Help desk professionals are on the front lines. They need adequate backing from management in order to properly support their organizations. And that’s where help desk software fits in … the proper implementation of the right software can make a tough job a whole lot easier. The best help desk software allows support personnel to quickly resolve problems for their clients–whether they’re internal or external–while keeping the lid on costs.

Of course, many Lockergnome readers sit on those front lines …

Serious help desk software must provide solid call tracking and management capabilities. Experience shows that a dropped call will often lead to an unhappy (return) caller. To handle the calls with speed and authority, you’ll need the right knowledge management and problem resolution tools. To the greatest extent possible, incidents must be managed with the resources at hand.

While help desk software may include some form of self-help for users, this capability is often lacking. But don’t blame it on the software–it’s the implementation that makes it or breaks it. Limited choices and short FAQs won’t get the job done. Users want their questions answered quickly; while they might appreciate a FAQ, they won’t appreciate it if they can’t find what they’re looking for. And in many cases, they won’t (find it or appreciate it, that is).

Leading help desk software includes offerings from developers including Intuit (Track-It), PeopleSoft, BMC Software Remedy, UniPress FootPrints, Parature, GWI, and others. Some help desk software developers focus on specific markets. SchoolDude.com, for example, specializes on providing software for academic institutions. All in all, there are scads of choices in a busy market.

If you are using help desk software, we want to hear from you. If you have a great help desk story–whether it’s of the success or horror genre–please email me at helpdesksoftware-at-geekbooks.com (if you’re on the help desk, you’ll know how to turn that into a working email address … ) ;)