How to cut down customer service expenses: It is absolutely imperative for any company to deploy suitable helpdesk software for managing nuances of customer support operations. There are numerous advantages of using such specialized software for the businesses. The benefits include efficient workflow in the organization, better utilization of resources, enhanced customer service and brand image development. There are basically two types of help desk software- free and commercial versions. Some vendors offer various versions of their apps in free and paid forms. Nowadays, you can pick suitable free help desk software to cater to diverse customer needs and retain the customers. Deploying such software also helps your company cut down support operation costs significantly.
Ways to reduce support operation cost by using free help desk solutions
With time, help desk solution sector has evolved. Nowadays, you can find a number of free customer support software that come with enough features. However, it is important that you learn ways to bring down customer support operation cost by using such solutions before selecting one.
- Through self service portal- A number of help desk applications now support creation of self service portal in company websites. Technology savvy and trendy customers prefer using such portals and using these can help the company save costs. The customers can resolve basic issues using these portals and this eliminates the need for the company to recruit more support agents and run phone and live chat services continuously. Moreover, the agents have to cope with less workload when the self service portals are used. So, they can work in efficient manner.
- Through software based service- Most of the modern helpdesk solutions including the free versions, are offered in Cloud SaaS form. This ensures they can be accessed using any device, anywhere. The company using such SaaS type helpdesk solutions need not invest much in costly hardware setup. In fact, companies that now resort to BYOD model at workplace, can gain by using such helpdesk services. These services run within almost any web browser- giving the companies more flexibility and ways to save costs.
- Through automation of tasks- Regardless of the industry your company belongs to, the agents have to cope with common queries and issue faced by the customers. Instead of the agents using hardware and software resources to answer such queries and grievances repeatedly, automation can be deployed. Deploying automation to handle common customer queries/issues helps in cutting down operational cost and it also helps in saving time. This can be done in many ways. Integrating programmed chatbots in the company’s live chat setup to answer common customer issues is an example.
- Time saving leads to cost saving- When suitable help desk software is used in your company, the agents can accomplish more tasks in stipulated time- eventually. The agents can collaborate with other teams of the company faster and in more efficient manner. They can share and access common resources of the organizations smoothly using the software solution. Eventually, the productivity level shoots up and time is saved. When the resources are used less, it eventually leads to running cost reduction.
- Reduced dependency on hardware helps save costs-When suitable helpdesk solution is used in a company, especially Cloud based services, the need to rely on hardware devices and accessories is reduced effectively. The company, for example, need not invest in external and network steerage devices to store data. The valuable company data and customer information can be saved in secure cloud servers by using the helpdesk application. It is secured by strong encryptions and fear of losing local hardware devices is non-existent. Besides, the company need not invest in phone hardware setup when using helpdesk applications. These software mostly offer support for integration of VoiP services. So, the customer calls can be handled using latest VoiP services within the help desk UI, smoothly without using additional phone devices.
- Reduced need to invest in other software- when you choose and use suitable help desk software for your company, it eliminates the need to invest in many other software which are required for offering good customer service. For example, a majority of new help desk solutions come with embedded report generation and analytics capabilities. These are helpful for collecting vast amounts of customer interaction data and analyze them for understanding their needs better. With a suitable helpdesk tool in place, you need not invest in third party/additional reporting and analytics software! This helps your company save money.
- Reduced need to spend much in advertising/promotions- When your company is on a modest budget for every operation, spending a whopping amount in promotion and advertising is not prudent. However, that does not mean you will refrain from promoting the brand and its products either! While the main purpose of deploying a help desk tool is serving the customers and offering them quality support- it can be used for promoting and selling products too! This is where skilled agents come into picture. They can use live chat as well as emails to cross sell products to enquiring customers. They can make use of the software features and persuasive interaction skills. This way, your company products are promoted without you requiring spending a mammoth amount in advertising directly.
- Indirect promotion/advertising through loyal customers- When your company makes use of suitable help desk application, it becomes easier to keep the existing customers satisfied. Using the software solution, you can offer the loyal customers personalized gifts and special offers periodically. You can also deploy the skilled agents to treat these customers in apt ways when they enquire about anything. Such loyal customers can actually act as indirect means of promotion for your brand. They can spread positive word of mouth through social media and online means. This will eventually help your brand get more customers and enhance revenue. However, you do not have to pay the loyal customers for these indirect promotional activities.
Choosing the right free help desk solution for your company
While deploying help desk solutions can bring multiple benefits to your company including significant operational cost reduction, it is necessary that you choose the most apt solution. To ensure you pick the apt helpdesk ticketing system for your organization, use the below listed parameters:
- Ease of usage and deployment- The help desk solution should be simple to set up and use. Setting it up and configuring it to suit comply needs should not be a tedious or time consuming task! The employees should be able to use the solution minus hiccups and the vendor should provide printed or online documentation for the purpose.
- Good integration with software/services- Just because a help desk solution is free it does not mean it should be barebones in nature! On the contrary, the solution should offer robust integration and compatibility with various third party software applications used in the company. For instance, it should have good database and security software compatibility. It also needs to be compatible with cloud services used the company.
Mobile device optimized- The software should be optimized for mobile devices and browsers. a majority of your target and existing customers are likely to use different types of mobile devices for enquiry or lodging grievances online.
