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16 ways to get the most out of your IT help desk

Posted:
09/16/2015
| By:
Kathy Smith

Your customers define your business. It’s a tried-and-true tenet of owning a business that customer service is pivotal. Giving your IT help desk the right tools to be successful helps you build stronger relationships and establish yourself as a trusted advisor.

Gaining the skill set in your help desk to do that isn’t always easy. Thankfully, knowing what to avoid and taking advantage of simple help desk best practices can make a bigger impact than you might think. Here are a few dos and don’ts that will empower your help desk to provide excellent service all the time.

10 ways to improve your IT help desk

Everything is harder on the phone, but there are certain rules that are good practice in any situation—especially when running a help desk. Be sure to reinforce these guidelines:

  • Train on good phone etiquette
  • Be a good listener
  • Answer calls promptly and be polite
  • Start with an introduction
  • Mind your manners
  • Give customers your full attention & take good notes
  • Make your services & offerings clear
  • Apologize if there is an issue
  • Recap conversations using closed loop
  • End on a positive note
Six things your IT help desk  shouldn’t do

Just as there are important steps that make a profound impact on your partners, there are many disastrous mistakes that ruin your customer experience and decrease the actual help your help desk provides. Avoid alienating your customers by following these tips:

  • Don’t interrupt customers while they’re talking
  • Don’t make promises you can’t keep
  • Don’t use unprofessional language (No matter how comfortable you are with your client)
  • Don’t argue with the customer
  • Don’t overcomplicate the resolution
  • Don’t make excuses

This list of dos and don’ts might sound simple—but that’s exactly the point. Ensuring your service team is following these simple tips can maximize the efficiency of your help desk in no time.

Whether you’re establishing a new help desk or just looking to revamp it, start the process by empowering your team with easy-to-follow guidelines, and impress customers with winning service.

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