Good customer service is predicated upon the service deskÆs ability to provide service. This paper explores the concept of technology as a critical component of that ability. The kind of service that a service desk can provide is limited by its technology, not just by its personnel. In this paper, the experience of Consonus, a company that has used technology to ramp up its customer service capabilities, is examined. Technology-Based Customer Service
Traditional approaches to improving customer service generally focus primarily on the interpersonal aspects of customer service, such as being polite, reducing call wait time, and following problems through to completion (and customer satisfaction). These types of factors are indeed critical to successful customer service and cannot be overlooked in any effort to improve service. However, they tend to neglect another equally important component of providing excellent service to customers(the technology that the service desk or help desk is relying on to provide that service.
An illustration of this is the use of software such as PC Anywhere. Before the advent of such software, attempting to assist customers by telephone or on-line involved a series of questions, hit-or-miss attempted solutions, and the usually laborious process of walking a non-technical customer through a complex technical solution. When PC Anywhere was introduced, the service desk technician was suddenly able to connect to the customerÆs computer, see the problem, fix the problem remotely, and ensure that the customer was able to continue working(all in a fraction of the time it used to take to troubleshoot, diagnose, and lead the customer through resolving the problem. This made for a less frustrated customer, a much faster resolution time, less chance of error, and an easier fix on the part of the technician(all due to improved technology. Although the personal side of customer service, such as attitude, at...