How can desktop application support teams reduce the number of support requests?

Desktop application support teams can reduce support requests by empowering users through comprehensive guides and tutorials, offering proactive troubleshooting tips, fostering a community where users can help each other, implementing regular updates and patches to address common issues, and providing prompt and friendly customer service to address any remaining concerns swiftly and effectively.

Examine support request data to find trends or patterns in user problems. Prioritize the features or bug fixes that will have the biggest effects on lowering support requests using the information provided. Update the application on a regular basis to correct bugs and address security vulnerabilities, which will lower the chance that users will have problems. Include features that let support workers troubleshoot and diagnose problems remotely, eliminating the need for customers to send in images or specific information. Provide users with enhanced self-service by integrating contextual support directly into the program through features like tooltips, guided tours, or an accessible knowledge base. Form user groups to support one another.

Support teams can reduce the # of support requests by focusing on several key strategies. One, they can invest in proactive communication and education for users, providing clear documentation, tutorials, and FAQs to address common issues. Second, improving the application's user interface and error messaging can help users troubleshoot on their own more effectively. Additionally, implementing robust testing procedures before releasing updates or new features can help prevent bugs and issues that lead to support requests. Lastly, offering responsive customer support channels, such as live chat or a dedicated support team, can quickly resolve issues and provide a positive user experience, reducing the likelihood of future support requests.

Desktop application support teams can reduce support requests by embracing innovation and proactivity. Invest in user-friendly interfaces and intuitive design to minimize user errors. Provide comprehensive training and resources to empower users to troubleshoot common issues independently. Implement proactive monitoring systems to detect potential problems before they escalate. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging feedback and collaboration to address the underlying issues. By empowering users and staying ahead of the curve, we can minimize support requests and maximize productivity, driving success for the entire team.

Make your support service accessible. Users want Autonomy on their software! Many users want to gain autonomy to be able to resolve their IT issues. Most companies, the availability of the support depends on the schedule and time zone of the support teams. That means, when support teams are located in a single country and the company has international offices, many employees don’t get the support they need. Likewise, employees working outside traditional working days don’t have access to the information they need during their working hours.?If you want to reduce your support requests, it’s essential to help your users?reach autonomy?on their software. This way, your users will be independent and make fewer requests to your support teams.

When you create knowledge articles, make them as short as possible, and try to use your stakeholders' language. Those of us in technical roles need to remember that we use jargon that is only understandable by other techies.

Offering self-service options is invaluable in reducing support requests. In my experience, implementing a knowledge base drastically decreased the volume of inquiries. Customers could access answers and solutions independently, saving time for both parties. Additionally, deploying a chatbot further enhanced self-service capabilities, offering real-time assistance tailored to users' needs. Analyzing customer feedback and support data helped identify recurring issues, enabling proactive content creation to address common concerns. By empowering customers to resolve issues on their own, self-service options not only streamline support operations but also enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

One of the biggest productivity improvements I’ve seen in my recent experience has been the introduction of self-service tools (e.g. Alteryx or Dataiku). Breaking down the walls between users and DT with low code, easy to master version control can lead to a vast cornucopia of rapidly releasing new capabilities improving efficiency.

A way to reduce support requests are to provide self service option, where end user can directly access the demo, knowledge articles , key steps for certain tasks. This is a well used technique to reduce burden of queueing up.

One thing I find helpful is implementing proactive support measures. In my experience, monitoring system performance and usage allows for early detection of potential issues. For instance, deploying automated alerts or notifications can preemptively inform users about anomalies or errors, minimizing disruptions. Regularly providing updates and patches further enhances proactive support, demonstrating responsiveness and dedication to customer satisfaction. By addressing issues before they escalate, proactive support not only reduces support requests but also fosters trust and loyalty among users, ultimately enhancing the overall customer experience.

Proactive support is not as hard as it seems. Utlise the data from your ITSM tool to see trends. When you spot common issues, take a step back and think about what you can do to prevent this from happening to anyone else. For every incident that is logged, many others will have the same issue yet will be too busy, or unwilling to log it.

Whenever proactive support is possible, it creates value for the customer, more than merely providing Support (which is by far, reactive). Patches, upgrades, any significant changes to the IT and/or Business environments should take into account the need for proactive support. Ticketing numbers will also be under control and will reflect more accurately (esp. for the management). Applications are looking at new ways to identify scenarios for and provide proactive support, we see this more often these days.

I believe that a valuable way to improve customer support is to implement a proactive support system. This involves providing information about improvements and bug fixes before users contact support. We can do this through newsletters, in-app notifications or a dedicated section in the Help Center. This approach not only keeps users informed, but also reduces the number of support requests, as many problems can be solved with prior information. Transparency and effective communication are essential for building a relationship of trust with users.

Building up our support staff is critical because they are the first point of contact for users of our desktop applications. We place a high priority on thorough training to guarantee that they have the knowledge, demeanor, and productivity needed to properly address consumer concerns. Giving them access to tools like CRM software and ticketing systems facilitates easy communication and problem solving, which in turn raises customer satisfaction levels. Our support staff can swiftly adjust and provide great service because they are kept up to date on product upgrades and changing client needs through ongoing training and development activities. At the end, customer services level needs to be up above the sky!!

One thing I find helpful is investing in the training of your support team. In my experience, a knowledgeable and well-equipped support team can significantly enhance the customer experience. Providing comprehensive training ensures they can efficiently handle support requests, maintain professionalism, and resolve issues effectively. Equipping them with tools like ticketing systems or CRM software streamlines communication and enhances productivity. For instance, by utilizing remote desktop software, agents can troubleshoot customer issues directly, improving resolution times. Overall, investing in support team training and tools not only boosts customer satisfaction but also strengthens the reputation of the desktop application.

Capacitar a tu equipo, además de en el conocimiento técnico sobre el programa, en la comunicación correcta, eficiente y amble en la resolución de sus problemas.

While relevant and timely refresher trainings are a necessity, your support team really needs to be on the ball. While access to knowledge and, to the information needed for resolution is paramount, so is enabling and empowering the support team with the resources, (for ex: Ticketing) tools, and with access to data, sometimes. Application/Desktop Support team is the interface with the customer at the end of the day and you want them 'looking good' to instill confidence and build trust.

Une équipe d'assistance est la vitrine de notre service informatique. Les former, les impliquer aux changements, les rendre également disponibles auprès des clients les aidera à mieux répondre aux questions. Bien souvent ce sont des jeunes qui débutent, le turnover est important. Comment les fidélités, rendre le poste attrayant?

Interview your users. Learn and watch what they do with your product or process. In lean speak, go to genba! I’ve found this to be doubly valuable when things are failing vs when they are working.

If you are measuring feedback, ask for it as close to when you have resolved issues or delivered the service. The longer you wait, the less feedback you will get.

actively collecting and analyzing feedback for your desktop application. In my experience, feedback serves as a valuable tool for understanding customer needs and improving support services. Utilizing surveys, reviews, and testimonials allows for insights into customer satisfaction and areas needing enhancement. Analyzing this feedback enables identification of trends, strengths, and weaknesses, informing targeted improvements. For instance, implementing changes based on feedback can enhance application usability and customer experience. Moreover, showcasing positive feedback through case studies or testimonials can reinforce the value proposition of the desktop application, fostering trust and loyalty among users.

Feedback is the fodder that fuels the constant evolution of our (service) standards. Collecting feedback and analyzing it, then becomes indispensable for accurately measuring service quality and continuously raising the bar. Feedback from different parties involved: Customers, Support team, Deployment and Dev teams can be taken into account to build a well-rounded (End-to-End) story, case study, etc., especially to identify patterns and trends over time to fully utilize feedback and analysis.

L'équipe de support est au c?ur de l'écosystème entre le client et les équipes techniques, de développement et autres. Il faut absolument les impliquer dans les projet au démarrage pour qu'ils apportent leur vision. Cette relation doit perdurer au delà de la mise en ?uvre pour être le plus efficace possible et réduire le temps de traitement des tickets.

A equipe de suporte deve manter sempre em contato tanto com a equipe de desenvolvimento quanto com os usuários pois assim terá a vis?o do cenário inteiro, conseguindo atuar mais rapidamente e até antecipar eventuais problemas seja passando Feedback para melhora da aplica??o ou treinando o usuário para melhor uso da aplica??o

I would add to not make support a metric. Don't have call times as a factor of their performance. Let the support personal resolve the root of the issue or dig into it without saying they aren't closing enough tickets. Otherwise you will just have reboot monkeys that follow a script. Giving them time to preform their job correctly the first time can solve many extra future calls.

One way to reduce the number of support requests is to improve the self-service resources available to users. For example, creating detailed user guides, FAQs, and tutorials can help users find the information they need on their own, without having to submit a support request. Another strategy is to make sure that the user interface of the desktop application is as intuitive and user-friendly as possible, so that users don't get stuck or confused while using it.

As part of the support analysts/agents/engineers personal goals and responsibilities assign some level ownership of KPIs for sub-areas of the product or service being supported. For instance, Windows support in the Networking you could have - TCP/IP - WiFi - VPN ... etc Then you assign TCP/IP to a more specialist engineer as SME-owner for that area with an extra objective of improving KPIs in the area Furthermore reward other engineers on what they do to improve the business in those areas. The key is that engineers then have data on their impact (if you measure time per incident etc and categorise incidents down to a componentlevel) +give the engineers space/time to "tinker"

Have a section with common questions and answers to simple problems, that it appears exactly before someone can open a ticket or contact the support team. What you need to do is simple: Divide the problems into categories & subcategories. For example: Network issues Drivers issues Update issues etc. Integrate automated answers to the most common problems. For example: Problem: Drivers issues -> USB driver not working Answer: Try to unplug the device and restart your computer. Then plug again your USB device. If this doesn't work try to uninstall the driver, restart your computer, and then install it again This is the BEST working way to do it!

Robust and uniformly accepted ITSM processes and tools are a starting point. This enables diligent support teams to track repeat issues, trends, and impact. A typical weak spot in organizations is Problem Management, aka root cause analysis. To truly prevent repeat issues, teams must practice robust Problem Management to diagnose, rectify, and document root causes (and their resolutions). Structured Incident Management alone will not dig into root causes of repeat issues, but it is equally important for identifying instances. IM feeds PM where both should follow consistent principles, have full buy-in, and possess the ability to enforce accountability where required.