A help desk is an important function of a business. It provides information and assistance for customers that need to troubleshoot problems with their computers or other similar products that they have purchased from the company. Help desk support is usually provided by companies to their customers via a toll-free number, chat support, a website, or electronic mails. A help desk is a non-core activity of a business, but it has a very important role in achieving smooth operations. Having an efficient help desk can improve the productivity of a business. Just think about having an opportunity to access more efficient contact channels. You can free your company from the hassles brought on by technical problems, and aside from that, you can also drive down your technical costs.
Many companies nowadays are utilizing help desk outsourcing simply because of the myriad advantages that it brings to the business. By outsourcing help desk tasks, companies can focus on more important revenue generating activities and develop a holistic and innovative plan. It helps every company to re-align its user contacts and take full advantage of technology and its service features to further improve the business. Outsourcing help desk provides businesses with a better product and service with consistent technical back-up and full support. Outsourcing vendors serve as a business partner in providing assistance to the company’s customers. Staff members are able to drive cost savings to new levels; they work with their clients in achieving business goals and objectives. Though outsourcing, companies are able to tap into state-of-the-art technology and best innovations that could better transform support. This provides users with a new level of service desk experience.
Three levels of help desk support include:
�Tier 1 is the most basic kind of support. It provides basic software application and hardware support to customers or users.
�Tier 2 is a higher level of support. It provides assistance in troubleshooting more complex technical issues. This requires support and subject matter expertise on different software applications and hardware. Issues in this level are usually an escalation from Tier 1.
�Tier 3 is the highest level of support that is being provided on complex hardware and network operating system software. This level is usually being handled by certified system engineers.
Outsourcing help desk tasks gives a guaranteed service level for your help desk services. It will give you the freedom to focus on the core competencies of your business, while at the same time, you are giving your employees and customers a pleasant and satisfying help desk experience. Since your help desk staff members are managed by an independent body, you can make sure that tasks will be delivered according to the agreement that you have with your business partner. Outsourced processes and technology give your business the needed information to identify trends and anticipate changes. It helps your business to regain control over your user support. It also helps you to increase responsiveness to your internal and external customers. The availability of the latest technology and predictable, repeatable workflow processes during help desk outsourcing, can direct the business towards improvement in customer satisfaction levels.