A help desk manager is responsible for training, supervising, and motivating a team of help desk representatives. On the phone, via email, and through website communications, this support staff is typically relied upon to provide exemplary and timely support to clients and customers. The manager could be employed by a third-party support company or by an in-house help desk.
The majority of help desk support is focused on resolving technical issues with computer applications, operating electronic systems, or devices. The manager is typically expected to be an expert on all supported products and to interact with vendors, customers, and other department managers on a regular basis. She is also the person in charge of hiring and screening new employees, as well as making recommendations for promotions and dismissals.
A help desk manager’s main goal is usually to satisfy customer needs. She relies on her team to provide customers with expert, practical advice in a friendly, professional manner. She frequently monitors communications to ensure that they are free of condescending, impolite, or imprudent attitudes and language, in order to ensure customer satisfaction.
The help desk manager’s job entails providing ongoing and adequate training on new and existing systems. She is usually expected to be up to date on the most recent products that her team supports. It is her responsibility to clearly impart that information to her staff once she has been educated on system operations and has learned what the most common questions will be. Her ability to effectively train her staff in assisting in the resolution of customer issues is critical to the success of her and her department.
A help desk manager is typically required to prepare work schedules that ensure adequate customer service coverage at all times, in addition to training and customer service activities. Overworked help desk employees are commonly thought to provide subpar service to customers. This problem is frequently avoided by the help desk manager’s effective personnel scheduling.
Another common responsibility of a help desk manager is to assist in the development or revision of guidelines and procedures in order to improve the quality of assistance provided by her team. She keeps a close eye on customer communications and makes note of any areas where interactions are unclear or could be improved. Customer and employee satisfaction improves when positive changes are incorporated into help desk relationships.
A bachelor’s degree or equivalent technical education in computer operations, math, or computer science is required of qualified candidates for help desk manager. Computer and high-tech product knowledge and familiarity are required. Applicants for the position of help desk manager should have prior customer service and management experience.