Companies who desire an effective customer service department need software that organizes the helpdesk and all related customer correspondence. Customer service representatives are inundated with emails, calls, tweets, and other customer requests that must be attended to daily. To provide great and consistent service, companies must utilize software that will help them deliver accurate and timely responses.
Help desk software assists customer service representatives by automatically routing emails to the appropriate staff members. By routing to the correct department, customer service representatives are able to provide responses that not only efficiently resolve the issue, but also establish credibility with the customer. Representatives may also track a customer’s complaint as it travels through the pipeline. If the problem needs cross-departmental support, the customer does not have to repeat the information each time he or she is transferred. Web-based applications allow customer service representatives to access the information they need from any computer that operates in the “cloud.”
Most customer service applications have interfaces and dashboards that are customizable to meet the needs of an individual representative, and are typically user-friendly. Businesses with online websites may provide links for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), troubleshooters, and articles to address concerns that may be common for their customers. Integrated knowledge base information may also exist on the website, allowing customer service representatives to direct their clients to this site if necessary. This will provide the customer with additional insight into their problem or concern, as well as alleviating the frustration associated with exorbitant phone wait times or email responses. If customers feel their opinions are valued and their time is respected, customers are more likely to view the company in a positive light.
Companies such as Hewlett Packard and IBM heavily utilize features such as Frequently Asked Questions and knowledge bases in order to address customer issues. For example, say a customer has a problem with a Hewlett Packard printer. Before calling the customer service department, she looks online to determine if the problem may be resolved without calling. The customer finds the solution and addresses the problem without ever picking up the phone. The customer is relieved because she found the solution, while avoiding wait times.
Additional features such as advanced filtering not only route emails to the appropriate departments, but also any number of support tickets. Departments may customize filters to automate processes and actions that occur during email correspondence. Filtering encourages collaboration among departments, and collaboration builds a more effective team.
To assist with collaboration, some help desk software allows other team members to determine which of their colleagues is working on what specific project, and to view their comments in real time. Therefore, if multiple people are inquiring about the same project or issue, each representative stays informed.
With call center applications, customer service representatives avoid researching an issue that is currently being addressed by another representative. Avoiding redundancy saves time and provides the customer with more efficient and seamless service. Yet help desk apps will also allow managers to establish user groups that restrict certain actions from other departments, to maintain privacy when necessary.
Help desk managers may also establish a number of external login sources to designate the type of users. Since the applications are customizable, the login source may be modified, the templates may be edited, and the entire look of the site may be changed to suit the business’s needs. Because the features are flexible, efficiency is improved.
