Maintaining an entire organization’s technology ecosystem, with ever-evolving IT demands, is a daunting task. That’s why outsourced IT support is the better option for some companies. In today’s blog, we’re focusing on service desk qualities you should be looking for (and what to avoid) when hiring one for your company. You might already know that BT Partners Managed IT Services offers server and desktop support. Although we may be slightly biased, we do have a pretty good idea of what’s worked and what has not worked in terms of desk support offerings or lack thereof. Just to be clear though, we’re not here to bash other service desks (that’s not our style – see here).
“A Very Particular Set of Skills”
To help decide what Managed IT Services partner is the best fit, ask the right questions. Your questions can include things like where their service desk is located, what their average turnaround rate for resolving issues is, whether they are a 24/7 or business hours-only service desk, and what sort of training (and how often) they provide to find out if their staff can troubleshoot a variety of tech issues.
To be successful at the job, you need a unique set of skills that are usually quite technical, and that’s not even touching on the soft skills or the customer service skills a person needs. As Liam Neeson so famously says, “…but what I do have are a very particular set of skills.” We digress… placing staff in positions where they lack the necessary skills often results in a poor customer experience for everyone involved.
On-the-Job Training & Support
Have you ever called an outsourced IT support line, explained the issue, then get routed to another technician, only to have to explain it again? We bet you have. When you call BT Partners Service Desk for support, you skip the bottom tier support and go right to the top. That’s because our Service Desk is staffed with trained and skilled engineers who respond to calls and emails, not just “technicians” who only know the basics.
We’re not saying that only engineers can be successful at running an IT service desk. Rather, you want to find a managed services partner where the people answering the support calls and emails are a good fit for the role and given more than adequate training and support. That way they’re set up for success to troubleshoot and resolve your IT issues quickly and easily.
Their end goal should be to provide an overall positive customer experience that people don’t dread calling into. One way to find this out is by asking potential partners how many years of experience their support desk team has in the various areas of technology. You want to find out if they can troubleshoot problems diligently and efficiently so you can get back up and running swiftly without any lagging issues.
Teach a Person to Fish
No one wants to have to call Support every month with the same question or issue. This can be frustrating and time-consuming. A lot of tech issues can be fixed without having to call a support desk. That’s why our top goals are to drive ticket resolution quickly and support and guide clients into learning how they can try resolving tech issues on their own. We are committed to working with people so they can feel confident enough to troubleshoot basic tech issues on their own without the help of an IT support desk.
Our helpdesk motto is “Teach a person to fish” which is our commitment to empowering clients to become more self-sufficient in resolving basic tech issues on their own. We’ve seen firsthand how promoting self-sufficiency, with the right support, makes everyone better & happier at their jobs. With 90% of consumers worldwide saying issue resolution is their most crucial customer service concern, we know time is valuable. If this is something you feel is important as well, ask your potential Managed IT Services partners and find out if they also foster self-sufficiency in their clients.
Communication is Key
The helpdesk support team’s main priority should be communication and their follow-up shouldn’t be anything but outstanding. When an issue is resolved, we like to check in on our clients to make sure the resolution was satisfactory and that no other issues have surfaced. When a ticket is first opened, we strive on providing a prompt response and opening a constant stream of communication, either by phone or email, with the client until the issue is resolved. Maintaining regular communication throughout the support process is essential to providing exceptional support services and upholding the standard of quick and efficient resolutions.
Proactive Services
77% of customers view a business more positively if they’re proactive with customer service and we understand why. Not only should the helpdesk have strong technical skills and knowledge, but the team should also embody a consistent and genuine proactive mindset and culture. You want to find a partner who is willing to go beyond just fixing what’s broken. That’s why, while one of our top goals is to drive ticket resolution quickly, we have other service goals and talk about them just as much. BT Partners’ Managed IT Services team proactively implements solutions to improve performance and maintain security so, hopefully, you have fewer calls to our helpdesk.
Staying on top of issues and keeping up with best practices minimizes service issues and reduces downtime ensuring technology is always available when you need it. If you’re looking at a partner who only talks about speed of service, you might want to ask about proactive or training services. With some partners, like BT Partners, these are built into all service offerings whereas with other partners, you may need a higher service or support agreement to have access to those. Deciding to go with an outsourced IT support desk is just the first step. Choosing the right partner to work with is the next crucial step. Whoever you decided to go with, make sure you choose a reliable and compatible partner who has the flexibility to support your business now and in the future. If you have questions about how our Managed IT Services support desk works and what we provide our clients, reach out to one of our experts today.
