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How a Helpdesk System Differs from a Service Desk

Articles Lifehacks
Does your company want to relieve employees of routine tasks and increase customer loyalty? Then you are probably familiar with the concept of helpdesk and service desk systems. In this article, we’ll explain what the purpose of each is, describe their features, and tell you which functions to pay attention to in order to make the right choice.

Helpdesk

Helpdesk is a solution that makes it possible for customer support services to promptly process customer tickets, without missing any of them. For example, an online store connected to Pulsedesk is contacted by a person who wants to find out how to return a TV. They can write to the company by email or a message in WhatsApp, or just make a call. The inquiry will be directed into the helpdesk, where customer service agents can see and work on it, or refer it to other employees, if necessary. In addition, the helpdesk allows you to:
  • Automatically Perform Certain Tasks

In Pulsedesk, you can configure triggers – actions that will be executed automatically under certain conditions. For example, you can set up triggers that will direct tickets to certain employees for processing when certain conditions are met. You can also create templates in advance containing text that can later be inserted into messages, so it will take no more than a few seconds to send typical responses.
  • Monitor service quality

With helpdesks, you can set time limits for performing various operations, so you can be sure your customers will promptly receive answers to their questions. Reports on the work of each customer service agent are automatically generated. In Pulsedesk, all analytics are displayed on an interactive dashboard and are easy to upload to Excel.

  • Provide customers with the ability to independently search for information and monitor ticket processing

Collect answers to the most common questions on one page, and customers will not have to call or write to customer support to get them. A helpdesk also makes it possible to create a client portal where consumers can independently create tickets and see how they’re processed in real time.

  • Integrate helpdesk with other software

This is especially important for companies that work with multiple IT systems.
Service Desk

Service Desk – a more comprehensive solution that makes it possible to process tickets from customers, as well as employees within the company. This can be used by not just the customer service department, but also the IT department (for example, if someone’s computer is broken), accounting (a certificate is needed), and legal department (a contract needs to be signed). This tool helps businesses deal with various internal issues and generally improves their efficiency.

The functionality of helpdesks and service desks is similar in many ways: both systems automate routine processes, monitor SLA (service level agreement) compliance, allow you to create a knowledge base, etc. But with the help of a service desk, you can also determine and eliminate the causes of frequent internal issues, manage IT infrastructure, and ensure that business processes continue smoothly, without interruption.

For example, a service desk is useful for HR specialists. With its help, you can hire and onboard new employees, answer their questions, calculate travel expenses, and much more.

Which to Choose?

In making this choice, a company should carefully assess its needs and capacities. A small client-oriented business should focus primarily on helpdesk systems that can improve its level of customer service, while large enterprises with their own IT infrastructures should look towards a more comprehensive service desk. The main thing is to find a reliable provider that will make the process of implementing and using the system convenient and efficient.