|
2007 results
STI has been successfully providing Helpdesk training since 1989. As well as our own courses we also ran HUG (Helpdesk User Group) and HDI (Help Desk Institute) courses, on their behalf, between 1997 and 2002. This means that we have been involved with a huge number of UK based IT Helpdesks. This has given us a great insight into the challenges these Helpdesks face and the solutions that have been attempted and employed. However, there is always more to learn!
As you may be aware, survey results for 2003, 2004 and 2006 are available on our website. Our next scheduled survey was 2008. However, client demand has led to us carrying out the 2007 survey.
Surveys were completed by attendees on our courses, thorough the website and by some direct mailing.
The results cover a wide range of pubic and private sector organisations. A small cross section of respondents includes:
Argos
Atkins Group
Birmingham University
British Transport Police
|
In Practice Systems
Link 21
Mourant
MOD (Various)
|
Northern Rock
Open University
Renfrewshire Council
Simply Health |
The total number of respondents was 322. As usual, we have compiled the results and added some comments and observations. We largely use the same questions each year as a means of tangibly identifying trends and change. However, we have included two new questions this year that were requested by clients.
We hope that you will find this survey an interesting and useful resource when considering your own IT Helpdesk. Look at www.sti-ltd.co.uk for old surveys.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone that took time out to respond.
If you would like to take part in the next STI IT Helpdesk Survey, or have a question that you would like asked, please email your details to enquiries@sti-ltdco.uk with a subject of IT Helpdesk Survey. Survey material may only be reproduced with the written permission of STI Ltd.
What do you call your Helpdesk?
|
Helpdesk/Help
Desk
54% |
Service
Desk
32% |
Support
Desk
6% |
Other
answers included Service Centre, Action Desk, Response Desk, Incident Desk, Service Line, Service Point and IT Direct.
What type of Helpdesk do you have?
|
Non
Technical
18% |
Technical
66% |
Expert
16% |
Non Technical was defined as passing virtually all calls on for others
to resolve. Technical as resolving
a reasonable %
without referral and Expert as resolving a very high % without
referral. More Technical "Non Technical" and "Expert" than 2006.
What services does your Helpdesk support?
|
IT
Only
38% |
IT
and Telephony
56% |
IT
and Other
12% |
2007 shows continued growth in Helpdesk supporting more than just IT.
What is the (full service) availability of your Helpdesk?
|
24/7
24% |
M-F
60% |
6
Days
18% |
8-6
16% |
Slight increase in number of 24/7 Helpdesks and 0900-1800 still the most commonly offered availability.
Do you have a Helpdesk website or intranet site?
|
Yes
88% |
No
6% |
Plan
To
6% |
Many Helpdesks now encouraging customers to visit website before calling.
Can customers log calls on-line?
|
Yes
56% |
No
24% |
Plan
To
20% |
Continues uptake here and very practical for dealing with simple, straightforward issues. Many Helpdesks report having to make outgoing calls to go through issues reported by the customer. This can add time to the process and a degree of inefficiency. We believe that most customers would currently prefer to talk to someone rather than log their own calls.
What percentage of staff routinely wear a headset?
|
Overall
Staff That Wear
a Headset
89% |
Helpdesks
Where All Staff
Wear A Headset
71% |
Helpdesks
Where No Staff
Wear A Headset
6% |
Headset technology has come on greatly in recent years and most new starters would
probably
have no
issues with using one.
What is your telephone call answering target?
|
None
18% |
<3
Rings
12% |
<10
Secs
18% |
90%
<15 Secs
8% |
Call answering defined as the customer getting to speak to someone. A speedy answer is important as it is part of the vital first impression formed by the customer.
What elements make up your standard telephone greeting?
|
No
Standard Greeting
6% |
"Good
Morning/Afternoon, Helpdesk"
24% |
"Good
orning/Afternoon, Helpdesk, Give Name"
50% |
"Good
Morning/Afternoon,
Helpdesk, Give Name,
How May I Help You?" 9% |
Percentage
Giving Name
As Part Of Greeting
69% |
Those Asking "How May I Help You?"
As Part Of The Greeting
9% |
There does seem to be a steady move towards making the greeting shorter. This should help in making it sound brighter and less stale.
Do you have a call abandonment target?
|
None
51% |
<5%
32% |
<10%
9% |
<15%
2% |
More people measuring abandoned calls than in 2006. Most common targets the same.
Do you have an initial call duration target?
|
None
67% |
<5
Mins
7% |
<10
Mins
21% |
<15 Mins
43% |
More people targeting call duration than in 2006.
Is every call to the Helpdesk logged?
|
Yes
82% |
No
5% |
Try
To
13% |
As ever we suspect that the “Yes” answer may involve a little wishful thinking.
| Do you give a call ref/no if initial call is unresolved?
|
Yes
70% |
No
10% |
Try
To
20% |
Many Helpdesks now giving/confirming the cell reference by email. This might also include the cell description and relevant SLA terms for the customer's information.
Do you give a call ref/no if initial call is resolved?
|
Yes
10% |
No
80% |
Try
To
10% |
A slight decrease in the “Yes” answer from 2006 and still not considered worthwhile by the vast majority of respondents.
Who has authority to close down calls?
|
Helpdesk
Only
63% |
Other
Support Groups
37% |
Not much change here. Most respondents, allowing other support groups to close down
calls,
tend to have OLA’s in place to ensure that this is properly done.
Is customer agreement to call closure sought?
|
Always
56% |
Usually
28% |
Sometimes
13% |
Never
3% |
More respondents doing this than in 2006. We suspect mostly via email.
Do you have a formal complaints procedure?
|
Yes
66% |
No
12% |
Plan
To
22% |
Many people using their Helpdesk website to facilitate customer complaints or comments. Maybe a "comments" box is better than a "complaints" box.
Do you have formal SLA's with customers?
|
Yes
88% |
No
7% |
Plan
To
5% |
Numbers still rising – seen as a “must” by many service providers.
Is "staleness" an issue with helpdesk staff?
|
Always
25% |
Usually
28% |
Sometimes
45% |
Never
2% |
Staleness an issue for 96% of Helpdesk staff. This is up on 2004 (93%).
If so, after how long typically?
|
<6
Months
13% |
6-12
Months
19% |
1-2
Years
54% |
2 Years +
16% |
The big challenge here is the fact that people who have gone stale, rarely see it in themselves. Ultimately, it is possible for a whole team to become stale!
Is stress an issue with helpdesk staff?
|
Always
21
% |
Usually
29% |
Sometimes
46% |
Never
4% |
Stress is an issue for 96% of Helpdesk staff. The 2004 figure was 93%.
If so, after how long typically?
|
<6
Months
33% |
6-12
Months
35% |
1-2
Years
31% |
2 Years +
1% |
Stress is clearly an issue to be aware of and addressed.
What is the staffing breakdown on your Helpdesk?
|
Male
Full Time Staff
61% |
Female
Full Time Staff
39% |
Male
Part Time Staff
28% |
Female
Part Time Staff
72% |
Average
Number
Of Full Time Staff
6.4% |
Average
Number
Of Part Time Staff
1.3% |
Average number of full time down on 2004 and part time staff up. Percentage of full time
male
staff still
rising. Our 1997 survey had full time males at 40% and females at 60%!
What is the age range of staff?
|
17-20
2% |
21-25
35% |
26-29
30% |
30-39
26% |
40+
7% |
The number of staff in the 20-30 range has gone up and the number in 30+ has gone down again. We suspect that some employers believe that younger staff cope better with new and changing technology.
What is the average number of incoming calls per week?
|
Average
Per Helpdesk
1968 |
Average
Per Staff Member
279 |
We conclude that staff now deal with an average of 9 "calls" per hour. This compares with 8.1
in 2006 and 7.1 in the 2004 survey.
What is the average number of outgoing calls per week?
|
No
Record Kept
32% |
Average
By Helpdesks That Keep Records
374 |
The average number of outgoing calls down as the number of outgoing emails increases.
What is the average number of incoming and outgoing Helpdesk emails per week?
|
Average
Per Helpdesk Incoming 512 Outgoing 557 |
Average
Per Staff Member incoming 73 Outgoing 79 |
Email usage still increasing year on year. A few Helpdesks are only accepting customer contact by email.
What is the average number of outstanding calls/tickets/incidents?
|
Average Per Helpdesk
198 |
Average per staff member
28 |
Results up on 2006 and tie in with increased call rates and reduced staff numbers.
What reports are regularly produced?
|
None
6% |
Daily
55% |
Weekly
48% |
Monthly
94% |
All
3
41% |
2007 shows a reduction in daily and weekly report production. If there are fewe staff available, something has to give.
What cooperation do you get from other in-house teams?
|
Excellent
6% |
Good
58% |
OK
25% |
Poor
11% |
An improvement on recent years. Perhaps as a result of increased uptake of OLA's?
Do you have OLA's with other in-house teams?
|
Yes
48% |
No
22% |
Plan
To
25% |
Unaware Of SLA's
5% |
Operational Level Agreements define agreed working practices between service teams.
They are now seen as a "must" by many IT service providers.
Allocate 100% (eg 40/40/20)
to show how vital elements are to a
successful Helpdesk:
|
People
(The Staff)
62% |
Processes
(Working Practices)
26% |
Tools
(Telephony, S/W etc)
12% |
People still thought of as being the most important element of a successful Helpdesk. you could have the best working practices and most sophisticated tools, but without the right people service provision may still not be good.
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by customers?
|
High
24% |
Medium
65% |
Low
11% |
89% of customers holding the Helpdesk in medium or high esteem is actually down on 2006. This may again be linked to increased call rates and reduced staff members. We find that customers often want to talk to "someone" rather than "some thing".
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by management?
|
High
45% |
Medium
48% |
Low
7% |
Management esteem considered to have increased in the last year. Maybe we have reached a stage where many of today's managers have actually worked on a Helpdesk. It is important that "management" measure Helpdesk value in terms of quality as well as quantity. An endless array of impressive statistics does not guarentee that customers are entirely happy with the service that they recieve.
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by other support staff?
|
High
16% |
Medium
44% |
|
Interestingly, both “High” and “Low” scores have gone up since 2004 - apparently, less
sitting on
the fence
by other support staff! There does seem to be a conflict between having
a wide breadth
of knowledge
(Helpdesk?) as opposed to having specialist knowledge, but in
a narrower field (other support teams?).
How do you gauge your Helpdesk status over the last two years?
|
Rising
62% |
Falling
22% |
The
Same
16% |
As in all recent surveys, most respondents feeling that their Helpdesk status is rising. However, the number seeing it as falling is also growing each year. Perhaps this ties in with reduced staff numbers dealing with increased call rates.
What is the most common reason for IT customers contacting the Helpdesk?
|
Hardware
12% |
Software
19% |
Network
14% |
Passwords
16% |
User Error
23% |
Other
16% |
There is more " help" available than ever these days, but User Error the most common reason for calling. Perhaps this reflects a lack of customer training.
Can customers view their their own open calls on-line?
|
Yes
79% |
No
14% |
Plan To
7% |
This can save the customer the hassle of queing to get through and frees up time for Helpdesk analysts. Call logging must be clear, concise, tactful and logs should be regularly updated. This facility also helps meet the emotional "need to know" of the customer.
2006 results
STI has been successfully providing Helpdesk training since 1989. As well as our own courses
we also
ran
HUG (Helpdesk User Group) and HDI (Help Desk Institute) courses, on their behalf, between 1997
and 2002.
This means that we have been involved with a huge number of UK based IT Helpdesks.
This has given us a
great insight into the challenges these Helpdesks
face and the solutions that have
been attempted and
employed. However, there is always
more to learn!
Survey results for 2003 and 2004 are available on our website. From now on, we will be carrying out
the
survey every two years. We have always opted for a “nuts and bolts” look at the way UK IT
Helpdesks
are
set up and operate.
Surveys were completed by attendees on our courses, thorough the website and by some direct
mailing.
The results cover a wide range of pubic and private sector organisations. A small cross
section of
respondents include:
Open University
Oxford City Council
Strathclyde Police
iHotdesk
|
MOD (various sites)
E & N Herts NHS
McGraw Hill
ODPM
|
Dorset County Council
GCB
Norwich Union
Northern Rock |
The total number of respondents was 297. As usual, we have compiled the results and
added some
comments and observations. The 2006 survey gives a fascinating insight into
the everyday life of
working
on an IT Helpdesk. There is more technology about in 2006 and increased use of websites for self logging
and customer access to open calls. However,
most respondents still believe that
having good people is the
key to success.
We hope that you will find this survey an interesting and useful resource when considering
your own
IT
Helpdesk.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone that took time out to respond.
If you would like to take part in the next STI IT Helpdesk Survey, or have a question that you
would like
asked, please email your details to info@sti-ltd.co.uk with a subject of IT Helpdesk Survey.
Survey material may only be reproduced with the written permission of STI Ltd.
© 2006 Copyright STI Ltd.
What do you call your Helpdesk?
|
Helpdesk/Help
Desk
57% |
Service
Desk
29% |
Support
Desk
7% |
Other
answers included Service Centre, Action Desk, Customer Services,
Incident Desk
and Service Point.
What type of Helpdesk do you have?
|
Non
Technical
19% |
Technical
63% |
Expert
18% |
Technical was defined as passing virtually all calls on for others
to resolve. Technical as resolving
a reasonable %
without referral and Expert as resolving a very high % without
referral. More "Non Technical" and "Technical" and less "Expert" than 2004.
What services does your Helpdesk support?
|
IT
Only
42% |
IT
and Telephony
49% |
IT
and Other
8% |
Helpdesks now supporting extra such as building facilities.
What is the (full service) availability of your Helpdesk?
|
24/7
23% |
M-F
61% |
6
Days
17% |
8-6
13% |
More ITHelpdesks now supporting extra services such as building facilities
Do you have a Helpdesk website or intranet site?
|
Yes
81% |
No
9% |
Plan
To
10% |
A big growth area since 2004. Most people using affordable and manageable technology.
Can customers log calls on-line?
|
Yes
49% |
No
32% |
Plan
To
19% |
The technology to allow this is now well established. Though it does run the risk of losing
some
customer
interaction, there may be some savings in staffing achievable.
Helpdesks with “paying” customers often
report that they miss out on a business
opportunity by not “personally” taking
problems and requests from customers.
Do you operate a telephone call queuing system?
|
Yes
76% |
No
18% |
Plan
To
6% |
It would be very rare, these days, to ring a major organisation and get no answer.
Though considered
better than no answer, queuing is still disliked by most customers.
If they have to queue,
perhaps the
customer can be advised of the website, given the option
of
leaving a message or encouraged
to send an email?
What percentage of staff routinely wear a headset?
|
Overall
Staff That Wear
a Headset
84% |
Helpdesks
Where All Staff
Wear A Headset
67% |
Helpdesks
Where No Staff
Wear A Headset
9% |
Headset technology has come on greatly in recent years and most new starters would
probably
have no
issue with using one at all.
What is your telephone call answering target?
|
None
21% |
<3
Rings
14
% |
<10
Secs
16% |
90%
<15 Secs
6% |
Three rings no longer the most commonly reported call answering target. This is probably
as a result of the
use of more sophisticated technology. The other results shown are the
most popular
targets reported by
respondents.
What elements make up your standard telephone greeting?
|
No
Standard Greeting
7 % |
"Good
Morning/Afternoon, Helpdesk"
22% |
"Good
orning/Afternoon, Helpdesk, Give Name"
50% |
"Good
Morning/Afternoon,
Helpdesk, Give Name,
How May I Help You?"
14% |
Percentage
Giving Name
As Part Of Greeting
69% |
Those Asking "How May I Help You?"
As Part Of The Greeting
14% |
Slight decline, since 2004, in giving name or offering assistance as part of the greeting.
Many people believe
that the longer a greeting is, the more likely it is to sound “stale”.
Do you have a call abandonment target?
|
None
52% |
<5%
29% |
<10%
8% |
<15%
2% |
More people measuring abandoned calls than in 2004. Most common targets the same.
Do you have an initial call duration target?
|
None
68% |
<5
Mins
6% |
<10
Mins
19% |
<15 Mins
3% |
More people targeting call duration than in 2004.
Is every call to the Helpdesk logged?
|
Yes
86% |
No
5% |
Try
To
9% |
We still suspect that the “Yes” answer may involve a little wishful thinking.
| Do you give a call ref/no if initial call is unresolved?
|
Yes
68% |
No
12% |
Try
To
20% |
We consider this good practice. We liken this to giving the customer
a receipt, a token that
proves their
problem/request
has been formally noted.
Do you give a call ref/no if initial call is resolved?
|
Yes
12% |
No
78% |
Try
To
10% |
A slight increase in the “Yes” answer over 2004. However, still not considered worthwhile
by the
vast majority of respondents.
Who has authority to close down calls?
|
Helpdesk
Only
64% |
Other
Support Groups
36% |
Very similar result to 2004. Most respondents, allowing other support groups to close down
calls,
tend to have OLA’s in place to ensure that this is properly done.
Is customer agreement to call closure sought?
|
Always
54% |
Usually
27% |
Sometimes
13% |
Never
6% |
More respondents doing this than in 2004. We suspect mostly via email.
Do you have a formal complaints procedure?
|
Yes
62% |
No
16% |
Plan
To
22% |
Many people using their Helpdesk website to facilitate customer complaints or comments.
Do you have formal SLA's with customers?
|
Yes
86% |
No
9% |
Plan
To
5% |
Numbers still slowly rising – seen as a “must” by many service providers.
Is "staleness" an issue with helpdesk staff?
|
Always
25% |
Usually
26% |
Sometimes
45% |
Never
4% |
Staleness an issue for 96% of Helpdesk staff. This is up on 2004 (93%).
If so, after how long typically?
|
<6
Months
15% |
6-12
Months
19% |
1-2
Years
48% |
2 Years +
18% |
In some jobs it may not be a serious issue, in front line service provision it certainly is!
Is stress an issue with helpdesk staff?
|
Always
19% |
Usually
27% |
Sometimes
50% |
Never
4% |
Stress still on the rise for Helpdesk staff. The 2004 figure was 93%.
If so, after how long typically?
|
<6
Months
32% |
6-12
Months
34% |
1-2
Years
33% |
2 Years +
1% |
Stress is clearly an issue to be aware of and addressed.
What is the staffing breakdown on your Helpdesk?
|
Male
Full Time Staff
59% |
Female
Full Time Staff
41% |
Male
Part Time Staff
30% |
Female
Part Time Staff
70% |
Average
Number
Of Full Time Staff
6.8% |
Average
Number
Of Part Time Staff
1.6% |
Average number of full time down on 2004 and part time staff up. Percentage of full time
male
staff still
rising. Our 1997 survey had full time males at 40% and females at 60%!
What is the age range of staff?
|
17-20
2% |
21-25
32% |
26-29
29% |
30-39
27% |
40+
10% |
The number of staff in the 20-30 range has gone up and the number in 30+ has gone down.
Maybe, career paths after Helpdesk are becoming established.
What is the average number of incoming calls per week?
|
Average
Per Helpdesk
1924 |
Average
Per Staff Member
221 |
Assuming staff spend an average of 31 hours per week call handling,
they deal with an
average of 8.1 calls per hour.
The figure was 7.1 in 2004 survey.
What is the average number of outgoing calls per week?
|
No
Record Kept
28% |
Average
By Helpdesks That Keep Records
406 |
The average number of outgoing calls down by about 22% on 2004.
This is surely as a
result
of increased use of email?
What is the average number of incoming emails per week?
|
Average
Per Week
464 |
Average
Per Staff Member
61 |
Both results up by over 70% on 2004. A few Helpdesks are only accepting customer
contact by
email. Email etiquette is still to be clearly defined, is text speak acceptable?
What is the average number of outgoing emails per
week?
|
Average
Per Helpdesk
537 |
Average
Per Staff Member
71 |
Both of these results have almost doubled since 2004. Many Helpdesks
are now automatically sending emails
to customers to confirm call logging and closure.
What is the average number of outstanding calls/tickets/incidents?
|
Average Per Helpdesk
184 |
Average per staff member
24 |
12% of respondents did not know the average number of outstanding calls/tickets/incidents.
What reports are regularly produced?
|
None
5 % |
Daily
58% |
Weekly
49% |
Monthly
94% |
All
3
42% |
These results quite similar to 2004. Some Helpdesks are including the results of regular
customer
surveys in
their weekly and monthly reports.
What cooperation do you get from other in-house teams?
|
Excellent
4 % |
Good
56% |
OK
27% |
Poor
13% |
Results for this year down on 2004. Good teamwork must extend beyond the Helpdesk.
Do you have OLA's with other in-house teams?
|
Yes
44% |
No
28% |
Plan
To
18% |
Unaware Of SLA's
10% |
Operational Level Agreements define agreed working practices between service teams.
The “take up rate” is up on 2004. A successful Helpdesk needs consistent support
and commitment from
all
IT teams.
Allocate 100% (eg 40/40/20)
to show how vital elements are to a
successful Helpdesk:
|
People
(The Staff)
58% |
Processes
(Working Practices)
29% |
Tools
(Telephony, S/W etc)
13% |
People still thought of as being the most important element of a successful Helpdesk. Remember – you can
make people do this sort of work, but you can’t make them do it well.
They need to be motivated and want
to be part of a successful team.
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by customers?
|
High
26% |
Medium
66% |
Low
8% |
92% of customers holding the Helpdesk in medium or high esteem appear a good result.
It is said
that “perception equals reality”. Maybe you are only as good as your last call? Regular customer
surveys should help get a more tangible view on customer satisfaction.
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by management?
|
High
43% |
Medium
49% |
Low
8% |
Management have a real responsibility to motivate Helpdesk staff. This involves showing
support
and commitment at all times and remembering that people in the front line are most
likely to
get
shot at.
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by other support staff?
|
High
14% |
Medium
48% |
|
Interestingly, both “High” and “Low” scores have gone up since 2004 - apparently, less
sitting on
the fence
by other support staff! There does seem to be a conflict between having
a wide breadth
of knowledge
(Helpdesk?) as opposed to having specialist knowledge, but in
a narrower field (other support teams?).
How do you gauge your Helpdesk status over the last two years?
|
Rising
72% |
Falling
14% |
The
Same
14% |
As in 2004, most respondents feeling that their Helpdesk status is rising.
However, the number
seeing it as
falling has more than doubled in that time.
Perhaps, this reflects a slow down in
Helpdesk development and
momentum.
Maybe, the Helpdesk has now become just “part of
the
furniture”?
2004 results
STI (Strategic Technology
Initiatives) has been a provider of Helpdesk training and consultancy
since 1989.
We believe that we offer the longest established Helpdesk training
in the UK and
probably Europe.
As
well as our own courses, we also ran HUG (Helpdesk user Group)
and HDI (Help Desk Institute)
training courses, on their behalf, between 1997 and 2002. This means
that we have been involved
with
a huge number of UK based Helpdesks. This has given us a great insight
into the challenges
these Helpdesks
face and the solutions that have been attempted and employed. However,
there
is always more to learn!
After a gap of several years, we resurrected our yearly IT Helpdesk
Survey in 2003. Results from
2003
are still available on our website. We decided to make our survey
a “nuts and bolts” look at the
way
UK IT
Helpdesks are set up and operate.
Surveys have been despatched by email, by post and completed
by attendees on our courses.
The results
cover a widespread range of public and private sector organisations.
A cross section
of
respondents includes:
British Telecom
Oxford Co-op
National Blood Service
National Lottery |
Powergen
MOD (various)
Shelter
AXA |
DFT
Nationwide
NHS Trusts
University of Reading |
The
total number of respondents was 274. We have compiled the results
and added our own
comments
or observations. The 2004 survey gives a fascinating insight into
the everyday life of
working on an IT
Helpdesk.
Who is to say what is the best way to organise and run an IT
Helpdesk?
The resources available
can vary
dramatically from one IT Helpdesk to another.
We hope that you will find this survey an interesting and useful
resource when considering your own
helpdesk.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone that
took time out to respond.
If you would like to take part in the next STI IT Helpdesk Survey,
please email your details to
enquiries@sti-ltd.co.uk,
with a subject of IT Helpdesk Survey.
What do you call your Helpdesk?
|
Helpdesk/Help
Desk
59% |
Service
Desk
24% |
Support
Desk
9% |
Other
answers included Service Centre, Action Desk, Customer Services,
Incident Desk and
Service
Point.
What type of Helpdesk do you have?
|
Non
Technical
16% |
Technical
61% |
Expert
23% |
Non
Technical was defined as passing virtually all calls on for others
to resolve, Technical as
resolving
a reasonable %
without referral and Expert as resolving a very high % without
referral.
Responses were
similar to 2003.
What services does your Helpdesk support?
|
IT
Only
51% |
IT
and Telephony
46% |
Some IT Helpdesks also reported supporting building services and
facilities as well as retail
and
cash
dispensers.
What is the (full service) availability of your Helpdesk?
|
24/7
21% |
M-F
62% |
6
Days
17% |
8-6
13% |
Compared to 2003 - slight increase in number of 24/7 Helpdesks and
0800 1800 has become
most
commonly offered
availability.
Do you have a Helpdesk website or intranet site?
|
|
No
19% |
Plan
To
11% |
The growth area often offering customers self help and guidance.
Can customers log calls on-line?
|
Yes
44% |
No
42% |
Plan
To
14% |
Many Helpdesks report that a call still has to be made to the customer
to discuss/clarify
their
reported
problem or
request. Many Helpdesks use templates to offer guidance to
customers
logging
their own calls.
Do you operate a telephone call queuing system?
|
Yes
66% |
No
32% |
Plan
To
2% |
Every
customer that calls wants to talk to someone quickly. Hence a queuing
system is
never likely
to be
very popular.
However, most people believe it to be better than the
customer getting
an
engaged tone or
even worse unanswered.
What percentage of staff routinely wear a headset?
|
Overall
% of Headset Wearers
76% |
Helpdesks
Where All Staff Wear A Headset
58% |
Helpdesks
Where No Staff Wear A Headset
14% |
We do recommend the use of a good headset. Better posture is likely
amongst headset
users.
Cordless headsets are
proving very popular. Many IT Helpdesk staff have told us
they like
being
able
to stand up and feel less stressed when
using a cordless headset.
What is your telephone call answering target?
|
None
24% |
<3
Rings
20% |
<10
Secs
15% |
<15 Secs
9% |
We are surprised that 24% of IT Helpdesks do not have a call answering
target. We believe
that the
callers
first
expectation is a prompt answer. Most IT Helpdesks do now measure
performance in
seconds rather
than rings.
What elements make up your standard telephone greeting?
|
No
Standard Greeting
4% |
"Good
Morning/Afternoon,
Helpdesk"
20% |
"Good
orning/Afternoon,
Helpdesk, Give Name"
51% |
"Good
Morning/Afternoon,
Helpdesk, Give Name,
How May I Help You?"
16% |
Percentage
Giving Name
As Part Of Greeting
72% |
Percentage
Asking
"How May I Help You?"
As Part Of The Greeting
18 % |
We believe that the longer a greeting is, the more likely it is
to sound stale. It is surely best
for each
IT Helpdesk to
define its’ own standard greeting.
Do you have a call abandonment target?
|
None
61% |
<5%
25% |
<10%
5% |
<15%
3% |
A
slight increase in the number of IT Helpdesks measuring abandoned
calls in 2004.
These IT
Helpdesks mostly seem to
have paying customers.
Do you have an initial call duration target?
|
None
74% |
<5
Mins
3% |
<10
Mins
18% |
<15 Mins
3% |
Call
duration is of great importance to busy IT Helpdesks. However, is
there a danger of
concentrating more
on quantity
than quality?
Is every call to the Helpdesk logged?
|
Yes
84% |
No
5% |
Try
To
11% |
Experience leads us to suspect that the “Yes” answer
may involve a little wishful thinking.
Do you give a call ref/no if initial call is unresolved?
|
Yes
64% |
No
14% |
Try
To
22% |
We consider this good practice. We liken this to giving the customer
a receipt, a token that
proves
their
problem/request
has been formally noted.
Do you give a call ref/no if initial call is resolved?
|
Yes
11% |
No
80% |
Try
To
9% |
Most people consider this a waste of time as the customer is just
not interested.
Can be useful
though, if the problem
reoccurs.
Who has authority to close down calls?
|
Helpdesk
Only
66% |
Other
Support Groups
34% |
Organisations that allow other support groups to close down calls,
tend to have OLA’s in
place to
ensure this
is properly
done.
Is customer agreement to call closure sought?
|
Always
48% |
Usually
26% |
Sometimes
16% |
|
This practice does not have to involve a phone call. The process
could be carried out via
email. We
like the
idea that the
customer agrees closure.
Do you have a formal Helpdesk complaints procedure?
|
Yes
56% |
No
18% |
Plan
To
26% |
Surely
every service function should have a formal complaints procedure?
Do you have formal SLA's with customers?
|
Yes
84% |
No
9% |
Plan
To
7% |
We believe strongly in team targets and objectives. SLA’s,
if realistic and achievable,
can be a valuable
motivator.
Is "staleness" an issue with helpdesk staff?
|
Always
22% |
Usually
24% |
Sometimes
47% |
Never
7% |
Staleness occurs when staff lose their "sparkle" and find it more
difficult to appear "up for it".
Can be difficult
to manage
and reverse.
If so, after how long typically?
|
<6
Months
16% |
|
1-2
Years
44% |
2 Years +
21% |
Length of service is usually the determining factor. The repetition
in any job is likely to lead
to an
element of
staleness.
Is stress an issue with helpdesk staff?
|
Always
14% |
Usually
22% |
Sometimes
57% |
Never
7% |
A big increase in perceived stress levels. This year stress considered
an issue for 93% of
Helpdesk
staff.
The 2003 figure
was 87%.
If so, after how long typically?
|
<6
Months
34% |
6-12
Months
33% |
1-2
Years
32% |
2 Years +
1% |
Stress clearly an issue that management needs to be aware of and
taking steps to counter.
What is the staffing breakdown on your Helpdesk?
|
Male
Full Time Staff
56% |
Female
Full Time Staff
44% |
Male
Part Time Staff
32% |
Female
Part Time Staff
68% |
Average
Number
Of Full Time Staff
7.4% |
Average
Number
Of Part Time Staff
1.1 % |
Our 1997 survey had full time males at 40% and full time females
60%. Average number of
full and
part
time staff both
slightly up on 2003.
What is the age range of staff?
|
17-20
2% |
21-25
30% |
26-29
28% |
30-39
30% |
40+
2% |
Our own observations suggest that staff are spending longer in their
Helpdesk role.
This can have
implications for
staleness and stress levels.
What is the average number of incoming calls per week?
|
Average
Per Helpdesk
1754 |
Average
Per Staff Member
211 |
Assuming staff spend an average of 31 hours per week call handling,
they deal with an
average of
7.1 calls
per hour.
This reflects more on quantity than quality.
What is the average number of outgoing calls per week?
|
No
Record Kept
36% |
Average
By Helpdesks That Keep Records
520 |
The average number of outgoing calls down by about 10% on 2003.
This may well be as a
result of
increased use of
email.
What is the average number of incoming emails per week?
|
Average
Per Week
270 |
Average
Per Staff Member
34 |
Both
results up by around 50% compared to 2003. Email clearly becoming
an integral part
of
Helpdesk
service provision.
What is the average number of outgoing emails per
week?
|
Average
Per Helpdesk
280 |
Average
Per Staff Member
35 |
Both of these results have doubled compared to 2003. Many Helpdesks
now automatically
sending
emails to
customers at time of call closure.
What reports are regularly produced?
|
None
3% |
Daily
54% |
Weekly
51% |
Monthly
96% |
All
3
46% |
Most
reports contain statistical rather than textual information. Most
measures seem to
concern
quantity
rather than
quality.
What cooperation do you get from other in-house teams?
|
Excellent
2% |
Good
54% |
OK
35% |
Poor
9% |
There
can often be an “us & them” mentality that needs
to be addressed. This years results
aredisappointingly down on
2003.
Do you have OLA's with other in-house teams?
|
Yes
32% |
No
34% |
Plan
To
22% |
Unaware Of OLA's
12% |
Operational Level Agreements involving defining agreed working practices
between service
teams.
The “take up” rate is
up on 2003.
Allocate 100% (eg 40/40/20) to show how vital elements
are to a
successful Helpdesk:
|
People
(The Staff)
52% |
Processes
(Working Practices)
32% |
Tools
(Telephony, S/W etc)
16% |
People (the staff) clearly thought of as being the most important
element of a successful
Helpdesk.
Remember – you can
make people do this sort of work, but you can’t make them
do it well.
They need to be motivated and want to be part of a
successful team.
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by customers?
|
High
28% |
Medium
62% |
Low
10% |
90% of customers holding the Helpdesk in medium or high esteem seems
a good result.
What are
the 10% doing to
improve on low customer esteem?
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by management?
|
High
41% |
Medium
51% |
Low
8% |
These results a little more positive than 2003. Could low management
esteem be as a result
of
inappropriate
(or no)
target setting?
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by other support staff?
|
High
12% |
Medium
53% |
Low
35% |
These results are very similar to 2003 and again disappointing! Most IT Helpdesk staff are
required
to have
great breadth
of knowledge. They work under great pressure and often
take the
“heat” off
of other support
staff. This should be worthy
of the respect of all IT staff.
How do you gauge your Helpdesk status over the last 2 years?
|
|
Falling
6% |
The
Same
8% |
It is again very encouraging to see that for most people the status
of their IT Helpdesk is
rising.
Surely,
everyone would
agree that they are here to stay and that they provide a vital service.
2003 results
The STI survey was carried
out during March 2003. A total of 227 Helpdesks completed our
survey
and the
results are compiled here. The respondents included a great variety
of public and private
sector
organisations.
They also varied in scale from 1 or 2 staff through to over 100.
We hope that you will find the results of use and interest to
you and we would like to sincerely
thank
everyone that took time out to respond.
What
do you call your Helpdesk?
|
|
Service
Desk
23% |
Support
Desk
6% |
Other
answers included Service Centre, Action Desk, Customer Services, Computer
Call and
Incident Desk.
What type of Helpdesk do you have?
|
|
Technical
61% |
Expert
25% |
Non
Technical was defined as passing virtually all calls on for others
to resolve, Technical as
resolving
a reasonable %
without referral and Expert as resolving a very high % without
referral.
How long has your Helpdesk been established?
|
|
Longest
Established
22 Years |
Most
Helpdesks are now very well established in terms of age. Though there
is a continual
need to
evolve to
and meet
new requirements.
What services does your Helpdesk support?
|
|
IT
and Telephony
42% |
Some IT Helpdesks also reported supporting building services and facilities
as well as retail
and
cash
dispensers.
What is the availability of your Helpdesk?
|
|
M-F
64% |
6
Days
14% |
9-5
14% |
24/7
a growing trend as use of the internet and home working increases.
Do you have a Helpdesk website or intranet site?
|
|
No
25% |
Plan
To
9% |
This facility can be used to encourage self help and as a means of
broadcasting service
messages.
The take up is sure to increase.
Can customers log calls on-line?
|
|
No
44% |
Plan
To
14% |
Staff savings to be made here as well as 24/7 availability. Surely
most customers would
still rather
talk to
someone?
Do you operate a telephone call queuing system?
|
|
No
39% |
Plan
To
2% |
Cost
rather than desire is often cited as a reason for not using sophisticated
telephony.
No-one likes queuing but it is better than an unanswered call?
What percentage of staff routinely wear a headset?
|
Overall
% of Headset Wearers
72%
|
Helpdesks
Where All Staff
Wear A Headset
52% |
Helpdesks
Where No Staff
Wear A Headset
18% |
We do recommend the use of a good headset. Better posture is likely
amongst headset
users.
Cordless headsets are the new must have!
What is your telephone call answering target?
|
|
<3
Rings
44% |
<10
Secs
14% |
90%
<15 Secs
10% |
3 rings still the most common target! We like a % built into the target
as all Helpdesks have
bad
days.
This allows for that and can be a motivator.
What elements make up your standard telephone greeting?
|
|
"Good
Morning/Afternoon,
Helpdesk"
18% |
"Good
orning/Afternoon,
Helpdesk, Give Name"
54% |
"Good
Morning/Afternoon,
Helpdesk, Give Name,
How May I Help You?"
19% |
Percentage
GIving Name
As Part Of Greeting
74% |
Percentage
Asking
"How May I Help You?"
As Part Of The Greeting
20% |
No real industry standard here. We believe each Helpdesk should define
its' own standard
greeting - to suit
the customer base and environment.
Do you have a call abandonment target?
|
|
<5%
22% |
<10%
7% |
<15%
5% |
Abandoned
calls are largely seen as a sign of failure. We believe if a caller
rings off within the
call
answering
target that should not count as abandoned.
Do you have an initial call duration target?
|
|
<5
Mins
4% |
<10
Mins
19% |
<15 Mins
3% |
Call
duration is of great importance to busy Helpdesks. The most demanding
we know of is
to
average 70
seconds with a resolution rate of 60%.
Is every call to the Helpdesk logged?
|
|
No
6% |
Try
To
13% |
Difficult to justify extra (current) staff without hard facts and
figures. We know of many
Helpdesks,
with
expensive
software, that still do not log all calls.
Do you give a call ref/no if initial call is unresolved?
|
|
No
18% |
Try
To
26% |
We consider this good practice. We liken this to giving the customer
a receipt, a token that
proves
their
problem/request has been formally noted.
Do you give a call ref/no if initial call is resolved?
|
|
No
80% |
|
HeHelplpdesk/Help Desk The reason for not doing so, is usually that
the customer is just not
interested.
Can be useful though if the problem reoccurs.
Who has authority to close down calls?
|
|
Other
Support Groups
36% |
Most people like the Helpdesk to be involved from the start through
to the finish. Some"other"groups might
close their own calls too readily?
Is customer agreement to call closure sought?
|
|
Usually
26% |
Sometimes
19% |
Never
11% |
Good customer care - not only does the Helpdesk carry out or manage
resolution, it also
confirms
it.
Can the resource required be justified though?
Do you have a formal Helpdesk complaints procedure?
|
|
No
20% |
Plan
To
29% |
Surely every service function should have a formal complaints procedure?
Do you have formal SLA's with customers?
|
|
No
9% |
Plan
To
10% |
Potentially a valuable tool for Helpdesks. Very useful in the management
of expectations
and the
settling of
disagreements.
Is "staleness" an issue with helpdesk staff?
|
|
Usually
18% |
Sometimes
57% |
Never
12% |
Staleness occurs when staff lose their "sparkle" and find it more
difficult to appear "up for it".
These
aren't bad people, they have just gone a bit "stale".
If so, after how long typically?
|
|
6-12
Months
14% |
1-2
Years
38% |
2 Years +
30% |
Length of service is usually the determining factor. Longer service
tends to lead to more
likelihood
of
staleness.
Is stress an issue with helpdesk staff?
|
|
Usually
12% |
Sometimes
66% |
Never
13% |
If ever there was a job with potential for stress, this is it. Staff
typically deal with negatives
day in day out.
It
definitely gets to some people.
If so, after how long typically?
|
|
6-12
Months
31% |
1-2
Years
31% |
2 Years +
2% |
Stress often being a factor when trying to master the job and then
as an ongoing concern
- though
not for
everyone
apparently.
What is the staffing breakdown on your Helpdesk?
|
|
Female
Full Time Staff
46% |
Male
Part Time Staff
35% |
Female
Part Time Staff
65%
|
Average
Number Of
Full Time Staff
7.2%
|
Average
Number
Of Part Time Staff
9% |
A big shift towards male staff here. Our 1997 survey had the split
as male 40% and female
60%.
We concur with this trend in our course attendees.
What is the age range of staff?
|
|
21-25
27% |
26-29
27% |
30-39
31% |
40+
13.5% |
These results suggest that a certain "maturity" is required in the
job. A variety in age range
may also help
create a
broader team.
What is the average number of incoming calls per week?
|
Average
Per Helpdesk
1616
|
Average
Per Staff Member
211 |
The average number per staff member is not a very scientific calculation.
However, it does
give
a
reasonable
indication of quantity, if not quality.
What is the average number of outgoing calls per week?
|
|
Average
By Helpdesks That Keep Records
570 |
We believe that this is a useful metric as it is another indicator
of staff usage.
Do not allow yourself
to be measured
against incoming calls alone.
What is the average number of incoming emails per week?
|
|
Average
Per Staff Member
24 |
Another useful metric and likely to be a growth area. Please remember
that if an email can
be
misunderstood, it will be
misunderstood.
What is the average number of outgoing emails per week?
|
|
Average
Per Staff Member
17 |
These all take time and use up resource. The idea is to identify all
work tasks and
responsibilities
and then
resource and prioritise them accordingly.
What reports are regularly produced?
|
|
Daily
52% |
Weekly
49% |
Monthly
96% |
All
3
44% |
Clearly a lot of time is spent producing reports. The key is to make
sure that they are
of
value and worthy
of
the resource required to produce them.
What call logging/problem management software do you use?
Most popular answers:
|
|
Touchpaper |
Heat |
Own or PC Database |
There were over 30 solutions identified.
What is your opinion of this software?
|
|
Good
29% |
OK
61% |
Poor
5% |
All solutions had supporters and detractors. No clear favourite emerged.
What cooperation do you get from other in-house teams?
|
|
Good
58% |
OK
35% |
Poor
4% |
A
successful helpdesk is very reliant on good teamwork. This teamwork
has to extend
beyond the Helpdesk
and involve other teams and management.
Do you have OLA's with other in-house teams?
|
|
No
36% |
Plan
To
21% |
Unaware Of OLA's
14% |
Operational Level Agreements involving defining agreed working practices
between service
teams.
This should be of benefit to the Helpdesk.
What are your current Helpdesk challenges?
Most popular answers:
|
|
Increase
Fix Rate |
Review
SLA's |
Low Staff Morale |
Lack
Of Resource |
Improve
Teamwork |
Avoid
Outsourcing |
Lack
Of Budget |
What are your future Helpdesk challenges?
Most popular answers:
|
Replace
HD Software |
Produce
Best
Practice Guide |
Introduce
On-Line
Call Logging |
Implement OLA's |
Continuous
Service
Improvements |
Moving
To 24/7 Cover |
Upgrade
Telephony
On HD |
Implement
HD
Complaints Procedure |
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by customers?
|
|
Medium
64% |
Low
10% |
90%
of customers holding the Helpdesk in medium or high esteem seems a
good result.
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by management?
|
|
Medium
51% |
Low
10% |
Another
apparently good result. It is vital that management should show their
interest in the
Helpdesk
and on the
good days, as well as the bad ones.
In what esteem is your Helpdesk held by other support staff?
|
|
Medium
51% |
Low
36% |
This result is actually a little better than in our last survey -
but still very disappointing.
Sometimes,
other
groups do not
appreciate the range of skills, knowledge and experience
required
to do the job
well.
How do you gauge your Helpdesk status over the last 2 years?
|
|
Falling
2% |
The
Same
6% |
This is very encouraging and hopefully a morale booster. As businesses
have become
increasingly
dependent on
technology, the role of the IT Helpdesk has become crucial. |
