E-book 6 of 7 in the 6 Ways to Turn Your Service Desk Into a Productivity Engine series

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?4 Strategies to Transform Your Service Desk Reputation

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E-book 6 of 7 in the 6 Ways to Turn Your Service Desk Into a Productivity Engine series

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4 Strategies to Transform Your Service Desk Reputation

Technology impacts the performance of every employee working in any department of an organization. Naturally, the relationship between a service desk and the end-users it serves is critical. Yet cultivating these relationships can be among the most challenging aspects of a support professional’s job. Here is an easy-to-follow set of guidelines for making each interaction between the service desk and end-user pleasant and lucrative.

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View Problems from the End-User’s Perspective 1It goes without saying that figuring out technology often comes easily for people who choose to work in IT. But, this might not necessarily be the case for most business professionals. Recognizing this will help reduce the friction that characterizes many IT service interactions with end-users.

Begin with people.

Most employees couldn’t care less about technology specifics. Even fewer are interested in how it works. What they do care about is doing a good job, taking pride in their work and not having to stay at the office late too many nights in a row. Add to this list getting a raise, keeping their jobs and looking competent in front of their peers.

With this in mind, members of the service desk staff should first look to find out why employees need to perform the software functions they are asking about. Only then should they attempt to solve the problem at hand.

By dealing with underlying motivations before diving into details, support personnel can provide context to questions and problems. In doing so, they significantly increase their chances of coming up with the absolute best (and often simplest) ways to help employees use technology to create value for themselves and others. They will also be able to provide these solutions in an empathetic manner because they took the time to understand the age-old human desires behind the high-tech issues at hand.

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Continually Collect Feedback and Adjust2In order to improve rapport with end-users, it is essential to get ongoing feedback from managers and general staff on how your service desk is doing. By opening the lines of communication, you get a fuller picture of how the service desk is helping and where it might be falling short. You will also gain essential insight into how your team’s efforts are helping to fur ther the goals of the organization as a whole.

Implement initiatives such as an anonymous vir tual suggestion box and periodic meetings with managers from each department. Synthesize the feedback you receive and make changes to your training and support processes based on the findings. Real feedback gives you something solid against which to measure performance. While it can be painful at times to hear where you and your team members might be failing, it is among the most important data you will ever receive in your quest to improve the relationship between your service desk and end-users.

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It is often the case that within each non-IT department of an organization, there are one or two people that are more tech-savvy than the rest. Keep an eye out for these individuals. When it comes to building strong relationships with end-users, they can be some of your strongest assets.

Casually communicating with interdepartmental allies and hoping they spread your teachings to colleagues is not enough. Formalize the relationship. Make it worth your allies’ while. Work with management in the allies’ departments to see what incentives can be made available. Find out what motivates them and provide it in spades.

If they thrive on recognition, see to it that they are formally recognized. Arrange to have a visual demonstration of their new role displayed in a place where colleagues can see it. And of course, incentives such as gift cards never hurt.

Regardless of your specific approach, position the role as a privilege. By designating a departmental insider as an IT Champion, you are placing them on the same side of the table as your service desk. You’ll be surprised by how quickly others will follow.

Identify Technology Allies Within Other Departments 3

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One of the most important factors in facilitating strong relationships with end-users has nothing to do with any process, procedure, strategy, or tactic. The people who make up the service desk must have a fondness for helping others with their problems, and the culture of your IT department must support this.

Instead of hiring service desk staff based primarily on their technical skills, look first at how they interact with people. It will be easier to enhance technical skills in someone who has an understanding of the industry and can provide support and resolutions based upon consumer empathy rather than vice versa.

A human-centric focus should pervade every facet of how members of your service desk conduct themselves. It is up to you to create and foster a culture that supports compassion as the ultimate value.

Demonstrate Through Words and Actions That the Service Desk Team Cares4

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There is no secret recipe when it comes to enhancing the reputation of your service desk. It’s all about building, maintaining and enhancing the relationship with the end-user to rely on the service desk as an ally and not an enemy to solving issues. Employing these strategies will allow your service desk to forge ahead.

Forging Ahead

Encourage your service desk team to follow up calls with thank you emails and accompanying articles that clarify and expand upon key points of their conversations with end-users.

Create a video library that provides instruction on commonly asked questions. Email videos to end-users to remind them how to enact the steps that were discussed. If a certain question hasn’t been encountered before, create a new video to send to end-users, as well as others that may have the same question in the future.

Train your service team to avoid pushing away end-users that fall outside their area of expertise—however subconscious this behavior may be. If they need to bring in another expert to help answer a question, the original service desk team member should remain on hand to facilitate the process and keep the end-user from having to repeat his or her story over again.

Reach out to end-users in a proactive way whenever there is a software upgrade. Inform them of any relevant changes and how it will impact their use of the software. Not only will this cement the impression that the service desk personnel care about them, it will increase user adoption and go a long way toward eliminating the large percentage of inquiries that result from end-users not being sufficiently prepared for technological change.

Tips for Creating a Culture of Caring

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© 2016 Vitalyst, LLC

201603-SAEB-7.7

Vitalyst is committed to providing unmatched application expertise and customer service to clients, helping to maximize their return on investment by increasing employee proficiency and enterprise-wide productivity. Since 1992, Vitalyst has served as a catalyst to businesses and government organizations. Clients rely on Vitalyst for insightful and practical solutions for hundreds of applications, smooth migrations and in-person and web-based training programs, earning the company status as a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner. Headquartered just outside Philadelphia, Vitalyst also has an office in Cleveland, Ohio. For more information, please visit www.vitalyst.com. One Bala Plaza, Suite 434Bala Cynwyd, PA 190041-800-HELP412

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