The right help desk software can make a huge difference in the success and bottom line of your firm or business. In fact, some would venture to say it serves as the foundation for client relations by providing your business with a robust yet streamlined in-house solution. That being said, not all help desk software is created equal, so you need to consider all of the angles. Here are seven key tips for selecting the best help desk software for your business needs.
1. Keep Your Budget In Mind
When shopping for help desk software, you’ll find solutions ranging in price from $0 all the way up to $1,000 and more. Some vendors charge a monthly fee and offer a slew of amazing features. However, it’s easy to go overboard with features and pricing when searching for a help desk. As is the case with most things, you don’t always get what you pay for with help desk support software. Fortunately, there are plenty of options and price ranges out there to choose from. There are even some great open source solutions for the budget-conscious.
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2. Decide On Your Needs
Helpdesk support software not only helps you manage client relations, but it helps keep track of workflow as well. Without a competent help desk system, ensuring all of your customers’ needs are addressed promptly is all but impossible. For many companies, the ability to submit tickets via email is a must-have feature, for others, it may not be. Knowing exactly what you’re looking for will help you to quickly and accurately weed out help desk support software lacking the features you need.
3. Ensure It’s Easy To Use
Your help desk support software must be easy for your clients and employees to use. If you opt for an overly complicated system, it will disrupt work flow and cause your business to run less smoothly than it should. When it comes to helping desks, there are some easy-to-use tools, and there are some that are incredibly difficult to operate. Take advantage of any trial periods or demos to find out if the tools you need are user-friendly for both your customers and employees. Do your research and make sure to choose wisely for both of their sakes. Once you decide on a winner, Tech Trace states the implementation of an employee training program is a good idea for maximising its effectiveness.
4. Consider Using a Web Interface
Some tools offer both email and Web-based solutions for ticket submission. Although many companies prefer the ease and straightforwardness of email ticket submission, others prefer the control afforded by Web-based systems. With a Web help desk portal, you have more control over when, why, and how help requests are submitted.
5. Assess Ticket Management Features
It would be logical to assume all help desk solutions would allow you to manage tickets granularly and provide you with assigning, escalating, cancelling, and closing capabilities. However, this isn’t always the case. Some help desk solutions provide users with greater control over their tickets than others. Therefore, you should think about how much control you want to have over your help tickets before shopping the marketplace. Don’t settle for software that doesn’t provide you with the control you need.
6. Expand Your Brand
Your help desk needs to be fully branded for your company. In addition to helping with continuity, a branded help desk legitimises your company in the eyes of customers and provides a professional look. Thus, make sure the help desk support software you select can be branded with your company logos and information. While critical, this is unfortunately often overlooked. Customer service is key, but the importance of branding for your brand cannot be overlooked.
7. Don’t Sleep On Security
In most cases, your help desk ticketing system will pass client data to and from servers. This data can contain names, addresses, passwords, and a bevy of other sensitive information you’re responsible for safekeeping. For this reason, the software you choose should facilitate secure data transfer. If you opt for an email-based ticketing system, make sure to consider SSL or another trusted form of encryption.
Well, there you have it. By following these tips and performing your due diligence, you’ll know what to look for when searching for the right help desk software and begin benefitting from a much more productive and reliable workflow in no time at all.
Robert Cordray is a former business consultant and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience and a wide variety of knowledge in multiple areas of the industry. He currently resides in the Southern California area and spends his time helping consumers and business owners alike try to be successful. When he’s not reading or writing, he’s most likely with his beautiful wife and three children.