A lot of people are interested in getting into the business of providing IT Support and Customer Service but don't know where to start. There's plenty of options available when looking at cloud-based solutions like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Azure. But if you're not sure what all these different terms mean then you'll be wasting your time trying to research them - because there really isn't a good resource that can provide clear answers on each one.
If you've ever looked online for information about how to get started with this kind of work then you probably found yourself overwhelmed by the amount of jargon used in many articles. The reason why so much technical terminology exists is because most industries use technology as part of their daily operations. It would take too long to explain everything here, however, so we will focus only on two topics: Infrastructure Services Companies (ISCs), and White Label Help Desk Software.
In short, an ISC provides the physical resources needed to run a company's website/applications. These include network equipment such as servers, routers, switches, firewalls, etc., along with other hardware including phone systems &c. They also offer hosting services, which means they maintain a server farm where users' data is stored. Finally, they may also sell bandwidth, storage space, email accounts, domain names, and more. All of these things are necessary to create an effective web presence, whether you own the site directly or host it through an ISP.
An ISC does not need any specialized knowledge to perform its job properly, though some may specialize in certain areas. For example, a Network Engineer might design networks while a Server Administrator might install new computers onto existing ones. An ISC typically employs several employees who handle multiple tasks simultaneously. This division of labor makes it possible for small startups to grow quickly even though they lack the expertise required to do so otherwise. Because of this, many people choose to become ISCs in order to build up experience before moving into another field.
Infrastructure Services Companies aren't always the best choice for smaller organizations, however. If you want to expand rapidly and hire lots of employees within a relatively short period of time, then you should consider using a "Cloud" provider instead. Cloud providers usually charge per hour rather than per month, making it easier to scale up as your needs change over time. There are dozens of different types of cloud computing platforms available today, ranging from simple websites hosted by third party sites to complex applications running on top of Microsoft Windows Servers. Most of these require little training to operate successfully, although some do come with additional costs beyond basic setup fees.
Another type of organization is a Business Process Outsourcing firm (BPO). BPOs primarily serve large corporations, offering outsourced payroll processing, call centers, and human resources management among others. Their customers pay monthly subscription fees to receive professional assistance whenever they need it. In fact, the majority of BPOs actually employ real professionals working remotely -- in contrast to traditional IT staffing firms.
The main difference between an ISC and a BPO is that the latter takes care of every aspect of the process itself, whereas an ISC only offers those aspects related to the internet. A BPO handles the entire workflow involved in delivering products and services to clients, meaning that no task is left unattended. Although a BPO's primary purpose is to save money for their clientele, they still must ensure that their processes function smoothly. If something goes wrong with the product delivery, then the client won't trust them again. To avoid this problem, they often train their employees thoroughly.
Finally, a third option is to buy an off-the-shelf solution designed specifically for helping companies manage their interactions with their customers online. One example is an enterprise level help desk tool called Zendesk, which has been around since 2010 and was created by former eBay CEO Jeff Skoll. Since then, it has grown significantly in popularity due to numerous positive reviews posted across the Internet by satisfied customers. Many of these reviews praise Zendesk's user interface, reporting that it feels intuitive enough for anyone to learn quickly. The software also boasts impressive features, including advanced search capabilities, multi-channel communication channels, instant messaging integration, automated message tracking, and social media monitoring. As far as pricing goes, you can purchase a single license (for personal use) for $10 /month. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be an annual plan offered yet. However, a recent update suggests that Zendesk's parent company is planning to introduce an annual licensing model sometime soon. If you'd prefer a less expensive alternative, try Hubstaff, which costs just $9 /month.
No. When you visit Google's homepage, you see a very minimal version of their logo followed by a link labeled "Support". Clicking on this button leads you to a separate page displaying the following text:
Unfortunately, I'm unable to answer questions regarding our products right now. Please check back later!
This is clearly intended to discourage visitors from leaving feedback. Even worse, clicking on the "Contact Us" button at the bottom redirects you to the same page asking you to fill out a form first.
It's important to note that this isn't an official Google policy, nor is it necessarily representative of how all their employees behave. Some people believe that it's rude to ignore requests for assistance, especially considering the high number of complaints filed against Google in various forums dedicated to consumer rights. Others simply disagree with the way Google treats its customers and feel that doing nothing is preferable. Regardless of the reasons behind it, the decision to treat customers harshly is certainly a poor one.
Office 365 currently does not have a built-in help desk feature. Instead, you can access a variety of helpful resources via Microsoft's Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) portal. You can find links to these pages inside the My Apps section of Outlook.com, which is the default e-mail service provided by Office 365.
You can also access the CEIP portal from the desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, as well as the mobile apps for iOS and Android. From there, click on the "Help Center" tab located towards the bottom of the screen. Then select either "Get Started" or "Create New Request" depending upon which issue you wish to address. After filling out the relevant details, press "Submit." Once submitted, your request will be reviewed and answered accordingly. Note that the CEIP team will contact you within 48 hours to discuss your case further.
Microsoft does indeed have a software application capable of handling incoming tickets. It's called MS Helpdesk and it works similar to Zendesk. For starters, the UI looks identical to Zendesk's, which is quite nice. You can view the latest status updates, assign replies to specific agents, add notes to individual cases, and easily jump between open issues in chronological order. Like Zendesk, Microsoft Helpdesk supports both asynchronous and synchronous communications. Additionally, it includes a chat room for quick conversations and integrates with popular collaboration tools like Skype for video chats. Unlike Zendesk, however, Microsoft Helpdesk lacks advanced search functions, automatic follow ups based on keywords, and advanced reporting capabilities. Fortunately, it's easy to integrate custom scripts and macros into the app, allowing you to automate repetitive tasks.
MS Helpdesk comes bundled in three editions: Standard, Premium, and Enterprise. Each edition is priced differently according to the number of agent licenses purchased. A single standard license will cost you $15 /year, whereas a premium package will set you back $50 /year. Lastly, Microsoft's Enterprise Edition requires a minimum investment of $100,000 in order to obtain a single agent license. The price of an extra agent depends on the size of your agency, with larger enterprises paying higher prices per employee.
Ultimately, none of these programs are perfect solutions. None of them allow you to completely eliminate the risk of losing potential customers forever. That said, they're better than relying solely on Facebook messages or email templates alone. At least you'll know that someone else has already gone through the trouble of answering your question. Ultimately, the most reliable method of communicating with your audience involves combining various methods, such as social networking, email marketing, live Q&As, and live streaming interviews.
If you are looking to improve your business operations by having more efficient and effective customer care system then White Label Help Desk Services might be the solution that fits into your budget. This service enables small enterprises to have access to outsourced technical support from experts with no investment on hardware or personnel cost. The company offers solutions like white label help desk software,help desk hosting plans and other related services at affordable prices. In this article we will discuss what exactly is white label help desk, how does it work, and some of its features and benefits. We hope that after reading our guide, you'll find yourself better equipped when choosing between different types of IT service providers.
White label help desk is essentially a virtual call center where customers can get assistance over the phone either through live chat or email. The service provider manages all aspects of the platform including billing, marketing, sales, training, monitoring, etc., but doesn't actually handle any calls themselves. Instead they provide a pre-built web interface and an app so that users can manage everything themselves. For example, if someone wants to contact them about the products or services offered by the company, they just need to open up the website and click on the "contact us" button instead of calling the number provided on the website.
At first glance, it may seem as though white label help desk is similar to outsourcing customer service functions such as tech support, data entry, content creation, social media management, etc., but there's one big difference - the third party provides only the technology while the user still has to pay for labor costs and overhead expenses. So whether you use white label help desk or not depends entirely upon your personal preference and situation. If you want to cut down on operating costs and increase productivity, then using it would probably make sense. On the other hand if you're already paying for employees, office space, equipment, etc., and don't mind investing in those things then maybe outsourcing isn't for you. It also depends on your needs because even though it saves money upfront, it could end up costing you later if something goes wrong.
So let's take a closer look at what exactly makes up a white label help desk and how it works.
There are lots of options available when it comes to white label help desk software. Some popular ones include Zendesk, Salesforce Chatter, RingCentral, Freshdesk, LiveChat, Intercom, and many others. Most of these platforms offer both desktop apps and mobile apps so that people can log in via PC, tablet, and smartphone. But keep in mind that each offering varies depending on who developed it and why. A good thing to consider before buying is the pricing structure - some vendors charge per month whereas others give you a monthly credit card processing fee. There are also several subscription packages that come with additional perks attached (like extra integrations) so always check the fine print.
Help desk software is basically cloud based applications designed specifically for customer service purposes. They usually feature built-in knowledge base articles, FAQs, forms, surveys, ticketing systems, event calendars, and plenty of other helpful tools. These programs allow users to create multiple channels of communication so that anyone can reach out to clients regardless of location and device type. You can view the entire history of every interaction with your client right within the application itself so you can easily track all conversations and documents. All you have to do is select the client, date, and channel and voila! Everything is automatically pulled up. Sometimes you might have to download certain attachments onto your computer manually, but most modern white label help desks offer automatic uploading so you won't have to worry about anything else.
As mentioned above, there are a lot of different kinds of help desk software available today ranging from simple text editors to complex enterprise level suites. Depending on your needs and preferences you should try to narrow down your search until finally finding what you really want. Here are three tips that can help you along the way:
1. Find reviews online. Ask around your friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances. Even if the product seems too expensive, ask them anyway since chances are they've had experience with it and know the pros and cons.
2. Try out a few trial versions. While it's normal to expect to pay for a quality product, sometimes you can find really good deals on trial versions. Just remember that you cannot resell or redistribute the software once you uninstall it.
3. Check out competitors' websites. What kind of functionality does their software offer? How much does it cost? Can you compare features side by side? Do they have free trials? Is the software intuitive enough for newbies? Does it integrate well with existing processes? Are there add-ons available? etc.
Once you've narrowed down your choices to two or three candidates, here are a couple of questions you should ask yourself before making a final decision:
1. Will my team members understand how to use the program?
This is especially important if you're planning to hire remote workers. Make sure everyone involved knows how to navigate the software, enter information properly, upload files, submit tickets, schedule meetings, etc. Otherwise they could waste hours trying to figure out how to complete basic tasks.
2. Does it meet my requirements?
Does the software offer the functionality I'm looking for? Does it have the features I need? What integrations does it support? Do you have to pay for licenses separately or included in the price? And lastly, how long did it take to set up? If it took longer than expected, was there any documentation missing? Did you ever encounter bugs? Was the setup easy/hard? Etc.
Although it sounds weird to say that a help desk is a CRM, technically speaking yes, it is. The reason being is that every single tool listed above can function as a CRM. Think about it, every piece of software discussed above contains automated form completion, realtime tracking, advanced reporting capabilities, and tons of great integrations. Basically, every aspect of the help desk software helps streamline interactions with clients and increases efficiency. Nowadays almost every major CRM provider offers a plugin API so you can connect directly to their database and import contacts, appointments, emails, notes, invoices, payments, leads, events, projects, cases, etc. All you have to do is install the appropriate plugins and away you go!
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Today's customers expect a high level of personalization and customization from any product they buy. And when you're looking at solutions that are already built into your business, it can be hard to imagine how such things could work with your existing technology stack. That's where White Label Help Desk comes in -- allowing IT departments to take advantage of these new technologies while keeping costs down by not investing in expensive hardware and software licenses.
In this article we'll discuss what exactly White Label Help Desk is and why so many companies have chosen to implement it as part of their overall strategy. We will also look at some of the most popular options available today, including our recommended solution. Finally, we'll delve deeper into pricing models and find out whether there is really anything stopping you from using a third-party provider like White Labelled Help Desk.
When you think about traditional help desks, you probably picture something similar to the one found inside a typical call center. It might include a large room filled with rows upon rows of cubicles, each occupied by a different employee who has been assigned responsibility for answering calls on behalf of the company. In addition to its cost, however, this model has several other disadvantages:
It requires employees to spend hours every day sitting at their desks waiting for incoming phone calls.
As more people become accustomed to doing everything online (and even talking directly through video chat), the need for human interaction becomes less necessary than ever before. This means that if your help desk is staffed entirely by humans, then it may actually end up being counterproductive.
There's no way to monitor all interactions between agents and clients, meaning that important information can easily get lost along the way.
This model doesn't scale well, either. As soon as your organization grows beyond a certain size, adding more agents won't do much good because all those extra seats will still just sit empty. On top of that, you'd likely need a separate building just to house them all!
The same goes for physical buildings in general. If you own a store front, you know that you only make money when someone enters the door and makes a purchase. But if nobody walks through your doors, your profits instantly dry up. The same thing happens with offices. You don't generate revenue unless people show up to work. So rather than investing thousands of dollars into real estate, why not instead pay somebody else to handle customer relations?
This is where SaaS help desk comes in. Instead of paying individual employees hundreds of dollars per month, you simply license software that handles your entire customer support operation. Using this approach, you don't have to worry about staffing levels, space requirements, or the number of phones needed to answer incoming calls. All you have to do is sign up for a monthly subscription fee and let the vendor manage everything behind the scenes.
Even better, since you've outsourced your help desk operations to a single entity, you don't have to worry about getting bogged down in complex contracts or legal agreements. Simply put, once you set up a system, you never have to deal with any additional fees again.
So far, we've talked about the advantages of using SaaS help desk software over traditional methods. However, not everyone feels comfortable making a major investment right away. Fortunately, there are plenty of affordable alternatives available. Here are three of the most common ones worth considering:
Zendesk
Zendesk was originally created back in 2004 as a simple web-based ticketing platform. Today, though, it offers dozens of features designed specifically to address the needs of modern organizations. These range from basic email management to advanced analytics and reporting capabilities. There's even a mobile app available for Android devices.
With Zendesk, you can create customized forms that allow users to submit requests via text message, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram, SMS, Twitter DM, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, and more. Once submitted, tickets receive priority attention based on their severity and urgency. Each request can also be tagged by the agent responsible for handling it, providing a clear visual indicator of who's working on each issue.
On top of this, you can track the status of open cases, send automated reminders to team members, integrate data feeds from various sources, and provide instant access to reports and analytics. With all of this functionality packed into one easy interface, it would seem that Zendesk is almost too useful to ignore.
Help Scout
If you prefer something simpler but equally effective, consider Help Scout. Although it lacks some of the bells and whistles found in competitors like Zendesk, it does offer a few unique features that aren't typically included in standard help desk platforms. For example, you can customize your dashboard to display live updates from the server whenever anyone logs onto the application. Similarly, you can add widgets to your pages that allow visitors to see details about specific issues.
These two examples illustrate two key points: First, it's possible to find helpful software that isn't overly complicated. Second, you shouldn't feel limited by choosing a particular package. Some vendors are geared toward small teams, whereas others cater towards larger enterprises. Regardless, you should always try to identify the exact features that you require before committing to a purchase. After all, you wouldn't want to waste valuable resources trying to figure out how to use software that wasn't meant for your type of business after the fact.
GetResponse
Finally, if you prefer to go old school and keep things completely hands-on, GetResponse is another option that deserves a mention. While this tool is primarily intended for marketing campaigns, it can also double as a powerful sales channel. Thanks to a robust API, you can connect GetResponse to virtually any piece of software that uses email templates.
For instance, you can utilize the platform's ability to automatically reply to emails and convert contacts interested in purchasing products into leads. Or perhaps you wish to leverage GetResponse to automate followup messages sent to prospects who haven't yet made a decision. Whatever the case may be, the sky truly is the limit here. Just remember to exercise caution when sending sensitive information across untrusted networks.
One last question remains: Can I use Zendesk for free? Of course, this depends on what you mean by "free." Even though the core version of the software is offered for a nominal $20/month, there are a couple ways around this limitation. Most notably, you can opt for a hosted plan that includes unlimited storage and bandwidth. Alternatively, you can choose to install the software yourself and host it locally. Either route provides ample flexibility depending on your needs.
While there are countless choices available, we recommend Zendesk for its combination of simplicity and power. Not only does it come with tons of features, it also boasts one of the largest user bases in the industry. As long as you're willing to put in the effort, you'll eventually find a program that works perfectly for your business.
However, for those who prefer to remain flexible, we highly suggest Help Scout. Its intuitive design ensures that newcomers can quickly grasp how it works, and veteran users appreciate the amount of control that the software grants them. Plus, it's completely free until you hit a certain threshold. At that point, you can upgrade to premium plans for as little as $5/user/year.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.