A company’s helpdesk has a very important role to play in the business. It is the first – and often only – point of contact for answering users’ questions. Today, an increasing focus is being put on customer service, which means that it has become imperative for helpdesks to evolve into something more: they need to become service desks.

The digital migration

As more customers are transitioning online to interact with brands – engaging with the company website or an agent on the other side of a computer – businesses have to start making themselves more easily accessible on digital platforms.

The internet is now the greatest influencer, with customers using smartphones and tablets in addition to other traditional mediums – especially with the millennial generation entering the business world – to communicate with brands. There is now a greater demand for businesses to know who their customers are and how to cater for their preferred – and varied – methods of communication. The challenge is to implement the most effective omni-channel solution to suit your customer base.

Service desk brand building

That all-important contact your customer has with you through the service desk can greatly impact your customer retention. Businesses need to harness the power a contact centre provides by defining themselves through the services they offer and viewing their contact centre – and specifically the service desk – as an extension of their brand.

Agents need to understand the company culture and that they are an extension of the same business. Management also needs to undertake a more customer-centric approach to their service desk staff as they are the outward face of the brand.

Marketing and sales through a service desk

The service desk is the crossing point between demand and sales.There is a huge opportunity, if harnessed correctly, to market more than what the original query was about, driving the contact centre to offer so much more than just great customer service.

In the past, the helpdesk was a ‘need to have’ but now it is evolving into something far more – a strategic marketing tool. Marketing departments should be involved in the businesses contact centre space right from the get go with training. You cannot simply put an agent in the service desk environment with a how-to manual and a computer, and wish them luck.

Measurement is key

That said, there is a growing need to carefully manage service desk agents’ interactions with customers. How you measure the performance of the agent directly relates to how customers view or experience your brand. This is often easier said than done, and can only happen by implementing and making use of the appropriate people, processes and technology in order to deliver the service and measure how to get the quality right.

Management reports need to be easily accessed in order to make decisions on the go and changes made to improve efficiency in the contact centre.

Ultimately, the service desk should be a core focus for businesses and deserves more attention. Replacing outdated and costly systems with outsourced cloud call centre technology can aid in improving services if this is a pain point for your company.

Businesses need to pay greater attention to the fact that reputation and image are directly linked to the service desk and contact centre. The mindset needs to change from a reactive one to proactively improving customer interactions and in turn uplifting your brand. After all, the success of a business rests heavily on the strength of its brand.