The services offered by your help desk have value only if they are being consumed. Consider Help Desk marketing so the customers of your help desk need to know what services are available and how to request them. These services include computer system repair, application support, and access request management to controlled resources. Even though help desk services are usually considered an expense, many successful help desk managers will advertise their services with Help Desk marketing. Customers that are aware of what services are available are more likely to have higher satisfaction with the technology they use for their job function. When customer’s technology devices are functioning well, the customer is more productive, which is a benefit to the company’s financial health.
Help Desk marketing of services to internal customers are like general marketing campaigns you may be familiar with in the public. So how should a help desk manager get started in marketing the help desk?
Help Desk Marketing: General Information
It is important to gather and document general information about your Help Desk. General information is the fundamental information about your Help Desk you want everyone to know. This information includes contact information such as phone number and email address
used to initiate customer support. It can be frustrating if a customer has an issue and they struggle to find the contact information to engage the Help Desk. If it takes more than a few minutes, they could be ticked off making the support interaction more difficult. Therefore, this information should be included in welcome guides, quick reference guides, and website resources. Additional general information to include to your marketing efforts are the hours of operation, URLs of the support portal and such.
Help Desk Marketing: Welcome Guide
First impressions are long lasting. It is important to provide new company employees a welcome guide, which will outline company services available. A welcome guide should include the help desk general information such as hours of operation and contact channels. It should include the getting started information needed for a new user using company technology such as email, voicemail, and company-wide applications. Providing proactive solution steps in the welcome guide for the most commonly ask help desk questions will reduce the overall call volume from new users. Many companies which offer a welcome guide will partner with HR, Facilities and other departments to include helpful new hire information.
Help Desk Marketing: Quick Reference Guides
These are instructions that are condensed to a page or two providing users information as they need it. Providing quick reference cards in a welcome guide, online or as a handout will greatly improve user productivity and reduce calls to the help desk. Remember reducing help desk calls reduce help desk expenses and increases customer productivity. Content for quick reference cards usually focus on high help desk call volume issues, which the customers call solve with the correct instruction. A few examples of quick reference card topics could be how to perform self-service password resets, setting up a default printer, configuring email on your mobile device and voicemail setup instructions.
Help Desk Marketing: website/portal
A help desk online customer portal helps customers to be informed and productive. A typical help desk portal lets customers request help via a support ticket, check the status of a current support ticket or search through previous tickets. This self-service type functionality is expected by customers and its huge cost savings for the help desk.
Help Desk Marketing: Informational Roadshows
As a Help Desk manager, it is important to network with department leadership and staff in their environment. Try scheduling events with departments and put on a presentation demonstrating what IT services the Help Desk offers. This could include handing out quick reference guides, run a PowerPoint overview slideshow and hosting a real-time projector walkthrough of your support web portal. This is also a great time to introduce members of your Help Desk staff. Customers will appreciate seeing the smiling faces of the Help Desk staff, which have been providing phone support over the years. Most importantly, reserve able time for questions and answers.
Help Desk Marketing: Brown Bag Sessions
A brown bag session is a topic focused meeting that occurs during a lunch period. Since participants or the meeting host provide lunch during the session, it has been commonly referred to as a brown bag meeting. This meeting format is a great way for the Help Desk to deliver specific information to their customers while promoting the help desk service offerings.
Help Desk Marketing: Technology Fairs
A technology fair is usually greater than just the help desk. A technology fair is usually hosted by the entire Information Technology department. It is an opportunity for the Information Technology department to display the systems used, service available and staff. Having the help desk in the technology fair is a great way to market the help desk services.
Leave a Reply