Information Technology: Helpdesk Concepts - Essay Example

Introduction The help desk is a facility designed to help the user solve problems especially over the phone or via proxy (Knapp, p.23). This usually consists of a user interacting with several prompts that try to solve the problem. These prompts are designed to cover basic problematic areas the user is likely to encounter. The prompts give guidance to the user on how to solve different common problems. During the interaction, these prompts guide the user on where to go if the previous prompt did not provide a solution to the problem. The solution of these problems is usually hierarchical and they are tackled as such (Sanderson, p.34). The main aim of a help desk or a service desk is to help guide the user to solve problems without having to consult a technician. Some help desk services use special software that is used to enter data about the user’s problem. This software assigns the problem a unique tag identification that can be used to track the problem (Beisse, p. 98). Tracking helps the company follow up on the problem and check on the user's progress. This improves customers’ feedback service. The user’s interaction with the systems can determine whether they will continue using the product or service, or they will stop. Therefore it is very vital that the help desk monitor the users and get feedback to help them improve the system. The Call Experience. The helpdesk chosen for this paper was the Verizon helpdesk. Verizon help desk provides mobile telephone solutions and IT solutions to various problems. The reason this was a preference was because it dealt with the two aspects. This would provide a comprehensive view of how a typical interaction would go. After I made the call, the response took about 8 to 10 seconds. This is considered good time because the typical wait period is about 20 seconds. The response however sometimes depends on the amount of user traffic to the systems at the time. After the response the voice prompt welcomed me to their help desk and explained their purpose and the services they provide. I found this information useful because they gave a detailed explanation of the services they provided. They also guaranteed good service and delivery. This information is useful to a new user who is not aware of the exact services the company provides. After the welcome message they offered more information about their product. This provided good insight, though I found that the time they take to talk about their services may be a bit too long and could use some reduction. This can be an inconvenience when the caller is in a hurry to get an urgent problem solved. After the messages about their services, the voice prompt gave the option of a preferred language. This is an essential feature in the help desk structure, because not all users are native speakers. They might not be able to cover all the languages but they can have a facility for the main languages used. This will cater for non –English speaking users. The prompt gave the option of using 1 for English and 2 for Spanish. After pressing 1 for English, the prompt asked me to verify my number and password. This is an essential security feature, because someone might be using you phone to make the call. Verification of identity is one of the initial steps taken when contacting a help desk. This helps with identifying you correctly, and opening a ticket for you. The ticket is used as a reference to that session. After number verification, I was asked to specify type of service. The options offered were 1 for wireless phones and 2 for residential phones. These options cater for all the types of users that are catered for by Verizon. After pressing 1 for the wireless option, the prompt asked me to press 1 for prepaid services, 2 for postpaid services and hash to go back to the main menu. This distinction is essential for users. This is due to the difference in problems that might be experienced in the two services. The hash option to go back to the main menu is available at all prompts. This gives the user the opportunity to restart the whole process and choose different options. After choosing the wireless option, the prompt listed a number of services that were available for this option. 1 was billing and accounts, 2 was phones and devices, 3 was features and services and 4 was plans and coverage. Hash was also mentioned as a way of going back to the main menu. The prompt at this particular point gave all the options. The options provided here all led to having to talk to a customer care representative by pressing 0. The experience with the Verizon help desk seemed efficient, but it drops the call from time to time, leading to a repeat of the whole process which is frustrating. The interaction with the voice prompt did not take very long, but in the case of dropped calls, it usually takes a long time. The experience was bearable but the wait period between prompts was too long in some cases. Conclusion Interaction with the help desk can determine whether the customer will leave satisfied or they will be frustrated. The sequence of prompts and the amount of wait time allocated between prompts is also a big factor in the user experience. Most users will easily discontinue a service if they have a bad experience with the help desk (Gerbyshak & Brooks, p.45). It reflects badly on the company. It is essential to train the help desk assistants to be adequately prepared to deal with clients. The response received by clients on first contact has a big impact on their attitude towards the company (Czegel, p.56). It can easily determine the customer’s experience. The amount of time the help desk takes to answer the call is also another factor in determining the customer’s experience. The experience with the help desk always varies and companies should always work to deliver the best customer experience. Works Cited Beisse, F. A Computer User Support for Help Desk& Support Specialists. Connecticut: Course Technology. 2004: Print. Czegel, B. Help Desk Practitioners Hand Book. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. 1999: Print Gerbyshak, P., & Brooks, J. Help Desk: Managers’ Crash Course. North Charleston: Booksurge LLC. 2009: Print. Knapp, D. A Guide to Help Desk Concepts. Connecticut: Thomson 2003. Print. Sanderson, S. Introduction to Help Desk Concepts and Skills. New York: McGraw-Hill. 2003. Print. Read More