the benefits of such statistics. This often happens when there is a lot of walk-up and phone traffic. In such cases, it can be useful for the software to have a one-click way to log common questions or issues. Caller ID can be used to populate fields with the caller’s information.
Helpdesk software can also automate the collection of data on customer satisfaction. Every day, the software can select a random sample of yesterday’s customers and survey them about the service they received.
It is critical that helpdesk software match the workflow of the people who use it. If one ticket is opened per week, it is reasonable for the creation of a ticket to take a long time. However, if you expect hundreds of tickets per day, initiating the new ticket should be almost instantaneous, such as sending email. Do not use helpdesk software to introduce radical new workflow concepts.
Choosing helpdesk software is not an easy process. Most software will need a lot of customizing to your environment. When you decide to invest in helpdesk software, you need to be prepared to invest in the customizations also, so that the SAs can use it effectively. If it is a burden to use, they will not use it or will use it only for large projects.