Best Help Desk Services of 2024
A help desk is the point of contact that assists customers or employees. Within organizations, a help desk typically refers to the internal team that aids employees with device or network issues. A help desk could also mean a service company acting as a business’s support staff for its customers.
Finding the best help desk services depends on several factors. Keep reading to learn how to choose a help desk service.
Recommended Firms
Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a cloud-based help desk software that simplifies customer support for businesses. Established in 2010, Freshdesk offers features like ticket management, knowledge base creation, and multi-channel support to enhance customer interactions. Their platform is designed to improve efficiency and provide seamless support experiences.
ServiceNow
ServiceNow is a cloud computing platform that specializes in IT service management and help desk solutions. Founded in 2004, they provide tools for incident management, service request fulfillment, and workflow automation. Their comprehensive approach helps organizations optimize IT operations and enhance service delivery across departments.
Help Scout
Help Scout is a help desk software designed for small to medium-sized businesses looking to provide exceptional customer support. Founded in 2011, they focus on email management and collaboration tools that enable teams to deliver personalized support efficiently. Their user-friendly platform integrates seamlessly with various applications to enhance customer interactions.
Kayako
Kayako is a customer service platform that provides integrated help desk solutions for businesses. Established in 2001, Kayako offers features like live chat support and ticket management to streamline customer interactions. Their goal is to create better customer experiences by connecting teams with customers through multiple channels.
Intercom
Intercom is a customer messaging platform that provides help desk solutions and enhances customer engagement. Founded in 2011, they offer tools for live chat, ticketing, and automated messaging to streamline customer support processes. Their focus on personalized communication helps businesses connect with customers more effectively and improve overall satisfaction.
How help desk services help businesses
The term help desk is often used interchangeably with service desk, but these two have different areas of concentration. Where the main focus of a service desk is delivering service to customers, a help desk’s primary focus is fixing issues. Simply put, help desk services aid businesses by acting as their problem-fixers.
Businesses can benefit from help desk services regardless of their industry. Some of these benefits include:
- A designated point of contact – A help desk service establishes a centralized point of contact for customers. It assigns a single contact number for people to call about their concerns, which gets delivered to staff members.
- Streamlined problem-solving for customers – A help desk simplifies problem-solving through workflow guidance for the company and its customers. It ensures that one person is always available to provide help where needed.
- Answers to customers’ questions – A help desk agent answers all possible customer questions. Help desk systems generally run a centralized knowledge base platform accessible to all support staff members.
- Determines customer satisfaction – A help desk allows customers to rate or give feedback on the company, product, or service. This process makes it easier for the business to assess its performance and make improvements where necessary.
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How do you choose a help desk service provider?
Help desk services are an integral part of general customer service. Choosing the right help desk service provider is crucial to surpassing customer expectations and achieving satisfaction. Take note of these tips when looking for a help desk service provider.
1. Identify your preferred support channels.
Help desk services are available through different communication channels – call, chat, email, or social media. Determine what’s most important for your business and look for a company specializing in that support channel.
2. Assess your business requirements.
The right help desk service for your business depends on your product, size, and demographic. Determine your business needs and your customers’ preferred support channel, then find a service provider with experience working with the same industry or background as yours.
3. Look into the service provider’s integration capabilities.
Help desk services entail using tools such as ticketing and telephony systems, customer relationship management software, and knowledge base platforms. Verify how the service provider will integrate these tools into your system and their user-friendliness on the front end.
4. Compare multiple options.
Allocate time to research the best help desk service providers in your industry. Entertain several options and compare their features, services, and efficiency before making a final choice.
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Five things to consider when partnering with help desk service companies
Following the steps above, you likely have a shortlist of potential candidates. Take your decision-making further and examine these important considerations for the best help desk service provider.
- Expertise – Help desk services can be very technical. It would be helpful if you could find a service provider that specializes and has experience in a similar industry. Partnering with experts lessens the necessary training and increases efficiency.
- Scalability – Help desk services may require network integration, so finding a company that can easily integrate into your existing system is essential. See where it fits within your needs and if your help desk service provider can accommodate these programs.
- Availability – When outsourcing help desk services, availability is an important consideration. You’d want to provide customers with technical support on demand, so having 24/7 help desk service can be beneficial. If it’s not an option or your customers are mostly local, you can focus on providing support during regular business hours.
- Security and compliance – Protecting your customers’ data is another important consideration. Choose a company with certifications in data privacy and security compliance. Inquire about their processes and ask about regular security audits.
- Pricing – Help desk services have varying pricing models – pay per ticket, pay per call, pay per minute, pay per agent, or pay per user. Consider these costs on top of training costs for agents, onboarding expenses, and tech upgrades, then assess if it fits your budget.