Help Desk Chapter 3

Automated attendant

An ACD feature that routes calls based on input provided by the caller through a touch-tone telephone

Target resolution time

The time frame within which the support organization is expected to resolve an incident

Recording system

technology that records and plays back telephone calls

Voice Response Unit (VRU)

A technology that integrates with another technology, such as a database or a network management system, to obtain information or to perform a function; also called an interactive voice response unit.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

A technology that translates voice communications into data and then transmits that data across an Internet connection or network

Speakerphone

A telephone that contains both a loudspeaker and microphone

Workaround

A temporary way to circumvent or minimize the impact of an incident

Ticket

A term commonly used to describe a record stored in a database that contains the details of a customer contact; also known as case, incident, log, record, and service request

Warm Transfer

A way of transferring a telephone call that occurs when you introduce the customer and the service provider to whom you are transferring the call but you do not stay on the line.

Cold transfer

A way of transferring a telephone call when you stay on the line only long enough to ensure that the call has been transferred successfully

Hot Transfer

A way of transferring a telephone call when you stay on the line with the customer and the service provider whom you are engaging in the call; also known as a conference call.

Skills-based routing

An ACD feature that matches the requirements of an incoming call to the skill sets of available analysts or analyst groups; the ACD then distributes the call to the next available, appropriately qualified analyst

Available state

An ACD state that occurs when an analyst is ready to take calls

Voice mail

An automated form of taking messages from callers

Fax

An image of a document that is electronically transmitted to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device; short for facsimile

Screen pop

A CTI function that enables information about the caller to appear, or pop up, on an analysts monitor based on caller information captured by the telephone system and passed to a computer system

Overall satisfaction survey

A Customer satisfaction survey that asks customers for feedback about all contacts with the service desk during a certain time period

Priority

A category that defines the relative importance of an incident, problem, or change and that is based on impact and urgency (ITIL definition)

Event-driven survey

A customer satisfaction survey that asks customers for feedback on a single, recent service event

Wrap-up mode

A feature that prevents the ACD from routing a new inbound call to an analyst's extension.

Queue

A line; can be used to refer to a list of calls, tickets, email messages, or chat requests waiting to be processed

Urgency

A measure of how long it will be until an incident, problem, or change has a significant impact on the business (ITIL definition)

Impact

A measure of the effect an incident, problem, or change is having on business processes (ITIL definition)

Off-the-shelf

A personal computer software product that is developed and distributed commercially

Best Effort

A policy that states analysts do their best to assist a customer within a predefined set of boundaries such as a time limit

Weight

A rating scale of importance

Caller identification (caller ID)

A service provided by a local telephone company that discloses the telephone number of the person calling and, where available, the name associated with the calling telephone number.

Automatic number identification (ANI)

A service provided by a long-distance service provider that discloses the telephone number of the person calling.

Script

A standard set of text and behaviors

Announcement System

Technology that greets callers when all service desk analysts are busy and can provide valuable information as customers wait on hold.

Computer telephony integration (CTI)

The linking of computing technology with telephone technology to exchange information and increase productivity.