Service Desk Archives

8 Tips for Better IT Service Desk Metrics

Posted by Stephen Mann
on January 3, 2019

Here we delve into the top 10 IT service desk metrics according to industry research, before looking at the 8 common metrics mistakes made on the service desk – plus their impact. Plus we look at what needs to be done to avoid them and how to run them into positive performance management approaches.

Maximizing the Value of New (and Existing) IT Support Capabilities

Posted by Stephen Mann
on December 20, 2018

Service desks have already been struggling with the likes of chat and self-service, and now in the midst of all the hype surrounding the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and chatbots in particular – we have to ask: is the average service desk going to be successful with this new technology?

How to Become an IT Service Desk Manager

Posted by Emma Lander
on December 18, 2018

Are you planning on becoming an IT service desk manager? If so, then this article is just for you. Please read on as Emma Lander covers off much of what’s needed to get you into this role – from the route taken to qualifications that will help.

Does the Service Engineer Ever Get the Right Credit?

Posted by Gururaj A. Kulkarni
on November 6, 2018

This article looks at what happens when a major incident occurs and how the involved service engineer’s work is regarded. Are you giving them the incentives and credit that they deserve?

4 Steps Towards a Great Service Catalog

Posted by Sumit De
on October 11, 2018

This article offers up a quick guide to service catalog success – from getting started, to measuring quality, from checking whether you’re providing services that meet your customers’ needs, to improving your service catalog by matching it to your customer journeys. Get the lowdown here.

5 Simple “Don’ts” for Handling Customer Complaints

Posted by Stephen Mann
on October 4, 2018

Here Stephen Mann takes his latest negative customer experience and turns it into five simple, but practical, pieces of advice for anyone (whether they be in internal or external support) to follow when handling a customer complaint.

How to Better Understand the Total Cost of IT Service Desk Tools

Posted by Rajnish Nischal
on September 27, 2018

Have you ever stopped to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) for your current, or next, IT service desk tool? Not just the costs of buying the software but the all-in costs of what it takes to make the tool “fit for purpose” and to maintain this over time? Here we outline all the costs that you need to consider.

What Could a Regular Huddle do for Your IT Service Desk?

Posted by Natalie Harris Briggs
on September 25, 2018

All sorts of businesses are starting to hold daily team huddles and finding that they’re transforming the way they work. Team huddles not already a part of your workplace culture? This article contains everything you need to know about them and what they could do for your IT service desk operations.

Tackling Common Knowledge Management Issues for IT Service Desks

Posted by Stephen Mann
on September 12, 2018

Corporate IT service desks have long understood the opportunity, and benefits, of knowledge management, but far too many continue to struggle to make the most of what their service desk agents, and the wider IT organization, already know. The question is: why is this?

The Current State of 24×7 IT Support

Posted by Stephen Mann
on August 30, 2018

Do you remember the concept of “follow the sun” service desks? An approach to ensure that there’s always an IT support facility available to employees as and when they need it. This article questions how prevalent 24×7 IT service desks – “follow the sun” or otherwise – are in 2018.

Comparing Internal Versus External Knowledge Base Solutions

Posted by Chris Rall
on August 28, 2018

This article aims to provide an overview of the different types of knowledge bases available. The question we want to answer here is: “Is it better for your company to use an internal knowledge base (that’s built into your ITSM tool) or an external knowledge base provided by a third party?”

Improve IT Service Desk Customer Experience with Duration Reports

Posted by Nancy Louisnord
on August 23, 2018

If you’re not meeting the response time agreements you have with your customers can you explain why? If not, then here’s a potential solution – duration distribution reporting is a strategy that service managers can use to gain a deeper understanding of the lifecycle of a request in your organization. Here we explore…

3 Tips for Managing Multiple Personalities on the IT Service Desk

Posted by Emma Lander
on July 12, 2018

One of the most important aspects of being an IT Service Desk Manager is understanding the personalities of your team members. After all, if you don’t know what makes them tick, what motivates them, or what’s important to them, then how can you effectively manage them?

How to Make Your Help Desk a Service Desk Profit Center

Posted by Evan Jones
on June 28, 2018

How can you move your help desk from being a cost center to a profit center, aligning it with the business outcomes that C-level execs value most highly? Let’s see…

What Exactly Are XLAs and How Do You Use Them?

Posted by Hannah Price
on June 19, 2018

Yes you should aim to solve tickets as quickly as possible, but there’s more to it than that. Meeting an SLA doesn’t guarantee that the customer is happy. You need to put the emphasis on customer experience. You need XLAs, and here’s why.

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