Help Desk Management Software

Better customer service can be just a mouse click away with help desk management software. There are many new customer relationship management (CRM) applications available that offer expanded customer service functions. Providing better customer service means increased customer satisfaction, reduced complaints, continuing repeat business and increase sales at lower costs for a company.

Help desk management software can be found for free, purchased outright or used for a monthly service fee. Since this software is quite expensive to purchase, many companies prefer the outsourced service fee choice. Monthly fees are around $50 per month, compared to several thousands of dollars for purchasing software outright. Using outsourced software allows companies to save on hardware and software while accessing powerful programs. Programs offered for free are usually free trials.

Most software companies offer help desk management software as a service (SaaS) and encourage free demo test drives. Hosted software means companies do not tie up their own computer with intricate software programs or need their own technical personnel, but it still can be easily customized for their needs. Many companies like Salesforce.com offer cloud based software with 30 day free trials and monthly hosting plans. Kayako.com is a leader in the industry, working with large companies like NASDAQ, Harvard University, SEGA and FedEx. They have hosted SaaS help desk software ready to be customized for companies starting at $29.95 per month.

For price comparison, look at ServiceDesk Plus 7.6 software that is available for outright purchase in 3 editions: Standard at $495, Professional at $995, and Enterprise at $2995 complete. It is sold through the Internet at: http://www.manageengine.com/. Polar Software has tiered pricing and licensing beginning at $250 for purchase, up to $12,000. Like most of the sellers, these companies want to fit the right software to the need, and are reluctant to set firm price lists due to the variables involved in custom software.

The help desk is an important part of most websites. It is where customers go to ask questions about something on the websites, or to locate something they cannot find. What consumers expect from a help desk is fast, accurate answers. If a question or concern cannot be addressed at the help desk, the user may go to another company’s website looking for better answers and a sale may be lost.

One area of management software that is used with the help desk function is knowledge management software. When this application is applied to the help desk service resources, a vast amount of knowledge can be accessed by the customer. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are listed at the help desk location and the software prioritizes the most frequently asked questions at the top of the list.

With an excellent knowledge base, the help desk saves time for the user, saves money for the company because they do not need extra staff to answer questions, and it can increase sales along with customer satisfaction. Help desk management software can track problems and add to the knowledge base. It can collect information about the users and what type of information they are requesting, so the company can plan for future marketing. It makes the help desk more efficient while empowering customers with its self service features.