The Director's Cut: Your priceless helpdesk

Many IT directors and teams still cite their helpdesks as being in need of transformation or even in need of a revolution! As they say when one asks for directions in Somerset: "Well, I wouldn't start from here..."

If you need to revolutionise your helpdesk, then something has been going drastically wrong. Any system or process needs to be nurtured and allowed to grow and evolve. Any system or process that requires revolution must have suffered from neglect. Ideally you should be evolving your helpdesk and this is true whether your helpdesk is a warehouse-sized call centre of a multinational company or a one person operation supporting a tiny LAN.

So, how do you evolve? Don't get hung up on the best call queuing software, the trendiest earpieces or the biggest, flattest screen.

One organisation with which I deal, has a simple mantra. Their people are 'The Greatest Single Factor'. That is the one and only secret of a successful helpdesk.

What do we need in order to have a team of motivated and contented helpdesk operatives? Excellent leadership and management are absolutely vital. The immediate helpdesk management must be committed, imaginative and - wait for it - visible. Not locked away in some hidden office, they must be able to listen to their team and act upon any perceived problems or constructive suggestions.

They must be able to communicate a sense of purpose and inspire their team to feel motivated even when chaos reigns. They must be able to empathise with their people and know when a word of encouragement will bolster flagging morale. They must know how to mentally hug each of their team.

Of course, they must get the basics right, as well. It will be self-defeating having an inspirational leader if the roster falls over the first time someone goes sick.

Senior management must learn to love the helpdesk. As the often first and only point of contact with the customer, it provides a huge opportunity and, equally, the strongest reason that it should be supported. When did the IT director in your organisation last do a three hour stint on the helpdesk, dealing with disgruntled customers because some swamp organism in infrastructure decided to reboot a server without changing over to the standby first?

Do it - it will be good for the soul. When did your CEO last do a stint on the desk - or is that a concept too far?

The helpdesk team is an essential asset and must be viewed as such. But above all, its staff must be treated as people, not as numbers on a roster. In some cases working on the helpdesk is a first step into the world of information systems. If there is a pathway from the helpdesk into projects or IS support, then emphasise this when recruiting. Helpdesk operatives vary from grandmothers to teenagers - but they are all people. And they must be made to feel that they are important people.

The organisation must have a clear concept of what type of helpdesk it wants. Is there an MCSE at the end of each line who will spend two hours taking the customer through each step of solving his printer driver problem, while another 47 customers spend a productive two hours listening to the Spice Girls greatest hits?

Or will the operatives log all calls, raise an incident form and pass them on to the appropriate specialist? Whichever way the helpdesk operates, the customer must be clear about which service he should expect and more importantly the Helpdesk operatives must be in no doubt about which service they are expected to provide, which leads neatly on to training, that bit of the departmental budget which, at the first whiff of a 2 per cent savings requirement, gets chopped.

Helpdesk managers and senior management must ensure all helpdesk operatives receive timely and focussed training. As a means of motivation, offer them career development training which may benefit them in their next job. Hopefully, their next job will be with you and not with a competitor.

The key to evolving your helpdesk is to provide strong leadership, employ good management practices and concentrate on looking after your people. Many organisations I know call the helpdesk worthless - as an IT leader it is your role to make them priceless.

David Taylor is the president of IT directors association Certus and a regular contributor to silicon.com.

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