Help desk description

Help desk job description

A primary purpose of a help desk job is to assist customers with technical issues by running diagnostics tests and troubleshooting problems remotely. Moreover, agents should be able to provide technical advice for almost any type of computer system.

What is help desk software?

Help desk software is part of a broader category called the service desk. These two terms are often used interchangeably. However, the help desk description specifically refers to the system that addresses customer queries. 

To be more specific, help desk software is a computer system that automates, reports, and keeps track of customer requests and service issues. It catches all incoming customer communication and stores it in a single place. Moreover, it can link similar customer issues from multiple platforms into one ticket, creating quick and efficient management. 

If you would like to learn more, read our comprehensive Help desk software article. 

History of help desk software

The history of help desk software dates back to the 20th century when businesses started using equipment like; typewriters, dictation machines, telephones, and dumb terminals with access to a mainframe computer to address customer issues. Mainframe help desk software relied on physical issue submission. So, the customer issues were submitted either by paper forms or by phone to help desk agents, who would type those issues into a terminal. The tech staff would then provide a solution, and the agents would communicate it to customers via phone or paper. Notes and paper forms used to be the only way customers could submit their issues to the help desk agents, but with the advent of email and live chat, help desk software has become more interactive and participatory, enabling customers to communicate their issues efficiently.

However, the actual introduction of the first help desk software began in the 1990s when the internet became publicly available. Desktop computers, email, and live chat brought significant improvements and advancements to help desk software tools. Customers could communicate their issues by email, bypassing paper forms that save customers and companies a lot of time previously wasted on phone calls.

In the 2000s, companies started to use help desk software widely. The internet and networked systems made help desk software more interactive and participatory for customers. IT help desk ticketing became a crucial component of many businesses, streamlining the process of issue submission and resolution. Thus, enabling them to submit and track their issues more efficiently. Lotus Notes was one of the first help desk systems that allowed end-users to follow their support tickets, add information, and search for resolutions independently.

Why should you use help desk software?

Nowadays, consumers use a variety of channels to connect with brands. Moreover, they increasingly demand a seamless omnichannel experience across all of these channels. For example, if they start a conversation through email but then decide to switch to live chat, they expect you to connect the conversations and continue the interaction without repetition.

Microsoft’s survey revealed that 59% of consumers had used three or more channels to get their questions answered. However, many businesses can’t transform those multiple touchpoints into a consistent, frictionless, and unified service experience. That is where help desk software, such as LiveAgent, comes in place. It helps your customers experience a smooth and effortless transition between support channels and interactions.

What are the benefits of help desk software?

With the right help desk software training and proper management, the tool can help you enhance your overall customer service strategy and deliver the level of service your customers expect. Take a look at other significant help desk software benefits below.

Faster and more personalized responses

As customers use all kinds of channels to reach out to companies, keeping all customer communication in one place helps your support agents understand the issues better and handle tickets faster.

With help desk software, agents can reply to;

Agents can answer all of these channels from a single interface so, they don’t have to switch between various tools. Moreover, LiveAgent provides easy access to the history of past customer interactions so your agents can deliver faster and more personalized responses.

Self-service options

Self-service is becoming a preferred support channel for a growing number of consumers. Research shows that 90% of global consumers expect brands and organizations to offer an online portal for self-service. A solid help desk software provides integrated self-service options, such as a knowledge base, FAQs, and customer community forum. Businesses can leverage self-service to empower their customers to find answers and resolve issues independently without requiring any interaction with a company representative.

Increased customer satisfaction

A study by SuperOffice found that 62% of companies do not respond to customer service emails. With help desk software, all customer issues are transformed into tickets. As a result, no tickets are left unattended, forgotten, or lost. Agents can also categorize tickets by priority or escalate them to higher-level team members to ensure urgent issues are resolved immediately. That results in shorter wait times, precise answers, better first contact resolution, and ultimately, increased customer satisfaction.

Improved support agent efficiency

Help desk software can automate multiple tasks, processes, and workflows. For instance, when you automate help desk software features, you can effortlessly categorize tickets, set up prioritization, email notifications, etc. With well-defined processes and workflows, the help desk tool can eliminate redundant tasks and boost the efficiency and productivity of customer support reps. Moreover, the agents can quickly and easily access a repository of information and resolve issues more effectively by using the knowledge base as an internal resource.

Discover on your own

LiveAgent is a feature-rich help desk software that enhances your customer service right away. The system has more than 180 features that track, automate, and report. Take a look at the video below to learn more.