Self-service call logging by staff and customers sounds like a perfect way to reduce help desk and call centre staff costs. But as with most processes involving people, if something appears to be perfect, it’s probably not.

If a customer phones the help desk to report a fault, and speaks to an operator, the chances are that every part of the conversation will be guided by the operator’s experience and expertise. With self-service call logging, the software has to provide at least partly provide the expertise that the operatro would have. Self-service call loggers are unlikely to provide exhaustive detail about a fault, but stating the basics of the situation in a clear way can be extremely helpful to the next-level team, who decide whether to issue the call, and who to issue it to. Perhaps the worst situation is when operators have to phone or email back the self-service call logger, asking them to clarify what they’ve just submitted.

There is a balance between getting a clear idea of the fault or request, and asking too many questions and frustrating the self-service call logger. A tried-and-tested approach is for the self-service logger to choose the type of work from a simple list, and then choose a problem description, which can then be edited. The Fast Track Help Desk software provides a Work Type drop-down, with values such as ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, AIRCON, PEST-CONTROL, etc., and then allows the user to pick a Common Problem related to the Work Type.