Considering after-sales support is just as important as assessing the functionality of the application when selecting a Talent Management solution. Jane Owen, UK Director, BrassRing, explains the vital characteristics of high quality help desks.
When purchasing a new Talent Management solution it is all too easy to assume the technology alone will transform operations. But however sophisticated the system is, it is only as good as the people who use it. For promised efficiencies to actually materialise, users need adequate training and ongoing support. After all, there is no point in going through a lengthy procurement process, only to find that the old paper-based systems are still being used because no-one quite understands how the technology works.
However, the quality of the help desk function is often overlooked when choosing new software. And with inadequate support, not only do the organisationís users become frustrated, but so too can candidates, who, unbeknown to them, are relying on a system that is not being used effectively. People make important judgements about organisations based on how they are treated when they call in ñ and neither the recruiter nor the software company can afford to be judged negatively in this way.
On the other hand high quality support services actively enhance all userís experience of new technology. There are a number of universal good practices inherent in top class support services. The first of these is a considered application of automated telephone response systems. Weíve all heard the horror stories of people being lost for hours in an endless maze of number-pressing frustration, but this is not the inevitable result of modern telephone technology. When deployed in combination with a comprehensive list of FAQs on the website, automated self-help systems can handle simple, common problems, which dramatically speeds up the support process, freeing agents to handle more complex issues.
However, not all contact is made by telephone, and so a good support function will have the capacity to integrate customer contact whether it is made by phone or over the web, in order to provide a full 360-degree view of the customer. This reduces the amount of time an individual user spends repeating their problem to support staff.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications, such as Onyx, which we use at BrassRing, provide full customer visibility at all levels, and to all relevant departments. It provides a channel of communication between the help desk and other key areas of responsibility.
This is vital because help desk agents are a repository for a wide variety of information about how the product is actually used: how it functions in a real world environment, and the common problems experienced by users. With the right set-up, this information can be shared with the companyís account managers and technical development team. The product can then be adjusted to match requirements even more precisely.
A good support service will also have the facility to prioritise problems rather than dealing with issues on first come first served basis. Business-critical situations such as a system failure obviously need to take priority. This kind of functionality can be built into the support technology, but is also reliant on the quality of help desk staff.
Like call centres, help desks have a rather unfortunate reputation for being low paid sweat shops, where students hope to make up the deficiencies of their bank balance by repeating scripted advice to a caller. This kind of help desk will have only limited use to users with complex systems and the need for sophisticated support. But good help desk agents have a thorough understanding of the product they are supporting, as well as soft skills, such as a good telephone manner, customer orientation and a service driven attitude. They are also able to use their own initiative, rather than sticking to a regimented script, when dealing with complex problems.
The way staff are recognised and rewarded has an impact on the quality of service. The traditional metrics, based on call duration, speed of answer and resolution time instil a quantity rather than quality mentality. But increasingly effective support functions base their incentive programmes on the quality of the support given, rather than on simple numerical targets.
These are all issues that are important whatever the nature of the business that is being supported. However, good support functions will be flexible enough to support the precise requirements of each of its customers.
For example the BrassRing help desk has to support global customers in a number of locations, who demand multiple language support. The universal business language may well be English, but that does not necessarily mean that all users have a sufficient grasp of it to deal with the technical issues they may be facing. Multi-lingual support provides all customers with the help they need, whether they call from San Francisco or Stockholm.
The global nature of our customers means we also offer support twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Our users in London do not need to wait for Boston opening hours to get support. And itís not just our help desk that is open for business 24x7 ñ we have a team of engineers on constant standby. After all no-one wants to report a fault at 6pm only to wait until 9 the next morning for an engineer to fix it.
The importance of a first-class help desk function cannot be overestimated. Once a sale has been concluded and the new system installed, it is help desk professionals who talk to the customer more than anyone else in the company. They impact on the brand with one phone call or email response. And they are in a position to make commitments to customers that can have serious positive or negative impacts upon the vendorís reputation. Good help desk support is deeply embedded in continuing good relationships with customers. This makes them an important extension of the company brand.
Thatís not to say that getting it right is easy. But it is important that any company regards its help desk as an extension of its product, which deserves the same kind of meticulous attention to detail. At BrassRing we make sure that help desk bugs are ironed out, and the service is monitored, reviewed, and upgraded where necessary, and that user group feedback is listened to and acted upon ñ just as we do with our Talent Management software. That way customers reap maximum benefit from investing in BrassRing, giving them the competitive edge that they constantly seek.
For further information about BrassRing, go to BrassRing.co.uk or email jowen@brassring.com
Time to take help desks seriously
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