Service Desks can counter the threat of “DIY” online support options by offering a faster, more effective service to customers. Research from Aspect has found that 61 per cent of people seeking technical support look online as their first port of call. Yet the same study found that patience is short-lived, with 84 per cent of respondents becoming extremely frustrated after 10 minutes if answers are not readily available.
The surprising element of this research is that most Service Desks will currently offer a decent first-time fix rate at under ten minutes already. The important question is therefore: why do customers default to seeking help elsewhere?
Marketing plays a major role in this, Service Desks need to publish examples and timings of how quickly they are able to deliver fixes, and push them through the various communications channels available to them
The other defence for Service Desks is to take advantage of the growing culture of online support and offer Self-Service options that are more effective than random forays into a search engine. This may seem a tall order given the sophistication of online tools, but the advantage held by Service Desks is that they understand the technology and challenges unique to the business so they can narrow down the information offered to customers.
For more on delivering effective Self-Service and how you can pass the 10 minute test, take a look at our guide for encouraging customers to use online support portals