Interscale Content Hub – Many types of help desks in the market act as central hubs for customer inquiries, technical issues, and IT service requests.
As we know, help desks are great for keeping things running smoothly, keeping customers happy, and getting issues sorted out quickly and easily across all kinds of industries.
But what we need to remember is that there are different types of help desks. There are all kinds of reasons why these different types of help desks exist.
That’s why, whether you’re in AEC or any other sector, it’s time to take a closer look at the various help desk options out there.
As a starting point, you can read “What is a Help Desk Ticketing System? How It Boosts Your Bottom Line.”
How Many Levels are There in the Help Desk?
Help desks aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. To make the most of their potential, many companies set up a tiered structure, with three or more distinct levels.
Think of it as a kind of filtering system, making sure the right issue gets to the right expert as quickly as possible.
The journey often starts at Level 0, the self-service level. Here, customers can find solutions on their own using resources like a well-organized knowledge base, FAQs, and other online tools.
If self-service doesn’t get them what they need, customers move on to Level 1, which is often called frontline support.
This is the general practitioner of the help desk world. These agents are the first point of contact, handling basic inquiries, troubleshooting common problems, and guiding users towards existing solutions.
If an issue is too complex for Level 1, they move it up to the next level. That’s where Level 2 comes in.
These technical support agents are the experts, with a deeper understanding of specific areas.
They get into the nitty-gritty of things, often working with other teams or departments to figure out what’s going on and come up with a solution.
Sometimes even the Level 2 experts get stumped by a problem. That’s when Level 3, the subject matter experts, step in.
These are the experts, the developers, the engineers, or any other highly specialized professionals who know how to handle the trickiest and most serious problems.
Types of Help Desk
In today’s fast-changing world of customer and IT support, it’s key to understand the different types of help desks so we can tailor solutions to specific needs.
Let’s take a closer look at these categories, using insights from the research presented in “Help Desk Systems Using Case-Based Reasoning” from Lehigh University resources.
Internal help desks
As the name suggests, this help desk is for employees only. Think of them as your IT department’s customer service wing. They’re always ready to help with computer glitches, software installations, or hardware malfunctions.
They make sure employees have the tools and know-how they need to get the job done.
The paper highlights the importance of internal efficiency, particularly in the context of structured problem-solving in organizations.
External Help Desk
While internal help desks focus on helping their own employees, external help desks are there for customers and clients.
They’re the friendly folks you chat with on the phone or via chat, helping you with any questions, complaints, or technical issues you might have with the company’s products or services.
The paper also points out how important external help desks are for keeping customers happy and loyal.
A good external help desk not only fixes problems but also builds trust and good relationships with customers.
Enterprise Help Desk
Enterprise help desks are the primary support systems for large organizations, designed to handle the complex support needs of these entities.
These systems offer a comprehensive suite of advanced features designed to streamline support operations and enhance the customer experience.
Multi-channel support is a fundamental aspect of the service, enabling customers to reach out via phone, email, or chat, whichever suits their preference.
Consider a scenario in which a customer initiates contact through a chat on your website, then seamlessly transitions to a phone call with the same agent for a more in-depth discussion. This level of flexibility is what enterprise help desks bring to the table.
Small Business Help Desk
At the opposite end of the spectrum, we have help desks designed for small businesses.
These solutions are aware that small businesses operate with tighter budgets and leaner teams.
As a result, they prioritize affordability and ease of use, focusing on essential features that deliver efficient customer support without overwhelming users with unnecessary complexity.
Small business help desks often provide intuitive interfaces that are easy to navigate, even for those without extensive technical expertise.
These solutions may include features such as ticket management, knowledge base integration, and basic reporting, all designed to streamline support processes and empower small teams to deliver excellent customer service.
Please take a moment to gain a broader perspective; “AEC Industry Trends & Futures: What and How We Can Adjust in Business.”
IT Help Desk
IHelp desks are the foundation of any organization’s technological infrastructure. They are the specialized units that respond rapidly to computer crashes, software malfunctions, and network failures.
Staffed by IT professionals with a deep understanding of hardware, software, networks, and all things technical, these help desks are equipped to diagnose and resolve a wide range of technical issues.
They are the digital doctors, ensuring that your company’s technology remains healthy and runs smoothly.
The Lehigh University paper illustrates the crucial role of IT help desks in maintaining operational efficiency by swiftly addressing technical issues that can disrupt workflows and hinder productivity.
Customer Service Help Desk
While IT help desks focus on the technical side of things, customer service help desks are all about the human element.
They’re the friendly faces or voices of a company, interacting directly with customers to address their questions, concerns, and feedback.
These help desks deal with all kinds of issues, from answering product questions and troubleshooting usage problems to processing returns and addressing billing inquiries.
Their main goal is to make sure customers are happy and build good relationships.
Good customer service help desks can really make a difference to customer loyalty and retention by providing timely and helpful support.
Remote Help Desk
It seems like remote help desks have really taken off lately, especially with the rise of remote work and distributed teams.
These virtual support centers let agents help from anywhere—their home office, a co-working space, or even a coffee shop.
This flexibility is a win-win: it expands support availability for customers or employees, as agents aren’t constrained by geographical boundaries or traditional office hours.
Plus, it cuts down on businesses’ overhead costs, since they can save on things like office space, utilities, and commuting allowances.
A study by Global Workplace Analytics found companies can save about $11,000 a year for every employee who works remotely half the time. This shows how remote help desks can save businesses money.
On-site Help Desk
On-site help desks, the traditional model, are still useful in certain situations. These physical support centers, often located within corporate offices, retail stores, or manufacturing facilities, offer in-person help to employees or customers.
While they might not be as flexible as their remote counterparts, on-site help desks are great for situations where you need hands-on intervention.
For instance, if a computer needs a hardware upgrade or a printer needs physical maintenance, having an on-site technician can get things fixed faster.
For sure, the importance of on-site support for addressing hardware-related issues cannot be resolved remotely.
Technical Support Help Desk
Technical support help desks are the experts in the help desk world. They’re like the tech support world’s seasoned detectives, called in to solve the most puzzling and complex cases.
These help desks are staffed with agents who really know their stuff when it comes to specific products or services.
If your issue has stumped the general support team and needs more investigation, they’re the ones you turn to.
Let’s say a software company’s technical support team is looking at error logs and code snippets to find and fix a bug that’s causing crashes for a few users.
This level of specialized knowledge is what makes technical support help desks so unique.
Product Support Help Desk
Product support help desks are the product experts, the go-to resource for all things related to a specific product.
They’re like knowledgeable guides who can walk you through every detail of a product’s features, functionality, and troubleshooting steps.
No matter if you’re a newbie just getting started or a pro who’s hit a snag, product support is there to help.
For instance, a smartphone manufacturer’s product support team might help customers set up their new device, show them how to use specific features, or troubleshoot connectivity issues.
These help desks are especially useful for companies with lots of different products. They can provide support for each one individually.
Service Desk
While “help desk” and “service desk” are often used interchangeably, there’s a subtle distinction.
Think of a service desk as the umbrella category that covers everything. It’s not just about fixing IT glitches. It’s a central hub for managing a wide range of service requests across an organization.
This could be anything from troubleshooting software issues to handling employee onboarding requests or even coordinating facility repairs.
The idea is to have one place where everyone can go to get help with any service needs. This will facilitate communication and help get things done more quickly.
The Lehigh University paper describes a service desk as a one-stop shop for all user roles, including end-users, hotline operators, system administrators, and even external vendors.
This multi-faceted approach shows how service desks are changing. They’re becoming more than just a help desk. They’re strategic assets for organizations that want to optimize their service delivery and enhance the user experience.
Interscale: Your Partner in Help Desk Management
We at Interscale offer help desk solutions designed to simplify your support operations so you can focus on what matters most: delivering great service and products
Our IT support and help desk management expertise can help you implement the right tools and processes to streamline your workflow, improve response times, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Kindly read our Interscale Helpdesk Support page to see how we can help your help desk and make your support experience better.
Conclusion
There are lots of types of help desk out there, so choose the one that’s best for your support strategy.
Finding the right help desk solution isn’t something you can do in one go. It all depends on what’s best for your company.
Take the time to really think about what you need and look at all the different help desk options out there.
So, do your homework, weigh your options, and choose the one from many types of help desk that’s right for you.
