HelpDesk

Updated at: 31 January 2025

The modern world of information technology is filled with terms that have firmly occupied their niche in everyday communication. One of such terms, "Help desk", has moved from the world of corporate structures and has become widespread in the sphere of information support in both business and household environments.

Help desk is a little more than technical support, it is a whole mechanism of providing users with necessary assistance in solving problems and issues related to computer hardware, software and network services. In this article we will take a closer look at the essence and functionality of this system, as well as its role in the modern information society.

What is Help desk

Help desk (or technical support) is a service in an organization that uses specialized software to help and support users in solving problems with software or hardware, as well as in answering their questions. It is concerned with information technology (IT), but can include other aspects such as customer service in service or sales.

For accessibility: imagine the Help Desk as a smart assistant who is always available to help with problems with computers, programs, or other IT equipment. How exactly does it help?

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Receives your requests by phone, email, website or chat.

Logs and tracks your problems so they are not forgotten.

Directs your requests to the right people for quick and efficient resolution.

Provides you with information about the status of your request and how you can solve the problem yourself.

Collects feedback on your Help Desk experience to improve your service.

Help Desk can be as simple as a ticketing system or more complex, with asset management, project management and self-service functions. These systems can be divided into three categories, each with its own characteristics and specific tasks. 1. ### Customer Support Systems in this category focus on interacting with individuals, providing them with help and support in a variety of ways. Functionality may include: - Handling inquiries through various channels (phone, email, chat). - Creating and maintaining a knowledge base to quickly find answers to typical questions. - Automating routine operations such as request routing, issue escalation, customer notifications. - Personalization of service through the use of AI-technologies. 2. ### Technical support (Field Service Management) Systems in this category are designed for legal entities that have service contracts. Functionality may include: - Management of repair, maintenance, and equipment installation requests. - Planning and dispatching of field specialists. - Maintenance of work history and control of SLA fulfillment. - Mobile applications for field employees. - Integration with monitoring systems for preventive maintenance. 3. ### Service Desk systems These systems are focused on internal use within organizations for IT service management. Functionality may include: - IT service catalog with a description of available services and SLAs. - A system for registering and processing requests from employees. - Management of incidents, problems, changes. - Automation of routine tasks such as password resets, software installation. - Reporting to evaluate the efficiency of IT service. The choice of the optimal [Service Desk]() automation [system]() depends on the specifics of the company, the type of clients served and the goals of implementation. ## What is the difference between Help desk and Service desk Although the terms "help desk" and "service desk" are sometimes used synonymously, they can actually have some differences depending on the context and specific organizations. Let's note the common differences in the table below:

Characteristic	Help Desk	Service Desk
Task coverage	Focus on technical support for users	Wide range of services including technical support, request management, incident management, change management and others
Objective	Quickly resolve specific user issues	Provide services to meet business and user needs
Process Management	Focus on resolving incidents and requests as quickly as possible	Integration of a broad set of service management processes: change management, incident management, problem management, etc.
Level of automation	Can be less automated, focused on rapid response	Includes a higher level of automation, providing tools to manage processes and predict problems before they occur

Often the lines between these two concepts are sometimes blurred, but typically [Service Desk]() includes a broader range of functions and can be seen as an evolution of the Help Desk concept to a more comprehensive and integrated approach to service delivery. ## Why your business needs a Helpdesk system ### Helpdesk system as a tool for business growth - The financial success of a company depends on 4 areas: attracting customers, retaining them, increasing the average check and reducing costs. - Helpdesk system automates the work with client calls, which affects all 4 areas, except for attracting new customers. - As a business grows, the requirements for a helpdesk system change and these requirements will vary from industry to industry. ### Market development and changing requirements for helpdesk systems: - In the past, the main point of growth was the sales department and the requirements for helpdesk systems were simple: registration, tracking and correspondence on requests. Email or chat was sufficient. - With the growth of competition and customer requirements, the focus shifted to working with existing customers and optimizing internal processes. - Helpdesk system becomes not just a "system for recording requests", but a tool for achieving business goals. ### Industry specifics: - In the Western market there are many specialized helpdesk programs for different industries: financial sector, mining, housing and utilities, field service, online games, and so on. - In Russia, the market is less mature, but the need for specialized helpdesk systems is gradually increasing. **The conclusion is simple:** - Helpdesk system is a must-have tool for any business that wants to grow. - When choosing a helpdesk system, you need to consider the specifics of your industry and your business goals. ## What tasks a helpdesk system solves

#### Customer service: the art of retention in an era of change

In today's world, where competition is part of the business landscape and attracting new customers is becoming increasingly expensive, the fight for loyalty is no longer just an important aspect, but a vital necessity. Western companies have long since mastered the art of quality customer support, and this is not surprising. After all, it is the satisfied customer who is most likely to become a regular customer.

In the market of automation systems for solving similar tasks there is a significant number of players, including large companies with solid experience in this area. But due to the departure from the Russian market of such major players as Zendesk and Freshdesk, there is uncertainty for users who have paid subscriptions to their services. In the current circumstances, when choosing a help desk system, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the available options to avoid unreasonable costs and inefficient use of resources.

The functionality of such systems is diverse, but the key features are simple ticket registration and tools for increasing loyalty:

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Registering requests from different sources.

Automatically categorizing and prioritizing requests
.

Assigning a responsible employee.

Tracking request fulfillment status.

Notifying the customer of progress.

Creating a unified knowledge base to answer frequently asked questions.

Improving accuracy and speed of problem solving
.

Collecting statistics on customer requests.

Identifying the most problematic areas.

Finding ways to optimize the support service.

It is always worth remembering that a customer is not just a source of profit, but a valuable asset that requires careful treatment. Investing in quality customer support helps build customer loyalty, which in turn provides a sustainable competitive advantage.

What functions should be in a help desk system

The main functions that are typically found in a helpdesk system are:

Request/incident management

Creating, assigning,
tracking and closing requests/incidents

Categorizing and prioritizing requests

Knowledge base articles on solving common problems

User self-service portal

Reporting and analytics

Analyzing trends
and identifying problem areas

Asset and configuration management

Managing identified issues and risks

SLA management and service catalog

Defining target SLAs for different types of requests

Catalog of provided ITservices

Integration with other systems

, monitoring, accounts, etc.д.

The specific feature set may vary depending on the size of the organization, industry and the helpdesk solution selected.

What kind of business helpdesk systems are suitable for

Helpdesk systems are suitable for any business that interacts with customers.

Companies that provide services or software (software) to customers. For example, IT companies, software developers, internet service providers, etc.
Helpdesk enables rapid response to user requests and problems.

Companies with large customer bases that serve multiple customers.
This includes telecommunications, financial, insurance and other service organizations.

Companies selling technically complex products that require support and advice.
For example, manufacturers of electronics, hardware, and software products.

Online retailers and online sales companies.
Helpdesk helps to handle customer inquiries.

Companies providing technical support to their employees for IT, hardware and software issues.

Help Desk implementation

Prerequisites for Help Desk implementation:

Increase in the number of inquiries and requests from customers/users.
If the number of incoming requests, complaints and problems starts to exceed the capabilities of the existing support system, then it's time to think about a more efficient solution.

Decrease in service quality.
When customers complain about long response times, loss of information when transferring requests between employees, poor quality feedback - this is a signal that process improvement is needed.

Company growth and business expansion. As the number of customers, products/services, and communication channels increase, the support workload increases and becomes difficult to handle manually.

Where to start:

Examine how calls are handled now, customer communication channels, resources involved.

Determine system requirements based on business specifics.

Allocate an implementation team of key employees from IT, support, sales, and other involved departments.

Conduct trainings for system users on its functionality and processes of working with it.

Run the system in test mode, work out the processes, get feedback and finalize the solution.

Perform full process transfer to the new system, integrate it with CRM, billing, etc.

Regularly evaluate the system performance.

System selection criteria

When selecting a helpdesk system, you should determine the needs of your business:

What features do you need?

How many users will be using the system?

How much are you willing to spend?

Compare different systems:

Study user reviews;

Test demos;

Compare price tags for implementation and maintenance.

It is important to choose a Help desk services system that clearly fits your needs and budget.