Let's start at the beginning
How do you deal with enquiries made either by your staff or your customers? Let's think about a typical internal request.
Pete decides he needs a new group email account set up to use on a particular project. He could:
- telephone the IT department and ask someone
- email itsupport@hiscompany.co.uk and make his request
If he telephones, someone might scribble his request on a note and stick it on the computer monitor of someone who could deal with the request. The person
who reads the note, may well put it to one side - he is busy at the moment. The note makes its way under clutter on the desk and nothing gets done. 3 days later, Pete, now
desperate to get on with his project and get his colleagues on the project using one group email address, rings again. No-one seems to know anything about his request and all that has
happened is that time has been wasted.
If he emails his request, it might be seen by the half a dozen IT support people who are subscribed to the itsupport@hiscompany.co.uk email
address. But who decides who will act on the request? Everyone could ignore the request because they are busy and think or hope someone else will deal with it.
Maybe one of them will act on the request but how many of them will waste their time looking to see if it has been done? A couple of days go by and Pete has heard nothing, so he emails again. He has no way
of knowing if anyone has seen or is dealing with his request. Will it get dealt with this time? If it doesn't, who will be able to tell that there are outstanding requests and make sure they are
acted upon. The list of things that can go wrong with such a method of dealing with requests for action is literally endless. Inefficiency is built in.
Now, we'll do things properly
Pete wants a new group email address set up. He clicks a link on his desktop that logs him directly into the company Seeker helpdesk. He enters what he wants done and selects a category of 'Email'
and a 'Sub-Category' of 'New Account'. When he submits the call, automatically, because of the Category selected - it is routed to the 'Software Support' queue and the IT support staff
assigned to that queue are emailed to notify them a new call has been logged. Everyone assigned to the Software Support queue can see the call and can decide to take the call. All calls can be
seen and monitored by Jane, the Team Leader for the Software Support queue. She can see that the Priority for the call is 4 hours - it is quite urgent but is not stopping anyone from
working - and she allocates the call to Mike. Any other agent looking at the call can see it has been allocated and that they don't need to get involved. But, crucially, Jane, Mike
and anyone else assigned to the Software Support queue can see the call. And,
3 hours after the call was logged (75% of the time allowed for the call to be responded to has gone by) the little green 'traffic light' icon next to the call turns Amber. This warns
everyone time is running out and the call really needs to be dealt with. Jane sees Mike is still busy on something so she steps in, sets up the email address required by Pete but
realises that Pete has not specified who else he wants to be assigned to the new group email address.
She adds a note to the call asking who is to be assigned to the group email address and ticks a checkbox to notify the user - Pete - so that he will receive an
email containing the query Jane has raised. When Jane saves the note to the call, she suspends the call which stops the clock ticking. At this point, Pete may not be around so
a day might go by before he responds.
Pete has gone to see a client and doesn't see the email until much later that day. When he reads it he clicks 'Reply' and says that he wants, Bill Smith, Martin Brown
and Denise Green to be assigned to the new group email address.
Pete's emailed reply is intercepted by Seeker and added to the call. It also reactivates the call. Anyone on the Software Support queue can see
the call is alive again and can see Pete's reply. They add the people requested to the group email address and add another note telling Pete what the account details of the new email
account are. At this point the call is closed.
The very simple example above outlines the benefits of using Seeker. The call is visible so it MUST be dealt with. Pete can see his enquiry is being dealt with. His responses
and the support staff's notes are all kept with the call - all the communication is visible and in one place. No-one has to chase anyone else up and waste their time. Multiply this by the
myriad calls for action made between different departments, and from customers, each day - and you have the potential to transform your organisation's efficiency.
Don't put up with inefficiency
The 'traditional' situations described above (dealing with requests for action on the phone or by email) happen in organizations everywhere - all the time.
Inefficiency is built in. Time is wasted. Opportunities are missed. Calls are not returned. Complaints are not dealt with properly. Staff and customers can be left unsupported and disappointed.
Using Seeker you can SEE how well you support your staff and customers. And nothing promotes action like transparency.