help desk News and Other Resources

Blog Post

Help desk "open days" could help forge bond between support and users

November 3, 2008 11:06am PST

Getting people to use the help desk can be a tricky thing but it can be made easier by building relationships with end users.

4 Latest comment by cupcake@...

Articles

Talking Shop: Retrain users to access e-mail for help desk calls

October 23, 2001 7:00am PDT

Increase help desk e-mail communication and decrease phone calls

4 Latest comment by Amy@...

Articles

How would you handle a sexist support desk customer?

June 2, 2003 7:00am PDT

What is the correct way to handle a customer who refuses to talk to a support tech because of her gender? Is the customer always right, or is there a way to diffuse the situation without sounding...

112 Latest comment by Jeff Dray

Blog Post

Video: Intel vPro technology and help desk costs savings

December 23, 2008 12:01am PST

Intel vPro technology is designed to give enterprise IT departments improved provisioning, security, and troubleshooting of desktop and laptop PCs through manageability at the chipset level. Randy...

Articles

Three tips for dealing with callers on the "Socratic Helpdesk"

May 15, 2007 7:00am PDT

On the Socratic Helpdesk, before any attempt to give an answer is made, the analyst asks questions, even when the answer is obvious.

10 Latest comment by Locrian_Lyric

Articles

Survey reveals most call center techs happy to help with other projects

July 22, 2003 7:00am PDT

Just what are call center tech pros doing when they're not on the phone? According to our survey, they're happily helping with other projects. Check out the results for the rest of our survey.

4 Latest comment by sue.ritter

Blog Post

Supporting my laundry: Why some people are not cut out for the help desk

November 15, 2007 4:39pm PST

I don't like to be discriminatory, but some people don't have what it takes to provide computer support. Working the help desk takes rare hybrid of skills: customer service acumen and technical...

6 Latest comment by annemarais@...

Blog Post

When the help desk actually helps

May 5, 2009 2:01pm PDT

Derek Schauland describes a recent software upgrade that went awry and the positive support experience that changed his attitude about making the call to an external help desk.

20 Latest comment by Coss71

Blog Post

Fixing computers or fixing people?

October 6, 2008 2:18pm PDT

Jeff Dray has been a support specialist for twenty years and has found that even when technical knowledge fails, possessing the right soft skills can help you become a successful help desk analyst.

20 Latest comment by gorman.mi@...

Articles

Talking Shop: Boot camp offers insight for help desk staff

March 25, 2003 8:00am PST

Review of the Help Desk Analyst Boot Camp training seminar

2 Latest comment by D Southgate

Blog Post

Face it, you can authenticate with Bioscrypt's 3D DeskCam

March 29, 2007 9:41am PDT

Move over retinal scans and fingerprints, there's a new body part on the market that's authenticating users who are trying to access computers. The Canadian company Bioscrypt can...

Blog Post

Solving support problems with good table manners

August 18, 2008 1:58pm PDT

Remember what your mother told you about good table manners? They are as relevant today as they ever were, and they might help you find the solution to a support problem.

39 Latest comment by tel196.au@...

Blog Post

Pyramid calling for the help desk

November 17, 2008 1:36pm PST

The help desk works hard at customer relationships but does an automated call distributor help or hinder? When you need to disseminate information quickly, how much personalization do you have to...

2 Latest comment by ThreeLittleBirds

Blog Post

Logging the same call 300 times is no help to anyone

March 10, 2008 7:11am PDT

When you swamp the help desk with repeats of the same call, they will spend more time closing tickets than fixing problems.

2 Latest comment by h.mcgregor@...

Blog Post

Christmas on the help desk

November 24, 2008 2:11pm PST

That time of year is coming around again, when people take time off to enjoy Christmas at home and the office starts to look empty, yet there is always a need to man the help desk.

7 Latest comment by Joe_R

Articles

Promote communication between support desk and net admin staff

April 23, 2002 7:00am PDT

When support techs and net admins don't communicate well, it's often the end users who suffer. Read views from both sides of the IT fence and some suggestions for bridging the communication gap in...

28 Latest comment by PeterACole-121374265

Articles

Establish policies for communicating bad news to users

July 1, 2003 7:00am PDT

Delivering bad news to end users is tough, but when communicated badly or too soon, it can turn into trouble. Reduce the risks and make the process easier by publishing guidelines for your tech...

29 Latest comment by WSL91

Blog Post

Video: Help desk techs always welcomed with a sigh of relief?

May 31, 2008 5:51am PDT

IT isn't all sunshine and roses, as this help desk tech career video from CollegeGrad.com indicates. Bill Detwiler shares four aspects of the help desk life that every prospective tech should know...

3 Latest comment by Wally Bahny

Articles

Should corporate help desks support home PCs?

September 1, 2000 7:00am PDT

With telecommuting on a rapid upswing, corporate help desks are being pressured to support the home office. However, this practice can cause more problems than it's worth. Let us know what you...

26 Latest comment by kevin.oreilly@...