Help Desk Software Systems

Help desk solutions vary in functionality, pricing, and underlying technology. We’ve created this buyers’ guide to assist potential purchasers determine which help desk ticketing software best fits their needs. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What is Help Desk Software
Help Desk Software Landscape
Market Trends

Benefits of Help Desk Software
Help Desk Software Pricing

What is Help Desk Software?

Traditionally, the term “help desk” has generated some confusion since it can refer to two different types of support organizations: teams that serve external customers (consumers or or businesses that have purchased goods or services from your company), and teams that serve internal customers (employees).

We describe these two use cases in greater detail later in the “Help Desk Software Landscape” section of this guide. But in either instance, help desk management software stores customer information in a searchable database, tracks interactions, and automates the issue resolution process using a trouble ticketing system. This core functionality increases efficiency and organization.

When someone contacts the service desk by phone, Web form, email or other means, the system creates an electronic trouble ticket. Technicians or customer service representatives (CSRs) record details about the incident or problem, or review what the customer has entered if submitted using a self-service tool. The responder marks the ticket as resolved once the issue is handled, or escalates the issue to a specialist or executive if needed.

Tickets are associated with customer profiles, which include the customer’s contact information and potentially purchase history or assets. This allows agents to see a customer’s entire interaction history.

Example of a ticketing dashboard from Freshdesk.

With some systems, the ticket handling process can be standardized with workflow rules and canned responses. As an agent completes one task, they might choose follow-up step from a dropdown menu and set a due date. This way nothing falls through the cracks and agents stay efficient and on track.

Some systems allow users to link incidents by issue type, so responders can refer back to a resolved ticket when they encounter a similar problem.

Example of incident linking from Zendesk.

In addition to this core functionality, the best help desk software vendors might offer some or all of the following differentiating capabilities.

Knowledge Management System	This describes a repository of descriptions to common or previously resolved problems. These resources might be available publicly via a customer self-service website, or reserved for internal use by CSRs and technicians. Most knowledge bases incorporate advanced search technologies to help users find the the right answer. Some may autosuggest queries or articles as the user types.
Self Service	Customers use these online portals to search for solutions to their problems. Self-service resources can include product documentation, downloadable patches, searchable FAQs, how-to pages, or forums and other types of user communities. If the customer can’t find a solution, self-service tools often let them submit a ticket online.
IT Asset Management Systems / Network Management	Asset management tools inventory and track changes to hardware and software configurations, while network monitoring tools oversee the health of servers and other network components. These functions are sometimes offered through integrations with IT service management (ITSM) tools.
Reporting	Management uses reporting tools to monitor overall service desk performance and agent productivity. Performance metrics frequently include total open tickets; ticket resolutions by date, shift or agent; average time to resolution; customer satisfaction; and more.
Mobile Support	Many vendors offer a mobile Web or mobile application version of their solution. Agents use these tools to manage tickets, record customer data, access the knowledge base, view reports and perform other issue resolution activities from their smartphone or tablet.
Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management	SLAs guarantee to customers that issues of a certain type will be addressed or resolved within a certain time frame, among other service guarantees. These features allow users to set prioritization triggers, automatic escalations and other custom rules to ensure applicable tickets are handled in compliance with an SLA
Remote Control	This module allows technicians to access and control a customer’s computer from a remote location, facilitating remote diagnosis and resolution with minimal customer involvement.

Help Desk Software Landscape

This technology can vary depending on whether they serve internal or external customers. Some products serve both.

Internal: This kind of IT support software typically serves employees, or “internal customers.” Most internal help desks serve the information technology (IT) needs of employees, but other examples exist, such as an internal human resources service desk for questions about employee benefits. Buyers of internal trouble ticket software for technical support often require integrations with ITSM tools such as Panorama9, Samanage IT Asset Management or Innotas if IT asset and network management features aren’t included in their help desk software package.

Popular vendors in this category include Zendesk, Spiceworks, ManageEngine, PhaseWare, Kaseya, SysAid and BMC Track-It.

External: This kind of service desk software serves consumers or businesses that have purchased products or services from the company providing the support. These desks could address IT problems or more general customer service issues. Because of the diversity of companies, customers and industries that have external service desks, buyers of this technology might require the ability to integrate with call center software, marketing automation and sales force automation systems.

Popular vendors in this category include Zendesk, PhaseWare, Kayako, Desk.com and Freshdesk.

Market Trends

It’s important to keep the following industry trends in mind when conducting your help desk software comparison.

Social media integration is becoming a help desk software mainstay. A recent NMincite report found that as many as 47 percent of all social media users (59 percent for those 18-24 years old) have sent customer service requests through Facebook, Twitter and other social channels. As a result, companies need tools for processing these issues just as they would tickets from any other channel. Vendors such as Desk.com and Zendesk now integrate with social to automatically prioritize and route such requests.

Multi-channel management is no longer optional. A recent Forrester report showed a rapid change in the way customers contact companies. In the past three years, Web self-service usage increased 12 percent, live chat jumped 24 percent, and community usage ticked up 25 percent. Companies need to implement technology and processes for making service seamless from one channel to another. When a customer moves from live chat to phone, for example, they shouldn’t have to explain their issue again.

Gamification is increasingly used as a motivational tool. IT and customer service jobs are among the most difficult positions to keep filled. Some companies have turned to gamification as a method for maintaining service desk employee engagement. Companies such as Badgeville integrate with trouble ticket technology to reward agent productivity with redeemable points and other rewards. Workers gain a sense of accomplishment as they see scores improve and move higher on leaderboards.

A sketch of what a help desk leaderboard might include.

Benefits of Help Desk Software

• Better problem tracking and organization. Help desk systems increase organization by providing a single repository for agents to enter, track and resolve cases. This prevents issues from falling through the cracks. Users also increase efficiency with workflow rules that standardize business processes.

• Reduced service costs. These systems automate processes so agents can handle issues faster and process more tickets per day. This increased productivity can reduce the number of agents needed. Reporting also enables managers to identify and address drops in productivity, so they don’t continue to impact performance.

• Increased customer satisfaction.Whether internal or external, customers who have their issues resolved quickly are naturally more satisfied. For incidents that require more time to resolve, customers are still more satisfied having their issue acknowledged immediately and escalated efficiently.

• Improved knowledge sharing. This technology ocuments successful resolutions and makes them searchable, so agents can quickly recall and reuse past solutions to a recurring issue. In some cases, solutions can be automatically entered into a knowledge base to facilitate customer self-service.

Help Desk Software Pricing

IT help desk software pricing varies depending on the deployment model, number of users, customizations, features and other differentiators. Our company provides free price quotes to buyers needing help navigating the landscape. Visit our Help Desk Software Systems Price Quotes page, where you can answer three quick questions and be matched with up to five products that meet your needs.