A survey was conducted in December 1999 to find out how Help Desk users think of our
service during the year, and any recommendations for improvement. Thirty questionnaires were sent to a mixture of academic, administrative and clerical staff who frequently called the Help Desk for assistance.

Findings

19 out of 30 questionnaires were returned. The response rate was 63%.

Rating scales:
1 = never true; 2 = seldom true; 3 = true half of the time; 4 = usually true; 5 = always true
I Statements and questions used in this survey were selected from Barbara Czegel, “Running an Effective Help Desk”,
Chap. 7, 1994

As can be seen from the above chart, the consensus was that the staff of the Help Desk were very helpful and professional. Many of their computer-related problems were handled in a timely fashion. Although the lines were sometimes busy, they found the Help Desk service quick, direct and convenient. The fact that some general but urgent computer problems could be resolved immediately over the phone had made them more productive in their daily tasks. One particular user even claimed that the Help Desk had greatly reduced his department's maintenance cost.

Conclusion

Although in general the users' feedback was positive, there are still areas that need to be improved. This may include extending service hours, adding more phone lines, increasing manpower and enhancing internal communication. The latter is particularly important especially when new services are launched. In order to succeed, Help Desk staff must have first-hand information about the new services before anyone else. Instruction has already been made by senior management that before releasing network messages to users about a new service launch, the colleagues-in-charge have to brief the Help Desk with details on the matter. Furthermore, to ensure effective communication with users, Help Desk staff have also been instructed to avoid technical terms when diagnosing problems over the phone.

In this survey, respondents have kindly given us valuable comments and suggestions. User perspectives prompted the Help Desk to make improvement; and more importantly, the positive feedback had boosted the morale among the Help Desk staff because they have been trusted and respected by the users.