Service Automation Software
The increasing number of points of contact between a company and its customers has created a real need for software-based solutions to manage the customer relationship.
Today, the customer might well choose to contact the company through traditional media (Phone, letter,fax) or the newer electronic media (e-mail, website) yet equally expect a response within the six-hour window majority of customers indicated they expect a reply (survey by Jupiter Media Metrix, 1/2002).
Service automation software aims to improve Customer Relationship Management. Independent surveys indicate that a 5% improvement in customer retention boosts profitability by 25 to 100% ( Bain & Co., 25 to 95% per Harvard Business Review).
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions comprise three main functions:
- Sales-Force Automation: Gives sales people tools to manage contacts and convert leads into revenue.
- Marketing Software: Helps the company track its advertising effort and see if it’s working.
- Help desk Software: Keeps track of all customer issues until they are resolved.
Well-installed customer-management systems can pay for themselves in under year because they savemoney and boost revenues - an easily provable return.
Helpdesks - An Overview
A help desk is simply a channel set up within a company to handle queries or issues raised by both potentialand existing customers.
In its simplest implementation, it need not be automated but the following section
gives good reasons why it should be.
Help desk software can allow you to record every phone call and let your technical support personnel key the relevant data for the call and their response.
So how does that help your organization?
- Structured logging of calls. Caller details and accurate issue description must be correctly recorded in the first instance.
- Established system of assigning issues to the right service reps in good time.
- Mechanism to monitor call progress and notify management immediately service standards are notbeing met on each call.
- Maintain a database of all customer issues for easier resolution of similar problems in the future and identifying frequently asked questions (FAQ’s).
The Benefits of an Automated Helpdesk
The costs for technical support personnel are constantly on the rise yet only companies that fulfill andexceed customer needs will thrive. Technical support via a problem management center is a major factor infulfilling the customer expectations.
An automated help desk like LanSupport can help turn the tide and keep your customers happy, and as discussed earlier - this loyalty affects your organization's net value.
Help desk software makes repetitious tasks easy and less time consuming.
The reason for this it electronically stores all previously entered client information and previously handled problems and their solutions. Your technical support team saves precious time because they can utilize a system that is doing some of the work for them. If it saves them time, it also means that they can spend time on other issues, perhaps issues that requiremore of their skills and interests. This translates into technical support job satisfaction and lower employee turnover. Retraining costs for these staff members directly affects your profit and loss figures. Conversely the cost of training new employees is considerably lower.
Other Benefits Include
- Electronic record of an issue and all of its particulars.
It helps by not only storing call-related data such as addresses, phone numbers, and contacts, but enables sorting, reporting, and graphing on such data.
- Record of what customer calls are outstanding and which have been resolved.
Unlike a paper filing system, an electronic call tracking system doesn't "accidentally" get lost or misplaced.
- Easy assignment and record of to whom and when received calls have been forwarded.
Forward an issue, via email, to the person assigned to resolve the issue or alert the specialist by pager or SMS of new assignments without wasting time.
- Increased Calls handled with same Staffing levels:
If your staff is spending 25% less time on issues, those members can answer more calls without increasing staff. Once a selected issue and proper response has been entered into the problem management system, the time and cost savings can begin. In a lot of cases, a technical support person can help a customer even if the issue is not specifically in the support person's area of expertise.
- Easing of Communication Problems.
Lack of communication creates a problem or makes it worse. Having a help desk software system facilitates communication among all cogs of the business organization, from customer to upper management. Some help desk software can enable automated email to the appropriate person or staff to respond to a given issue. And that's a key feature of your help desk software...to keep communication flowing to the proper individuals to ultimately keep your customers happy.
- Online service request forms:
Cut administrative time by allowing customers to log their own help desk queries. Forms can be completed 24/7 and addressed by customer service during normal business hours. Allowing Customers to check on the status of their open calls is also a plus.