The Complete Guide To AI Chatbots: The Future of AI and Automation
Many chatbot applications are powered by AI technology, but some chatbots utilize rules-based logic to interpret and respond to queries, instead of relying ...
helpdesk technology
Chatbot platforms create bots to be intuitive. So, with practice, they learn more effective ways to respond. They develop more sensitivity, resulting in more accurate answers and better customer interactions. Chatbots can be trained to triage questions at the start of a session to immediately route the query to the appropriate endpoint, sometimes to a live agent. When the chatbot doesn’t have the answer, automated <anchor>helpdesk technology</anchor> steps in. Chatbots developed with API also support integrations with other applications.
The Ultimate Guide to Helpdesks (2023) - Capacity
×



Start your free Capacity trial

# The Ultimate Guide to Helpdesks (2023)

The ultimate guide to helpdesks featured image

## What is a helpdesk?

A helpdesk is a customer service system to help customers find solutions to their inquiries and problems. Helpdesks are commonly associated with IT Service Management (ITSM) systems. It’s the primary way organizations track and resolve support tickets and help their clients get the best possible outcome from their help requests.

This graphic explains the definition of a helpdesk

## Why do businesses need a helpdesk?

Today’s businesses are no longer confined to geographical boundaries, with distributed offices, hybrid, or worldwide hubs. This can make it hard to provide timely help when needed. A helpdesk streamlines communication between customers and employees, ensuring that support is delivered quickly and efficiently.

Abstract helpdesk image featuring questions and answers from employees and customers.

### Stop Answering the Same Questions

Capacity’s AI helpdesk will help you:

- Deflect more tickets
- Increase customer satisfaction
- Speed up time to resolution

## The importance of a helpdesk or service desk and ITSM pyramid

The helpdesk (or service desk) forms an integral part of the ITSM pyramid. The helpdesk is the entry point for all customer help requests and provides a platform for customers to submit their issues, complaints, and feedback. This first level of support creates an organized flow of help requests that can be quickly addressed and resolved.

This graphic visualizes the IT support pyramid

## 4 benefits of modern helpdesk software

A modern helpdesk solution can provide several benefits to organizations. It can help reduce ticket volumes by automatically routing inquiries to the right team or person and providing real-time notifications to track ticket progress. Additionally, it allows employees to remain organized with streamlined workflows and better customer communication.

Automation– Automated helpdesks eliminate manual work and help reduce ticket volumes.

Streamlined Workflows – A modern helpdesk system can help ensure that help requests move quickly between teams and agents, allowing faster resolution times.

Improved Communication – Helpdesks enable better communication between customers and employees, allowing them to get the help they need in a timely manner.

Comprehensive Reporting – With helpdesk systems, businesses can track their performance using reporting, helping identify areas of improvement or opportunities for growth.

This graphic explains the top 4 benefits of helpdesks

## 3 steps to adopting a helpdesk

### 1. Establish a helpdesk team

It’s vital to form a helpdesk team dedicated to providing help and support. This team should manage help requests, resolve customer issues, and respond to inquiries quickly.

### 2. Choose the right helpdesk software

There are many helpdesk solutions available on the market today. Choose one that fits your organization’s needs best, such as features like workflow automation scheduling or mobile capabilities.

### 3. Train your help desk staff

It is essential to train your helpdesk or service desk staff on how to use any new software, especially a helpdesk platform, so the team has the confidence to handle customer inquiries efficiently.

This graphic explains the 3 steps to adopt a helpdesk

## How helpdesks work with asset management

By integrating helpdesks with asset management software, businesses can provide better help and support to their customers. Helpdesk systems allow for efficient tracking of assets, from hardware and software to service requests, PTO, and more. This improved visibility helps identify help requests more quickly, allowing helpdesk staff to focus on the customer’s issues and ensure that help is provided immediately.

This graphic explains how helpdesks can work with asset management software

## 3 examples of asset management in helpdesk software

Asset Management or a knowledge base can help both internal and external teams in a variety of ways, including:

### 1. Automated Asset Discovery

Asset management software can help helpdesk staff quickly identify which assets are associated with customer help requests, allowing for faster resolution times.

### 2. Streamlined Workflows

By linking helpdesks and asset management systems, teams can easily use automated workflows to assign tasks and manage help requests.

### 3. Comprehensive Reporting

Asset management systems help staff track their performance, including the number of help requests handled and the time it took to resolve them. This allows teams to identify areas of improvement and build better customer service processes.

## Use this checklist to determine the right platform for your business:

Automation – Look for helpdesks that offer automated help and support solutions such as ticket routing and notifications.

Flexibility – Choose helpdesks with flexible plans that accommodate your organization’s budget, features, and customer base.

Security – Ensure that the helpdesk software is secure and compliant with industry standards.

Integrations – Select helpdesks that integrate with other tools like Salesforce or other CRMs so you can get a comprehensive view of customer data.

Usability – Find helpdesks that are easy to use and understand.

This graphic gives 5 common use cases for helpdesks

## 5 use cases for helpdesk or service desk solutions

### Case 1: Helping customers with technical support

A helpdesk can help customer service agents quickly resolve technical support issues. By streamlining communication, help requests are routed to the right people or teams, and customers can get help quickly.

### Case 2: Automating help requests for faster resolution times

Helpdesks with automation capabilities help organizations reduce help request volumes by automatically routing inquiries to the right team or person and providing real-time notifications to track ticket progress. This helps reduce resolution times and improve customer satisfaction.

### Case 3: Analyzing performance with comprehensive reporting

With these systems, businesses can track their performance with reporting, helping identify areas of improvement or opportunities for growth and allowing companies to make informed decisions.

### Case 4: Streamlining employee onboarding processes

Helpdesks help employees onboard quickly and efficiently by automatically routing help requests to the right person or team. Reducing manual tasks increases employee productivity while providing a better support experience for customers.

### Case 5: Automating help requests for IT teams

Helpdesks help IT teams automate help requests for faster resolution times. This helps reduce manual labor and improve help desk efficiency by quickly routing help requests to the right individual or team.

## The importance of a helpdesk in the current digital landscape

As businesses strive to provide help more efficiently and effectively, helpdesks are essential for any business that wants to stay ahead of the competition. They help organizations reduce help request volumes, automate help requests, analyze performance with comprehensive reporting, streamline employee onboarding processes, and gain better insight into customer data. By utilizing a platform, businesses can improve help desk efficiency while providing a better help experience for customers.

## How helpdesk will continue to shape the future of workflows and processes in business organizations worldwide

Helpdesk systems help organizations stay ahead of the competition by streamlining help requests, automating help requests, and improving help desk efficiency. With platforms continuing to evolve, businesses can reduce manual labor and improve customer satisfaction with efficient ticket resolution times and comprehensive reporting capabilities. Helpdesks will continue to play a crucial role in shaping the future of workflows and processes in business organizations worldwide.

The top 10 helpdesk software

## 10 top IT helpdesks or service desks

### Freshworks

Freshworks is a well-known platform with some usability issues. Many users have reported that the user interface is challenging to navigate and confusing for new users. Additionally, help requests are not always routed to the correct team member quickly or accurately, resulting in slower resolution times and decreased customer satisfaction.

### Capacity

Capacity’s was built on deflection. What’s that mean? This comprehensive platform relies on AI to close over 90% of tickets before they ever reach a human. That means FAQs on your website or internal questions can give customers and employees immediate responses versus waiting for a live chat agent or an email. Get started for free here.

Abstract helpdesk image featuring questions and answers from employees and customers.

### Stop Answering the Same Questions

Capacity’s AI helpdesk will help you:

- Deflect more tickets
- Increase customer satisfaction
- Speed up time to resolution

### Jira Service Desk

Jira Service Desk is an all-in-one platform that makes it easy for businesses to manage help requests. It has many features, such as powerful ticketing and automation tools, help desk reporting capabilities, and robust integration options. Additionally, the user interface is intuitive and user-friendly.

### Solar Winds Helpdesk

Solar Winds helpdesk is an IT system designed to help organizations streamline help requests and manage their helpdesks more efficiently. However, many users have reported that the user interface can be intimidating, making it difficult to find help requests quickly. Additionally, some users feel that the platform lacks certain features, such as automated ticket routing and comprehensive reporting capabilities.

### ServiceNow

ServiceNow helpdesk is designed for businesses that need to manage help requests at scale. However, the platform can be more expensive than other solutions, requiring extensive configuration to get up and running. This can make it difficult for users with limited technical expertise to use the platform effectively.

### Zendesk

Zendesk can be challenging for smaller businesses to manage their help desk requests effectively. The platform may be overwhelming for new users due to its complex user interface and navigation, making it difficult to find specific help requests quickly. The help desk’s ticketing system is not as customizable or flexible as others.

### Vivantio Pro

Vivantio Pro helpdesk software is a platform designed for businesses of all sizes. However, many users have reported that the user interface can be challenging to navigate and slow to respond to, resulting in slower help request resolution times.

### Zoho Desk

Jira Service Desk is an all-in-one helpdesk platform that makes it easy for businesses to manage help requests. It has many features, such as powerful ticketing and automation tools, help desk reporting capabilities, and robust integration options. Additionally, the user interface is intuitive and user-friendly.

### Helpscout

Investing in a modern helpdesk is essential for businesses to stay ahead of the competition, reduce ticket volumes, automate help requests, streamline workflow, and gain better insight into customer data.

### Hiver

Hiver’s helpdesk may be difficult for users to fully utilize, as it lacks other platforms’ comprehensive features and automation capabilities. Additionally, help requests may not be routed accurately or quickly, resulting in slower resolution times. This is especially detrimental for businesses that need help desk support right away.

## Try Capacity’s AI Helpdesk for FREE

Nearly half of all businesses spend $100 or more per hour on customer support. Capacity helps companies save time and money. As customer expectations rise, businesses need to evolve to keep up with demand. Ready to upgrade? Sign up for a free account today!

## Practical AI: The Capacity for Good, Episode 10

Listen and Subscribe Here In this episode of Practical AI: The Capacity for Good, David Avrin, a Customer Experience Keynote Speaker and Consultant, joins James Diel to reveal the importance of customer retention and how it impacts a company's revenue. They highlight...

## Practical AI: The Capacity for Good, Episode 9

Listen and Subscribe Here In this episode of Practical AI: The Capacity for Good, Adrian Swinscoe, an Aspirant Punk at Punk CX, joins James Diel to share his insights on how you can tap into your inner punk spirit to revolutionize your approach to customer experience,...

## Practical AI: The Capacity for Good, Episode 8

Listen and Subscribe Here In this episode of Practical AI: The Capacity for Good, David Karandish, Founder and CEO of Capacity, joins James Diel to unveil how AI and automation revolutionize customer service, balancing customer experience and profitability in AI...

### Looking to maximize your team’s capacity?

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news on Capacity, AI, and automation technology.

Capacity logo in white

Company

Resources

Industries

About Capacity

Capacity was founded in 2017 by David Karandish and Chris Sims, and is part of the Equity.com incubator. Proudly headquartered in St. Louis.





This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsAccept

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Close

#### Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Strictly Necessary

Strictly Necessary

Always Enabled

Strictly Necessary Cookies are essential for the smooth functioning of our website. These cookies enable core features such as security, network management, and accessibility. Without these cookies, you may experience reduced functionality or poor performance. As they are critical to your user experience, you cannot opt-out of these cookies.

Analytics

analytics

Analytics Cookies help us understand how users interact with our website. These cookies collect anonymous data about user behavior, such as the number of visitors, time spent on pages, and the types of pages viewed. This information helps us make data-driven improvements to our website, ensuring a better user experience. If you prefer, you can opt-out of these cookies without affecting your browsing experience.

Others

others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription__tld__sessionDescription is currently not available._cfuvidsessionDescription is currently not available._no_tracky_1013978401 hourDescription is currently not available.rl_session1 yearDescription is currently not available.ubpv6 months 1 dayNo description available.ubvs5 months 27 daysNo description available.ubvt3 daysNo description available.VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA5 months 27 daysDescription is currently not available.

Advertisement

advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescriptionbcookie1 yearLinkedIn sets this cookie from LinkedIn share buttons and ad tags to recognize browser IDs.li_sugr3 monthsLinkedIn sets this cookie to collect user behaviour data to optimise the website and make advertisements on the website more relevant.yt.innertube::nextIdneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.yt.innertube::requestsneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

Functional

functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription__cf_bm30 minutesCloudflare set the cookie to support Cloudflare Bot Management.INGRESSCOOKIEsessionThis cookie is used for load balancing and session stickiness. This technical session identifier is required for some website features.li_gc5 months 27 daysLinkedin set this cookie for storing visitor's consent regarding using cookies for non-essential purposes.lidc1 dayLinkedIn sets the lidc cookie to facilitate data center selection.UserMatchHistory1 monthLinkedIn sets this cookie for LinkedIn Ads ID syncing.VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysYouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface.visitorId1 yearZoomInfo sets this cookie to identify a user.yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.

Save & Accept