As business grows and develops, the number of tasks for technical support specialists can increase. Requests get lost, the processing speed decreases, and the support team is unable to resolve everything within the deadline.

In order to maintain the company’s reputation, many start considering implementing a Service Desk into their business processes.

Today, investments in customer support have a significant and direct impact on a company’s profitability. Finance Online, a research platform for businesses, has provided several facts and trends about modern businesses:

• 68% of customers are willing to increase their spending to receive a higher level of service.
• 58% of brands note that technical support technologies help them better meet customer needs.

Undoubtedly, customer support plays an important role in increasing sales, and technical support is a loyal companion to a growing business. In this article, we will explain how to automate technical support, the features, and the benefits of implementing a Service Desk into company’s business processes.

• Contents:
  What is Service Desk?
• Difference between Service Desk and Help Desk solutions.
• Types of Service Desk and approaches to their implementation.
• Functions of Service Desk.
• Benefits of implementing Service Desk.
• Our services.
• Conclusion.

What is Service Desk?

Service Desk is a system that automates the work of customer support in handling customer inquiries.

The main goal of Service Desk services is to organize and structure incoming messages to the support department, analyze the functioning of other IT structures, and identify areas for service improvement or IT process reorganization.

In general, Service Desk serves as a platform where customers and IT department employees can interact to address technical issues.

For example, if a customer submits a request via email and the company has Service Desk services, the request will be automatically forwarded to a technical support specialist with a specified deadline for task completion.

Finance Online has provided some facts about what automated technical support can achieve:

• Reduces work hours by up to 670 per year.
• Reduces customer phone inquiries by 10%.
• Frees up 25% of the company’s technical resources, which can be directed towards solving more critical issues.

Why do we need Service Desk?

In medium and large businesses, customer support department employees often face a choice between handling a large number of requests and focusing on service quality by giving individual attention to each customer. To address such challenges, Service Desk services exist.

You can compare such a system to an electronic dispatcher that, when implemented in an enterprise’s IT system, takes on tasks that would be difficult for employees to handle on their own.

For example, a dispatcher has its own knowledge base that is optimized for each specific case. You just need to populate this base with information about the services provided, and the system will automatically generate ready-made answers to frequently asked customer questions. The implementation of a Service Desk operates in a similar way.

Another example: when you visit websites offering various services, you may have noticed the presence of chat boxes with virtual assistant consultants. This means that the company providing these services has already implemented a Service Desk system. If you ask a general question, you will likely receive an instant response as the system utilizes a knowledge base that functions like a search engine.

For more complex inquiries, they may be redirected to managers directly, or the responses will be sent to you via email.

Who needs Service Desk technical support services?

Service Desk technical support services can primarily benefit large organizations and industries, including:

1. Corporations, medium, and large enterprises can implement Service Desk to automate customer support processes or internal IT support. For example, IT departments can use Service Desk technical support services to organize and structure feedback from users, handle IT incidents, and address user requests.
2. Universities, schools, and other educational institutions can use Service Desk services to manage inquiries and feedback from students, teachers, and administrative staff.
3. Government institutions can utilize Service Desk services for centralized communication management and support for citizens in various areas of activity.

This does not mean that businesses outside of these categories do not need automated technical support. Small businesses and startups may find Help Desk systems more suitable – a similar system for automating technical support that can address customer issues with products or services.

When deciding on implementing a Service Desk system for a company, it is important to consider the specific tasks the business aims to solve. The scale of the business is also crucial, as some systems offer solutions optimized for small teams similar to Help Desk solutions, while others provide pricing plans adapted for companies with a larger number of employees – Service Desk.

Let’s explore the differences between a Service Desk system for businesses and a supplemental Help Desk system.

Difference between Service Desk and Help Desk solutions

Help Desk and Service Desk for businesses are similar, but at the same time, they are different IT support services. Both aim to provide quality technical support to users, but there are distinctions.

Help Desk solutions typically specialize in addressing issues related to technical device and software maintenance. The system offers first-level support, assisting users in resolving problems independently or redirecting requests to other support levels.

On the other hand, Service Desk for businesses provides a broader range of support, not only addressing device and software issues but also handling questions related to business processes and the company’s IT infrastructure.

The main differences between Help Desk and Service Desk for businesses are as follows:

1. Level of support

Help Desk solutions focus on troubleshooting technical issues such as computer malfunctions, network problems, or software glitches. The system provides basic support, which may include phone consultations or email inquiries. Service Desk technical support services offer broader support capabilities, including resolving complex issues and providing consultations on business-related matters.

2. Integration with other systems

Help Desk solutions are typically limited in terms of integration capabilities with other systems, such as CRM or task and inventory management systems. Service Desk services, on the other hand, can easily integrate with other systems, allowing for optimizing business processes and enhancing the efficiency of the support team’s work.

3. Complexity of use

Help Desk solutions are designed to quickly and easily address typical user issues. Service Desk may be more complex to use due to its broader functionality and interface, but it enables tackling higher-level problems and providing more in-depth support.

When choosing between Help Desk solutions and Service Desk services, it is important to consider the size and complexity of the company. Small companies usually find Help Desk sufficient for addressing their IT problems, while larger enterprises may benefit from Service Desk for managing their entire IT infrastructure and resources.

Now that we’ve covered the topic of automated technical support systems, let’s move on to the various types of Service Desk for businesses and how to implement them into business processes.

Types of Service Desk and Approaches to Implementation

Let’s introduce the types of tasks that involve automating technical support through the implementation of Service Desk:

1. Internal Support

This type of support is focused on serving internal company employees and is built according to the ITSM (IT Service Management) service approach. Tools for internal support implement processes described in the ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) library.

2. External Support for B2C

This type of support is based on providing standardized mass service for customers in the B2C market. It is important to ensure multi-channel communication and utilize template responses. However, it does not always require tracking the service status for each customer or service entity.

Solutions designed for this type of support may not always be suitable for working with legal entities, especially in the case of on-site service.

3. Support for B2B

In this case, individual relationship establishment with each customer is crucial. It requires customer databases, contracts, service periods, as well as lists of serviced equipment, SLA (Service Level Agreement) monitoring, ticket allocation planning, additional work payment, etc.

An ideal Service Desk for B2B should have ready integrations with systems such as 1C (enterprise software package), business analytics systems, and tools like TeamViewer.

4. On-site Service

This type of service adds additional features such as tracking the location of specialists, the ability to allocate tickets directly on a map, scheduled visits, etc.

To successfully implement a Service Desk system for business, we suggest following these steps:

1. Assess the current situation and identify the company’s needs and user service processes. This will help the business understand the key requirements and necessary functionalities for a successful Service Desk implementation.
2. Define the goals and expectations you wish to achieve through the implementation of Service Desk. For example, process automation, improved user service efficiency, enhanced communication, and other objectives.
3. Research the market and select a suitable Service Desk system for your business from the types described above, which best aligns with the requirements and desired goals of your company. Pay attention to system functionality, user-friendly interface, integration capabilities with other systems, and support.
4. Develop an implementation plan, including a schedule, necessary resources, budget, and a team responsible for providing Service Desk technical support services. Define implementation stages, settings development, knowledge base setup, and other key aspects.
5. Before full deployment, conduct thorough testing to ensure system functionality and compliance with requirements. Then, provide training for employees who will use the Service Desk technical support services, ensuring they are prepared to work with the system and utilize it effectively.
6. Implement the system gradually, starting with one department or business line, and expand as needed. Continuously monitor the effectiveness and performance of the Service Desk, conduct analyses of successes and identified issues to improve the system.

Our technical support specialists are ready to assist you in implementing a Service Desk system into your business processes. Just reach out to us.

We suggest moving on to the main functions that the Service Desk system implements for companies.

Service Desk Functions

Service Desk has a range of functions and features that facilitate company operations:

1. Customer, Contract, and Payment Stage Management

Implementing Service Desk allows for managing customers, contracts, and payment stages while maintaining a history of interactions with them. This function helps take timely actions, such as setting shorter order fulfillment times for VIP clients or notifying responsible individuals about all inquiries.

2. Service Entity, Equipment, and Software Asset Management

Implementing Service Desk enables the management of service entities, such as projects, websites, equipment, and software. Service Desk allows for precise identification of what needs to be serviced and facilitates interaction with legal entities.

3. Channels for Request Submission and Registration

Service Desk technical support services ensure transparency in the relationship between the requester and the service provider. With Service Desk functions, requests can be registered via email, automatically linked to the requester. Request registration through messengers and client portals is also possible, as well as the use of mobile applications for requesters.

4. Evaluation of Employee Performance and Business Profitability Calculation

Implementing Service Desk allows for monitoring the workload and assessing the efficiency of each employee. The module for tracking and recording work efforts helps in planning employee utilization and calculating the profitability of support contracts. It also enables accounting for one-time tasks and services, including cost control and payment obligations.

5. Accounting for One-Time Tasks and Services

For cases where customer requirements exceed the included limit, Service Desk functions can offer additional services from the price list and control payment obligations. It is also possible to motivate specialists through percentage-based compensation for completed one-time assignments and automate invoice generation based on completed tasks.

Advantages of Implementing Service Desk

• Functionality of Service Desk allows for tracking user requests and associating them with infrastructure, software, and equipment.
• Service Desk automates the process of distributing requests among specialists using routing rules.
• Storing information about issues and related correspondence in one place helps build a knowledge base.
• Service Desk ensures transparency in the relationship between the requester and the service provider by registering requests via email and automatically linking them to the requester. Registration through messengers, client portals, and mobile applications for requesters is also possible.
• Service Desk for businesses helps control workflow, reducing the likelihood of human errors such as forgotten tasks or delayed client calls.

What else is a plus for implementing Service Desk?

• For field engineers, Service Desk provides mobile interfaces for on-site work.
• Analytics gathered through Service Desk technical support services allows for business optimization and studying the consequences of changes, whether it’s hiring a new employee or launching a new advertising campaign.
• The ability to monitor response and resolution times enables the introduction of various service level agreements (SLAs) with clients, prioritizing urgent issues.
• Collecting feedback from users helps improve service quality, enhancing competitiveness in a market where acquiring new clients can be a costly process.

Our Services

1. We provide a unified service center that handles registration, storage, and processing of user requests and inquiries in a single interface.
2. We offer various interaction methods with process participants (personal accounts, email, phone, self-service portals, messengers, chat, mobile applications).
3. We automate ticket distribution tools considering type, priority, and other parameters (SLA).
4. We control technical support processes at different levels (except for the first), providing reports, personalized dashboards, and convenient data visualization tools.
5. We conduct audits of programs and systems, identifying and resolving vulnerabilities in software code.
6. We handle recovery and/or expansion of program functionality.
7. We minimize reputation and business losses caused by software failures.
8. We implement Service Desk and Help Desk automation systems for technical support.
9. We establish clear and agreed-upon SLA parameters such as service levels, response time, and recovery time.

If your company is in need of IT specialists for software technical support, please contact us.

Summing Up

With Service Desk, it is possible to centrally manage customer inquiries and maintain a history of interactions. The risks of lost inquiries are reduced, ensuring timely and high-quality issue resolution.

Benefits of Service Desk

1. For businesses

Automating Service Desk reduces the workload on the support team, leading to a decrease in staff numbers and cost savings. Quick request processing also increases customer loyalty.

2. For users

User requests and issues are resolved more promptly, leading to improved service quality. Users receive clear feedback from support specialists, including through self-service portals.

3. For employees

Service requests that previously required email, phone, or direct communication approvals now go through all processing stages automatically, without human involvement and delays.

Thus, automating technical support through Service Desk implementation enables companies to effectively and organized solve customer issues, optimize processes, and enhance service levels, contributing to business growth and reputation strengthening.

Our team of specialists has the expertise and knowledge to provide technical support for your software and automate your business processes in the shortest possible time.

If you require IT specialists to provide Service Desk technical support services, please contact us.

Thank you for your attention! 🙂