17 Signs You Work with IT Service Desk

Deployment of suitable help desk software can be absolutely beneficial for a company and that is why thousands of companies, belonging to different sectors have started using such applications. This is not only restricted to the popular corporate giants and Tech MNCs. Such specialized Help Desk Software applications help the companies enhance productivity level, serve the customers better, enhance sales and revenue and develop positive image. It is also ideal for automating a lot of things involved customer service operations. However, the help desk tools are ultimately used by the support agents and a lot depends on their skills and efficiency.

Signs of a skilled and veteran IT Support desk agent

Listed below are the signs/traits of a professional and skilled help desk agent:

• Productive at work – A professional help desk agent always focuses on the work. Regardless of situations affecting them personally, they devote the entire time at workplace to help the organization serve the customers better.
• Efficient at multitasking – IT support desk agents need to perform many tasks at the same time- without getting bogged down. They may have to attend calls while checking the CRM database and chat with several customers simultaneously. This cannot be learnt overnight but skilled agents become adept at managing time and performing several tasks in their schedule.
• Working smart, not only hard – There is simply no substitute for hard work and commitment in customer support segment. However, veteran support agents work smart, not only hard! They know the ways to reduce workload without cutting down on service quality. Examples include –directing customers to self service portals to resolve commonplace, simple issues. They can also use live chat and emails to direct the customers to the self-service portals.
• Tech savvy and always learning – Professional support desk agents have to be tech savvy or else they cannot sustain in the sector. They have to learn how to use help desks software and many other web services used by the organizations, to start with. The agents also have to learn many technological things while working. Subscribing to technology blogs and observing online trends can be helpful for this.

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• Adept at collaborating – A professional support agent has to learn how to collaborate with other employees. This is not only applicable for other agents in the team but they may have to collaborate with employees in other teams of the company. Accessing and sharing resources is a part of such jobs. This is a prerequisite for quick resolution of customer queries and grievances.
• Good analytical skills – A seasoned helpdesk agent has good reasoning and analytical skills. Different customers need different types of approach and the solutions may vary from one to another. They also analyze things and decide best possible solution for each customer issue.
• Grasp on mindset – The veteran support agents can understand mindset and liking of the customers by talking or chatting with them. They have to deal with different types of customers and decide impromptu which method suits whom! Some customers can be dealt with a little bit of diplomacy while some others may like a direct approach.
• Thinking out of box- The companies have lots of protocols to cater to customer needs including resolution of diverse queries and grudges. The agents largely have to adhere to such protocols when interacting with the customers. However, occasionally, they many have to think out of the box. Based on severity of customer issues, they may need to take decisions not listed on the company directives.
• Patience is important – A veteran support desk agent has to be patient. This is not easy at all times and dealing with some customers can get on the nerves! However, the agents have to remember the customers lose the cool because they face various problems which can have serious repercussions. The agents should not get affected by the response from irate customers and remain patient.
• Negative response is not desirable – In certain situations, the agents may not be able to offer the desired solution to the customers. However, they should refrain from using negative language and words. Phrases like “not possible’, ‘You can’t’, ‘we don’t’ should not be used. The same thing can be said in different ways. Using strongly negative words do not leave a positive impression on the customers.

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• More than just offering support – The primary responsibility of help desk agents is offering support to the customers of the company. They help the customers troubleshoot issues and resolve many queries, using chat, email and phone. However, veteran agents develop other skills. They use their skills and opportunities to cross sell products to a section of the customers.
• A positive attitude – A helpdesk agent has to cope with lots of calls, reply to emails and chat sessions. This can get taxing on the nerves. However, the veteran agents maintain positive attitude. They make the customers feel relaxed and better. This helps in evading the stress on both sides.
• ​Coping with additional workload – As a support agent, you may have to cope with additional workload occasionally. This is part of the job. It can be caused by unexpected absence of colleagues and technical glitches affecting operations. Working in additional shifts may also be required. The agents should be able to do the needful in such urgent situations.
• Making best use of software – The latest Service Desk Software come loaded with features and the agents have to master how to make the best use of such features. They should resort to various automation features in these told to save time and reduce workload. Using email templates to revert to queries or customer service is a possibility. Using filters to segregate and tag tickets automatically is another.
• Giving importance to logic over ego – A professional support agent always gives importance to logic and reality over ego. Sometimes, even a veteran agent may not be able to satisfy certain customers. The agent should be able to figure out when to escalate the case to the management. Feeding the ego can prove to be detrimental in these cases.
• Treating loyal customers properly – The support agents need to treat each customer with due attention and care. However, they have to be especially careful when handling cases of loyal customer service of the company. These customers are valuable assets for the company. So, the agents have to treat their cases with additional care and attention.
• Active listening – A successful helpdesk agent has to be a good listener. Without listening to what the customer is saying, you may not understand the situation and his or her exact needs. Sometimes, missing out a few words in conversation can lead to miscommunication and the customer can be irate eventually.

Where it all leads to?

To shine as an IT Service Desk agent, you have to develop several skill sets. Some of these will be included in the training provided by the company but you will have to pick up a few others! It is important to learn the right ways to extract most out of the IT Help Desk Software. The agents also have to update their skills and learn new things as they work in this sector.