How To Increase The Productivity Of Your Service Desk
Despite a rapid rise in automated customer support options, service desk agents remain the heartbeat of a successful customer-centric operation.
At the end of the day, most customers want to talk with a well-informed agent to resolve their problem or issue. Operating a service desk that is unoptimized and running inefficiently is not only a major expense; it can have a negative impact on customer service, which can lead to poor customer retention and negatively impact brand loyalty.
Today, the average service desk’s operating costs are significantly higher than necessary to maintain an effective operation. By optimizing performances so that each agent and process is as efficient as possible, which eliminates overspending or wasting time in the wrong areas, will enable your company to save operating costs within the service desk function.
So, how do you ensure your agents are performing tasks quickly and efficiently? It is actually very simple: Measure it. When you measure your agents’ performance and track KPIs, you will see an increase in their productivity and a rise in their efficiency.
To operate an effective service desk, there are many areas that you should be monitoring. Not only will this allow you to provide the best possible service for your customers and partners, but you will be doing it at a cost that won’t break the bank. Below are a few examples of metrics you should measure.
Service level agreements
Service level agreements (SLAs) are performance indicators that are established between the customer or partner and you. They could be things like time to answer incoming requests, time to resolution, etc.
Average speed of answer
Average speed of answer (ASA) relates to the time it takes for an agent to answer the phone. You want to set an acceptable range for your team that encourages agents to answer the phone within a quick yet possible time frame.
Average handle time
This metric describes the average time it takes for an agent to complete a call, from the time they pick up the phone to the time they disconnect from the call.
First call resolutions
Tracking first call resolutions is essential. Any time a customer has to call back, especially multiple times, the effectiveness and efficiency of the service desk are negatively affected. This KPI can let you know which agents are struggling to resolve an issue on the first call or possibly which types of calls are causing ongoing issues.
These are just some of the key performance indicators that you might want to measure to best optimize the resources and investment that you have made within your service desk. Recognize that a service desk or customer service is a key component that drives brand loyalty and reduces customer attrition. A 2017 survey by Microsoft stated the following:
56% of those surveyed have stopped doing business with a brand due to poor customer service.
54% of respondents said they have higher expectations for customer service than they did the year prior.
96% of those surveyed said customer service plays a role in their choice of loyalty to a brand.
As you can see, a well-run service desk can pay you back in dividends, but one that is run inefficiently and doesn’t produce the results needed can have a very negative impact on your business.
So where do you start in measuring your productivity? You start measuring it by using the following formula:
(TOT x TTT / 60) x 8 x 0.75 = The number of tickets each agent can do effectively in a given day.
Let’s break it down.
You may have multiple types of tickets (TOT) within your environment, and the time to task (TTT), or how long it takes to process a ticket, will likely vary. Once you have that average time, you divide it by 60 minutes to determine how many tickets can be done in an hour. From there, you multiply this by 8 hours in a workday, and then multiply it by 0.75 because it is impossible for an agent to be running at 100% all the time. A performance ratio of 75% more accurately depicts how the average agent performs consistently.
Remember, this is just one small step in measuring productivity. How will this increase productivity with your agents? Now they know you’re measuring their performance, and this alone will increase their awareness of how they are performing. The key to having a well-run service desk is giving agents the tools, training and scorecard to evaluate their own performance. It has been my experience that service desk agents are conscientious professionals that strive to excel in their respective jobs. Giving them the tools to self-measure their performance via a real-time scorecard is one of those ways.
As a general rule, you will want to be proactive in spurning productivity and reducing costs. As mentioned above, service desks can be a drain on a budget but are not an area that can be neglected or cut. The solution? Begin tracking a few KPIs over the next 30 days, and you will see an immediate impact on your service desk spending. Each of these areas will work together to allow you to motivate, train and empower your agents. Their productivity will increase, which will allow them to handle more calls more effectively. This can also help you notice trends, proactively find solutions to problems, build your CMDB and adjust your processes so that the team works well together and your customers’ needs are met while keeping your budget stays within your desired range.
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