It’s a known fact that helpdesks are overwhelmed and the retention rate of helpdesk staff can be as low as 50%. Good managers will identify why this is and take steps to correct it – providing benefits, better salaries, or training opportunities. There is also another big – and preventable – cause of helpdesk turnover, and that’s the sheer quantity of mundane and repetitive tasks in addition to legitimate support calls, that can cause them to feel overwhelmed if there’s a high volume of tickets that need to be worked on. These tasks can vary from company to company but some examples could be:
Ticket auto-responders
This is rarely applicable as many ticketing systems have this mechanism in place, however, I have been in one company where they weren’t using a “true” helpdesk system and the auto-responses for ticket creation weren’t set up. This meant that someone manually responded to each ticket with the customer’s name and the ticket reference, for every single ticket that came into the helpdesk.
Password resets
A mundane task, and one that frequently occurs due to requirements of following an ISO 27001 policy. Password changes can be handled by automated systems, such as ManageEngine’s ADSelfService Plus, NervePoint’s Access Manager, or Azure Active Directory. Server 2012 doesn’t provide a clear indication when passwords are due to expire, causing them to call your helpdesk because they can’t log in. In the current company I’m working for, I’ve implemented email reminders for our customers using any RDS servers on 2012.
Server disk space issues
This can be the most time consuming task if performed manually. Luckily for us admins, it can be automated via scheduled tasks and batch files (or Powershell scripts, if you prefer). I’ve created one that deletes Exchange logging files older than x amount of days which does wonders. Profile space on your RDS/TS C drives can also be cleared – there are many locations in a local profile with temporary files bloating profile folder size.
Another clear problem for a helpdesk constantly “fighting fires” is having no capacity for service improvement. By eliminating repetitive or time consuming tasks where possible, your helpdesk – the front line of interaction for the customer – can pinpoint areas where service could be improved, and notify the management. If you’re a manager, 3rd line, or working in infrastructure, be sure to engage with your helpdesk team and ask for feedback on what may not be running as well as it could be, and you can be sure they’ll have some. They’ll love you for asking, and by doing so you’re fostering and environment where everyone’s feedback is valued.
This one simple act has the potential to boost your customer satisfaction, and since they’re the ones paying us for a service, shouldn’t we all do what we can to provide the absolutely best service that we can?
Whether you work in the IT industry or another sector, what processes would you automate to save time? Drop your ideas in the comments below!
