How to Set up an IT Help Desk

Free Call Logging Software and the Customer Care Call Center

Sep 25, 2009

Call Logging Software Allows for GoodCustomer Care, Sugarpiony

Call logging software allows a company to get a professional customer care call center operational in a matter of hours and it does not have to be an expensive process.

What free software can a company use to set up a help desk with minimal expense? What should a call center manager look for in a software program that will allow him or her to manage help desk staff and customers?

Finding a helpdesk solution or setting up a call center for the first time can be a challenge. There are many helpdesk and call center management tools available. Many of the commercial software packages are very expensive and can be out of the question for most small to medium businesses.

Effective ticket management and customer service is essential in order to keep service level agreements, especially for start up companies who want to grow a satisfied client base. Good call logging software is very important in accomplishing this.

Customer Care Call Center and Help Desk Management Software

What should a call center manager look for in a call center or help desk software package? The following list should be considered as a minimal requirement for any call center or helpdesk:

Ability for clients/end users to log calls and monitor them. This will cut down on the work load of the call center agent.
The call center manager should be able to customize the software to a certain extent to suit the type of business and call center. For example, change the list of priorities or call types, add in extra fields if needed. Specifying mandatory fields would also be very useful
Managers should have the ability to monitor or flag certain calls that are at risk of exceeding the SLA.
Software should allow for different security levels, for example, to prevent low level users from moving calls to other call center agents or closing calls without the client signing off that the call can be closed.
Job cards should be printable.
The software should have the ability to track the history of each call.
The call center manager should be able to draw reports and statistics for give time periods.

What is the Cost of a Good Call Center Software Package?

Finding a good, but inexpensive software package that includes the above can be a challenge. Call center software can be very expensive. There are, however, some free software tools that can do the job quite efficiently. An example of a very good software package is “Mantis.” Mantis is a web-based program that runs on MYSQL. It needs to be setup on a Linux computer running PHP, MYSQL and Apache.

What is the Secret to Customer Satisfaction?

The secret to customer satisfaction boils down to communication. In order to accomplish this it is imperative that the call center agent make adequate notes for each call that is logged. In addition, a good software package will help a manager to better manage available resources and thus keep customers satisfied.

Source:

Peter Hupston, IT Manager Legalwise S.A., 23 September, 2009

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The copyright of the article How to Set up an IT Help Desk in Customer Management is owned by Fleur Hupston. Permission to republish How to Set up an IT Help Desk in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.