The Naked Service Desk Series – what did we learn?
The concept of the ‘Naked Service Desk’ is a great way to approach service improvement, no matter what level your service is currently operating at. Released in September 2017 the original Naked Service Desk blog (part 1) explored how to strip back the service desk to its basic components to identify the top 10 steps which are key for providing brilliant service. Since then, we have provided various guidance and resources to take a more in-depth look at each of these 10 steps individually:
1. Part 2 explored the first step in building a brilliant service desk, which is to establish the strategic purpose of the service; the strategy, vision, and mission. In this instalment, we shared with you a report which detailed just how to build a vision and mission which is aligned with the rest of the business. To achieve success with this crucial stage, the service desk needs to effectively market these messages across the organisation and ensure service desk staff are fully aware of and strive to meet this.
2. In part 3, we focused on the importance of working with your customers to identify their needs and requirements and explored the importance of establishing a formally documented Service Level Agreement (SLA) to underpin the requirements. We also provided you with a template to serve as a guide to creating effective SLAs. SLAs represent a contract between the service desk and the end user, helping to manage end user expectations. It also establishes the type and quality of services provided by the service desk and the level of services customers could expect.
3. Processes are the foundation of any service desk, which is why part 4 focused on reviewing and refining existing IT processes. We provided you with a report which highlighted and explained how to review your processes, and ensure they are at their most efficient and provide the most business value, as poorly implemented or designed processes can cause a multitude of problems.
4. In part 5 we shared some tips for selecting and implementing an ITSM tool. Based on the considerations and top 5 tips provided by service desk professionals and industry experts, we created a handy infographic, which aimed to support you in choosing the right tool for your organisation. Tool selection requires a significant amount of time, resources, support from your organisation, and of course budget, so it is important to do as much as possible to ensure that a tool will fit all your requirements and criteria. This post also included a link to SDI’s online ITSM Tool Exhibition, where a wide range of vendors demonstrate how to use their tools and their most unique features.
5. Keeping up with growing customer demand requires maximum efficiency through multiple communication channels; this is highlighted in part 6, which laid out 10 steps to succeeding with self-service. It is essential to communicate with your customers and understand their requirements from a support channel. Self-service as a communication channel is rapidly becoming an industry must-have, as it provides customers with the facilities to manage their own service desk interactions and to find answers to common issues.
6. Part 7 focused on the importance of recruiting and retaining customer-focused service desk staff. This installment provided you with a report which laid out how to improve the onboarding process and make it more efficient. Recruitment, onboarding, and retention, while typically considered responsibilities of HR, are actually very important aspects for the service desk to be involved in. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that these processes are refined and continually improved with employee feedback.
7. Customer experience is defined by the proactive interaction and engagement with your key stakeholders, and it is crucial for service desks to monitor and develop the customer experience using feedback and suggestions from customers. This is the topic that we focused on in part 8, where we provided you with a webinar detailing the best ways to enhance the customer experience.
8. Part 9 focused on the topic of producing regular management reports. Producing regular management reports is crucial to monitoring the performance, efficiency, progress, and quality of the service desk, and providing stakeholders with reports and information pertinent to their area of the business. We provided you with a whitepaper which detailed an effective way to measure and produce reports, and how to blend the areas you measure to suit your organisation.
9. The penultimate step in building a brilliant service desk is, of course, launching and marketing your service desk; communicating contact details and promoting the benefits to customers and other stakeholders. In part 10 we provided you with a report to explore the different methods you can use to market your service desk, and the benefits of doing so. If you let your customers know what you are doing for them, and make them feel valued, they are more likely to think of you in a positive light.
10. The final instalment of the Naked Service Desk Series detailed the importance of celebrating success; this step is a crucial and often overlooked aspect for building a brilliant service desk. In part 11, we shared a report which laid out the steps to follow to create and maintain an efficient and effective reward and recognition programme. A well informed programme will help to keep service desk staff motivated, one of the most vital elements of a top performing and continually improving service desk!
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